What's a good straight razor?
- Thread starter Llama4322
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Do you mean a decent first straight razor, or do you already have one, and you're looking to upgrade to a nice one? If you mean the former, I'd just get the cheapest DOVO you can find from Knifecenter or wherever. I think my wife got my DOVO for around $80-100, and it has been great to learn with. If you're getting into using a straight razor, I will warn you that most of the ones that say they are shave ready are not, in fact, shave ready. They will make your face hairless, but it feels closer to waxing than shaving. Just know that with most you will need a hone/water stone, a strop, and some paste. You will also need to learn to hone and strop, unless you want to just send it to someone to hone it. It is very nice not ever having to buy a razor again, and once you learn how to hone your razor well, it shaves great. It took me a while to learn to hone a razor well, despite being a self-proclaimed expert knife sharpener. To me, having another, very different knife to maintain, sharpen, and play with was most of the reason I switched to a straight razor to begin with.
19-3ben
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I have had a few that I've been using for years. I've got a Dovo and a Theirs Issard, and both are wonderful. The Dovo is a bit more simple, and the Theirs has some flourishes that make it a bit more artistic, but they are equal in function.
Remember not to cheap out on the brush. A good Vulfix Super Badger, or similar is really really REALLY worth it. You'll also want a good stone and strop to get he most from your razor. Mine is a Norton double sided (6000/8000 grit) waterstone.
Remember not to cheap out on the brush. A good Vulfix Super Badger, or similar is really really REALLY worth it. You'll also want a good stone and strop to get he most from your razor. Mine is a Norton double sided (6000/8000 grit) waterstone.
I don't think Case makes razors. I think Knife Center is a good place to buy the DOVO razors. You can get strops and hones from Amazon for a good price. Like 19-3ben, I also have a Norton waterstone, but mine is 4000/8000 grit.
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Don't worry about the straight razor just yet. There are plenty of ways to get into straight shaving with either new or vintage razors. The first step is to get a brush and a good shaving soap. start practicing with that, keep using whatever razor you've got. Once you get prep down pat, so you know you have that working well (its not as simple as it initially seems) then get yourself a straight, and slowly start trying it out. don't plan to jump all the way in, just do the easy parts of your face, and as you get the feel, keep expanding your range. There are tones of good youtube tutorial vids, and either of the big wet-shaving forums SRP or B&B will be able to help you get started.
You may find that you just don't have time to straight shave, so perhaps a DE will work for you. But in either case, do yourself a favor and get rid of your canned goop or foam, and get real soap, it will make a huge difference, and canned stuff is not suitable for work with a straight.
As for honing and stropping, you will need a strop, razor honing is not the same as knife sharpening, and many straight users don't do their own honing. since its needed infrequently, and its a minimal cost most places in the US, you can just send it to a pro. Removing variables while you learn is key.
You may find that you just don't have time to straight shave, so perhaps a DE will work for you. But in either case, do yourself a favor and get rid of your canned goop or foam, and get real soap, it will make a huge difference, and canned stuff is not suitable for work with a straight.
As for honing and stropping, you will need a strop, razor honing is not the same as knife sharpening, and many straight users don't do their own honing. since its needed infrequently, and its a minimal cost most places in the US, you can just send it to a pro. Removing variables while you learn is key.
exxarkun78
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if you arent quite ready for the expense of a straight razor might i suggest a safety razor its kinda the inbetween of gilette and straight razors. Hhile you do have to change blades they are so cheap it wont hurt your feelings or pocket book too badly. If i remember right my pack of 500 blades was 17 bucks from amazon I use a new blade every shave had the box for about 2 years and bout half way thru it. However, I only shave twice a week but i shave my whole head and face since genetics wasnt in my favor for either facial or head hair .
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Not only does it cost a fair bit it to get started, you will also end up spending more on stuff you don't need. New razors, razors to fix up, waterstones for honing, strops, brushes, mugs, it goes on and on. If you want a cheaper way to shave, double-edge is the way to go.
Although I have never dealt with whipped dog I have heard nothing but good things about them. I can attest that vintage restored razors, even the cheap working man's dept store brands sans fancy embelishments were often made with top quality German/Soligen or English Sheffield forged steel opitmized for razor cutlery use at a time when the market demanded a large supply of it from the steel foundries. I belive they can go head to head with and/or beat some very high quality razors both modern and other fancy vintage razors costing many times more money.
My impression is today straight razors are not a major market so the steel foundries are not going to sacrifice quality that is suitable to more widespread uses (ie the adding of alloying elements or lack of suited for more widespread popular uses) for the sake of making a better straight razor for a small niche market so I guess razor makers have to do the best with what they can get.
Maybe an expert can fill in here.
Whipped dog restores vintage razors to shave ready and they are reputed to know what they are doing. From the reviews I would recommend when dealing with whipped dog that you spend a little extra if you can and pass up on the sight unseen deal which includes Chinese made shave ready gold dollar razors (which are not bad but go vintage for supurb steel) so you have more input on getting what you want. Having an expert like whipped dog hone and oversee quality control is probably the best buy comming from someone (me) who has both brought professionly restored and has restored a couple himself as well as owns a modern Dovo budget best quality and a handmade straight.
I strop and use every single one of them too as much as I want to garner support for the economy and modern straight manufacturers I must say vintage restored by pro for your criteria.
Either way dollar for dollar those "old forgings" as some like to call it are very very very hard to beat in terms of shave quality.
I say cheap mug .99 cent store mug, cheap brush, shave soap well I would not skimp on quality there. I have used shave cream with good results but I find dollar for dollar you get more shaves of a better quality for less with a high quality shave soap than going through a bunch of cans of cheap to expensive canned shave cream.
There is an excellent youtube video where a distinguished knife maker shows how to easily hone a straight razor going only up to 4000 grit and then finishish it off with newspaper and a cheap chrome oxide loaded strop.
Some gripes I have with modern straight razors are that some of them require tape when honing. I don't like that and unless your are protecting an immaculately finished rare presentation piece with designs embellished on it doing it on a working class razor is a waste of time. In my opinion a properly designed razor should never require tape to get a proper hone angle. It's not the end of the world but it is a pain and I really doubt electrical tape, or most tape for that matter comes from the factory with tight quality control regarding thickness.
This I belive is due to the fact that the steel makers are not making the proper thickness of steel stock for the width of the blade that the makers want to market. It's either too thin or way to thick to make without excessive labor and upractical high market prices. They choose to use material that tends to be a little thin and stretch it to the limits.
This is not really a problem with vintage razors and the current modern German made straight razors by companies that have been making them since the old days and are well established but may be with some domestic made otherwise great quality razors. Quality control is not out of hand but is an issue with all modern made razors that come up from time to time such as my extremely durable black plastic scales on my Dovo breaking off at the pivot area probably due a weak spot from a manufacturing flaw. They are after all mass produced with less human quality control these days. It's just an opinion just saying thats all.
If you see made with Swedish steel on your Dovo (if you choose to buy one) don't worry it's known to be good stuff.
Case does not currently make straight razors but they did at one time and vintage American made Case straight razors have a good reputation provided they are good condition of course.
I know it has been mentioned but I would always buy from a reputable business (store) that inspects and hones every straight razor they sell because shave ready from the factory is a long way from being guaranteed no matter what their advertisments claim. The best prices for moderns are on places like Amazon but be warned with straight razors it's at your own risk and I personally would not because I don't like screwing with returns, refunds, and exchanges if it's beyond my capabilities or too much work to fix.
You need it to pass a set of professional eyes and worked on before it's mailed to you especially it you don't have honing experience.
The one thing about straights unlike with knives is if you use it to shave you will very soon find out after a few uses if it's edge qualties are up to par. You will not only find out you will feel it.
My impression is today straight razors are not a major market so the steel foundries are not going to sacrifice quality that is suitable to more widespread uses (ie the adding of alloying elements or lack of suited for more widespread popular uses) for the sake of making a better straight razor for a small niche market so I guess razor makers have to do the best with what they can get.
Maybe an expert can fill in here.
Whipped dog restores vintage razors to shave ready and they are reputed to know what they are doing. From the reviews I would recommend when dealing with whipped dog that you spend a little extra if you can and pass up on the sight unseen deal which includes Chinese made shave ready gold dollar razors (which are not bad but go vintage for supurb steel) so you have more input on getting what you want. Having an expert like whipped dog hone and oversee quality control is probably the best buy comming from someone (me) who has both brought professionly restored and has restored a couple himself as well as owns a modern Dovo budget best quality and a handmade straight.
I strop and use every single one of them too as much as I want to garner support for the economy and modern straight manufacturers I must say vintage restored by pro for your criteria.
Either way dollar for dollar those "old forgings" as some like to call it are very very very hard to beat in terms of shave quality.
I say cheap mug .99 cent store mug, cheap brush, shave soap well I would not skimp on quality there. I have used shave cream with good results but I find dollar for dollar you get more shaves of a better quality for less with a high quality shave soap than going through a bunch of cans of cheap to expensive canned shave cream.
There is an excellent youtube video where a distinguished knife maker shows how to easily hone a straight razor going only up to 4000 grit and then finishish it off with newspaper and a cheap chrome oxide loaded strop.
Some gripes I have with modern straight razors are that some of them require tape when honing. I don't like that and unless your are protecting an immaculately finished rare presentation piece with designs embellished on it doing it on a working class razor is a waste of time. In my opinion a properly designed razor should never require tape to get a proper hone angle. It's not the end of the world but it is a pain and I really doubt electrical tape, or most tape for that matter comes from the factory with tight quality control regarding thickness.
This I belive is due to the fact that the steel makers are not making the proper thickness of steel stock for the width of the blade that the makers want to market. It's either too thin or way to thick to make without excessive labor and upractical high market prices. They choose to use material that tends to be a little thin and stretch it to the limits.
This is not really a problem with vintage razors and the current modern German made straight razors by companies that have been making them since the old days and are well established but may be with some domestic made otherwise great quality razors. Quality control is not out of hand but is an issue with all modern made razors that come up from time to time such as my extremely durable black plastic scales on my Dovo breaking off at the pivot area probably due a weak spot from a manufacturing flaw. They are after all mass produced with less human quality control these days. It's just an opinion just saying thats all.
If you see made with Swedish steel on your Dovo (if you choose to buy one) don't worry it's known to be good stuff.
Case does not currently make straight razors but they did at one time and vintage American made Case straight razors have a good reputation provided they are good condition of course.
I know it has been mentioned but I would always buy from a reputable business (store) that inspects and hones every straight razor they sell because shave ready from the factory is a long way from being guaranteed no matter what their advertisments claim. The best prices for moderns are on places like Amazon but be warned with straight razors it's at your own risk and I personally would not because I don't like screwing with returns, refunds, and exchanges if it's beyond my capabilities or too much work to fix.
You need it to pass a set of professional eyes and worked on before it's mailed to you especially it you don't have honing experience.
The one thing about straights unlike with knives is if you use it to shave you will very soon find out after a few uses if it's edge qualties are up to par. You will not only find out you will feel it.
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Hi! I am a maker for Bell and Hat Straight Razors. We frequently visit Colorado. If you want some more information you can see some of the razors I make at Michael Ely, Ely Knives. (Facebook) or let me know and I will send you some pictures!
Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk
Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk
Hit up Larry at whipped dog . He's a good dude . He'll get you a shave ready blade on the cheap, it mat not be pretty but it'll be shave ready and good to go .
If you want new I'd check out maggards razors they even have a honing service to get you a shave ready razor new . An email to maggards or Larry over at whipped dog both have more info than you can ask for and will get you squared away.
If you want new I'd check out maggards razors they even have a honing service to get you a shave ready razor new . An email to maggards or Larry over at whipped dog both have more info than you can ask for and will get you squared away.
The feather artist club is another option ,no honing as you just replace the blade ,they are unique because they don't take DE blades they hold thick blades and shave close to a straight .
I use a mongoose which is a DE type razor designed to hold the artist club blades you get straight like shave but with a DE style control .
Be warned though the artist club blades are ridiculously sharp if this is something interested in I'll discuss the blades.
I use a mongoose which is a DE type razor designed to hold the artist club blades you get straight like shave but with a DE style control .
Be warned though the artist club blades are ridiculously sharp if this is something interested in I'll discuss the blades.