Thread: Help with what to buy!

Hey all...new here. I've been looking into straight razors ever since i got my first straight razor shave at a barber several months ago. I was amazed at how close the shave was AND how comfortable it was. I have very sensitive skin, and using my Gilette Fusion 5 blade setup...constantly have red bumps and irritation on my neck after shaving...so much so that i'll often skip shaving to lessen the irritation. I definitely have the time to put into shaving, especially if i can get that close comfortable shave without irritation.

I've read the FAQ's, and the wiki pages about buying for function not style, and not buying a cadillac as my first razor.

I've got a budget of ~ $100-200 total. I don't have a problem buying a more expensive razor if it's going to give me an obvious benefit, but as a beginner i need to make sure it's a hobby i can stick with so I don't want to invest too much just yet.

The problem I'm having is finding the 'beginner' razor that's talked about in the wiki... I've looked at SRD.com and ClassicShaving.com but can't find anything close to my budget, and rather than clicking every section I figured someone here may have a "goto" set for beginners.

If there's another sticky or wiki i've missed please feel free to point me that direction! I just hadn't seen anything saying "if your budget is x, go buy this!"

Thanks all, looking forward to getting that great shave!

hmm oopps...how did i not find those! Much thanks!

Sham is selling a nice looking Red Imp 133 for $100 in the classifieds. He guarantees his razors, and the Imp is a popular brand. I just got a friend started in the world of straights with a Red Imp. It is a very smooth shaver, but ask if the toe is too sharp for a beginner because he can round it off for safety.

Around page 3 of the classifieds is a "Lifetime" that is going for less. It looks ugly but I bet it shaves awesome!

I love the classifieds...

heh...i hate classified sections of forums...they're entirely too dangerous! Thanks for the suggestion i'll shoot Sham a note...certainly seems like it would push me over my budget though...that $159 deal seems like a great one to get me started

Oops, I kinda skimmed over the "total" part of your budget plan. That is an amazing price for the full meal deal. Have fun!

+1 to recs to go with a razor & strop set from SRD. You can save a LOT of $$ that way--I did. I'd just add that going with the 3" strop might be a good thing--you don't have to learn the X-stroke. The learning curve on this whole thing is kinda steep--if you can eliminate a piece of that, do. You can always go with a traditional-width strop later if you really want to.

I'd also suggest going with a round-point for your first razor. Save the spikes for when you've mastered the basics of driving a really sharp piece of steel around your face.

Good luck, and keep us posted on what you decide to do!

mellman,

+1 on the Dovo Best.

Excellent value and and a lovely shaver; I really treasure mine

Best of luck with the shave

Have fun !

Best regards

Russ

Roger...That Dovo looks like a fantastic deal to get me started...the other razor in the classified section is certainly nice, but it would put me well out of my budget, and I think as a beginner it'll be a good place to start...rather than investing in something that is nice...i may not actually be able to appreciate!

Thanks for the help all, will likely be ordering that dovo today!

I just started myself and spent a total of $74.

$40 razor of the classifieds.
$22 for a strop (filly) RupRazor
$12 for a brush & cream

(according to tracking I'll have everything today)

nice catch, congrats!