Straight razors?

[cevulirn]

Anyone here shave with a straight razor? I'm thinking about picking one up, but boy to they get expensive fast, and my budget is limited.

[Richard Simmons]

I've considered it but never followed through with actually buying a razor. I used shaving soap and a badger brush but when it comes to the actual blade I still use my Mach III.

When I was considering it I checked out stuff at this site.
http://straightrazorplace.com/classifieds/showcat.php/cat/3


Best of luck to you.

[Dr. Gonzo GED]

Anyone here shave with a straight razor? I'm thinking about picking one up, but boy to they get expensive fast, and my budget is limited.
Yup! They work great, are are not any more difficult or dangerous than a regular razor.

Solingen are good. Sometimes you can fine ones in verry good condition at antique stores. That's where I've gotten all of mine. They are usually around $20.

You will be wanting a strop, those are @$50-$60 last time I checked. You really need it to keep the edge honed. In fact, you should strop before, halfway done, and after your shave.

Just rmember, never move that blade lengthwise. The nicks don't hurt terribly bad, but they are usually an inch long, and a deep cut could bleed and bleed and bleed for a while because the edge is so fine.

[Richard Simmons]

Here's what you need. It's a knife and a razor.

http://69.94.107.111/webcat/tachbalirazor.shtml

[old Grump]

Yard sales, flea markets and pawn shops is how I got mine. As you know I stopped shaving and now I have no idea where they are, all I have left is my mug and brush. Come to think of it I haven't seen my brush lately either and the cake of soap is long gone dried up and turned to powder.

[AKTexas]

I was told by a new barber that they are not legal anymore...The last time I had an old school barber use a straight razor,I was a teenager and now they use an electric trimmer.

I think it was BS and I think it is just a dead skill now.

[Dr. Gonzo GED]

I was told by a new barber that they are not legal anymore...The last time I had an old school barber use a straight razor,I was a teenager and now they use an electric trimmer.

I think it was BS and I think it is just a dead skill now.
Matbe it's a state thing.

When I lived in Oregon, not only were they legal, but there was actually a small demand for barbers who could give an expert shave with one.

[AKTexas]

Matbe it's a state thing.

When I lived in Oregon, not only were they legal, but there was actually a small demand for barbers who could give an expert shave with one.

I got told by an old barber that only a barber can carry one...Cough cough bs cough cough.

[Dr. Gonzo GED]

I got told by an old barber that only a barber can carry one...Cough cough bs cough cough.
Yeah, and I got told by an old gun dealer that the AK was nothing but "Rag Head Garbage" and would shoot itself apart and explode long before it ever manages to hit whatever side of the barn you were trying to aim it at, and that shoddy Russian stamped metal would give you commie aids and rape your pets. ;)

[cevulirn]

Yup! They work great, are are not any more difficult or dangerous than a regular razor.

Solingen are good. Sometimes you can fine ones in verry good condition at antique stores. That's where I've gotten all of mine. They are usually around $20.


Got any recomendations on how to tell a good razor from junk? I'm not worried about my sharpening skills, today I shaved with one of my pocket knives, but to get a good edge, I need good steel.

[slamfire51]

I've got a couple straight razors that were made in Soligen Germany with different US businesses stamped on the blade.
One blade is chipped, common to steel so thin.
Pretty cool razors from yesteryear.

[Dr. Gonzo GED]

Got any recomendations on how to tell a good razor from junk? I'm not worried about my sharpening skills, today I shaved with one of my pocket knives, but to get a good edge, I need good steel.
Simple answer? Buy Sollingen. New or used, it doesn't matter. The older ones are a little heavier, which is a good thing but not "mission critical" or anything.

Brands aside:

If buying used, make sure the blade isn't chipped, blunted, or badly corroded. One in really good shape will still have a fiiiiiiine edge to it, even if it hasn't been used in years. You can test them buy shaving a small bit of hair off your arm. If it shaves easily, you have a winner.

A little rust isn't necessarily a deal breaker, it's actually an indication that they used the right kind of steel (440 stainless razors are for shit IMHO) and if you can clean it up without cutting yourself or damaging the blade it's probably worth it.

Also, the heavier the blade, the easier to shave. The Straight Razor basically "scrapes" hair off your face, so the more mass it has, the easier for it to cut through the hairs as it passes over them.

So personally, I've been trying to find one of those old paddle looking ones for a while, but haven't had any luck.

Owned several Sollingen's though, and have never had a complaint!

Side note: The edge of the razor is verry delicate, so never bang your razor on the sink to get the shavings off or dry it. You can crack and chip the blade.

[cevulirn]

Well, I hit up a local antique store and picked up the two razors they had (that were potentially usable.) One was unlabeled with a plain black handle. While the blade wasn't broken, the edge was very rough and the blade showed surface rust. Basically picked that one up to play around with honing. The other is a Geneva Cutlery Co. 'Old Dutch' razor with green patterny scales. Geneva Cutlery Co.'s razor division was purchased by Case and sons in 1935, and the razor's made after that were labeled as 'Genco'. I guess that means my 'new' razor is at least 75 years old! Again, there was some surface rust, and the blade shows a lot of honing wear, as well as some scratches, but the edge was very clean when I got it, and took little work to hone back to where it belongs. I'll post some pictures (When I get around to taking them,) in a new thread.

Oh yeah, picked up both for $30.