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I think I want to make the leap

Ok guys,

I have been DE shaving since Febuary and have 8-9 razors.
I Love DE shaving but i would love to give straits a try.
Can you recommend a starter razor?
Or even sell me one?
I dont have any of the honeing equipment or anything yet either.
Looking forward to your replies!
 
do it.

theres oft a good vintage razor for sale in the bst - once you have it, all you need (for now) is a strop, and the filly from ruprazor.com is a great starter strop
 
Check with Ambrose, he usually has some good vintage razors at a reasonable price and they will be well honed and shave ready. If you want something new, the NOS Le Grelot razors are excellent for both seasoned vets and beginners. They are available at www.rasurpur.de
 
If you are interested in straights, check out SRP @ straightrazorplace.com
There's a lot more info there (no offense B&B, theres a lot more info here about DE's- thats just the way it is)

I completely recommend it. DE's are the original cartridge razor. In order to achieve true shave nirvana, a straight is essential.
 
I say go for it! I used to use a DE once in a while, but I have to say the straights are more fun and satisfying for me.

Be warned tho, buying and finding straights is EXTREMELY addictive!

When I started, I figured I would pick up a nice razor, brush, soap and strop and that would be it. I was gonna save money switching, but...yeah...got the bug BAD haha :tongue:

I don't even wanna know how much I've spent so far...I might cry.
 
I recently got into straights. My thoughts are...I love it. It is debatable as to whether or not you can get as close a shave. Sure, there are more things to learn, inasmuch as stropping and such. Your angles and entire shave are a little different. That's okay though.

My advice is read everything you can and apply what fits you. There's no absolutes.

Do NOT buy a razor from a flea market, antique shop or even ebay.

The likelihood of these razors being shave ready is slim. The bay is notorious for selling a razor at an inflated price. No need for you to spend $50 on a $20 razor.

Someone mentioned SRP. Either the B/S/T here or Classifieds at SRP would be the ONLY places I would buy my first razor. Look first at something that meets your budget. Then, look for two words: Shave Ready.

Also, someone mentioned Ambrose. He is a Vendor here, I believe. He deals a lot with straights and such. Not sure what all he does, but that is also a definite good place to get one. The guys that hone razors will sell you something that is shave ready and they will stand behind their work as well.

So, get a shave ready razor from someone that hones and resells straights such as ambrose or off the classifieds of one of the popular forums.
 
I'm very new to this, so you might take this with a grain of salt. Most people are going to tell you to get a 5/8 vintage. That might be a good plan. Most of these you will come across are going to be square/spike points. For me (I have a rounder face), they were intimidating and uncomfortable. Get the round point. I went up to a 7/8 before I was comfortable.

EDIT: I started DE in February as well.
 
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You're probably going to like using a straight, so you might as well get a good one, which also should have good resale value if you change your mind. I have used several very fine straights and am very impressed with my TI Silverwing. These run over $300, but you can get what seems to be essentially the same blade for $165 (Canadian dollars) by ordering the 5/8" Le Canadien TI razor with plastic scales from Rasage Poulin. You can always upgrade the scales, but the blade is probably fine enough that you will never need to "upgrade" it (and can't anyway, since nothing out there is definitely better). This Le Canadien has a carbonsong blade, which is what the Silverwing has, only better polished.
 
You're probably going to like using a straight, so you might as well get a good one, which also should have good resale value if you change your mind. I have used several very fine straights and am very impressed with my TI Silverwing. These run over $300, but you can get what seems to be essentially the same blade for $165 (Canadian dollars) by ordering the 5/8" Le Canadien TI razor with plastic scales from Rasage Poulin. You can always upgrade the scales, but the blade is probably fine enough that you will never need to "upgrade" it (and can't anyway, since nothing out there is definitely better). This Le Canadien has a carbonsong blade, which is what the Silverwing has, only better polished.

Whoa...

Those are expensive for "good" straights. A vintage straight in the <50 or >50 category in the bst will have excellent steel and come in well below 165 bucks.

For a newbie I think the best way to do it would be to get a vintage straight that has been fixed up (or at least honed), and a starter strop. Then, add a better strop and some paste down the road. Then a touch up hone. Only AFTER having made those steps should one pursue an expensive blade.
 
I too want to make the leap and was thinking:

5/8 Straight Razor INOX made for Pros - black scales (stainless steel)
and
Extra Wide Paddle Strop

from
http://www.rasurpur.de/english/shop/shop.html

Seems to be pretty good - am going to practise with a disposable blade straight first to see if I can even do it!

Sounds like a plan. Although, the disposable straight doesn't exactly shave the same as a real one, so it might just be better to get a real straight or see if someone in the UK will let you borrow one. Maybe English will help you out.
 
tbh, the man points for shaving with a straight are pretty high, so I am probably going to get one for my birthday instead of a DE! A DE is much cheaper to purchase later on anyway.
 
What all is needed to start Straight razor shaving?

Do you need a hone? a strop? how often should you strop? hone?

How long does a shave ready straight last? If you don't own a strop or hone who will do it for you?

Sorry for all the questions. I am considering a straight and jumped on the topic.
 
I believe you need a strop and should strop a few times before and after shaving. A hone is not necessary unless you wish to hone the razor yourself - you can send it to someone for around $20 I believe and they will hone it for you.

I have read people who have had just used a strop for a whole year without re-honing. However I'm sure it will be required sooner than that for someone new to stropping.
 
Don't worry about the hone just yet. Honing is a completely different skill. Get your razor professionally honed and than practice learning how to strop first. Incorrect honing technique will dull or even damage your new razor.
 
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