Straight Razor: What do you suggest to buy?

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

So Drew Brees retires, and Sean Payton is desperate for a quarterback to fill his shoes. A news report on CNN catches his eye. A kid in a turban, shalwar kameez and sandals is lobbing IEDs and molly cocktails with devastating accuracy into the blown out windows of a police station in Iraq from a half block away. Sean Payton sees the New Orleans Saints' next quarterback in that kid, and pulls out all the stops to find him. Finally through intermediaries the kid agrees to come to America and throw footballs instead of explosives and incendiaries, for 7mil/year.

The former Al Quaeda insurgent picks up the game quickly and enjoys it immensely. His incredible throwing arm takes the Saints to the Superbowl, which they win with the biggest spread in history. Sean Payton presents a huge bonus check to the kid, along with the keys to a custom Bentley, and invites him out to his camp for some duck hunting and fishing. The kid doesn't want anything, he says, except to call his Mother on the telephone, the first time he has ever used one. The Coach ushers him to a phone and places the call.

"Mom, guess what? I just won the Superbowl!"

"And you want me to rejoice with you, while me and your brothers and sisters living in this hell on earth?"

"But Mom, the SUPERBOWL! The biggest athletic event in the world! Aren't you proud of me?"

"What good has it done? All of your new found fame and riches, how have they helped us? I hear gunfire out in the street every night and some days, too. Your younger brothers were both beaten nearly to death yesterday right in front of our house. I cannot allow your sister to go out to buy food, for fear she will be raped. The heat when the electricity goes out is unbearable, and with that, and all the sounds of violence outside, I am a nervous wreck from lack of sleep. The government police can do nothing, it seems. We are surrounded by savage, vicious people. I will never as long as I live, forgive you for making us move to New Orleans!"

d

Hey, I grew up there. It used to be just fine. All we had to do was mind the rules as established by the Mafia (I am not kidding). Otherwise New Orleans was quite safe. No more. Things have changed.

Great story, Slash. What's the new New Orleans Saints QB called?

Spoiler: The new guy's name?

I love college football and don't really follow the NFL, but even I know the story's fake news.

Still, it's a great story. Loved it.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Biltong & Boerewors]

I guess it all about your point of view and situation.

As a South African living in a Country Estate in Centurion where none of the gaurds have guns, my house dont have burglar bars, dont have steel security doors, no laser motion detection in my garden, no high voltage fences, no alarm system and no private response units. We sleep with an open bedroom door to the garden to cool down on hot summer nights. I dont own any firearms and I feel safe everyday. We enjoy the sunshine, nature and most of the people most of the time just like any other country. I guess thats why I am staying. Is it perfect? Nope, but there is no perfect in this world.

I guess living in the Bronx and other areas across the world, some people also dont feel safe...

Yep I was also part of the privileged few that could afford the things that made life good. Money can buy everything in South Africa, security, education, the best medical care and a driving license. I am proud to be South African and will never consider myself anything else. I would never have the quality of life here that I had there, but then I have considered my priorities and decided it was the right move for me. It wasn't easy, leaving everything you know and love behind and starting again. There is no point in having regrets and asking yourself over and over again if it was the right decision, no bitterness, no blame, my choice.

I often shake my head and sigh when the experts on the BBC drone on about how bad smoking, alcohol, salt, bacon and sugar is for you, and it gets the support of the government by raising taxes on all the bad things to discourage you from buying it. The next expert will come on and tell you the health service, old age care, and state pension is in crisis because people live too long. The answer is obvious to me.

Big crisis! 135 people was killed by knives last year, something has to be done. Talk of increasing the police force by 10000, banning online ordering of knives and Asda (a supermarket chain) announced that they will not be selling individual knives anymore, you have to buy a set! If you get caught in public with a knife in your possession, up to 4 years in prison. That can include a multi-tool with a one inch blade, because it can be locked open.

Yes it is serious, every life matters, but will it stop a criminal from killing someone because of the inconvenience of not being able to buy online, buying a set, instead of one? Will it stop me from buying a can of Coke because of a 10p sugar tax?

Ridiculous!

The point is that I live here, not because I was born here, but because I chose to. The loudest criticism comes from people that chose to do the same, or was brought here by their parents to escape from dire conditions. I don't agree with everything that goes on here, but the simple rule of "fit in or f... off" should count for everyone.

 

[Dilettante777]

This is not a traditional straight razor, but the feather artisan club razors are awesome.

 

[HoldenRedSox]

Hi,

i read a lot about straight razor, and after try a DE for several months i decided that it's time to try a straight.

Do you have some suggestion or a guide to buy a good straight?

I don't have a big amount of money to spent...

I see several nice product in china, but they are good or not?

Thanks

Ebay has an extended collection of restored vintage straight razors. I've had good luck there.

 

[2bit_collie]

Ebay has an extended collection of restored vintage straight razors. I've had good luck there.

So I agree with this - but the key is whether you need something already shave ready. The best deals on eBay are for stuff that needs some work. Some thoughts, many already stated by previous posters
1) People offer sharpening services, typically $20-$25
2) Bottom of the line razor is typically $20, that’s for vintage from a respectable but out-of-favor brand. 2 of my 3 Torrey’s cost under $20, both of my Imperials cost under $20. My Geneva Cutlery was $20. That’s all within the past few months. Some of them didn’t look very pretty!
3) So realistically to get a shave-ready razor you are looking at $40 minimum. Some options: 3A) @Slash McCoy has a website where he offers honed Gold Dollars for under $40. I haven’t tried one, but he certainly seems to know his stuff, and a brand new Gold Dollar is even cheaper than a vintage razor. If nothing else, visit the website, the prose is quite humorous!
3B) Buy the vintage out-of-favor razor on eBay and send it to someone good to get honed. There are some good YouTube videos (I particularly like one by Ken Johnson, who I believe goes by @Gamma on B&B) on what to look for and what to avoid. Others can recommend professional honers, I do everything myself so can’t offer suggestions. I do agree with @Slash McCoy ’s comment that you don’t want to use a razor honer that doesn’t shave with a SR himself.
3C) Buy something on eBay from one of the few vendors that sells shave-ready razors that are really shave-ready. I will vouch for april17th1989. I have 3 razors from that site. One was marked shave-ready and I’ve shaved off of it 3 times without feeling the need to hone. Note that this site doesn’t have any low-quality stuff, so almost everything is over $50 and stuff marked shave ready is probably a bit higher than that. He will hone a non-shave-ready razor if you ask for a fee.

 

[Slash McCoy]

So I agree with this - but the key is whether you need something already shave ready. The best deals on eBay are for stuff that needs some work. Some thoughts, many already stated by previous posters
1) People offer sharpening services, typically $20-$25
2) Bottom of the line razor is typically $20, that’s for vintage from a respectable but out-of-favor brand. 2 of my 3 Torrey’s cost under $20, both of my Imperials cost under $20. My Geneva Cutlery was $20. That’s all within the past few months. Some of them didn’t look very pretty!
3) So realistically to get a shave-ready razor you are looking at $40 minimum. Some options: 3A) @Slash McCoy has a website where he offers honed Gold Dollars for under $40. I haven’t tried one, but he certainly seems to know his stuff, and a brand new Gold Dollar is even cheaper than a vintage razor. If nothing else, visit the website, the prose is quite humorous!
3B) Buy the vintage out-of-favor razor on eBay and send it to someone good to get honed. There are some good YouTube videos (I particularly like one by Ken Johnson, who I believe goes by @Gamma on B&B) on what to look for and what to avoid. Others can recommend professional honers, I do everything myself so can’t offer suggestions. I do agree with @Slash McCoy ’s comment that you don’t want to use a razor honer that doesn’t shave with a SR himself.
3C) Buy something on eBay from one of the few vendors that sells shave-ready razors that are really shave-ready. I will vouch for april17th1989. I have 3 razors from that site. One was marked shave-ready and I’ve shaved off of it 3 times without feeling the need to hone. Note that this site doesn’t have any low-quality stuff, so almost everything is over $50 and stuff marked shave ready is probably a bit higher than that. He will hone a non-shave-ready razor if you ask for a fee.

I will also vouch for april7th1989 on fleabay. A couple of my vintage Bismarcks (pre-Dovo, when Bismarck was its own brand) came from him. If he represents a razor that he is selling as shave-ready, it probably is. Take a look at his Western style Japanese razors. Jap razors are some crazy good quality, most of them, and for what you are getting, the prices aren't that bad. Good bang for the buck. By Western Style, I mean symmetrically ground razors that fold up between a pair of scales for protection.

 

[PintoPlain]

With regard to Slash's comment about Japanese razors, I currently have 4 and have tried 3 others. Each a different brand. They are without exception good shavers. I find the steel to be hard, similar to Swedish steel whereby honing them can take a while. They hold a fantastic edge though. Probably a moot point if you religiously follow the method and strop on diamond balsa after every shave.