What to look for?

I am searching eBay for straights. I can ID DE's like nobody's business, however I am absolutely clueless when it comes to straights. Can you guys give me a rundown on what to look for, so I don't get ripped off? Handle materials, blade shape, designs, etc etc.
Thanks.

Depends on what you're looking for -- something to shave with right away, a restoration project, an inexpensive razor to learn honing? There are lots of different handle materials on good razors, so you can't eliminate one just because it is celluloid and not horn. If it's shave-ready you want, there are only a few sellers, like manyware, altima55, sayco_online, who provide it. Be careful there. In evaluating straights, look for cracks in the scales (handles), excessive blade or spine wear, a frown shape to the blade, chips in the blade, heavy pitting, etc., as examples of things you may want to avoid. Blade shapes include various types of points -- round, straight, spike. Beginners generally prefer round because it's one less thing to worry about when shaving, although straight points and spike points are not too difficult to use. Blade size is more critical, with most starting out with a 5/8 or 6/8 and those with heavier beards moving to heavier 7/8 or 8/8 blades or at least trying them. There are a number of good vintage brands, like Dubl Duck, Puma, Wostenholm, Genco, Wade & Butcher, just to name a few. Like I said, there are many, many variables. Be specific with your questions, and you'll get plenty of help.

German, English, American, Spanish, French and Swedish blades are generally good steel. Avoid Paki, Masters and similar. Don't go below 5/8 in size. They get tricky to handle.

Also, if it's a brand new razor going for less than $50, you should probably avoid it. This includes the (already mentioned) Master, Enzo, Sanguine, Wittex, Simco and a few others.

I'd just like to point out that if you are looking to buy a shave-ready straight razor for a reasonable price, it's always a good idea to put out a Wanting To Buy post in the shaving forums, either here or over at Straight Razor Place.

I have been looking at straight razors at eBay for a while now, but I daresay that it's not easy to get any bargains there. The real bargains are the crusty blades which can be restored, but that's quite an undertaking.

You guys are great. I guess I am looking for a cheap one to practice on, and one to restore while I'm practicing with the cheap one. As far as restoration goes, I'd like to only go as far as cleaning it up and sharpening the blade.
I am looking at a lot of them on eBay and the Dubl Duck razors look beautiful, so I think I'll focus on this brand for now to keep things simple, as it seems it can get complex pretty easily. How much should one pay (a rough estimate/range is fine) for a vintage Dubl Duck in serviceable condition? Also, would it be too difficult to fix a blade that is "frowned" or has a minor chip?

Shavegk said:

I am looking at a lot of them on eBay and the Dubl Duck razors look beautiful, so I think I'll focus on this brand for now to keep things simple, as it seems it can get complex pretty easily. How much should one pay (a rough estimate/range is fine) for a vintage Dubl Duck in serviceable condition? Also, would it be too difficult to fix a blade that is "frowned" or has a minor chip?

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Dubl Ducks are very nice razors and quite popular so the going price is higher than other razors.
There are several Dubl Duck models and price can varies with the model
Dwarf
Satinedge
Satinwedge
Goldedge
Wonderedge

For a reasonably priced Dubl Duck < $50 in decent condition you would be able to get the Dwarf, Satinedge,. I know they make some other models but I cannot recall those from the top of my head. (Check SRP). The goldedge, wonderedge, lifetime, grim reaper models are $100 - $300 price range. The goldedge may be had for between $75-100, but rest are easily above $100


I would STRONGLY recommend that you stay away from a frowned edge until you get more experience in restorations.

Here are a list of other brands that can be had at a decent price, are very good razors and some even better than Dubl Duck IMO.

Boker - King Cutter
Geo Korn
Kropp
Wade and Butcher
Geo Wostenholm

I am listing the brands that I own and have had experience with some of the above brands were starter razors for me.

This is becoming a great guide. I'm adding those brands to my searches.
How long does it take the average newbie to learn how to prep a blade? Are vintage scales replaceable?

Edit: Is this considered a frowned edge?

For a newbie you want to first get a shave ready razor and a strop. Stropping is easier to learn than honing.
It will take you sometime to learn how to hone. The more razors you hone the better you get (i.e. see Lynn) Some razors are easier to hone than others. Yes vintage scales are replaceable. You can learn how to replace your scales by purchasing Lynn's DVD on str8 razors

Here is a link that would be helpful

http://www.straightrazorplace.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6759

the edge on the blade seems have a very little smile (imperfection) towards the toe. This is not too serious it can be easily taken out with a 1K stone or sand paper

Thanks, I just registered at SRP.

Amyn,

I thought the edge on the pictured razor would have been called a smile. ?? Corners up-smile; corners down-frown. ??

Bruce

A frown is when the cutting edge gets closer to the spine for a portion of its length. This is caused by excessive, uneven hone wear.

Bruce said:

Amyn,

I thought the edge on the pictured razor would have been called a smile. ?? Corners up-smile; corners down-frown. ??

Bruce

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Sure lets call it a smile
It is just a small imperfection that can be taken out easily

If your just starting out my advice would be to explore the SRP site and learn as much as you can. Then I would buy a shave ready razor from one of the regulars there or maybe even a kit. Once you have some experience under your belt with shaving and honing then you can look at Eboy.

Thebigspendur said:

If your just starting out my advice would be to explore the SRP site and learn as much as you can. Then I would buy a shave ready razor from one of the regulars there or maybe even a kit. Once you have some experience under your belt with shaving and honing then you can look at Eboy.

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Yea, that seems like a good idea. I'm thinking of letting the idea go though, seems like a lot of work and I'm really not looking forward to the learning curve (blemishes/razor bumps/etc on face).

Most people report less irritation with a straight than a multi-blade razor, and some even get less irritation than a DE. The learning curve has more to do with getting the right stroke, pressure and blade angle on various parts of your face -- not to mention keeping your razor properly stropped and honed. Entry cost can be a little higher than DE shaving because you must have a strop, and you'll need honing equipment at some point -- not to mention the normal acquisition disorders. It's definitely worth a try, however. To me, it's much more satisfying than a DE shave.

Kyle76 said:

Most people report less irritation with a straight than a multi-blade razor, and some even get less irritation than a DE. The learning curve has more to do with getting the right stroke, pressure and blade angle on various parts of your face -- not to mention keeping your razor properly stropped and honed. Entry cost can be a little higher than DE shaving because you must have a strop, and you'll need honing equipment at some point -- not to mention the normal acquisition disorders. It's definitely worth a try, however. To me, it's much more satisfying than a DE shave.

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OK, you're keeping hope alive. How long, on avg., until I'd need to hone the blade?

Depends on the blade and your beard, of course. I have been using a paddle strop pasted with .50 diamond abrasive to touch up dulled edges. You might get 5-10 shaves before you need a touchup. With a paddle like this, it might be several months (maybe more) before real honing would be necessary. A bonus: you can strop with the other side. By then, you'll have several razors, so you can stretch it out even more.

When you are ready, Bill Ellis posted guides for selling and buying razors on Ebay. I think they're under the name "Urleebird" and provide some great information on what to look for.

As mentioned, I'd go with a shave ready vintage razor from one of the members to start with and get a cheapo to practice honing/restoring on. Good luck.

Jordan

You may also want to consider one of these sets as a means of getting into straight-shaving http://shop.thewellshavedgentleman.com/category.sc?categoryId=5

Lynn's DVD is worth getting.