Straight Edge Razors

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Pheonix11525

Pheonix11525

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Im young. I have used electric razors and now use razors like the shicks and gillettes of the world. But now I am seriously considering a straight edge razor. I do not need a fancy one that is 100 dollars and up. Im looking for something that will be a painless switch something affordable and can be resharpened of course so I can save money. Otherwise what would be the point of switching? I know a few pipe smokers do use straight razors so I hope I can get some info about them and also where I can acquire what I seek.

Thanks guys!
 
You might want to look into double edged safety razors. At least for me, this is a safer place to start, and perhaps more economical when you add in the maintenance equipment and time for a quality straight. You can also move up.

Also, don't forget the mug, brush, and quality cream or shaving soap. This will improve the quality as much or more than the razor upgrade.

-Andrew
 
http://www.straightrazorplace.com/


http://badgerandblade.com/


Above are two forums I suggest anyone interested in the fine art of manly man shaving visit.. Wealth of info.. Plenty of Buying/Selling too..

One thing I would advise though is to not look at your kit as individual pieces.. It's very much like Pipe smoking..
A good blade is next to useless without a good strop, a good brush is essential but is useless without a good soap.. A weak link anywhere will hinder the whole process.

I would suggest you look for someone willing to sale an entire kit from one of the forums listed above.


The world of straight razors is fascinating, and it is a lost art.. It turns mundane bathroom time into a (dare I say) pampering session.
It's like driving your first car with power steering.. :lol: You realize what you've been missing all along.

 
adauria posted while I was typing (yeah i sometimes type slow)

A double edge safety razor is a fine experiance too.. Lots of folks interested in straights also use DE.
It is slightly more economical to get into, but if your like I was when I got the bug nothing but a straight will do...

One more thing: AVOID EBAY RAZORS until you get very confident that you know what your looking at, a very small nick will screw the whole razor.. basically ruins the whole thing requiring repair, and straight razor repair is not cheap.. theres fewer repairmen that actually do it, and do it right, than there are pipe repairmen.
 
Shavemyface.com is a good resource as well.

I just re-entered the world of DE razors and I am very happy. I have a ' 58 Gillette Super-Speed and a Gillette Tech from the early 50s and I have been getting a wonderful shave for a fraction of the cost the new blades give. It was a bit eery at first but now I can have a nice smooth face with no worries. Different razoors will give a different shave. The Tech is more aggressive than the SS but both are close. There are some vintage razors are very aggressive and require plenty of attention when shaving. My SS is so mild I actually think it is too mild :shock:
 
Phoenix,

I second pb's recommendation of Badger and Blade. I was quasi active there a few years back and bought a couple of razors, strap, sharpening stone, etc, (yes, it takes a bunch of stuff to do it right!). But I just couldn't keep my hand steady enough for a straight edge, and so use a rather aggressive (open blade) double edge Gillette from the early 50s. What I did find I enjoy is using a mug and brush, a rather relaxing and fun process in the morning, and there are so many great smelling soaps out there.

I'm probably going to sell my razors, straps, etc. on eBay soon, as they're just collecting dust. Contact me if you're interested, but even at half of what I paid, it's well over $100.

Natch
 
Natch":tl3djn34 said:
Phoenix,

I second pb's recommendation of Badger and Blade. I was quasi active there a few years back and bought a couple of razors, strap, sharpening stone, etc, (yes, it takes a bunch of stuff to do it right!). But I just couldn't keep my hand steady enough for a straight edge, and so use a rather aggressive (open blade) double edge Gillette from the early 50s. What I did find I enjoy is using a mug and brush, a rather relaxing and fun process in the morning, and there are so many great smelling soaps out there.

I'm probably going to sell my razors, straps, etc. on eBay soon, as they're just collecting dust. Contact me if you're interested, but even at half of what I paid, it's well over $100.

Natch
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Natch! All this time I thought that Avatar was you! You shave? :shock:
 
i use both de and straits. all my straits are vintage along with my de's. i don't shave with any razor younger than me. one of my gillettes is over 100 and my fav strait goes back before 1900....

the kicker to this is my hands are so screwed up with arthrits it hurts to hold em but i still shave with em. shaving with a strait aint that hard.
 
One of my straights just turned 100 this year, it is cool to shave with a straight just knowing you could potentially cut off a head as easy as a hair. :)
 
Actually not... razors are extremely poor at cutting bone.
You'd basically break the blade before you got through the spine.
 
Natch":p0p40ftw said:
Sure, just not my face :lol:

I can post pix if you like :pale:

Natch
Click to expand...
No thanks. Damn, I imagine it will be a long time now before I have the courage to ask another question here on the BoB. :x (ya Freak'n Ozarkian!) :evil:
 
One of the greatest things that I did for myself was switching to a strait razor. Yeah, there was a learning curve, and no, I had no one to teach me. But you learn, and if you enjoy it, you really enjoy it.

I would also recommend a site called classicshaving.com. they have everything you need, and they are great people to deal with.

A word of advice, learn to have the lightest touch when you shave. Gently caress the blade over your stretched skin. That was the hardest thing for me to figure out.

Good luck
 
Natch":3l11ovfd said:
Sure, just not my face :lol:

I can post pix if you like :pale:

Natch
Click to expand...
Dang thats funny............... Valky you put your foot in it.............. go on ask the brother to post pics!!!!! :cyclops: :lol!: :lol!: :lol!:
 
If you're looking to get into straight razor shaving cheap I would suggest not doing it at all. It ain't cheap, but it's oh so much better. If you know what to look for it is possible to pick up gear for a bit less but with the risk of getting what you pay for also. I would plan on spending aroung $300 to get started with decent gear. It will still save you money in the long run so long as you don't check out unexpectedly. :shock: Get the best razor you can afford. Dovo makes a nice entry level razor that you can find under $100 if you look around. I use a Dovo Bismarck and absolutely love it.
 
Well, the one thing not being mentioned is that there is an initial cost outlay with straight razors. If you get a straight, you'll also need a leather strop. Then, you will also need to have the straight sharpened for you every so often, but if you're like me, you'll end up wanting to do that yourself. In that case, you will also need a couple of honing stones. I don't know if you have a brush yet, but it all adds up. Anyway, long term a straight can save money, but it's not cheap to get into.

On the other hand, as others have mentioned, a double edge safety razor can save you big bucks with only a small investment up front.

If you have the time, the old school shaving methods provide a lot of satisfaction, that's for sure.
 
funny, i have under $75 invested in strop and razor..... $38 for strop and $12 for razor.

BUT i have more than one razor, the most expensive, (and oldest) was $23. do NOT buy straits on ebay, if you don't know what you are doing it is very easy to wind up with a pos that will not or can not be sharpened.
 
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