Thinking about getting a Japanese straight

[JGKC9AYC]

I saw one that had a Kamisori-looking blade, but had scales.
@Eastcoast30, after reading your experience with your Kamisori, I'm a little paranoid getting one.

 

[rbscebu]

@JGKC9AYC I found this on eBay AU that is getting closer to your budget. I know nothing of Ribbon SR's. @Eastcoast30 might be able to chime in with some further info.

Japanese cut throat straight razor Ribbon NOS | eBay

<p dir="ltr">Japanese cut throat straight razor Ribbon NOS 6/8. Razor closes centre and tight, thick grind around 3/4. Postage includes tracking and insurance and will be on the Saturday after the payment. Please contact for more information.<br> Regards.</p>

www.ebay.com.au

The SR ships from Melbourne and is sold by a gentleman who buys SR's and reconditions them (at least) aesthetically.

 

[Tomo]

@JGKC9AYC I found this on eBay AU that is getting closer to your budget. I know nothing of Ribbon SR's. @Eastcoast30 might be able to chime in with some further info.

Japanese cut throat straight razor Ribbon NOS | eBay

<p dir="ltr">Japanese cut throat straight razor Ribbon NOS 6/8. Razor closes centre and tight, thick grind around 3/4. Postage includes tracking and insurance and will be on the Saturday after the payment. Please contact for more information.<br> Regards.</p>

www.ebay.com.au

The SR ships from Melbourne and is sold by a gentleman who buys SR's and reconditions them (at least) aesthetically.

This seller is legit. He is a fellow member and I have had several transactions back and forth with him. No issues. He is honest about what he has and will answer any questions. I have both my MK31’s and Iwasaki from him. I think the prices are fair and represent the going rate. He is currently in the process of downsizing quite an impressive collection. He has tempted me a few times. I probably should have bought a few more.

 

[Eastcoast30]

This seller is legit. He is a fellow member and I have had several transactions back and forth with him. No issues. He is honest about what he has and will answer any questions. I have both my MK31’s and Iwasaki from him. I think the prices are fair and represent the going rate. He is currently in the process of downsizing quite an impressive collection. He has tempted me a few times. I probably should have bought a few more.

So you got the Iwasaki. I wanted it. Pan is a great vendor. I ordered a Tanifuji from him. He damaged it somehow (I think it was dropped) and he cancelled my order with a full refund. He said he could repair it but the blade would be compromised. Then he sent me an NOS Ribbon Extra, like the one he has for sale now, as a gift for my inconvenience. I recommend him as a seller. I am waiting for him to list another Iwasaki.

 

[Eastcoast30]

The Ribbon razors are high quality made by R. Saito. I believe they were originally made for training barbers. I have an NOS Ribbon 1000 from April 7. The factory edge was high HHT and shave ready right out of the box

 

[2bit_collie]

My experience
I have 4 Japanese straights

Some key points
1) I kept hearing ”don’t worry too much about brand - quality is uniformly high” I have found that to be true in my limited experience. My (much older) Sheffields have all sort of issues, but my Japanese razors have been very easy to maintain due to straight spines and even grinds.
2) The really famous names are Iwasaki and Tanifuji. I doubt you will find a Iwasaki for < $100, but a used, not-great-condition Tanifuji will cost less than that. In particular Tanifuji made razors for other brands (read the threads to get an idea of which razors are or might be Tanifuji). But again, quality is pretty uniform, so if you just want something that shaves, you can save a lot by going for a no-name brand.
3) The other thing I (and perhaps some others) look for from a non-brand perspective is an indication of steel. Tamahagane indicates steel made in a historic method. These razors will command a premium. ”YSS” is acronym for Yasuki Specialty Steels, a Hitachi division that makes the famous “White Paper” and “Blue Paper” steels that are touted for high-end Japanese kitchen knives. Many Japanese razors advertise Swedish Steel, which is also high quality.

As a datapoint, all 4 of my Japanese straights came from april17th1989 on eBay. Some of his razors are advertised as shave ready, some need honing. The shave ready ones, in my experience, actually are. Some are less than the $100 you mentioned, some are more - typically this is a function of the condition of the razor.

I have a lot more American, English and German razors than Japanese razors, but I really like ALL my Japanese razors, and though I hardly need any more, I’m sure I will buy more in the future.

 

[Gamma]

Can anyone recommend one (or more) that has good steel at an affordable price?

Most Japanese straights are forged from extremely high quality steel. I say most because while my personal experience is with, a fairly large number of different blades, and all were excellent, there is always a possibility that there are outliers.
Thing is, I would strongly suspect that any outliers would be more of an 'example to example' situation and not a 'brand thing'.

One of my personal favorites - any Toho frameback in good condition.

Whether or not something is affordable or not, I can't say - that's up for the buyer to decide. My personal goal is to shop based on value, not price. Cheap stuff turns out to be too expensive most of the time.

 

[JGKC9AYC]

Well, I got me a pre-owned (aka "used") off the 'bay. It was a Ribbon Extra that was in very good condition cosmetically. The problem is that the seller advtertised it as "shave ready".
When I received it I put it through a few unscientific tests. IMHO it wasn't shave ready. Messaged the seller and told him and he wanted to know specifically what is was that made me think it wasn't shave ready and that he has a progression of stones and that he shaves with them and cleans them before he ships them out, blah blah blah.
I finally got around to shaving with it yesterday and sure enough, it was definitely NOT a smooth shave. I only did one pass and decided that was all I could stand.
I messaged the seller that evening and told him and asked how long he'd been sharpening razors and the shave wasn't smooth, but not quite harsh. I have yet to hear from him.
Should I wet my JNAT and make a few passes or start from scratch?