I need to upgrade from a crappy $20 one and always like to support independent makers. I love something with some heft but don't really want to go into the $200 range. I'm not yet familiar with makers of decent straight razors so want to reach out. Also, best type of blade steel?
What is a good $40-$100 range straight razor
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UncleBoots
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The list of independent makers offering razors in the $40-100 range might be entirely empty. It's just not really the price range. The closest would probably be Ralf Aust, who does an excellent job. His razors also come shave ready, not eBay "shave ready," but really shave ready. I have two, and one of them, in basic black scales, cost me only a little over $100.
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Check Etsy. Skip over anything that looks new, those will mostly be people reselling cheap junk. There are a few folks on there selling decently restored shave ready older razors. Read the reviews. Most are right in your price range.
I was wondering about this. What is the diff with restored older blades that is so superior?
UncleBoots
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The fact that you can get something actually very very good within your price range. It's taking advantage of the fact that there used to be tons of good razors, and people shaving with them. The people have mostly gone, but the razors endure. Well, some of them.
Definitely get something from a maker if you can. Alternatively you should be able to get a perfectly awesome Dovo for under 100. The most important thing is being able to keep that edge properly, do you have that process down from your $20 blade?
I have sharpening down from my bushcraft and kitchen knives. I was assuming I could adapt for the razor. The cheap one I have has replaceable blades
Relatively simple carbon steels like 1095 are great for a razor. They are easy to sharpen and take a really keen edge. Those who don’t keep their razors dry need stainless steel.
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You don't want anything damascus or folded at all with a straight. The things that folding steel does makes it good for some stuff, bad for straights where you need an even consistently hard edge. If you are going to go with a small maker, it's nearly a lost art, so be aware that you may well be spending money on the best someone can do, even if it's not that great. As for actual steel type, it doesn't really matter. If the maker can get a good quality steel to a good hardness, that's all that matters, what they started out with is not important in the same way as it is for knives. What you want is a fine grain and clean steel, so simple carbons are the best. The few small makers left are often using knife techniques which are not the same. It's interesting to me that even historically razor makers rarely made knives. A few large companies made both but had different craftsmen and factories.
I thought I could get a razor sharp because I could get a knife sharp, they are two different beasts. It's like going from wood-working to precision machining, where tolerances start to really matter. It can be done, but expect to shell out for specific stones that you won't bring your knives near. A minimum shave edge is 8K and many guys go far past that. My current razor stone is a 12k naniwa, and some would consider that a rookie stone. I've spent more on leather and stones than on my five vintage straights.
Dovo is likely the only really reliably good new razor in that range, I think Henkel still does production, but they are more pricey, though either as vintage will do well. I don't know what the state of the chineese manufacture market is, a decade ago there were a lot of good cheap razors coming out in batches, but they often needed to be hand selected. So again you might find a modern "vintage" chineese razor that is great.
It looks like Whipped Dog razors are still in business, and for a long time he's held a rep for doing good shave-ready razors. He used to do "tuned" vintage razors, not sure if he still does, it would be very stock dependant.
I hope you find what you are looking for, the market has changed a lot in the decade since I got in to it, so you might be able to find actual good vintage razors floating back into the market, but the guys that bought them probably have an idea of what they are worth. I've not seen a good straight in a vintage store or flea market in years.
I thought I could get a razor sharp because I could get a knife sharp, they are two different beasts. It's like going from wood-working to precision machining, where tolerances start to really matter. It can be done, but expect to shell out for specific stones that you won't bring your knives near. A minimum shave edge is 8K and many guys go far past that. My current razor stone is a 12k naniwa, and some would consider that a rookie stone. I've spent more on leather and stones than on my five vintage straights.
Dovo is likely the only really reliably good new razor in that range, I think Henkel still does production, but they are more pricey, though either as vintage will do well. I don't know what the state of the chineese manufacture market is, a decade ago there were a lot of good cheap razors coming out in batches, but they often needed to be hand selected. So again you might find a modern "vintage" chineese razor that is great.
It looks like Whipped Dog razors are still in business, and for a long time he's held a rep for doing good shave-ready razors. He used to do "tuned" vintage razors, not sure if he still does, it would be very stock dependant.
I hope you find what you are looking for, the market has changed a lot in the decade since I got in to it, so you might be able to find actual good vintage razors floating back into the market, but the guys that bought them probably have an idea of what they are worth. I've not seen a good straight in a vintage store or flea market in years.
If your budget is $100, I would recommend looking for a high quality vintage razor on-line preferably from an individual seller who specializes in straight razors. You could also check on the more specific straight razor forum sites where members buy, sell and trade razors. I have over 30 straight razors; all but 3 are vintage razors and the 3 newer ones are custom. I can honestly say that my custom razors are the most expensive razors I purchased and even though they are great razors, they are not the ones that I gravitate to when selecting from the group.
It has been years since I bought any straight razors on eBay but overall I have had good luck when dealing with the higher rated sellers who specialized in straight razors & who cleaned and sharpened them before putting them on eBay. Before buying vintage; educate yourself, make sure the seller provides detailed photos, ask questions and make sure there is a return policy.
As a starting point, vintage razors made in Sheffield England or with Sheffield steel and the Double Duck & C-Mon razors from Germany will be a huge step up from where you are now and you should still have money left over to put towards a quality whetstone or leather strop.
It has been years since I bought any straight razors on eBay but overall I have had good luck when dealing with the higher rated sellers who specialized in straight razors & who cleaned and sharpened them before putting them on eBay. Before buying vintage; educate yourself, make sure the seller provides detailed photos, ask questions and make sure there is a return policy.
As a starting point, vintage razors made in Sheffield England or with Sheffield steel and the Double Duck & C-Mon razors from Germany will be a huge step up from where you are now and you should still have money left over to put towards a quality whetstone or leather strop.