After hanging around here and swimming through many of the posts, I resisted the urge to just head to the mall and buy the newest, prettiest, fanciest straight razor and the store. Instead I'm looking on E-bay, antique stores, Amazon etc. for a "vintage" razor I can send out to have re-honed by a pro and so on.

So my question for you, aside from the size and hollowing, and obvious damage, what should I look for? What's a sign of quality, a reputable brand(s), how do I research the history of the razor, etc.

This makes sense in my head, hopefully makes sense here as well. Thanks!

Others with more experience will chime in, and try to answer your questions.
From my experience I haven’t come across a vintage straight razor that wouldn’t give a good shave. Sick with any of the popular brands and you’ll be ok. Back then if a company made razors that weren’t any good, they wouldn’t have been in business long, so the chances of finding a bad one is slim. At least that’s the way I look at it.

If you give your location, i guess there will be plenty of people offering well honed razors

Go for 5 or 6/8
Round point
There are so much great vintage razors,... solingen is a good start,...

Is it a faux pas that I also kinda want it to be cool looking? (Go ahead, roll your eyes, I know...I know.) I mean, some of the vintage ones out there have the lettering, manufacturer name, location, etc. on the blade or tang. Yes, the aesthetic appeals to me as well as the functionality.

+1 on this.

If it says Solingen it will be reasonably good quality. There are loads, outside of the really popular ones.

You can also (mostly) trust if it says Sheffied Steel it will hone up nicely.

If theres no noticable hone wear, and no rust, and even some gold wash/logo on the blade, you'll pay more but you'll get something which is basically new.

If you have a decent budget you will have loads to choose from.

But it is a good idea to buy from someone here who has already had it honed/will hone it for you. That means you get one which is truly shave ready - dont begin your straight journey with something you're not sure is even sharp enough.

First one? Something simple like a Dovo 5/8" Prima Silver Steel. Round point, not too expensive. Get one from @Jared he will hone it shave ready for you. My further advice - find Geofatboy on YouTube and watch all his "how to" straight razor videos. Once you have memorised them word for word - watch them again. Only then put razor to skin.

Whipped Dog has some good vintage razors that go out shave ready.
They aren't expensive and an email explaining your lack of experience will help him in choosing a razor for you.

If you really like the blade he sends, you can get it fully restored.

Also getting used to a strop and honing your razor will be next on your list.

Then armed with some experience you can make some good purchases for shiny and pretty razors...and look cool using them instead of something reminiscent out of a Freddy Krueger movie.

looking cool is key. Preferably without the slasher flick effects!

I caution you about buying from eBay. For example, I purchased a nice shiny one that was reconditioned. The blade was only about half the original mass, due to so much steel being removed. It actually shaved okay and looked fine. It was just too light weight for my preference.
Actually @Vlasta has a great suggestion. You can get a brand new Dovo “Best” 5/8 round tip, honed hot well under a $100.
Whipped dog is okay too for vintage, but for a few dollars more you can get a perfect new one. Just something to think about.....

There’s nothing wrong with it looking cool! Just make sure you get it honed professionally before you shave with it. Hacking up your face with a blade that has not been properly honed is anything but cool.

I would suggest deciding first who you are going to use for honing (personally I recommend Glen @gssixgun right here on this forum.) then send them a message and get their thoughts on what is best suited for you. They might have a few blades laying around you may be interested in, but if not, they can look at any pics of straights you find and give advice on whether or not it will clean and hone up well. Good luck.

Whipped Dog (Larry) doesn't have his Sight Unseen straight razors listed right now. Contacting him through his website, you might ask about them. The SU/SR means he will hone it, but it will be less than pretty and may be a brand you've never heard about. It's an inexpensive way to try out straight shaving. Later when you have collected up a few you can try your hand at restoring on that first ugly mutt razor.

Here's a LINK to a single page website with lots of info about manufacturers.

Solid advice.

Gssixgun does outstanding work, he does most of mine when I buy them.

Wade and Butcher


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If you don’t mind spending some money and want something flashy I recommend a Dovo Bismarck. Several of us have them and it’s a great razor for a beginner. Buy from a reputable seller who will hone it properly for you, The Superior Shave is where I bought mine.

Used vintage razors are cheaper but unless you can see it persion you will not know if it has any issues or if it is honed properly.

Getting a good Loki g razor to start is a good idea as it will motivate you stick with during the learning process.

Same here. The blade geometry on this razor makes it a phenomenal shaver.

Me three. I love my Bismarck.

Me four on the Bismarck
If you want a shave ready new razor that shaves very nicely, a Portland Razor Company razor is a great choice.
When looking for used razors, avoid hone wear and rust. It is also important to have it professionally honed and don’t strop it before first use. This will give you a feel for how a professionally honed razor shaves before you ruin the edge with rookie stropping techniques. Read lots about stropping as this is one of the most important techniques to learn so you don’t ruin your edge.
Have fun!