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Jumping into straight razors

I'd also like to throw in my 50 ore. Keep an eye out for razors from Eskilstuna. Yeah, I know the Norway/Sweden thing, but they make a superb razor. The steel tends to be quite hard which makes them take longer to get an edge, but they hold the edge well. Heljestrand is the more looked for brand, but I can't see much difference between any of the Eskilstuna manufacturers. I think I have razors from almost all of them.

The Rigarazors are good (I have two of them), but I would recommend holding off until you are sure using a straight is for you. They are also usually a wider blade 7/8 or 8/8 which I wouldn't recommend for learning with.

Vintage Solingen and Sheffield razors should be ok.

I would suggest starting with a 5/8 or 6/8 (15.5 - 19 mm wide). These are the easiest to control in my opinion.

Good luck.
The Norway/Sweden thing is purly a jest thing between two brothers though, haha, so nothing serious.

But yeah, I won't be buying a straight from Rigarazors in the foreseeable future, I don't doubt that they are good, but the price is too much for what I want to spend right now, on a straight. The total price for one of those is about the total it would cost me to get two straights and equipment that I need, give or take. (one of the straights being vintage, of course)

I ended up buying the Sheffield I mentioned above, so I can use it as a beater. Figured it was better to jump the gun, instead of risking that somebody else got it. Price would be around the same that a vintage would cost from another site, exluding shipping and possible custom fees. So I considered it the better choice. After consulting with @JPO about it.

I know that Etsy has a seller from Sweden that often seems to have various Eskiltuna straights though.

Anyway, with that purchase I just need to get the rest of the equipment as well as buying a straight that I want to use as my daily shaver. Which will either be that American wedge one I mentioned, or an Ralf Aust. Really want to go that route, so I support that barber's business, since he has been very friendly and helpful. (Not to mention that he is the only shop that sells the Ralf Aust over here in Norway, the others sell Dovo, Thiers-Issard and Giesen & Forsthoff.)

Since from my impression, Ralf Aust is guaranteed good to go out the box? As I seem to recall that at least Dovo and Thiers-Issard seem to often require some sort of stone before use, often, in comparison?
 
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I'm aware of the Norway/Sweden thing. I know a few Norwegian and Swedish people. Similar to the NZ/Australia thing.

I don't have a Ralf Aust, but I have investigated his website and I must admit that I have been tempted to buy one or two.
 
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I'm aware of the Norway/Sweden thing. I know a few Norwegian and Swedish people. Similar to the NZ/Australia thing.

I don't have a Ralf Aust, but I have investigated his website and I must admit that I have been tempted to buy one or two.
He is a good vendor to deal with. He is one of few people who was formally trained as a barber using straight razors. That also included traditional honing.
I have bought razors and sharpening stones from him. He is the only one in Norway that sells Arkansas stones from Dan's, at a fair price.
 
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And it arrived today. The scales got some "flaking" or whatever term you wanna use. The straight razor had no issue with shaving off some hair on my forearm, so I'd say it works as advertised.

Kinda wonder when it was made to be honest. Cause it gave me a "love at first sight" vibe, which is ironic, since the sellers address, when translated over to English litterarly says: "the path of love" or "the love trail", depending on how you translate it.

Wonder if I should get something else to keep it in though, since the box/sleve thing it came with is very old. So the straight stays in a plastic container until I've decided.

Waiting to hear back from the barber, before I buy the rest of the gear that I need.
 
I've never used a straight razor, but there are two important pieces of advice I can give.

1. NEVER try to catch the razor if you drop it.
2. ALWAYS wear pants while shaving with a straight razor. (self explanatory). 😁
Would be one hell of a story to tell at the ER though. Especially the last one. :)
 
The single most important first move is that the razor is honed by someone that shaves with a straight daily. If your barber is in that category, then most of the other decisions are of little import.

Should you start with a wedge? Sure; there are less of them sold new, but you can find plenty of vintage ones. Just note that a wedge gives little to no feedback, which is fine when shaving someone else, but is a helpful auditory tool when you are learning. You'll develop a preference over time, so don't sweat it too much.

Who is the American wedge maker he is offering to sell you? It would be helpful to know... How big is the razor? You'd generally learn with a 5/8 or 6/8.

I'd not buy a stone at this point. You'll have enough on your hands just learning to shave, and honing is a whole other skill that you want to practice on a beater, not your daily shaver. Pick up a cheap ebay vintage for that part of your journey.

I started with a Ralf Aust and it was a good razor. It came with a decent edge, but nothing to get too excited about. Mine was a 5/8, which I found a little to small for my hands and my old beard. The strop that I got from Ralf was fine, and I still use it today.

Good luck! It's a fun journey, and you'll learn a lot along the way. Keep us posted with your progress. :)

The straight razor that the barber offered me is made by "Jerry Starck" (I suspect he meant to write Jerry Stark), the straights was a custom job, based on the barber's own spesifications.

Bit unsure about the size, since he never mentioned it. Dont really know what that is the usual size for a wedge. But I doubt he'd offer to sell it to me, unless it is a size he believes a beginner can learn from at least.

It does look like he has mostly sold 5/8 and 6/8 on his website, unless @JPO has more to add about it.
 
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The straight razor that the barber offered me is made by "Jerry Starck" (I suspect he meant to write Jerry Stark), the straights was a custom job, based on the barber's own spesifications.

Bit unsure about the size, since he never mentioned it. Dont really know what that is the usual size for a wedge. But I doubt he'd offer to sell it to me, unless it is a size he believes a beginner can learn from at least.

It does look like he has mostly sold 5/8 and 6/8 on his website, unless @JPO has more to add about it.

He did get Jerry Stark to produce some razors to his own specifications. That also included a softer heat treatment as i recall. I am not sure how successful this was. This barber had strong opinions on what properties you needed to make a good razor. One opinion he had was that allot of the harder steel used by e.g. TI was too hard and brittle.
In my opinion he just did not have the skills or patients to hone them correctly.
People also tend to believe that the soft steel is much more flexible then the harder steel. That is just not the case.
The modulus of elasticity of the steel does not change much from e.g. a 58 HRC blade to 65 HRC.
The primary advantage of a slightly softer steel is the increased fracture toughness.

In my opinion some razor makers stretch the limit of the steel too much in terms of hardness.
The Koraat razors is one example of this. I would like to have one, but not with his current heat treatment.

The Jerry Stark razors he had i think was 6/8 with a half hollow grind.

The type of grind is a personal preference. I like thinner grinds now. I started with heavier grinds.

If you want a new beginner friendly razor i would get a French Gustav Lalune 6/8.
These have really good steel (100C6) that is not on the high end in terms of hardness.
The grind is also good, and they come with a good bevel.



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He did get Jerry Stark to produce some razors to his own specifications. That also included a softer heat treatment as i recall. I am not sure how successful this was. This barber had strong opinions on what properties you needed to make a good razor. One opinion he had was that allot of the harder steel used by e.g. TI was too hard and brittle.
In my opinion he just did not have the skills or patients to hone them correctly.
People also tend to believe that the soft steel is much more flexible then the harder steel. That is just not the case.
The modulus of elasticity of the steel does not change much from e.g. a 58 HRC blade to 65 HRC.
The primary advantage of a slightly softer steel is the increased fracture toughness.

In my opinion some razor makers stretch the limit of the steel too much in terms of hardness.
The Koraat razors is one example of this. I would like to have one, but not with his current heat treatment.

The Jerry Stark razors he had i think was 6/8 with a half hollow grind.

The type of grind is a personal preference. I like thinner grinds now. I started with heavier grinds.

If you want a new beginner friendly razor i would get a French Gustav Lalune 6/8.
These have really good steel (100C6) that is not on the high end in terms of hardness.
The grind is also good, and they come with a good bevel.



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I dont got any clue about honing, but it could be a stamina thing, perhaps? He doesnt like stainless steel neither due to how long it takes to hone them, according to a video he made on the subject. So he refuses to hone them.

After thinking some more I am gonna step away from the Jerry Stark one. If I want to get some sort of modern wedge down the line, there are other options after all. And from what others have said, it is probably wiser to pick another grind to learn with.

How does the Gustave Lalune compare to the Ralf Aust? Because the benefit for me here is that I can buy the Ralf Aust here in Norway, while the Lalune must be bought from a vendor outside of Norway. Because I am slightly leaning more towards the Aust, I think.
 
How does the Gustave Lalune compare to the Ralf Aust?
The Lalune is 6/8 and the Aust is 5/8.
French full hollow vs German bellied hollow. Both works well.
These French and German razors are forged different. The Aust will have your typical bent spine, while the Frensh will have a sine wave shape.
My Lalune 6/8 was easier to hone then any of my German razors due to the shape of the spine.
The 6/8 will have more weight to it compared to the 5/8.
They are both greate razors.
If you get the Aust the barber might be able to hone it for you.
None of these razors will have a shave ready edge in my opinion.
The Lalune razor i have came with a convex pasted edge. This might work for some beard types.
 
The Lalune is 6/8 and the Aust is 5/8.
French full hollow vs German bellied hollow. Both works well.
These French and German razors are forged different. The Aust will have your typical bent spine, while the Frensh will have a sine wave shape.
My Lalune 6/8 was easier to hone then any of my German razors due to the shape of the spine.
The 6/8 will have more weight to it compared to the 5/8.
They are both greate razors.
If you get the Aust the barber might be able to hone it for you.
None of these razors will have a shave ready edge in my opinion.
The Lalune razor i have came with a convex pasted edge. This might work for some beard types.
Hmm, lots to think about. I did see that Rasoir Sabre offered a "shave ready" option too, don't know if that would be of help in terms of being shave ready, if I went that route? Though that seems to only be the stropping, so maybe not so much, if the edge is the issue...

Either way, lots to consider. Starting to wonder if I should just get a strop and the stone stuff and then just settle for using my Sheffield before I buy anymore straights. To see if I like the process. Wouldn't exactly cost me more if I postponed getting an Aust, since the shipping is included. While a Lalune would always have a shipping price on it.

Dont know if that is the wiser option currently?
 
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Hmm, lots to think about. I did see that Rasoir Sabre offered a "shave ready" option too, don't know if that would be of help in terms of being shave ready, if I went that route?

Either way, lots to consider. Starting to wonder if I should just get a strop and the stone stuff and then just settle for using my Sheffield before I buy anymore straights. To see if I like the process. Wouldn't exactly cost me more if I postponed getting an Aust, since the shipping is included. While a Lalune would always have a shipping price on it.

Dont know if that is the wiser option currently?
I don't know what the Rasoir Sabre shave ready option is. I would not pay for that knowing the state of the three razor i bought from him. They all needed correction work on the bevel due to low spots from grinding. These had been masked using a buffer. It had been allot quicker to create a bevel from scratch. This was needed on all three, so i don't think it was an anomaly.

You already have a good Sheffield razor. I can put a new edge on it for you if you don't want to invest in allot of equipment. Afterwards you would only need to maintain it using a finishing stone and/or a strop.
I am not charging for the honing.

These 5/8 Aust razors Robert is selling are really nice razors. However, contrary to allot of recommendation i would not start with a 5/8 bellied full hollow. It's much easier to learn with e.g. the razor you already have that has some weight to it.
 
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I don't know what the Rasoir Sabre shave ready option is. I would not pay for that knowing the state of the three razor i bought from him. They all needed correction work on the bevel due to low spots from grinding. These had been masked using a buffer. It had been allot quicker to create a bevel from scratch. This was needed on all three, so i don't think it was an anomaly.

You already have a good Sheffield razor. I can put a new edge on it for you if you don't want to invest in allot of equipment. Afterwards you would only need to maintain it using a finishing stone and/or a strop.
I am not charging for the honing.

These 5/8 Aust razors Robert is selling are really nice razors. However, contrary to allot of recommendation i would not start with a 5/8 bellied full hollow. It's much easier to learn with e.g. the razor you already have that has some weight to it.
I'll take that into consideration. A part of me wants to at least try the Sheffield before I send it out for honing, as I feel that it did a good job with my arm hair, when I tried it out. So I'll get back to you about it, unless you strongly advice me to consider this, due to something in the pictures of the item.

I've also decided for fun to look a little more at other vintages, just to see if I can find more alternatives for my second straight. In particular by people who have sold a lot of them, got good reviews and where the reviews state that it is shave ready at least. Suppose that another benefit of getting the Sheffield is that the "strangeness" or what you wanna call it, from buying a vintage, disappeared. (To be fair I got vintage SE razors, so I suppose I ain't that taken aback, suppose it is something with SR's) But I'll still stay away from wedges, based on the statements in the thread. Kinda weird to say but some of the marks on the blades gives them a certain charm.

Been trying to look at modern 6/8 which are sold within Norway, but the only one I found of interest was a Böker Elite Carbon and thats a bit above what I want to spend on straights. Know there are Dovo and other brands too, but I don't feel as comfortable due to the quality stuff I have read, which puts me a bit off from them, to be perfectly honest.
 
Late to your post, but I would snap up the Martin De Peres at $29, if still available. They are excellent razors, super shavers and tough to find.

I prefer good vintage razor over modern production, especially from the modern large makers. You can buy a quality vintage of better quality for a fraction of the cost of new, Aust is likely the exception on quality, not price.

Do buy a new, quality strop, as you will be stropping whatever you buy daily, and stropping will absolutely determine the quality of your edges and shaves.

The razor grind is a personal preference, I much prefer a good vintage hollow ground razor over a wedge.
 
Late to your post, but I would snap up the Martin De Peres at $29, if still available. They are excellent razors, super shavers and tough to find.

I prefer good vintage razor over modern production, especially from the modern large makers. You can buy a quality vintage of better quality for a fraction of the cost of new, Aust is likely the exception on quality, not price.

Do buy a new, quality strop, as you will be stropping whatever you buy daily, and stropping will absolutely determine the quality of your edges and shaves.

The razor grind is a personal preference, I much prefer a good vintage hollow ground razor over a wedge.
Its still available, but I've started to look a bit more in the direction of the Eskilstuna straights. After suggestions here, since I've found a seller with a good reviews, who ship them shave ready.

SSA:

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Got a weird looking "crack" looking thing going on, on the tang, but the seller thinks that it is from the stamping, considering that it ain't running through the letters, so to speak. Its 93 USD, once converted though. But the SSA knives got a good reputation from the barber I have mentioned before.

J.A. Hellberg Frameback:

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But I don't really know if this is an ideal razor for a beginner, due to the spine, and the slight curve thing going on with the blade. In regards to honing and shaving. Its 67 USD.

There are also a few others, but they are 14 mm, 13.5 mm, 13.8 mm at their widest point. The SSA is 16.5 and the frameback is 17.5 mm at their widest point. So I don't really know how noticible they are once they get a bit bellow 5/8, if I follow the chart I am reading right.

Got some marks on them, but I'd imagine that they dont affect the shave, unless stated otherwise by people with more knowledge than me. Just know from before that they are well respected.
 
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I'd also like to throw in my 50 ore. Keep an eye out for razors from Eskilstuna. Yeah, I know the Norway/Sweden thing, but they make a superb razor. The steel tends to be quite hard which makes them take longer to get an edge, but they hold the edge well. Heljestrand is the more looked for brand, but I can't see much difference between any of the Eskilstuna manufacturers. I think I have razors from almost all of them.

The Rigarazors are good (I have two of them), but I would recommend holding off until you are sure using a straight is for you. They are also usually a wider blade 7/8 or 8/8 which I wouldn't recommend for learning with.

Vintage Solingen and Sheffield razors should be ok.

I would suggest starting with a 5/8 or 6/8 (15.5 - 19 mm wide). These are the easiest to control in my opinion.

Good luck.
Making a double post, since I couldn't share more images, but I also came across a Heljestrand No.41 for 93 USD. But the seller does state some issues on it. Its 19 mm at its widest point. "Corrosion spots front side of blade close to bevel. Some mark in scale rear side close to pivot, makes the illusion of cracked scale, no crack in scale."

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So there are lots of interesting options in the vintage world too, I gather. @JPO told me that it could be smart to be on the lookout for Eskilstuna on the local norwegian market place as well. As they show up there from time to time. Though I haven't seen any there at the moment.
 
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But I don't really know if this is an ideal razor for a beginner, due to the spine, and the slight curve thing going on with the blade. In regards to honing and shaving
The curve or "smile" is not a big deal, especially for shaving; I generally prefer at least a slight smile. It does require a slightly different honing and stropping technique. However the skinny tang on that one can take some getting used to: it's pretty easy for these razors to roll or flip on the stones, strops, or even on your face (less of a problem on a wider blade).

In general blade width comes down to personal preference, but a wider blade will be more forgiving as you learn the proper shaving angle, while potentially being more awkward in getting into tight spaces.

Eskilstuna razors are usually a very good value, though. Well- made and excellent steel.
 
Making a double post, since I couldn't share more images, but I also came across a Heljestrand No.41 for 93 USD. But the seller does state some issues on it. Its 19 mm at its widest point. "Corrosion spots front side of blade close to bevel. Some mark in scale rear side close to pivot, makes the illusion of cracked scale, no crack in scale."

View attachment 1915531View attachment 1915532View attachment 1915533View attachment 1915535View attachment 1915536

So there are lots of interesting options in the vintage world too, I gather. @JPO told me that it could be smart to be on the lookout for Eskilstuna on the local norwegian market place as well. As they show up there from time to time. Though I haven't seen any there at the moment.
The Eriksson and Bjorklund razor is not a Heljestrand, but are very good razors though. According to @Polarbeard who used to post here frequently and is very knowledgeable about Swedish razors, E&B was started by former Heljestrand employees. I only have two E&B razors.

The J A Hellberg frame back is not one I would recommend. The tang is very narrow on these and they are unforgiving if you don't grip them properly. Due to the thinness of the spine they can be difficult to grip. I very rarely use my frame backs with this design.
 
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The Eriksson and Bjorklund razor is not a Heljestrand, but are very good razors though. According to @Polarbeard who used to post here frequently and is very knowledgeable about Swedish razors, E&B was started by former Heljestrand employees. I only have two E&B razors.

The J A Hellberg frame back is not one I would recommend. The tang is very narrow on these and they are unforgiving if you don't grip them properly. Due to the thinness of the spine they can be difficult to grip. I very rarely use my frame backs with this design.
Ah, right, I see that I made an error and uploaded the wrong pictures. There we go, the correct pictures. :)

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Do you have any thoughts about the SSA as well?
 
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That Heljestrand looks like what was sometimes stamped as MK10. It would have been between 19 and 20mm wide when new, more like a half hollow grind so a stiffer blade than a full hollow. I think they're excellent razors. Hard to judge the pitting near the toe from these pics but I've taken a chance on worse.

SSA was a later iteration of the Johan Engström brand after he died and I believe they are well regarded. I haven't owned one myself but I've had a couple Engströms and they were good razors.
 
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