Thread: Please help!

I know absolutely nothing about shaving. I would like to get my boyfriend a straight razor as a gift. I am a single mom of three in college, so my budget is small, $75 or so. My boyfriend learned how to shave with a straight razor and enjoys doing so, but does not currently own one himself. What I dont want to do is buy some pretty little thing that when it gets here will look tacky and feel like crap to his face. I dont really know whether razor choice is based on. His face: ultra sharp cheek bones and strong jawline. The beard texture is fairly soft, not wirey, and dense... he's Irish descendant... I'm not sure what other information would be helpful in selecting a decent blade. He can buy his own accesories. I think he would prefer a wood or horn handle maybe? Something kind of natural-ish. Also, I now this is highly unlikely, but is it possible to inscribe, either by etching or engraving, something on the blade or would that destroy the integrity of the blade itself? Whatever I get, will have to order, because I have found nothing available in my local area. Thanks! If at all possible I'm really hoping to make this a valentines gift.

You should be able to purchase a new Dovo Best Quality for around $65. It comes with plain black scales (handles). Wood/Horn will be more expensive. You can also check out the classified section of this site. The razors from the classifieds should be shave ready. There should be one that meets your price range and may have something besides the standard black plastic scales. If there isn't one today, I'm sure there will be one in the next few days that meets your needs.

Also, you/he will need a strop to maintain the edge. A strop is a must! The razor must be stropped before/after each shave. A brush is also a key shaving tool, but I guess it may not be essential. Proper shave soap/cream and brush is very helpful to build a proper lather. The better the lather the better the shave. Cheap brush/shave bowl/soap sets can be purchased at local pharmacies for about $10. The typical canned shaving cream is not the best for straight razor shaving. You may just want to pass the info about the strop and brush/bowl/soap info along to your bf.

Here is just one example of a razor from the classifieds that fits your needs. This particular razor would be an outstanding starter razor. There are several others in your price range.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/class...repoint-&cat=3

Good Luck!

You're a super cool chick! Tell your bf he better hold on to you!

Or you could get a straight razor and strop from Larry over at whippeddog.com. Larry is a great guy, will work with you and will be able to stay in your budget.

Welcome to SRP. A Dovo is your best bet. It's budget razor only in that it doesn't have fancy scales (handles) but it is a quality. You will get what you pay for when shopping retail. Do be aware that not all online recommendations are good ones.

These are some good suggestions, I appreciate all ya'lls help. I didnt even realize this site had a classifieds sections. What a relief, I was beginning to think I might not be able to afford to get him this gift at all. So, questions still on my mind, can the handles, er, scales I mean, be replaced at a later time? Is this something he can do, or will he have to send his razor off to be serviced somewhere? He's pretty crafty. I know that he will be able to maintain the blade well, he used to sharpen knives for a living. All of the knives he owns are sharp enough to shave with lol. And what about the engraving on the blade? Is this a no-no? Any other suggestions are certainly welcome!

Many members here make their own scales, and scales are interchangeable with these razors. Your boyfriend can learn how to do it, or you could send the razor to a number of people on this site to do it for you for a fee.

Just FYI, sharpening knives and sharpening razors are VERY different, and require different stones, methods, and a lighter touch. He should still watch some of the honing videos on this website and consult this forum for advice.

You can actually bring the razor to any Wedding gift supply store that sells things like fine China and cutlery, or any "Things Remembered" gift store, and they will pretty much engrave anything onto any object.

I almost forgot to mention - in the classified, you might be able to find a shave ready razor with wood, bone, ivory, or horn scales in your price range.

At this point I would just worry about getting him the basics. if he is skilled he can play with the razor later and customize it. I would skip the engraving.

Welcome from N.M by the way.

Talk to Larry at whippeddog.com. He's great to deal with, and he'll answer emails in a timely manner. Tell him what you're wanting and he'll take care of it. His sight-unseen deal is a good way to start, and it includes a shave-ready razor and a strop for less than $60. He also has some nicer razors that you can get for just a little more.

My advice when buying parachutes or straight razors:

1. Research the seller.
2. Don't buy apparent bargains unless you have the skills to modify the item yourself if needed. It may not be cheap in the long run especially if you pay someone to repair it.
3. Always see what you're buying first even if its from a blood relative. The product may simply not be what you want.

For your price range the SRP classifieds would be a good start Main Index - Straight Razor Place Classifieds
Again research that the seller is experienced in honing &/or restoration.