Straight Razor Recommendation? Sharpenable blade

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wacki

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Sep 12, 2009
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Looking for a good bang for the buck straight razor. I don't want to have to buy disposable blades. I want something that will last decades and I just sharpen it. If you can sharpen disposable blades then fine. Looking for something quality but economical as well as a high end. In knife speak this would be VG10 or Aus-8 for economical. I'm open to looking at a high end one that's a m390 or something if I like the economical version. I want to do a test run first.
 
wacki said:
Looking for a good bang for the buck straight razor. I don't want to have to buy disposable blades. I want something that will last decades and I just sharpen it. If you can sharpen disposable blades then fine. Looking for something quality but economical as well as a high end. In knife speak this would be VG10 or Aus-8 for economical. I'm open to looking at a high end one that's a m390 or something if I like the economical version. I want to do a test run first.
Click to expand...
You might have better input here.
https://www.bladeforums.com/forums/razors-scissors-personal-grooming.785/
 
I use to shave with one. Now too old and shakey. It was carbon steel.
Might try KnifeCenter. They have a selection of straight razors.
I'd be looking at Thiers or DOVO. Most are still carbon, some stainless;
no "super steels" that I know of. Don't forget all the other stuff
you will need: good strop, soap, brush, shaving cup for soap, and a very
good hone and case to keep razor in for safety.

Edit: I would suggest a wide blade with full hollow ground blade.
Easier to get good edge when honing. Maybe get a good professional
barber to train you.

Rich
 
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Https://straightrazorplace.com is a better place for this probably.

That being said, I bought my first straight razor from Ken Rup and Rup Razor, at the time he was tuning inexpensive Chinese razors and selling them with a strop for not a ton of money, I don’t think he’s doing that anymore though. DOVO still makes straight razors and does a good job of it if you’re looking for new; but they can be a little spendy.

Something like a 5/8 full hollow, a Norton 4K/8k stone, and a leather strop would set you up for maintenance. Add a shaving cup, some decent soap/cream and a badge or boar brush to complete the kit. Generally stills are simply listed as carbon or stainless with no real specifics.

Kabar also has a razor available right now, I’ve not shaved with it so have no idea how it feels.
 
I recommend a vintage razor in good shape, various places have them shave ready. This will give you a baseline.
Spyderco has a straight razor in the works I’m looking forward to.
 
I’ve been shaving with a straight razor for more than a decade. Restoring/collecting/sharpening straight razors was my first blade hobby.

I would go with a vintage razor with no surface rust. Patina/pitting is no big deal. Also, sharpening/stropping a razor is different than a knife. You hold the blade flat on the stone. I still can’t strop a knife very well because my muscle memory is set for a razor and I don’t want to mess up something I do every day.

When you find one you like...I will gladly sharpen it for you for just shipping. I have some awesome finishing stones for any straight razor steel (20-27k grit).
 
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