Affordable Straight Razor

I

ItsBenjii

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Jun 3, 2015
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So, I am fairly knowledgeable in almost all knife types, except for straight razors. I want to pick a fairly affordable razor up, but I have no idea where to start in terms of brands. I'm looking at a budget of roughly $60. Any help would be great.
 
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Best bet, buy something vintage; old Solingen Germany, Sheffield England, or American all made quality steel...

Look for a blade edge that isn't chewed up, relatively straight, and hone it well, remembering that a sharp knife is not the same as a sharp razor, totally different animals...
(watch vids on YouTube if you're not sure or find a local old school Barber willing to do it. Or you csn send it out).

You can pick 'em up at auctions for relatively cheap, I actually just recently bought an old Oxford, a Boker "red injun", an electric Cutlery, a wiss, and an ABT phila. " gun metal", all save for the electric were about $20 or less shipped. (The electric ran me just over $40 but had real nice scales)
The boker and wiss need new scales but the rest were ok considering they're 90-100 years old. None of the blades were in bad shape either: nice patina on 'em, but not much if any rust, no pitting, and all are "sharp" to the touch (enough to pull hairs and cut you deep), which is nice because i really won't have to spend muchbtime setting the edge since an edge is already edtablished; but none are "shave ready", not even close really, while they'll take hair off your arm, if one were to try to shave their face it would be brutal; like a mini chain saw leaving nicks and razor burn like a mofo. All are in need of a good long honing session.

I also have a Wade and Butcher, another Electric Cut., another Wiss, a Dubl Duck, a Shapleigh, a Shumate, a droescher, all needed minor cleaning and proper honing, but all were in decent shape and alk cost me around $25 or less shipped, and all are fine shavers when honed nice (though admittedly, with a 5" beard going on at the moment, I haven't shaved in a while aside from an occasional shape up).

So that all said, for $40-60 atvauction you can find a nice vintage blade that's already been cleaned up pretty decent with a decent edge, one of the less "popular" brands ypu can find a real good deal on; buy a decent strop and get it honed up proper, and you'll have a great shaver...

Biggest thing is the edge, no crazy waves or large chips; there's some other minor things to look for; hone wear and such, but they won't affect the shave as much as they will the life of the blade...

I can't stress enough though, just it will shave your arm hairs does NOT mean it's " shave ready" for a smooth face shave... Too many times I seen someone make that mistake thinking they can shave with a straight because it shaved a bald patch on their forearm, and too many times they wind up a bloody razor burned mess... Honing is critical for a smooth shave. And smoother shave you will not find then a properly honed vintage straight... And don't get too caught up in brand names, as I said, virtually all the old turn of the century blades from Sheffield (England), Solingen (Germany), or USA (NJ, New England, St. Louis), are great carbon steel blades.
 
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A couple brands I've seen go pretty cheap in pretty good condition are;
Shapleigh Diamond Edge made in Germany.
-they were a St. Louis outfit, but due to high demand they began having some German imports stamped with their trademark; they're not "as old" or "as desirable" to collectors as the originals, so they oftentimes slip through the cracks in price, but still make great shavers.

Some of the other off brand "made in Germany" razors, many import/distribution companies would have razors (like Shapleigh) simply stamped with their logo for resale, but they were often times still made by the larger German Cutlery outfits, and still quality shavers.

Shumate's I've seen go rather cheap (good ol' St. Louis steel)
I've even seen a bunch of basic oxford's and wolsterholms go for good prices.
 
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Sorry for the inconvenience. I'll be sure to double check for a more appropriate forum next time.
 
strategy9 said:
Best bet, buy something vintage; old Solingen Germany, Sheffield England, or American all made quality steel...

Look for a blade edge that isn't chewed up, relatively straight, and hone it well, remembering that a sharp knife is not the same as a sharp razor, totally different animals...
(watch vids on YouTube if you're not sure or find a local old school Barber willing to do it. Or you csn send it out).

You can pick 'em up at auctions for relatively cheap, I actually just recently bought an old Oxford, a Boker "red injun", an electric Cutlery, a wiss, and an ABT phila. " gun metal", all save for the electric were about $20 or less shipped. (The electric ran me just over $40 but had real nice scales)
The boker and wiss need new scales but the rest were ok considering they're 90-100 years old. None of the blades were in bad shape either: nice patina on 'em, but not much if any rust, no pitting, and all are "sharp" to the touch (enough to pull hairs and cut you deep), which is nice because i really won't have to spend muchbtime setting the edge since an edge is already edtablished; but none are "shave ready", not even close really, while they'll take hair off your arm, if one were to try to shave their face it would be brutal; like a mini chain saw leaving nicks and razor burn like a mofo. All are in need of a good long honing session.

I also have a Wade and Butcher, another Electric Cut., another Wiss, a Dubl Duck, a Shapleigh, a Shumate, a droescher, all needed minor cleaning and proper honing, but all were in decent shape and alk cost me around $25 or less shipped, and all are fine shavers when honed nice (though admittedly, with a 5" beard going on at the moment, I haven't shaved in a while aside from an occasional shape up).

So that all said, for $40-60 atvauction you can find a nice vintage blade that's already been cleaned up pretty decent with a decent edge, one of the less "popular" brands ypu can find a real good deal on; buy a decent strop and get it honed up proper, and you'll have a great shaver...

Biggest thing is the edge, no crazy waves or large chips; there's some other minor things to look for; hone wear and such, but they won't affect the shave as much as they will the life of the blade...

I can't stress enough though, just it will shave your arm hairs does NOT mean it's " shave ready" for a smooth face shave... Too many times I seen someone make that mistake thinking they can shave with a straight because it shaved a bald patch on their forearm, and too many times they wind up a bloody razor burned mess... Honing is critical for a smooth shave. And smoother shave you will not find then a properly honed vintage straight... And don't get too caught up in brand names, as I said, virtually all the old turn of the century blades from Sheffield (England), Solingen (Germany), or USA (NJ, New England, St. Louis), are great carbon steel blades.
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Could not have asked for a better answer. Thanks so much for your time.
 
No problem... My vintage straight razor addiction is right in there with my knive one, same poison different flavor; Knives are the beer, razors are the whiskey, lol...


I'm in a pretty good spot now because I have quite a few shave ready blades, and I don't mind the work it takes to do a basic restoration to an old blade, they really are very basic/simple tools, really not much too it once you know what you're doing.and since I have more then enough I can shave with, I have no problem picking up one I like for a great price, wiping it down and letting it sit on my dresser for a month or two before getting around to it. I'm in no rush as there isn't a "need". But seriously, $40-60 and a keen eye for detail, looking for a user more then a collector, you should have no problem finding something nice and in decent shape.

It really is a lost art, and I love the character of the vintage blades, they all have a story, and a history, as well as an untold one being they're from a whole different generation, who's face(s) did they shave before mine? Good luck and enjoy, welcome to whole new side to the sickness, lol.
 
One more thing to help you on your way, a basic chart to help you understand the basics of what you're looking at.

The grind is going to be personal preference, I prefer hollow grinds: while they're far more fragile and prone to chipping with the slightest mishandling, they get scary sharp, and the scoop the hair like a snow plow.

The width, the wider blades equal heavier blades and they tend to last longer since there is more steel to work with. Not much left if you chip a 4/8, but you can often get away with regrinding a new edge on a 7/8 (and they also often times are the more desirable and fetch a bit more money)
-the heavier blades work ideal for heavier, thicker, coarser hair. Like when my mane comes off, I'd go with a heavier blade, or trim it down with clippers.
-you know your beard better then i do, but I'd recommend staying away from the 4/8 for starters, esp. for a first razor, since they do have the least amount of steel, and ergo the shortest lifespan do to hone wear, would be a shame to buy one that looks ok, but turns out has nothing left to offer and has been honed to death; but 5/8 however can typically do very well for a daily shaver removing stubble, and i found you can find a lot of them with plenty of life left (+1/8 is actually a lot of steel when talking about basic honing and stropping), a good 5/8 is pretty standard and more then adequate for 90% of users daily needs.
-if you find something nice that's wider, considering the condition is roughly equal, wider is better.

I'm hardly an expert, more of a somewhat knowledgeable novice myself I'd say, but I'm sure now that the mods moved this to the proper forum, someone with more knowledge then I will be able to chime in with even more wisdom.
 
Thanks for the insight and the chart!
I've always wondered what the meant when they said 4/8 this 7/8 that. lol
 
You are in luck, the market seems to have stabilized over the last couple years, and prices are a bit more sane. I'd do most of my looking at local antique shops, the kind that don't bother with online listings, you are likely to get a better price, there are few bargains on the bay, and while the prices are civilized now, there are still enough collectors that will make you earn those blades, and rookies that will run the bids up.

If you are looking to shave, you need to consider the costs of the things you need to keep a razor in good condition, a high quality strop, and perhaps some hones (razor hones and knife stones are a long ways apart in grit) And if you don't already shave with a brush and soap, you'll need to look into that as well.

I would consider starting with a whippeddog, sight unseen razor, and maybe starter kit. that way you know you are starting with a good, sharp razor, and there are fewer things to figure out.
 
You can get a Gold Dollar 66 on aliexpress for about $5, delivered. They're not pretty, but once the geometry is corrected, they are decent razors.
 
strategy9 said:
One more thing to help you on your way, a basic chart to help you understand the basics of what you're looking at.

The grind is going to be personal preference, I prefer hollow grinds: while they're far more fragile and prone to chipping with the slightest mishandling, they get scary sharp, and the scoop the hair like a snow plow.

The width, the wider blades equal heavier blades and they tend to last longer since there is more steel to work with. Not much left if you chip a 4/8, but you can often get away with regrinding a new edge on a 7/8 (and they also often times are the more desirable and fetch a bit more money)
-the heavier blades work ideal for heavier, thicker, coarser hair. Like when my mane comes off, I'd go with a heavier blade, or trim it down with clippers.
-you know your beard better then i do, but I'd recommend staying away from the 4/8 for starters, esp. for a first razor, since they do have the least amount of steel, and ergo the shortest lifespan do to hone wear, would be a shame to buy one that looks ok, but turns out has nothing left to offer and has been honed to death; but 5/8 however can typically do very well for a daily shaver removing stubble, and i found you can find a lot of them with plenty of life left (+1/8 is actually a lot of steel when talking about basic honing and stropping), a good 5/8 is pretty standard and more then adequate for 90% of users daily needs.
-if you find something nice that's wider, considering the condition is roughly equal, wider is better.

I'm hardly an expert, more of a somewhat knowledgeable novice myself I'd say, but I'm sure now that the mods moved this to the proper forum, someone with more knowledge then I will be able to chime in with even more wisdom.
Click to expand...

You have been so helpful, I really can't thank you enough lol.
 
not that I can think of. Be careful, there are lots of false economies in new razors. that gold dollar might be 5$, but you might have to get a couple to get one that isn't bent. Then you spend time and money on hones, and getting it useable. Plus if there are any defects, the costs of the frustrations of sorting it out. It can be done, I went a similar way when I started out, and I wish I hadn't. it wasn't worth it. if honing is what you want to get into, read up at straightrazorplace and start from there.
 
gadgetgeek said:
not that I can think of. Be careful, there are lots of false economies in new razors. that gold dollar might be 5$, but you might have to get a couple to get one that isn't bent. .....
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... I bought 8 of them for $32 a while ago and other than the usual fat stabilizer, all honed up just fine. I have had more problems honing new $400+ Thiers Issard razors than any of those Gold Dollars. I ordered a custom razor a couple of years ago that had majors problems, only some were fixed when I sent it back and I ended up getting a refund. With expensive razors you pay for fancy scales, decorated spines, gold wash, etc, not a guarantee of perfect blades.
 
There's a lot of good new razors out there, but you do need to spend a little bit more. There are some great razors in the $100 region. Anything cheaper is probably made of inferior materials, most importantly the steel. High quality steel is not cheap to manufacture. I think its worth the investment as these razors can last you a lifetime, even turn it into an heirloom that you pass down from generation to generation. I would definitely stick to a German steel like a Boker or DOVO.

As I assume you are a beginner, you probably going to want to with a 5/8'' blade with no more than a half hallow that has a rounded point. This will help prevent knicks and cuts.

This article on primandprep.com/best-straight-razors actually lists the razors I'm talking about which are high quality, but a good price point (around $100), except for Hart Steel and Thiers-Issard razors. Paying those prices are not necessary.

You can also consider a shavette as well which are relatively cheaper and can arguably give you just as good as shave. They actually list a couple in that article as well. I have a variety of razors including some safety razors, straight razors, and shavettes. They all got their pros and cons.
 
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TylerRead said:
.... High quality steel is not cheap to manufacture....
Click to expand...

...in China it is...

There are razor-shaped-objects available from a number of sources, so you do need to be cautious. Gold Dollars, however, are just fine.
 
It could be that things have changed, Last I heard about them, they were useful, but not good for a first timer. But that was a while ago.

This probably isn't the best forum to get more info, its pretty quiet. One of the other forums would have much more info available. Not that there isn't good advice here, its just there isn't as much of it.
 
gadgetgeek said:
It could be that things have changed, Last I heard about them, they were useful, but not good for a first timer. But that was a while ago.

This probably isn't the best forum to get more info, its pretty quiet. One of the other forums would have much more info available. Not that there isn't good advice here, its just there isn't as much of it.
Click to expand...

I would agree the Gold Dollar is not the best choice for a beginner; however, the OP has stated he is knowledgeable about knives and I am assuming he knows how to sharpen a knife and owns some hones. Anyone who can sharpen a knife can sharpen a straight razor - the only thing that remains is learning how to achieve the final refinement. That last part is very challenging; however, it is no easier with a $500 straight razor.
 
Makes sense to me. I'm sure Benjii can decide which way he wants to go with it. (although should someone warn him how expensive it can get???)
 
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