Anyone shave with a straight edge razor?

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wolverine_173

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Im thinking of switching to a straight edge. Can someone recommend a razor and tell me what price range they run?
 
There is a dedicated section for razor talk here on the forums. Check it out. If you are new to wetshaving in general then I might also suggest the Badger & Blade forum. Straights are hard to master but can be satisfying. I alternate between a straight and double edge. Whipped Dog website is great for starters..
 
I shave with a straight edge. I've got a gold plated dovo I paid $120 for. Its expensive to get started, but they last you forever. Make sure you get a nice strop, pre-shave, brush, good soap and a good after shave cream. I have extremely steady hands, and went straight from an electric to a straight. I dont recommend it, but too late in my case.
 
you can spend a little or a lot. whats your budget?
do not do not do not buy blades from the bay. there is lots of crap, and lots of fakes. So it is best to find a reputable dealer.
But in the mean time, if you don't already shave with a brush and soap, you should start. Even if you don't end up straight shaving, you'll be getting much better shaves with the soap.
 
I shaved with a straight razor for about 3 months. It was super easy for me to get the hang of. The one thing I couldn't get used to was loud distractions like my dogs suddenly barking and making me jump as the blade is against my face. I threw in the towel after I used it to stop the bleeding.
 
I shave with a straight. I have started a little collection of them, and have also opened a small business honing them for friends.

I would suggest that it is a shaving method that is not for the masses anymore. The modern disposable plastic offerings seem to work well enough for most, but for the few that invest time and effort into learning how to shave with a straight, many find that the shave is superior and the experience is unparalleled.

It is not like a new phone, where you figure it out in an afternoon, it is more like a profession in that you continuously improve and (hopefully) develop skill and appreciation over the years. Once you really get the hang of things it may well become a sense of private pride, for you will be among the few that rejected the modern offerings long enough to discover an old and almost lost art of relaxation. You may also learn methods for superior skin care along the way, and with it you may learn what many will never know.

It is not for everyone, but it is for me.
 
It certainly takes a while befor you learn your face and directions you like to
Shave in . Im still learning and set aside at least half hr for the whole process.
I have two antique razors that ive honed .
One was a gift and the other i picked up for around $40 both in really good shape .
Ive finally got both running really smooth no grabbing , made my own strops on wood blocks .
Still striving for real true sharpness.
 
I've been shaving with a straight for years now and once you get used to it there's nothing to it. It is a bit expensive to get started and will take a bit of patience to get accustomed to. The reward is that it's easily the best shave you will ever have and well it's just cool. Dovo razors are great. You can get a good starter for less than $100. Like others have said in prior posts, you will need a good strop, a brush and some good soap or creme. If this all seems like a lot just take a look at the cost of those 5-blade disposables. A straight razor set up will pay for itself in the first year.

Badger and Blade is a great resource as is Straight Razor Place. There are a lot of straight razor guys out there that can answer any question you might have.
 
I started with straight razors a few years ago. So far the only razors I've bought have been from thrift stores and eBay, but then I like refurbishing them. I have an old Broker and am thinking of buying a new one. Think I'll stick with high carbon steel. The biggest expense thus far has been the stones (antique coticule/BB, antique Thuringian, and Trend diamond). Eventually you start saving money, but you'd never go back to double edge, triple edge, or electric. "New" and "improved" are not synonamous. I highly recommend straights. Before long, I want to try my hand at making some. Oh, whatever you do, don't scrimp on the strop.
 
Dovo or Thiers&Issard are the two brands that make very good entry level razors. Look to spend $120 - $150. In the long run it isn't too much more cost once you get set up. The biggest pain is getting a new razor shave ready. Most nes razors are not hand honed out of the box. It takes a good stone like a Norton water stone 4000/8000 two sided stone to really get it right. The other choice is take it to a professional and pay to get it honed.
 
Some other great beginner razors are Boker and any you buy from Whippeddog.com in fact if I would have known I would have went with whipped dog for my first. Saves a lot of money when u just want to test the watters. And I would go with his sight unseen deal and poor mans strop to start. Then pick up a Van Der Hagen kit from Walmart or walgreens. Then ur set.
 
Swerve1n said:
Some other great beginner razors are Boker and any you buy from Whippeddog.com in fact if I would have known I would have went with whipped dog for my first. Saves a lot of money when u just want to test the watters. And I would go with his sight unseen deal and poor mans strop to start. Then pick up a Van Der Hagen kit from Walmart or walgreens. Then ur set.
Click to expand...

Good advice. Larry A at whippeddog is a straight up guy.

I've been shaving straight for a number of years and still use Van Der Hagen soap.
Here's a small part of my "daily driver" collection.
GREAVESGANG001small.jpg


Those are my Greaves gang. I'm fond of the big old Sheffield blades.
 
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