unfortunately the straights are a prime example of you get what you pay for. do you want to look at it or shave with it? if a shaver is the answer then pay the bucks and get a shaver. I have used straights since I was fourteen and am 61 now, never looked back on anything else. I use vintage and custom straights and have tried the kamisori they shave well just not my cup of tea. best choice you have is to contact larry at whipped dog and try a regular vintage straight first, call him he has a poor mans special around 40. or so try it and if not your cup of tea you are only out 40, if you buy the kami and don't like it you are out 2 to 3 hundred. you wont get what you paid back unless it is a one of a kind by a famous maker. the choice is yours and the whipped dog is the best option his razors may not be the prettiest but they are shave ready and razors don't sharpen like knives, razor stones and strops are expensive, if you think 200 is bad for a razor then wait till you see what some of the jnats and coticules go for. a good strop runs close to 100 ad you will need to use the strop before the next shave. I use a tony miller heirloom 3 inch and I think I paid around 80 for it. just remember you get either a display or a razor and the display piece wont shave like a real straight. the new straights are a chance as a lot of them have issues with warped spines and such and most aren't shave ready anyway. some razors will shave 6 months or more with only seeing a strop and some wont go 3 months before needing a good revisit to a hone. are you capable of maintaining a straight? if not send it to someone who is, most who sharpen knives haven't a clue as to razors.straight bevels set usually at 1000 grit and progress on to 13k or more. a knife 300 to around 1200 usually suffice, the angle on straights is set from the spine and the angle of knives varies. try straight razor place or badger and blade for more info on this, I am a member of both, same user name.
