Straight Razors

I occasionally use a Double Edge Safety. Personally, I'd start him off with one of those. (I really like the Edwin Jagger razors. Amazon has the best prices).
Try the website www.shaving101.com - great source of information.

I use and old DE as well. Some nice razors here:

http://www.royalshave.com/

yes they have straight razors as well
Dan

Gabrieli Pipes ::

I use one. I'd recommend a basic Dovo (all of the blades are manufactured to the same standard in Germany) Also a strop, a brush, and shaving soap. All of this cost me about $150-75 if I can remember correctly. On youtube you can find many great instructional vids on how to use and maintain the blade.

I use them all the time. I have about two dozen or so blades. Several Dovos as well as some restored vintage ones. Basicly you need the razor and a strop. At some point the blade will need to be re-honed to maintain a good cutting edge. You can either invest in the proper stones for that or send it off for honing by a pro. Honing will generally run about $25 or so if you go that route. Doesn't need to be done very often though provided the blade is well taken care of.
Pm me before you go off and buy one. Maybe I can help out.

I use DE and the ones with 4 5 or 6 blades Pipe Smokers form has a tread for shaving.

I use a DE, and since I shave in the shower, a straight is definitely out of the picture.

I've used them, but find them to be a pain in the A**. I do use an old Gillette DE & love it-- just a little more forgiving, and quicker for me. I use feather brand blades from Japan, the best IMO.

Hi Salmonfisher

I have had good luck and professional service from the site linked to below. I think it might be Steven Dempster. Anyway, he can hone reasnably well and the only problem I have ever had was when he sent a strop to me in a floppy envelope, whih meant it was kinked permanently. Please specify a hard, well-padded box for your order if you decide to go for one. A nice vintage razor can be classy and more affordable. I'd stay away from any stainless straight. Carbon is best. DON'T go to The Art of Shaving boutiques- they are only interestd in hard-selling and you will NOT get a well-honed razor from them; it will not be ready to shave with, no matter what they tell you. While their creams etc are very good, they are also very expensive. I think they were recently taken over by Proctor and Gamble, so they are now "the enemy". You simply must have a strop, brush and good dedicated shaving soap. I prefer boar brushes; Semogue or Omega are very good. I've been using a straight for a very long time and I still cannot get the famed shave some people talk about. I use a Merkur 34C and Gillette 7 O'Clock yellow blades every day, with an Omega brush and these work very well. I occasionally use a straight at the weekend, but I have to admit, either my technique or my skin is set-up in such a way as to make it a challenging hobby rather than daily grooming, despite literally hundreds of shaves, the first few of which were bordering on torturous and rather stressful. The first time I set a straight against my throat to shave against the grain was an experience I'll never forget. Unless you are a surgeon, you will probably never have used an edge as sharp and smooth as a straight before. Tell your son to be extremely careful. The slightest mis-step will result in blood and i know one man who accidentally shave a very thin layer off his epidermis by mistake. I have had to go into work with a 3 inch long weal on my cheek on more than a couple of mornings and it is embarassing, although there is still a bit of cache to it. Do not sneeze when operating a straight! :D
http://www.theinvisibleedge.co.uk/page101.html

Be very, very careful when using a straight edge.
I used a DE for the longest time before attempting the straight just to get the feel of controlling a sharp edge.
Dovos is a quality brand name. Avoid the cheapos from the third world.

These are my cup of tea. :drool:
http://www.theinvisibleedge.co.uk/iwasakirazors.html

I can recommend the Dovo Bismark. I think I paid around $125 for it and it provides a fantastic shave every time.

I have used straight razors exclusively for my shaves for years. I even pack them (and a strop) on vacation. You just can't beat the shave it provides, but it also makes shaving a chore to enjoy, and even, I dare say, look forward to. Straights are the most forgiving razors to use. No razor I have ever used would shave over a pimple oro blemish, but a straight does. Once you get the feel for a straight, there is rarely any bloodshed! Of course you will get a few nicks when learning, but you shouldnt lose an ear.

Much like pipe smoking, shaving with a straight requires healthy doses of nostalgia, patience, and skill to get it right. It is not merely a means to an end, but a hobby. I stalk estate razors, as I do estate pipes. Like with estate pipes, I am able to get estate razors of much higher quality than I could afford new. Restoration and proper sharpening of straights has a longer learning curve than restoring pipes, however. Repinning, cleaning, rescaling, etc, can seem quite daunting. Sharpening an estate razor takes me up to three hours, 9 different stones/compounds, and even a microscope to inspect the edge, but thats part of the challenge of the hobby. If you prefer, you can purchase a "shave ready" razor from a reputable dealer, much as you can a "smoke ready" estate pipe...just research the seller.

I prefer the older, high carbon steel found in the estate razors. Most of the razors I shave with are 75-140 years old...its a neat feeling! I prefer Wade & Butcher, Dubl Duck, Henckels, Case, and Boker brand razors. Finally, invest in a quality strop.

Good luck!

I entered the wet shaving world about 8 months ago, would never go back to those 4, 5+ blade rip-offs ever again 8)
I really enjoy the DE shaving experience; Have a Merkur Heavy Duty #34C and an Edwin Jagger De89bl, both acquired from Amazon for less than $40./ea. I had to try many-many DE blades to find the one that worked best for me; ends up the Astra Superior Premium Platinum Double Edge blades are a perfect balance for me, plus you can't beat the price; $8 bucks for 100-count of blades; I get an avg of 4-5 shaves per blade. Also got the Edwin Jagger 1ej947sds Traditional English Best Badger Hair Shaving Brush for around $45 on Amazon, again just a great brush. Pair all this with some Proraso Shaving Soap, Eucalyptus & Menthol and Proraso Aftershave Lotion ( Oatmeal+Green Tea ) and you will have one "Happy Face"

Teach him how to make one. Just grind down a suitably shaped piece of tempered steel. A small knife with a broken off point would be good. Be sure not to heat too much during grinding or it will lose the temper. Then hand sharpen on stones, gradually finer and finer stones. Finish sharpening with a piece of leather. Good education for the lad.

Foggymountain, I feel a kindred spirit there. That would be a great experience. Having a razor that one made, like anything else that one has made for himself, becomes something special.
Metallurgy is pretty fascinating stuff. I feel my resolve slipping away... I have an ancient Wade & Butcher that I'd need someone to sharpen/hone, but I'd give it a try.

so i have always used 5blade type razors, what is the difference in getting a shave with a straight :?:

do the shaves last longer, i can get a month or two out of my of my razors, but i also get replacements for pennies on the dollar because i know a rep for Gillette.

i was really hoping for an answer here guys...darn

The shave with a straight won't last longer, but it will be a more comfortable experience. As I said above in my post, straights are more forgiving, that is they will glide right over imperfections on the skin instead of cutting through them. Straights, to me, are to shaving like pipes are to smoking...they are a slower, more nostalgic, and more thoughtful way to shave.

As far as sharpening goes, I've not sharpened any of my straights since I bought them, save 75 licks on the strop before each shave. All my straights are estates that I spent 2-3 hours sharpening when I bought them.

good luck.