Straight razor setup wanted

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1gear

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Got this in the B/S/T section aswell, but I've been directed here by another member, so ill shove it in here aswell.
I'm after a cheap set up, I've not got a huge amount to spend on it.
I shave with a DE already, my technique is fine, just picking blades at the moment(Astras seem the best so far) but I've always been tempted by straight razors.
I havent got alot to spend on one. I looked at the shavette option, but would prefer a proper straight.
So does anyone have a razor and strop(anything else i need?) going cheap-ish?
Any advice aswell will be all taken on board :cool:
Cheers :cool:
 
Only sensible piece of advice I can give is contact Neil Miller. He sorted Fido out and he's sorting me out, and I'm sure he's sorted plenty of others out.

My first straight was from The Invisible Edge. By Dovo of Solingen, it's a nice razor but it cost me nearly £100. Neil has beautifully restored vintage straights on his site for less than half of that. Yes you will need a strop. I bought a Dovo one which is too narrow really. Neil makes his own, I haven't got one... yet. Probably need some yellow strop paste too, but I think that would be everything.

Gentlemen?
 
+1. You may well find a good vintage straight for a tenner, but it's likely that it will require specialist attention. The path of least resistance would be to buy a shave ready razor from Neil, a hone and a strop, then you're all set to learn how to do the maintenance, but crucially, you can shave with it from the outset, and you'll know what a razor in good fettle should be like. I've just honed an old razor, and shaved with it, but I'm not kidding myself: it would be better subbed out to someone who really knows what he's doing.
 
Hi there I would have a look at Neil’s web site and pick a nice straight. He also does strops, to start with that is all that you will require. If you want to get more adventures later on then you will need a razor hone to do touch ups but that should be 6 months or more down the road.

To get an old razor off ebay and clean it up then hone it is one of the most rewarding things that you can do however it is also a very expensive way of trying out a straight. The hones and strop will set you back more than £100 and then there is no saying that you will be any good at honing the razor. I have done nearly a hundred now and I learn something every time I hone a razor.

Exile
 
I've bought three straights from the bay, they've all turned out to be toilet or not worth restoring, I would heed the advice given about acquiring your first straight from NM, just buy one shave ready learn to use it and then decide if you want to explore the other aspects of straight ownership.

As an alternative could you not use a wide belt for stropping? I don't see why not, easily and cheaply available from a second hand shop.
 
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