@Spyder ’s estimate is basically what it cost me too. I found a decent straight razor in an antique store that cost me $10, I sent it off to
@gssixgun for honing and that was another $15+ shipping and then I bought a cheap strop for $17.
Now, short of someone giving you the equipment, you would be hard pressed to get into SR shaving for less and it could cost you more. Others will chime in as there are some vendors out there that will set you up with a razor and strop so you don’t have to hunt around. So you have some options on acquiring your equipment.
Some things you need to know.... Straight razors do require maintenance, such as periodic honing. You could send the razor out for honing every dozen or so shaves, or you could buy a couple of hones and do it yourself. I won’t get into the cost of hones here.
The learning curve is steep. You are bound to cut yourself at least twice. You might have nicked yourself with a DR, but the SR will cut if your technique is poor. You might even consider giving up on it early on. Your first dozen shaves will be lousy too until you develop the technique.
Put all of this aside, it is very cool to shave the way our grandfathers and great grandfathers did. Once you’ve mastered the shave and developed the skill, it is a rewarding experience. The shave is not like using a DE as you decide the level of aggressiveness of the blade. The post shave feel is different than using safety razors and many will say it’s more comfortable.
I started with SRs almost 3 years ago due to reading this thread and have never regretted it. There’s a time and cost commitment, but many of us have decided it’s worth it.
Knowing this will help you decide whether or not to jump in to straight razor shaves.
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