Straight Razors?

SpartanSaint

SpartanSaint

Joined
Jun 17, 2010
Messages
970
I'm debating getting into shaving with straight razors, with that would come the hobby of taking an edge to a whole new level. Pros? Cons? Lets hear it boys, I know you've all missed me so :D

PS please forward me to where I can get one! I know little to nothing about what would make a good shaving blade... what steels, what shapes, and where to look. I'm broke, but should I decide to give this a run i'd like my money to go to a small time maker. please include these things in the discussion =)
 
http://badgerandblade.com/

A whole forum on shaving. And the pros and cons of different razors. I haven't used anything other than vintage razors in years. Go there for some ideas and lots of good info. I would start with a saftey razor of some sort first, then move to the straight. You can get THE smoothest shave possible with a straight razor, but it takes a lot more care and practice. You aren't likely to take your nose off or anything, but it is better to start off small. Oh, and ebay is your friend. It is a great place to pick up all kinds of vintage razors of all kinds for not a lot of money.

-Mb
 
bah. I've always been a go big or go home kinda fella. I don't care to dump money into a safety, only to ditch it for a straight. and idc if its vintage really; was kinda wondering if anyone round the forum made straight razors for reasonable. [shrug] idk, just something i've been toying with. Haven't been enjoying my electric, and i despise cartridges. thought straight razor shaving could be fun haha
 
I bought my first straight razor while in college. I was sitting in the barber's chair when a women walked in asking if the barber needed anything.
I asked her if she sold straight razors. She thought I was crazy for wanting to learn how to shave with one, but yes she sold them.

I got the most inexpensive german made straight razor she had. It set me up $50.
I will always remember the look she gave me when I paid her and took possession of it, the barber probably thought I was crazy too.

Once I got the guts to try it out it shaved like a dream. Nothing is smoother than a straight razor shave!
I shaved every other day for the rest of the summer with that blade.
I ran out of time once the school year started.

I need to dig it out from my knife box and try it out again.
I remember spending a half hour, showering, getting really hot water ready, and generally wondering if I could do it without losing an ear or a piece of my nose.
It wasn't that big of a deal once I got used to it.
It does take more time.

Right now I use a crappy electric razor. I guess I need to figure out what I need to sharpen that razor back to where it needs to be.
 
You could start by reading in this forum as its been discussed some. Yes, theres not a lot of traffic here but some guys know straight razors. The German stuff is good, Case too and Sheffield razors. One that I use and like is an A. F. Bannister. At gun shows look for those than have decent handles with no cracks or chips in the blade or handles. You should be able to get a good one for 15$. Then a medium and fine ceramic stone for 50$ each and strop on newspaper. This will give you a nice shave. Getting it sharp is not as difficult as learning the shaving technique. DM
 
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I just made myself a straight razor, and I love it! Using a straight makes shaving fun, although it takes much much longer. I suggest visiting the straight razor place SRP but let me warn you you are entering a world full of crazy.
 
Best place to start is here, http://whippeddog.com/

Get a vintage razor that is shave ready for $25 and a poormans strop kit for another $25. This will keep you going for a long time. Honing and stropping is a learned skill, starting with a shave ready razor while you hunt for vintage ones in the wild will ensure that you dont ruin your one good razor learning the tricks.

Look into lapping films, less expensive than "cheap" razor hones and will come in handy if you try to restore and sharpen/hone yourself. I've restores razors for a while now and if you hve questions feel free to ask away. When searching for razors at antique shops, estate sales, flea markets, etc. make sure that any pitting or rust is not on the edge. Try to avoid red rust in any large amount, but a few spots is fine. Look at the W.R. case restore on here that I just finished up recently, it has before and after pics to show what is possible.


-Xander
 
A couple of pointers from someone who found out the hard way. there is sharp, and then there is Shaving Sharp. no-one sells razors shaving sharp, unless that is all they do. (even from factory, they might be almost there, but they still need a honeing)
Straightrazorplace.com has lots of guys, and lots of knowledge. there are quite a few honemeisters (professional razor honers) and some guys who make their own. Plus they have a huge wiki loaded with good info.

It takes time, it's awesome, and it's addictive. to get fully set up, you'll probably end up in for a couple hundred bucks before you know it (you can go considerably cheaper if you are careful, but its tough to keep from buying more stuff)
 
SamuraiDave said:
... She thought I was crazy for wanting to learn how to shave with one, but yes she sold them.... the barber probably thought I was crazy too.
Click to expand...

Crazy is not necessarily a bad thing. But it is crazy.

In this day and age, a man who takes up straight-razor shaving has to be looking for more than a great shave. If you want an enjoyable hobby, if you want something to accomplish, if you want to explore sharpening in a whole new way, then straight-razor is for you.
 
I read everything that's still posted in this forum that seemed relevant but most of it referred to safety razors and that's just not what i'm thinking. I did look on ebay, and could get a vintage shave ready razor for super cheap, much cheaper than i thought actually. I might have to do that come pay day.

As for stones, I may get stoned for this but would i need to get honing stones if i have my sharp maker? I understand the edges are completely different however I'm not sure HOW so idk if i'd even be able to use my standard sharpening equipment. I figured i'd pick up a 2 sided strop here on the forum, I know guys here make them for as reasonable as anywhere and I like my money going back into this community.

Do straight razors pop up with any consistency on Bladeforums exchange? I tried searching, but the keywords "straight" "razor" and "shave" bring up damn near every post on the site lol
 
I would be leary about getting a "shave ready" razor from ebay, just too many variables. Larry at Whippeddog does this for a living, his deals are vintage razors that are just cleaned, not restored, and honed and truely shave ready. Get one you know is good to go and then get another to practice one while working on your shaving technique. There is a vast canyon between razor sharp and shave ready. Its not just about high grit stones, there is a lot of technique involved. I got one of my restored razors to whittle a hair 4 times in the same place on the hair, but it still isn't shave reay. One of the biggest differences is you don't develop a burr when sharpening a razor. Buy a cheap strop to start with, you will nick it while learning technique.

Check this thread out for some good info... http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/283576-Lapping-film-try-it?highlight=lapping+fils+try+it


-Xander
 
Just go to an "antique shop"/fleemarket and pick one up. Chose one witch is still square shaped seen from the side and that does not have any nags. When it comes to sharpening/stropping it its what they call a " direct feedback process". :)
 
It is an awesome and rewarding experience, and I would highly recomend it to anyone. Honing it is the whole art. I started out using a norton 4k/8k water stonr because that"s what everyone said I should use, and I got terrible results. A friend of mine then gave me a "double duck" barbers hone, and that made all the difference. There is plenty of information out there and folks are willing to share it. It didn't go very smoothly for me because I was too stubborn to ask for help. Don't make the sameistake I did and you should be fine. pm me if you have any specific questions.
 
There aren't much for quality antique shops near me, at least that i know of. I guess I don't really keep an eye out for them. I guess maybe I'll have to check out Larry's site. I was wary about the sight unseen bit, at least Ebay has pictures. But he comes awfully well recommended by fast there, and his route seems about the best for the fastest, cheapest way to get started.

I guess if i get started, I can talk to someone on the forums here about getting something made. I gather that steel isn't an issue so much as sharpening technique? Hmmm. Its just an art I know so little about
 
I'd agree with being cautious of anything on ebay, There are a huge number of fakes, mis-labled, or generally poorly described blades there. There are good chinesse made blades, and there are crap ones. Some forms of rust are harmless, and some ruin a razor. Older razors can have celluloid rot, (which corrodes the steel) and few sellers seem to know about this. Most of the antique razors are high quality, but some are better than others.
It's really helpful to learn how to shave first, with a professionally sharpened blade, as learning to hone, and shave at the same time puts a huge number of variables into the mix.
Of course I did everything wrong for the first few months, and things didn't go so well.
 
Sharpening a straight was not the largest issue with me. As long as you know how to sharpen a knife a razor is like two steps up and you need finer stones and strops. The harder part for me was a properly excuted shaving stroke. A lot can happen when you start moving that edge on the curves of your face. The non-stainless blades are smaller grain steels and will take a finer edge. Good shaving, DM
 
My favorite razor is a Hart spike point made from O-1 steel. 7/8" blade. Wonderful experience. Good beard prep helps a lot. Keep the blade moving perpendicular to the edge. Enjoy shaving the right way!
 
I would advise you to get a professionally honed razor at first, so you know how sharp it should be. but anyways, getting from a small time maker is gonna be quite a bit i would say. My advice on a razor is get a vintage one and have it honed, made in england, USA, or germany are what I like a lot. anything sheffield, torrey, case, boker, etc....are good (vintage) straights from what I have found. I usually find good razors for 20-30 dollars (but have found for 10 and 15) and then get them honed for another 20 and you have a great (and sharp) razor for a good price


good luck with whatever you decide and read a lot befor eyou try anything, I know that straightrazorplace has a lot of good info, especially for beginners to a straight
 
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