ok guys i am looking to get s shave ready razor off the forum, any ideas about how cheap i can acquire one. i really want to try one but don't want spend a fortune to find out i don't like it
looking to get straight razor for cheap as i can
- Thread starter narativesoul
- Start date
You will need a strop as well.
Straight razor shaving isn't something that you should expect to master instantly - expect a learning curve of 50-100 shaves.
There is nothing wrong with wanting to pay as little as possible, but if the reason is that you only want to try it a couple of times I'd say save your money altogether.
As far as how cheap is cheap the cheapest brand new razors that can be made to shave are the chinese Double Arrow and Gold Dollar which run somewhere in the $10-$20 range. They need to be at least honed and the Double Arrow very likely needs a shoulder regrind. Honing rates seem to be in the $15-$20 range from the established guys like Lynn, Glen, Chris, etc., but every now and then people with less experience and reputation would do it for less, sometimes even free.
These days it's rare to find a good vintage razor on ebay for less than $20, and usually they need a bit more work too. So, a realistic price for a good vintage razor is at least $40, unless the seller does all the work to bring it up to spec for no money.
Straight razor shaving isn't something that you should expect to master instantly - expect a learning curve of 50-100 shaves.
There is nothing wrong with wanting to pay as little as possible, but if the reason is that you only want to try it a couple of times I'd say save your money altogether.
As far as how cheap is cheap the cheapest brand new razors that can be made to shave are the chinese Double Arrow and Gold Dollar which run somewhere in the $10-$20 range. They need to be at least honed and the Double Arrow very likely needs a shoulder regrind. Honing rates seem to be in the $15-$20 range from the established guys like Lynn, Glen, Chris, etc., but every now and then people with less experience and reputation would do it for less, sometimes even free.
These days it's rare to find a good vintage razor on ebay for less than $20, and usually they need a bit more work too. So, a realistic price for a good vintage razor is at least $40, unless the seller does all the work to bring it up to spec for no money.
Im very new to straight shaving and when I started out I wanted to get a straight for as cheap as possible. I did a bunch of research here and SRP and came to the conclusion that I need to find a good vintage straight that had been restored and honed. YMMV. Ive seen them from 45-90 USD for some of the lower priced blades. This way you have a nice blade that looks good and you can shave right away. If you don't like it, you probably will not lose much money at all of you sell it on the forums
Keep checking the BST on the forums.
You need a strop as well. The Filly strop from Ken at RupRazor is a nice one for 20
Keep checking the BST on the forums.
You need a strop as well. The Filly strop from Ken at RupRazor is a nice one for 20
From time to time, B&B member Ambrose offers restored straights for sale (along with other members).
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I was noticing on Ebay a seller by the name of zeppelin2 who is a member at SRP is selling a bunch of his straights and they all look pretty nice. And he is not starting the biding very high.
I see razors go for $25-50 in the bst all the time. May not be the biggest or prettiest razors, but still, they're not expensive at all. Just have to get lucky.
As for a strop, filly strop is only $20 shipped iirc.
As for a strop, filly strop is only $20 shipped iirc.
+1 on BST
A strop is a must! You can get cheap one! Easy to get started. Make sure the razor is shave ready and you're in!
A strop is a must! You can get cheap one! Easy to get started. Make sure the razor is shave ready and you're in!
I only have two razors, so my opinion is uninformed at worst and short sighted at best.
I picked up a Gold Dollar from Seraphim and the shave is great. It's better than any DE I've ever used. Also got a Filly from ruprazors.com.
All told like $70.
Now, although I'm new to straight shaving I have cultivated my prime piece of advice.
Do not buy junk.
And the reason might not occur to you initially. You don't know for a fact if you like straight shaving yet. You might buy one and hate it. Getting something decent will increase the likelyhood of you enjoying your shave as well as... if you decide you don't care for it. You can just sell your stuff on the forums and not be out too much money. You can't shave with nor readily sell garbage.
So if you can't afford the $60-$70, just save up and wait.
I picked up a Gold Dollar from Seraphim and the shave is great. It's better than any DE I've ever used. Also got a Filly from ruprazors.com.
All told like $70.
Now, although I'm new to straight shaving I have cultivated my prime piece of advice.
Do not buy junk.
And the reason might not occur to you initially. You don't know for a fact if you like straight shaving yet. You might buy one and hate it. Getting something decent will increase the likelyhood of you enjoying your shave as well as... if you decide you don't care for it. You can just sell your stuff on the forums and not be out too much money. You can't shave with nor readily sell garbage.
So if you can't afford the $60-$70, just save up and wait.
What you autta do is hit a small town antique shop and pick one up.They can be had on the cheap this way.None of this 25,30,35,etc nonsense.The most i ever paid for a razor is 20 dollars.I don't buy a whole lotta razors and I have no competition so that helps.Make a strop yourself or use a belt.This way you can try ount a new shaving experience on the cheap.After your hooked then save up for the expensive stuff.
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