What is the best Straight Razor for a beginner

Get a Feather models RG, DX or SS folding straights (not Japanese Style). Those razors use a disposable blade, get the Pro Guard Blades and you can try the straight razor way of shaving without all the variables including honing and stropping. and be very carefull because its very easy nick yourself with either type of straight. A straight razor used to be an instrument for professional, but we hobbist who decided to learn how ti use it, we need to learn the resources of today including the large amount of videos that you are gonna find on the Internet. Wrlcom Aboard and good Luck.

Sergio

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/319470-Going-to-try-this-again-with-a-Feather-SS

Take a look at this thread.

The whipped dog sight unseen deal will get you going. Tell Larry when you order that it is your first straight and if he sends you a square point razor, to please mute the tip slightly for you.

You could also keep an eye on the BST in case someone is thinning out his collection. The advantage is you would see the razor before buying it. Larry's sight unseen razors are just that. He would have to raise his price if he had to photograph each one and post a description for it individually. The advantage of dealing with him is he seems to have an inexhaustible supply and never runs out, and his price is unbeatable for a shave ready razor.

For a new razor I strongly advise not simply going for the cheapest you can find. A good, new razor is a bit expensive and that's all there is to it. About $150 is a good budget. Www.thesuperiorshave.com is well regarded here and Jarrod sells a Dovo Bismarck type razor without the gold or fancy etching and stuff. He also hones his razors and that of course is important when buying your first razor.

At this point you have no preferences. You don't know what type of straight works best for you. Any random blade of good quality honed shave-ready, is as good as the next. So a vintage whipped dog is a particularly smart choice even though you don't know what you are gonna get. Save that first big ticket purchase for after you know what you want.

Avoid eBay for now. You need to start out with a razor you can trust. Later on after you learn how to restore basket cases, the bay will be a great source, but not now. You will only be confused and disappointed. It is hard enough to get started anyway without extra jokers in the deck.

CryptoDave said:

What would you recommend as the best straight razor for a beginner ?

Thanks

Dave

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~~~I don't know about best (quite subjective) but this would be a very good choice-

and buying from this vendor http://www.thesuperiorshave.com/Dovo_Straights_Pages/dovo_26820_straight_razor.html

he'll deliver a shave ready straight razor. I've purchased 3 or 4 straight razors from Jarrod. I give him very high marks

The reason(s) I recommend this particular razor...I own several so, personal exp. ...the thumb notch below the shank will offer a very good grip. It has heft, good balance. Round toe is much safer in unknowing hands vs. a square point

If the gold wash/abalone schales are not to your liking, Dovo makes a plain jane version Jarrod also carries-




Best,


Jake
Reddick Fla.

When i started i was asking arround like you. I got the same answers which were ok. I got a dovo best quality 5/8 because of two reasons. One was the price(cheap) and the other that everyone was suggesting 5/8. Having been hooked into this type of shaving and looking arround i got myself some vintage pieces 6/8 and 13/16. The difference was very big. Both the size and the metal were very different to my first dovo. Shaving had a different meaning all together. With my dovo i was straggling between disapointment and ok shave. I was leaving it away and used it only from time to time because something was missing apart from my experience of course. Since i got the vintages i have been shaving with them everyday and i am very happy for that. Where am i getting at? Do not go for the cheap. There are middle price range vintages which are exellent. Do not go for 5/8 go for 6/8.
Buy a relativly cheap strop paddle from dovo (i still use that) and a vintage from a guy that restores them. We have one or two very good here. This way you will be sure that it is shave ready and you will get a quality razor. I have send my first dovo which supposed to be shave ready for honing and it got much better. Therefore spend a bit more money in order to be sure that everything is a perfect as it can be. A cheap choice many result to big dispointment. Watch many videos regarding the technique and give it a go. Do not start with savete. If you want get it later on when you are more experience with the straight. Conclusion is all this trouble worthed? lately i found out that it is.

ch2700 said:

When i started i was asking arround like you. I got the same answers which were ok. I got a dovo best quality 5/8 because of two reasons. One was the price(cheap) and the other that everyone was suggesting 5/8. Having been hooked into this type of shaving and looking arround i got myself some vintage pieces 6/8 and 13/16. The difference was very big. Both the size and the metal were very different to my first dovo. Shaving had a different meaning all together. With my dovo i was straggling between disapointment and ok shave. I was leaving it away and used it only from time to time because something was missing apart from my experience of course. Since i got the vintages i have been shaving with them everyday and i am very happy for that. Where am i getting at? Do not go for the cheap. There are middle price range vintages which are exellent. Do not go for 5/8 go for 6/8.
Buy a relativly cheap strop paddle from dovo (i still use that) and a vintage from a guy that restores them. We have one or two very good here. This way you will be sure that it is shave ready and you will get a quality razor. I have send my first dovo which supposed to be shave ready for honing and it got much better. Therefore spend a bit more money in order to be sure that everything is a perfect as it can be. A cheap choice many result to big dispointment. Watch many videos regarding the technique and give it a go. Do not start with savete. If you want get it later on when you are more experience with the straight. Conclusion is all this trouble worthed? lately i found out that it is.

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It is not unusual for Dovo Bests to have "issues" and I have had two of them. The better Dovos are nice though.

ch2700 said:

Do not go for 5/8 go for 6/8.

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~~~this is another opinion which is purely subjective...IMO=

There are a lot of very good razors in the 5/8 size. I had an experienced straight razor professional personally size me up for my first razor and I was told 6/8 would be my best bet, primarily because of my hand size...I have large hands. For the n00bs unaware, the larger the blade size, the wider it is at the shank, and the easier it will be to hold, according to your hand size, or so the assumption goes

There's a bit of truth to that, but as I found after shaving with a 6/8 for a bit....I found some very nice 5/8 razors to shave with and in my experience, were no more difficult to hold and shave with, although narrower at the shank

One thing about comparing a 5/8 to a 6/8 razor, the 6/8 will have more heft and will feel heavier. So in that sense, the heavier blade has more inertia and will (IMO) mow beard down with less effort...all things being equal, and in this instance, both blades having a sharp edge

I think though, there are two camps. One that likes heavier/larger blades, while the other prefers smaller lighter blades. And there are those that fall into a third camp that like and shave with both. Lately I prefer to use the larger heavier blades in my collection. So those are the blades used in my current rotation, yet down the road I know I will go back to shaving with some of my smaller blades... for a different experience



Best,


Jake
Reddick Fla.

Slash McCoy said:

It is not unusual for Dovo Bests to have "issues" and I have had two of them. The better Dovos are nice though.

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I agree with you. My argument was not to get a cheap first razor.

shakin_jake said:

~~~this is another opinion which is purely subjective...IMO=

There are a lot of very good razors in the 5/8 size. I had an experienced straight razor professional personally size me up for my first razor and I was told 6/8 would be my best bet, primarily because of my hand size...I have large hands. For the n00bs unaware, the larger the blade size, the wider it is at the shank, and the easier it will be to hold, according to your hand size, or so the assumption goes

There's a bit of truth to that, but as I found after shaving with a 6/8 for a bit....I found some very nice 5/8 razors to shave with and in my experience, were no more difficult to hold and shave with, although narrower at the shank

One thing about comparing a 5/8 to a 6/8 razor, the 6/8 will have more heft and will feel heavier. So in that sense, the heavier blade has more inertia and will (IMO) mow beard down with less effort...all things being equal, and in this instance, both blades having a sharp edge

I think though, there are two camps. One that likes heavier/larger blades, while the other prefers smaller lighter blades. And there are those that fall into a third camp that like and shave with both. Lately I prefer to use the larger heavier blades in my collection. So those are the blades used in my current rotation, yet down the road I know I will go back to shaving with some of my smaller blades... for a different experience



Best,


Jake
Reddick Fla.

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It seems that my opinion is yours too. After you become more experience then you can go back to anything. As you correctly say IMO its better to start with a heavier razor. But more important is to start with a good razor not a very cheap one. After all if he doesn't use it he will save as a antique.

ch2700 said:

more important is to start with a good razor not a very cheap one. After all if he doesn't use it he will save as a antique.

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~~~I have yet to shave with an entry level (priced) Dovo, such as the 'Best Quality' straight razor. That said, there is at least one experienced user (I think it's Wid or Obiwan) that regularly posts photos of a 6/8 Best Quality Dovo in the "what straight did you use today" thread, that he uses. Dare I say they all can't be bad?

In the 18 months I have been shaving with straight razors, I've shaved with approx. 75 different straights. Most of those I've acquired for my own use with some sent to me to hone for others. The majority of those razors have been good solid shavers but I've also come across a few dogs, new and used. They're out there, but I think it's unfair to label all of Dovo's 'Best Quality' razors as unfit for use. Why? Look at how many of them have been built, sold and used over the years. If all of these "Best Quality' razors were crap, Dovo would have gone out of business a long time ago


Best,


Jake
Reddick Fla.

shakin_jake said:

~~~I have yet to shave with an entry level (priced) Dovo, such as the 'Best Quality' straight razor. That said, there is at least one experienced user (I think it's Wid or Obiwan) that regularly posts photos of a 6/8 Best Quality Dovo in the "what straight did you use today" thread, that he uses. Dare I say they all can't be bad?

In the 18 months I have been shaving with straight razors, I've shaved with approx. 75 different straights. Most of those I've acquired for my own use with some sent to me to hone for others. The majority of those razors have been good solid shavers but I've also come across a few dogs, new and used. They're out there, but I think it's unfair to label all of Dovo's 'Best Quality' razors as unfit for use. Why? Look at how many of them have been built, sold and used over the years. If all of these "Best Quality' razors were crap, Dovo would have gone out of business a long time ago


Best,


Jake
Reddick Fla.

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Maybe its my fault and i did not make myself clear. I never said that dovo is not good. On the contrary they are very good razors. Also we are talking for first razor. Do not forget that. I just say that for first razor IMO its better to get a 6/8 razor. Thats is nothing more nothing less. It can be a dovo best quality or it can be bismark dovo whatever. My objection is to the size. My best quality is 5/8 and it was not good for me for first razor. Now that i am a bit more experienced it is very good razor.