What's new

Made a noob mistake - what to do

Hi all,

Been DE shaving for some time and thought to progress a bit further and look into straight razors on the cheaper end of the spectrum. Will admit now, complete novice to this side of thigns.

Found what appeared to be a handmade razor on ebay, all looked good, new razor - and won it relatively cheaply on the auction (£10) compared to what the seller was selling them for buy it now prices (£30-40+).

Unfortunately, I assumed wrongly this was British-made as a result of where the seller was, and have been informed that the steel used was from Pakistan. Having read around things, I realise that this might be a bad thing now!

Handmade Straight Razor-Cut Throat Razor-With Leather Sheath-RC4 | eBay - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/184814540097 is the item won.

So I suppose my question is now - is it worth using the razor at all, especially as a first one when it arrives? I've now had time to look around the forum a bit, and if so, is it worth the outlay to essentially start again. Currently looking for a strop and found some Solingen ones on facebook marketplace etc.

Thanks all - Thomas.
 
I would imagine it could be fairly easily salvaged. I bet the guys in the Straight Razor forums would know where to point you. Give them a shout . . . unless a mod can move this thread over there for you.
 
That would be great if so (although I think this one should be in the straight razor forums anyway at the moment, unless I've messed up there?) - thanks very much :)
 
Wow . . . I really missed that one, huh?!

Yes, it is in the proper forum. I forgot I was browsing 'What's New' and mistakenly thought it was in the General forum. Somebody get me a beach towel so I can wipe off this huge amount of stupid on my face. :c4:
 
I’m sorry but I don’t think that is actually a razor. On the internet, folks refer to these things as razor-shaped-objects (RSO’s). They are shaped like razors, sort of, but they are not properly designed for a razor bevel or sharpening and are not made of common razor steels. They are basically inexpensive pocket knives made to look sort of like a razor.

There is a chance that the angle of the photos is not allowing good view of the blade and wether or not it is a real razor, but it sure appears to be just like all the other RSO’s sold and correct price point as well.

RSO forced into shaving seems to disappoint those who spend the long time trying and regrinding.
 
Ah shoot, shame I can't return it as it's already dispatched, soon as I was advised it was Pakistani metal I tried to return it immediately but to no avail - lesson learned I suppose!

Is there any point even trying to use it then in that case?
 
Is there any point even trying to use it then in that case?

Like I said above, most everything is wrong about it being a razor other than it is metal and outline of a razor sort of. Some people spend a lot of time trying to grind them down and hone them….but never seen anyone report being happy about the end result or recommending it to anyone. It would be similar to trying to shave with any pocket knife I guess.

I glanced at the other “stuff” the guy is selling. All RSO it appears. Notice how the knives (that’s what they are) are sharpened but there is no hone wear on the spine? Because they are knives and not razors.

His ad says returnable within seven days. And as it is eBay and he is listing shaving razors…..and it is not…..I think returnable for that reason as well. And probably cost you the same in shipping unfortunately.

Need a new box cutter?
 
You can certainly use it. I would not have high expectations. Realize what it is and do not judge straight razors from it. You could always dull the edge to the point where it doesn't cut. Then use it to practice wiping lather from your face until you purchase another razor. You could also use it to practice stropping. One of the main things with using a straight razor is getting comfortable with handling one while shaving.
 
I suppose the next question is (and I appreciate there are lots of comments on this), what would be a better razor to start with (if returning this one?)

Thanks all.
 
The price point for a new razor exceeds 100 USD. You can buy vintage (used) razors for less. In any case, they will need to be honed and stropped. And they require much care and maintenance. I suggest reading up on some of the articles in this forum and then decide if you want to move forward. And you can use that RSO as a letter opener.
 

rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
@Haines1997 your first SR looks similar to mine that I bought before discovering B&B. @Slash McCoy then pointed out to me that it was a RSO. He was correct. There was no way that I could get a shavable edge on it.

I was told that it would not even make a decent letter opener. That was wrong. After a lot of grinding, it made s very good letter opener, so all was not lost.

For a decent SR (with timber scales) you are going to have to spend at least about USD 30 for one from East Asia. That will not be shave ready but can be honed to such. To buy one in the UK or EU that is shave ready, you will need to spend USD 100 or more.

My suggestion is that you return your RSO within the 7-day period and start looking elsewhere.
 
Thomas,
Looks like you will have to appeal to the vendor's return policy & cross your fingers. It is clearly a RSO and a cheap one at that, so no harm done. If you want a cheap razor look for a Gold Dollar (Chinese made) or a vintage razor. They both generally need work to bring them up to a usable state but once there they can be great performers.

When in doubt read through the forms & look for the brand name. If the brand isn't mentioned here, it's probably a dud. Stay safe and look for Dovo, Thiers Issard, Wacker, Ralf Aust and other reputable names.
 

Legion

Staff member
The thing to remember, even if you buy a proper razor, most likely it will still need to be honed before it will shave properly. Even an expensive European ones usually need work right out of the box. And don’t trust eBay sellers that use the term “shave ready”. That is a crapshoot, at best.

Your best bet for a first razor to learn with is to buy a used razor off someone on the forum who has a good rep and lots of experience honing.

I agree with the comment above to properly kill the edge (run it several times across the side of a glass) and use it to safely practice your technique.
 
Last edited:

Slash McCoy

I freehand dog rockets
I have never heard of any Pakistani "razor" being any good for actually shaving. In the same price range, Gold Dollar and Gold Monkey, both made in the same factory in Ningbo, China, can be made to shave rather well, by someone who knows what he is doing. And I am not aware of any other Chinese straight razor that is actually usable for shaving, thought I can't say for sure. There is another Asian brand, Titan, made in Taiwan, and their razors start at around US$20 and top out at around $100 and their very cheapest model seems to me to be the best, and it is about as good a shaver as the basic Gold Dollars, but looks a little nicer. There is no other straight razor in the world that sells new for under about $80 that is any good for shaving, AFAIK.

Very few razors come shave-ready from the factory. Most honemeisters will charge probably around $30 to hone a Gold Dollar due to the extra work required to put them to rights. Doing it yourself, with no background in shaving and honing with straight razors, is a pretty iffy proposition an while not CERTAIN to fail, is very likely to fail. You really need to learn to shave and recognize and understand a shave ready edge before you can try to create one yourself.

Your best bang for the buck is probably a shave ready vintage razor. These start at around $45 or so but if your budget can be stretched to about $70 you will have a lot of very nice options available to you. Be sure to check in here before you buy, and make sure that the seller is known and respected in the community. Usually simply trusting the seller when he (or she!) claims to be selling shave ready razors ends in disappointment. VERIFY. There are a few guys out there that we know about. april7th1989 is a good one, and johnloc1 seems to be okay. There is a UK seller of "shave ready" Gold Dollars that is sort of okay... I tried one of his edges, not impressed but it shaved. jackywalsh44 I think. I was looking for a sample of a particular Gold Dollar model and looked EVERYWHERE and only he had one.
 
Thanks all - some really great information there. I've seen jackywalsh44 's ebay aspects - he seems to pretty much be the only gold dollar seller in the UK.

I've found a gentleman in the UK who seems to come highly recommended from several UK shaving forums/FB sites, who's selling Kropp and other vintage blades which have been re-honed by himself. He also makes his own versions based off the gold dollar. Just wondering if anyone had any thoughts on these (c. half way down the page)?

 
Hi all,

Been DE shaving for some time and thought to progress a bit further and look into straight razors on the cheaper end of the spectrum. Will admit now, complete novice to this side of thigns.

Found what appeared to be a handmade razor on ebay, all looked good, new razor - and won it relatively cheaply on the auction (£10) compared to what the seller was selling them for buy it now prices (£30-40+).

Unfortunately, I assumed wrongly this was British-made as a result of where the seller was, and have been informed that the steel used was from Pakistan. Having read around things, I realise that this might be a bad thing now!

Handmade Straight Razor-Cut Throat Razor-With Leather Sheath-RC4 | eBay - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/184814540097 is the item won.

So I suppose my question is now - is it worth using the razor at all, especially as a first one when it arrives? I've now had time to look around the forum a bit, and if so, is it worth the outlay to essentially start again. Currently looking for a strop and found some Solingen ones on facebook marketplace etc.

Thanks all - Thomas.
Thomas, if your in the UK, look no further: Straight Razors - Cut Throat Razor Shop, UK to Worldwide - https://www.theinvisibleedge.co.uk/

These guys will mail you a truly shave-ready razor. They are well-known, reputable seller in the UK. If I were you, I'd pick Ralf Aust in 6/8 with rounded point. It's a great quality artisan-made SR you won't regret purchasing. It's one of those things that (with proper care) your grandson can inherit one day.

Good luck!
 
Top Bottom