understanding how price vs. quality of a razor

I'm new to traditional shaving (with a safety razor) and now looking to transition and buy a straight razor. I didn't put this question in the beginner forum because I think it is a generally useful question about razors that I haven't found an answer to.

The one thing I'm having trouble understanding is what different tiers of quality among razors exist. I mean, when I go and buy a camera, it's easy for me to understand the differences between the cameras' features and see that there are different price ranges that certain cameras fall into... and in general, the more expensive ones are "better" and more feature-rich. With straight razors, I'm not sure.

A lot of posts you read are all about trying to buy a razor on a budget and find a razor that's "good enough". For example, look at the Dovo Best Quality 6/8" on straight razor designs (which a lot of people seem to recommend as a great starter razor) and it says "just a great razor for the money". Why "for the money"? What razors are better? There isn't much advice about razors that ignore budget.

Now maybe for my first razor it's a good idea to not spend too much extra on it if it's likely that I can mess it up... but I'd still like to know this information so that I can both make my own informed decision and also know what razors to look forward to when I go get my second one :-). So are there any rules of thumb or things to look for or ways of understanding why a razor commands a higher price other than "it looks nice"? I know "rarity" certainly comes into play (I'm less concerned about that since I'm not planning on looking much at vintage razors now). Are some sharper than others? Are some easier to maintain and therefore command a higher a price? Or after a certain point are you only paying for the aesthetic?

I've seen a boker damascus blade (granted, I think limited edition?) for almost $1,000!? How much of that is quality, and how much of that is aesthetic? In particular, I love the way the Dovo Flowing razor looks. It costs ~$150 more than the Best Quality... am I getting a better razor or just a prettier one? If it's really better I might consider just getting it.

Essentially... I am going to buy the Best Quality 6/8", but if there's something that isn't a hell of a lot more money that is better for reasons other than "it's pretty", I might decide to buy it. And if I don't buy it now, I certainly want to know about it for the future.

doh... I don't see how to change the title, oh well...

Welcome to the most helpful friendly and informative site on the Web!!

Personally I don’t have the answer to your question, and here’s why!

The majority of shaving with a straight razor is ‘Personal Preference’.

For an example; I ‘prefer’ to use a razor that’s at least 5/8 or larger and one that has a round point. I do on occasion use a smaller razor and I have some in the 3/4 range that are square points and I use them often. They are all full hollow ground.

You will also find that there are some who ‘prefer’ certain blades manufactured in certain countries or periods of time!

Here again, I prefer ‘vintage blades’ and those from Germany or the USA. However I do have a very nice Sheffield blade that was given to me that is a really nice shaver! And I do have a very nice Revisor that I bought brand new direct from the factory that is a wonderful shaver!

As I said, it’s all about finding out what you ‘Prefer’!!

As I said at the start, there is no easy answer to your question!

Hang in there! You will find your own answers as you walk down the long road that we all here travel!:tu

My biggest recommendation is to start with a round point. I have been straight shaving since January and can finally get good and consistent results. I picked up a square point a couple weeks ago and I will say, had I originally gotten a square point as my first razor I probably would have quit after a week or two. Those square points can be very unforgiving if you aren't careful. I forget exactly how it was quoted in the wiki, but someone said that "square points are great at silently fileting the skin" or something along those lines.

I agree with the round point recommendation and with the personal preference advice. Personally, I own about 20 razors. top of my list for me is a cheep gold dollar 209. In the two years I have owned it I have sharpened it once, and shave with it often. second is an old Keen Kutter off of the bay and it was a nine dollar razor. to tell the truth my Dovo "Best Quality" is about fifth on my list. That is just my own two cents. I would think that most members here have an inexpensive razor that they just love or that loves them so I do not believe that price necessarily means a great shave, I do think however, that it mean that there is a quality that the company has to live up to.

This is an interesting question that I'd also be interested in learning the answer. It seems to me (just from reading, not experience) that there's is often no quality difference in a cheap vs expensive razor.

Read as much as you can stand, then read some more. Look at months of The Shave of the Day, look at the forge and read about the history of straight razor manufacture. The less you know about something the more everything looks the same. A lot of people have shared a lot of knowledge in this forum, honor them by doing some of the work of research. The answers to the questions you are asking are already here. You take the blue pill, the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill, you stay in Wonderland, and SRP will show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.

Price is an interesting thing.

On the one hand there is generally a minimum price below which you just won't be getting something of shave quality (I'm talking new razors here, btw). The proper steel, the proper skills to work it and grind it and finish it all cost. Of course the manufacturer and vendors need a profit as well. For a new razor I use the most basic Dovo as a guide on that ballpark minimum price.

Over that, you start to get prices that reflect the quality and difficulty/rareness of the steel (eg damascus), the quality and materials of the scales, the finish and so on. You also then can move into the realms of customer preference and style - a big honking 8/8 with worked spines and a raptor-like profile is almost guaranteed to attract a premium, for example. Gold washed razors too, or intricate etching and so on...

In terms of vintage, price will often reflect reputation and rarity and of course condition - a Mappin and Webb Lancet edge for example (in good condition) will set you back maybe more than some customs! Some people value scales and the often ornate patterns and impresses/carving/whatever the old-timers put on them - also the scale materials (ivory, for example, has a premium. Pre-ban, of course).

Vintage blades will often have a market that is influenced by collectors rather than users as well, particularly the rarer or more collectible brands/styles. These are often pricier than their mere parts might suggest they should be, mainly because of demand/supply.

Similarly, multiple-razor sets (in good condition) seem to attract a premium - they often appear to be worth more than the mere multiplication of the individual razors that they comprise.

So price is a tricky thing, as I said before, particularly with reference to vintage blades. Often with these we simply say that the market determines the value, which is basically true to a large extent. However, I would say with production razors (ie new), it is more a costs and supply/demand issue.

James.

One place to find quality steel at good prices is the classified section above this forum.
Once in a while you will find excellent steel with serviceable scales.
Often offered by some of the guys here... are rescued no name razors
from the turn of the century ... great steel, not famous, dull, cracked scales
but fine shavers.

There are differences but the modern razors all have good steel. The very best have
better steel but that is subjective. The big $$ are spent on grind, finish, scales, art....

Any Dovo made today is a darn fine razor. The lower priced ones
have a simple grind and almost no polish. The low priced scales are mass
mfg. plastic. Good but not fancy.

The Thiers Issard razors seem to be tempered a bit harder than Dovo
which I like but at the low end have worse scales. Harder steel takes
a light practiced hand... to hone well. Modern hones have no difficulty
with hard steel.

Of all my Dovos one of my favorites is a DOVO ASTRALE EBONY 5/8"
The scales are light but well balanced. The blade takes a fine edge...
The steel is not clearly better than another dovo $40 less.

All give a fine shave when honed and stropped correctly.

Since a razor needs to be stropped each shave I would point a beginner to a razor + strop combo at SRD.
A second rate strop is more common than a second rate razor.

Do not ignore the old steel.... but watch out for the eBay junk. You get what you
pay for....

New production razors are priced based on detail used for the particular mode, plain plade with simple etch and no spine work with plastic scales will be cheaper than a gold wash blade with worked spine with horn scales. So price is based on paterials used and extra visual features. The steel does not vary in quality for each maker.

For vintage razors there is no rule of thumb about prices. Some brands are much more popular, and sell for a lot of money. Price can go up because of fancy scales with engravings. Price can be high because of the blade size, in general larger blades are more expansive. Finally rarity of the razor also plays somewhat into the price.

Start with a simple razor(Dovo Best Quality for example, or a good condition vintage) and strop to learn the ropes, then the possibilities are endless, I mean literally some people have hundreds of razors in their collections.

There are some brands that are popular and therefore, tend to attract premium prices - I'm thinking Duble Duck and Filarmonica - neither are what you would call scarce so there is a big element of demand driving prices up. Having said that, they do not get their reputation for nothing and both are fine makes - my limited experience of both is that the Filarmonica takes some beating whereas the DD is similar to Henckels Friodur and the Swedish razors, but definitely cost more.

As the market for the big, old near wedges shows, Wade & Burtcher is still the brand in demand - again jistifiably so as they are very fine shavers. Whether they are any better than a whole host of similar age Sheffields is a moot point.

As a beginner you could probably take 200 different razors of all prices and, provided they were shave ready - you would probably not be able to 'feel' a difference in quality. You may well find a preference for size, shape, weight, grind or looks, but that's a different matter.

I'm going to make a prediction now - my prediction is that once you have your first razor and find that straight shaving is for you, then you'll start looking at these premium priced razors, ignore all the advice you have been given so far, and start justifying to yourself why you should have one.

There are actually differences in the Vintage and the New Production razors besides just looks..

The are differences in the steels used, the process of hardening and tempering, and obvious differences in the grinds...

You simply have to search for the info for the New production stuff.

On Vintage razors it is a little harder to figure it all out, as much of the info was either hidden or greatly exaggerated so discerning the truth isn't so easy

Damascus is actually a generic moniker for 'pattern welded steel.' There are differences in formulas used in making up the final product, and the resulting alloy may make a difference in feel, how difficult it is to hone, and shave quality. IME a 'damascus' razor, and I've tried quite a few, is not necessarily better than a regular blade, but not worse. So aesthetics is the driver behind those. You have your stainless blades, high carbon, and some that have gimmicks such as lead hardening, that give the steels different qualities in honing if not in actual shaving. So there are subtle differences. Dovo, Ralf Aust and Theirs-Issard are some of the razors that I've personally taken a liking to.

I've always had trouble with discerning what would separate an average shaver with a good hone job from a great shaver with a good hone job. There are a LOT of brands that get touted as "excellent" or "some of my best shavers", but I rarely hear what they are better than.

In putting razor to face, I won't much notice the edge hardness unless it is extremely low. I'm much more likely to prefer based on tang shape and length, blade profile, degree of hollow to the grind, blade weight and width, and honing quality. A part of me still wants to focus on the steel and heat treat, but I cannot from my shaves tell you if my Cattaraugus, Tosuke, Iwasaki, or anything else, has a superior steel or heat treat. Perhaps from honing wear I can pick things apart, but if someone told me my Tosuke was harder than my Iwasaki (which is probably not true), I couldn't from shaving experience confirm or deny the claim.

Good luck trying to get more info.

Before I donate my 2 cents;
WW243 gave you a path to follow, to start you in this journey. The SRP forum is so deep in information with regard to a razor's price vs quality, it's like stepping off your 21' open fisherman into the Marianas Trench. Look a little closer by using the "Advanced Search" button, top right & putting in keywords that interest you. This returns the threads related to your interests. Members, including myself, love to answer your posts, but why limit yourself with only the replies in this thread.

First, in giving advice to a new person such as yourself, with regard to wet shaving, I would focus on the quality of the shave & don't tunnel vision on the "quality" of the razor. The end result of the shave is what I seek. I have gotten great shaves from $40.00 vintage blades from the classified section, a $7.00 antique store rescue & $250.00 Dovo's. To use your own analogy of cameras; as a young man I got into photography via a friend. He carried a simple Pentax SLR camera; I went out & bought an Olympus SLR with all the toys that fit it, 3X's the investment I made. His photos were always better than mine; because he was a better photographer. Three years later, I also bought a Pentax, still had crappy photos. :shrug:

The razor that gives you a good comfortable shave at the beginning of your day, is a quality razor. :)

At least with the vintage blades I use, IMHO, price has absolutely nothing to do with quality. I have some of the more pricey vintage brands (Puma, DD, Filarmonica) and many unknown razors that would sell for next to nothing due to lack of name recognition, and once they're all honed properly they're all excellent shavers. I've never bothered with modern blades, and why would I when I can get a beautiful, excellently made vintage blade for under $50.00. Case in point (no razor puns intended) this Tucker Regent in excellent condition, picked up at a local antique store for $40.00.

The key to your question is what you mean by "quality." I assume you mean closeness and comfort of the shave. The most expensive razor I have is a mediocre shaver that resists all attempts (even by professional honers) to bring it up to first tier. My best quality Dovo is a first-tier razor.

So I would agree with some of the earlier responders: there is NO correlation between cost and quality -- as defined above.