How good was your guess when choosing your first Straight?

After burning through 20 DE & SE razors in the past few years I'd really like to avoid that same process when moving on to a straight. I know that may be a laughable statement but there are a lot of guys here with hundreds of years experience in this arena so I wonder if it's at least possible to reduce the trial & error phase.

With my day-to-day DE & SE shaving I find that the R41 and Cobra Classic are my go-to tools.
I get great results with 2-3 pass shaves which usually include an ATG pass. Aggressive is fine, which leads me to believe a proper straight will work just fine for me.

When you chose your first straight did you guess? Was it given to you? Did you research it and make an educated guess on what to purchase?

If you started with a 1/2 or full hollow did you stick with it or did you move on to something else (1/4 or wedge)?

Assuming equal sharpness, are hollows more forgiving compared to wedges or does this depend more on the toe?

Are 7/8 and 8/8 straights for more experienced shavers or was this just more typical of many vintage style straights?

With my DE & SE shaving experience I've leaned towards the modern vs vintage razors. I think the vintage razors look better in many ways, and are certainly built better, but the results of the modern razors for me were better.

Any thoughts on performance between vintage vs modern straights? How about the shaving qualities of stainless vs carbon steel?

I've been looking at a few vintage & modern straights in the 6/8 7/8 size with a 1/4 hollow to wedge grind.
The Spanish, French, and square points all look beautiful, but I can see them needing to be slightly muted to begin with.

Tons of unknowns for me at this point and I appreciate those that have had the patience to bear with me this far.
Like all of you, I'm just hoping to make a good purchase on a good tool that will perform well and provide great shaves.

fastback said:

After burning through 20 DE & SE razors in the past few years I'd really like to avoid that same process when moving on to a straight. I know that may be a laughable statement but there are a lot of guys here with hundreds of years experience in this arena so I wonder if it's at least possible to reduce the trial & error phase.

With my day-to-day DE & SE shaving I find that the R41 and Cobra Classic are my go-to tools.
I get great results with 2-3 pass shaves which usually include an ATG pass. Aggressive is fine, which leads me to believe a proper straight will work just fine for me.

When you chose your first straight did you guess? Was it given to you? Did you research it and make an educated guess on what to purchase?

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On my first straight I went with a Whipped Dog kit. It was a good choice even though the edges I had later on felt a little better. It was good enough for me to know I wanted to stick shaving with a straight.

fastback said:

If you started with a 1/2 or full hollow did you stick with it or did you move on to something else (1/4 or wedge)?

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I experienced most of the grinds and prefer something close to full hollow. A wedge is cool but they are usually more time-consuming to hone.

fastback said:

Assuming equal sharpness, are hollows more forgiving compared to wedges or does this depend more on the toe?

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I'd say all straights are equally "forgiving", its all about technique and how it was honed.

fastback said:

Are 7/8 and 8/8 straights for more experienced shavers or was this just more typical of many vintage style straights?

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I'd skip smaller blades and go with a 7/8 or 13/16, its a nice size and you don't have to rinse too often.

fastback said:

With my DE & SE shaving experience I've leaned towards the modern vs vintage razors. I think the vintage razors look better in many ways, and are certainly built better, but the results of the modern razors for me were better.

Any thoughts on performance between vintage vs modern straights? How about the shaving qualities of stainless vs carbon steel?

Click to expand...

Haven't tried enough of modern straights to make my mind, so I'd stick with well-known old straights.

fastback said:

I've been looking at a few vintage & modern straights in the 6/8 7/8 size with a 1/4 hollow to wedge grind.
The Spanish, French, and square points all look beautiful, but I can see them needing to be slightly muted to begin with.

Tons of unknowns for me at this point and I appreciate those that have had the patience to bear with me this far.
Like all of you, I'm just hoping to make a good purchase on a good tool that will perform well and provide great shaves.

Click to expand...

I'd go with the point that is more appealing to you. I personally love Spanish tips.

Its all IMO of course

it is called rad and once you fall in the rabbit hole you are there, you get one and want 20 more. myself I prefer the wedges because of the weight and the fact they are silent whisker killers. I have plenty of different razors and only a few would be considered favorites. I use the hollow grinds and narrower blades from time to time but the wider and wedgier ones I use regularly I cannot truthfully say I like a less than 7/8 in anything. one thing you need to know the rounded tips are better suited toward beginners the spikes will get an ear lobe or the cheek if not careful with them. welcome to the rabbit hole and enjoy your stay.

Thanks for the good feedback.
All things considered, I have a few items I'm looking at that are like-new restorations or new that will come shave-ready from reputable dealers. I can see the honing stone research coming up in a short while.

Hmmm good question, my favorite is the one my dad gave me, might not be my best or prettiest, but its my favorite.

fastback said:

When you chose your first straight did you guess? Was it given to you? Did you research it and make an educated guess on what to purchase?

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I read the SRP list of "approved" makers, because at the time I didn't know any better. Bought a "shave ready" that looked cool and didn't seem too damaged on their classifieds.
Can't really call it good or bad.
The "shave ready" I would later find had a big dull spot at the toe, and several microchips. It also had quite a bit of honewear and was probably not the best blade shape for a beginner. On the other hand the razor was very cool looking, well made, and when I did sell it, the auction finished for about what I had paid for it in the first place (it actually WAS shave ready at this point, however).

What I did absolutely do right in my opinion was not spending a ton on it. I think I paid between $40 and 50, which if it had actually been shave-ready was a very good price, and didn't amount to much risk. I'd think $50 is a good budget for a first straight razor, including honing if you don't know the seller is competent. I'd say hollow grind and round tip are the big things to look for, but ignore everything else about the razor in favor of condition. Get the best condition razor you can get, don't get caught up in popular brands.

Fastback you have allot of great questions. To answer a few: I did a fare amount of research on straights before I took the plunge and decided on a modern 1/4 grind 6/8th razor. I lucked out and found one on the BST but more than that I found a great guy that was selling it. When I told him it was my first straight and that I had very little experience with wet shaving he went out of his way to help me. The time he spent educating and encouraging me was very generous and I ended up with almost everything I needed to get started. I still have that razor in my rotation and have no plans on selling it in the future. One thing I would recommend to you is that you purchase two shave ready razors to start out with. When new we tend to be very hard on our edges and having a backup razor enables you to keep on shaving while the one that you might dull is out for honing. I would also recommend reaching out to find a mentor in your area, an afternoon spent with one of these fine gentlemen will help you more than you can know. I see that you are in the pacific north west and we have meet-ups a couple of times a year and they are great events to attend, you can learn allot and meet some great folks. If there is anything I can do to help you further please don't hesitate to PM me I live about two hour away.
All the very best FrankC

If you want to avoid burning through alot of straights on some kind of "journey" then buy yourself a Filarmonica #14 in good condition as your first straight. If it doesn't work out for you, someone will no doubt love to take it off your hands and you might even make a couple of dollars. You're only going to end up drooling over one anyway and spending hundreds and hundreds of dollars on other razors to end up with one anyway. Just fastrack all of the driving yourself crazy getting a good straight but wondering just how much better a fili would be and invest a couple of hundred or so now while its not too late. Plus, think of all the man-points you'll earn by diving in boots and all. Please note that when I started this reply, I wasn't really serious but the more I read it, the more I'm worried that I'm starting to make some kind of sense.

In all seriousness though, please ignore my post above. Its the journey not the destination. A modest shave ready straight, typically 5/8ths from a reputable seller that fits your budget, a strop that you don't mind trashing (because you will trash it) will do you. Then just soak up the advice and comments from the great people on this forum (excluding anything I say...apart from this). If you want to start honing just ease into it. Catch a healthy dose of SRAD and then look at all your shiny stuff. All the best. D

fastback said:

Assuming equal sharpness, are hollows more forgiving compared to wedges or does this depend more on the toe?

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I've not found the grind to have any effect on the razor being more or less forgiving. It affects the optimal angle of the blade to the face, and it seems that everyone has a natural angle they tend to fall into, so if your natural feel for an angle matches close to a grinds "optimal" angle, then the razor can seem more forgiving, since your natural grip is already in tune with the razor.

fastback said:

Are 7/8 and 8/8 straights for more experienced shavers or was this just more typical of many vintage style straights?

Click to expand...

I also don't think the size has much to do with experienced/inexperienced. The bigger blades look more intimidating, so they tend to not attract beginner shavers as much as the smaller, more "friendly" looking blades.

fastback said:

Any thoughts on performance between vintage vs modern straights? How about the shaving qualities of stainless vs carbon steel?

Click to expand...

YMMV on most things, of course, but I personally haven't seen/felt any differences in performance between vintage vs modern. It's really all about the edge and your technique.

fastback said:

Tons of unknowns for me at this point and I appreciate those that have had the patience to bear with me this far.
Like all of you, I'm just hoping to make a good purchase on a good tool that will perform well and provide great shaves.

Click to expand...

You can always start out the inexpensive way many of us do, Whipped Dog sight unseen, or a shave ready Gold Dollar from the various hobbyists here.

I bought a recent model from a Member on BST. I wasn't sure what I wanted when I started looking, but when I saw pics of the razor, I knew (I'm a sucker for tortoise shell). I still have the razor (Boker SS in faux tortoise), and although my tastes have changed some, I still enjoy shaving with it very much. Lots of folks pick up a wd or gd razor as their first, if they're just testing the waters and want to do so inexpensively. But if you know you want to shave with a straight, why not start with one that pleases you? Anyway, that's how I started.

When I started looking: I knew I wanted a Hart.

While I do not have the large collection (limited by the missus) of straight razors: I have used and owned a 4/8-ish full hollow, 5/8 full hollow, 6/8 hollow and the, aforementioned, 6/8 quarter hollow Hart.

At the end of the day: the quarter-hollow, square point, Hart is my favorite. I like the heft, feel and size of the razor.

If I were to recommend to anyone just starting and wanting to try it out: the 6/8 Gold Dollar (hollow) is definitely a good size/heft to determine which way you want to go. It's hefty enough and not quite fully hollow to be a fair compromise. I suspect the 5/8 Dovo Best 1/2 hollow would be similar.

As much as people comment on the round-point being beginner friendly: I find the square easier to determine the true end of the blade.

Great feedback, I appreciate all of your responses. The input on grinds and razor width was especially helpful. I contacted Portland Razor Works and got something started. I believe I have plenty of time for reading before I'll have my opportunity to take the next step.

Very excited to say the least.

Good choice. ^^ I'd be keen to hear how you find it as they sound brilliant.

Dangsta4501 said:

If you want to avoid burning through alot of straights on some kind of "journey" then buy yourself a Filarmonica #14 in good condition as your first straight. If it doesn't work out for you, someone will no doubt love to take it off your hands and you might even make a couple of dollars. You're only going to end up drooling over one anyway and spending hundreds and hundreds of dollars on other razors to end up with one anyway. Just fastrack all of the driving yourself crazy getting a good straight but wondering just how much better a fili would be and invest a couple of hundred or so now while its not too late. Plus, think of all the man-points you'll earn by diving in boots and all. Please note that when I started this reply, I wasn't really serious but the more I read it, the more I'm worried that I'm starting to make some kind of sense.

Click to expand...

Makes a lot of sense to me, especially the drooling part.

I burned through a lot of razors new and used. Most were full hollow grinds. I find my preferred razor is a 1/4 hollow grind. My personal favorite for a three pass XTG pass. You can't go wrong with a Portland Razor from Scott.

I paid a hobbyist/vendor here to send me an old razor as my first decent straight shaver. My first straight was kindly given to me,by an old barber friend of mine. But it wouldn't (and still won't) cut hot butter.

At first, grind, size, weight, brand, new vs. vintage, etc., all take a back seat to having a good, sharp edge on a quality straight (and learning technique).

Most of us probably bought a 5/8 round point Dovo or something similar as a first razor. I know I did. Now I prefer blades with more heft so 13/16 plus or 1/4 grind blades. I am sure with enough practice anyone can master a well honed straight razor regardless of blade size or grind. It's a matter of preference.

I bought a GD from Buca for my first straight. I don't regret it a bit, but find myself drawn to vintage blades and drooling over Fila's