Quote Originally Posted by Joed View Post
Thom, I would strongly suggest you purchase your first razor from our classifieds forum from a member that has sold a lot of razors or from a reputable vendor such as Straight Razor Designs, Classic Shaving Vintage Blades LLC. EBay razors, even of you get a good one out of all the junk sold usually requires more work to make it shave ready bringing the cost more in line with what I am suggesting. It's hard for people experienced in buying razors to find good ones on EBay. People new to straight razors really do not know what to look for. If you are really interested in getting into straight razor shaving start with a good, shave ready razor. There really aren't many 'steals' in this venue and you usually get what you pay for even from vendors. Low cost vendors sell low quality goods so be aware.
That is the best advice for any newb in my mind! well said