Thread: Modern razors???

I'm buying my dear wife a new Kindle fire HD for Christmas, so she asked me what I wanted. The thing is, I'd like to try out a modern straight razor. I've only used vintage ones up to now, gladly putting up with the occasional hone wear, staining, light rust, loose pivots, and warped scales. All in the pursuit of vintage style and grace. Well, and cheap prices also. So on a Kindle fire budget, give or take, would you buy a modern straight? I really don't think the shaving experience would be better, so perhaps I'm looking for mainly aesthetic appeal?

Well if it's mainly aesthetic appeal... if you got the doe, why not try a custom or even a revamp?

Hi, In my case I haven't ever shaved with a vintage straight razor, I have only shaved with the modern ones, using brands like Dovo, Boker, JA Henckels, Hart Steel, Revisor and Thiers Issard. I think the best "value for the money" is Boker. They look good, fairly priced, good quality and excellent shavers. I recommend you to buy this razor from a site that offers "shave ready" razors (like SRD), that way you can take more advantage of the edge. Of the above, I insist is my personal opinion.

You're ahead of the game since you already have enough experience with vintage blades to know what you like in terms of size and style I would just look for what I liked from an aesthetic viewpoint. Custom or factory it would be what appealed to me in terms of blade size, shape and scales.

It seems that you're mainly looking for aesthetic appeal. I'm not sure how many vintage razors you have. If you've been putting up with some bad stuff (e.g., rust, stains, etc.) with the vintage razors, then maybe you should have your razors fully restored. Getting a fresh sanding, polish, honing, re-pinning, and beautiful custom scales for the razors may be the way to go. You can contact SRP members who do full restoration and custom work; they'll be glad to work with you on getting you what you want.

Originally Posted by Mike12345

I'm buying my dear wife a new Kindle fire HD for Christmas, so she asked me what I wanted. The thing is, I'd like to try out a modern straight razor. I've only used vintage ones up to now, gladly putting up with the occasional hone wear, staining, light rust, loose pivots, and warped scales. All in the pursuit of vintage style and grace. Well, and cheap prices also. So on a Kindle fire budget, give or take, would you buy a modern straight? I really don't think the shaving experience would be better, so perhaps I'm looking for mainly aesthetic appeal?

If you're itching to try a new one, you won't be satisfied until you do. I will tell you after having tried both that I like the charm of a vintage razor. I have about three new ones and seldom use them. A vintage one has been somewhere back in time that I enjoy visiting 15 minutes a day in front of the shaving mirror. I love putting a keen edge on one and getting a superior shave. I also like some of the brands of yesteryear, particularly Filarmonica and Taylor's Eye Witness, my two go-to brands. I have others that are just as good but I have a particular love for these razors. There are a couple of "utilitarian" kind of razors (you know, nice but nothing fancy) that I derive a lot of satisfaction out of using because I honed the edge and got it to shave like a more expensive one. Most of the razors I have were purchased right here in the Classified section. This is the definitive site for straight razors and I trust the expertise and integrity of these members. I couldn't tell you the degree of hone wear on my razors unless the spine was totally whittled away. (I put electrical tape on the spine of my razors to prevent hone wear.) What I would do if it were me and I wanted to test drive a current straight razor without significant wear is to look in the Classifieds section for a "nearly new" razor. You'll get a good deal. Don't hesitate to ask the seller questions, tell him what you're looking for, and ask him if what he's offering fills the bill. I don't think I've ever been disappointed in anything purchased here.

Hi Mike,
I'm not aware of what a Kindle Fire costs, but you might look at the SRP Custom Logo razor. It's a one time razor offer with a limited number of razors to be made, 200 if I remember correctly. Each razor is custom made by Robert Williams, PapaBull. You won't have it by Christmas at this late date of order, but you will have a unique piece of SRP shavedom. Here's the link to the SRP thread SRP Razor. If that doesn't click, I, because I like them, think Thiers Issard has some great razors, and especially the Carbonsong 135 series because they take and hold a great edge. Here's a link to the UK Thiers Issard dealer here. I'd avoid "bling" like gold wash because it's too easily damaged, worn off or compromised in many assorted ways. Pretty, but not stable. There are some great razors out there, but these are two that have appeal for me, but any of the above mentioned are good also. Really, though, gold wash looks great, but I'd avoid it. Good Luck!!

Regards,
Howard

I had to Google Kindle Fire, both to see what it is and how much they cost....

At the $200-$250 price point you could buy a very nice razor from a few modern makers. Best bet would be Boker, TI, Wacker, Revisor or a higher end Dovo.

Originally Posted by CaliforniaCajun

If you're itching to try a new one, you won't be satisfied until you do.

Yup, this post really rang true. And as has been posted, at the $200 give-or-take price point, some nice steel comes into play. I like extra hollow grinds at about 6/8 size or slightly larger. Dovo's Prima Klang comes immediately to mind.
Does Boker, TI, Wacker, or Revisor have anything comparable? Apologies in advance for the probably obvious questions, but I'm very much a modern straight noob.

You can check here Raritten Vorschau , there are some extra hollows in your size range. Mind you these are vintage razors.

Bob