Shaky start....

[slim6596]

I had my very first straight razor shave Friday afternoon, courtesy of Steve56 who PIF'd me a nice Gold Dollar that I saw him complaining....I mean commenting on in another thread.

I pulled about every possible n00b mistake I could in 45 minutes: lather not wet enough, letting my edge angle drift open, rushing through the second half of it, etc.

After the bleeding finally stopped this morning, I figured I would give it another shot. This time I only tried doing both cheeks and each side of my neck, finishing with my Merkur DE. Better. No blood. Visually a smooth shave, a little sandpapery to the touch on my neck. I'll get the hang of it.

Thanks again Steve56 for the SR and Slash McCoy for the impending strop.

 

[L.A. Jones]

Every journey begins with the first of a thousand cuts.... no, that's death by a thousand cuts and every journey starts with the first step. Never mind...

 

[Psusocr]

Practice makes perfect, once you have the muscle memory for your angle you’ll be set for life !

 

[slim6596]

Three words jump to mind regarding that first shave.....

"Lacerations" and
"Blood loss"

 

[Steve56]

You’re welcome sir!

What @Psusocr said. Let me know if you need a touch up on the edge. I think Scott said he'd do ya a coticule edge, so you should definitely try that when you’recready.

 

[slim6596]

Coticule?

........back to the shave wiki for me

 

[slim6596]

......got it.

 

[Steve56]

Lol, a Belgian hone known for making smooth shaving razor edges.

 

[slim6596]

Forgot to say,

Another difference between the first and second shave, instead of using my dominant hand (left) for the whole shave, I let my stupid hand do the right side. I used to use both hands to give myself a high and tight flattop, so why not use both to straight shave?

 

[Scarry Knight]

2-1/2 days of bleeding? You need to have your vit. K levels checked. Eat more Kale.

It really does get better quite quickly, being such an easy task to learn. Switching hands when stropping is a good aid toward getting the hang of off-handed shaving.

It may help you to first feel around your head to locate those cuts, then work to clear a margin around them, then do the rest of your head. This will help you avoid nicking the same spots again.

you’re doing fine

 

[slim6596]

2-1/2 days of bleeding? You need to have your vit. K levels checked. Eat more Kale.

It really does get better quite quickly, being such an easy task to learn. Switching hands when stropping is a good aid toward getting the hang of off-handed shaving.

It may help you to first feel around your head to locate those cuts, then work to clear a margin around them, then do the rest of your head. This will help you avoid nicking the same spots again.

you’re doing fine

Not really 2.5 days. My weak attempt at humor.

 

[Scarry Knight]

Not really 2.5 days. My weak attempt at humor.

I gotcha....thus the smilie. I enjoyed the humor. But, I’m not so good at it myself.

 

[slim6596]

I'm thinking that if you use your nom dominant hand, you don't have the whole muscle memory thing to contend with. My left hand has 40 years of shaving experience.

When I put the straight razor in my right hand, I distinctly heard it say, "Whoa, boss. You sure about this?"

 

[Steve56]

Shave with it the way that feels natural to you, if that’s the left hand, go for it!

 

[slim6596]

I will. I'm thinking I'll end up using both hands, left for left side, etc. That's what ended up feeling natural cutting my hair, sooo...

 

[slim6596]

Question:
Would a Good Dollar shave the same as a Dovo if honed by the same person?

 

[Slash McCoy]

Question:
Would a Good Dollar shave the same as a Dovo if honed by the same person?

You mean Gold Dollar? Vs entry level Dovo? A stock Gold Dollar 66, no, maybe almost but not quite, if the Dovo is properly honed. The standard GD bevel angle is about 19 degrees. A modified Gold Dollar, sure, possibly better than a Dovo. Either way, the difference is no dealbreaker. Except that you can get a GD66 shipped free for $3.71 and I don't think even the not so hot Dovo entry level razors can be had these days for less than about $90.

I don't think you can beat any of Dovo's full hollow premiums with a GD no matter how skillfully modded. The Prima Klang is utterly fantastic. If you can match it with a modded GD then the modder is already skimming the very limits of possibility. There comes a point where it just can't really get any better.

A well honed GD. A well honed Dovo. What's the difference, besides the bevel angle? The Solingen steel may or may not be "better". The entry level Dovos are often very badly ground, with the edge out of alignment with the spine. A good honer who understands the razor can fix it. A newbie doesn't stand a chance with a Dovo entry level blade and its factory "edge". That twisty Dovo will eat his lunch, trip him on the playground, and send him home crying to Mommy. Entry level Dovos should only be bought by newbies from reputable sellers that are also experienced and skilled honers, who ship them shave ready. Once the bevel is properly set, no problem. That first bevel is the big hassle and it takes a honer who knows the razor and knows what he is doing to beat it into submission. Premium Dovo razors are generally on point and straightforward to hone.

BTW if you are really cut up, you should wait and heal up a few days before shaving again. Maybe just loosely buzz your face with an electric.

 

[slim6596]

Yes, I meant Gold, not Good.

I really should be fully caffeinated before posting.

 

[slim6596]

BTW if you are really cut up, you should wait and heal up a few days before shaving again. Maybe just loosely buzz your face with an electric.

Too late. I'm 4 shaves in and liking it, determined to learn this.
I will say I'm getting better results with the GF Trumpets Sandalwood than the ToBS Coconut (both creme).

So, there's no reason to move to another straight from this GD?

 

[Slash McCoy]

Too late. I'm 4 shaves in and liking it, determined to learn this.
I will say I'm getting better results with the GF Trumpets Sandalwood than the ToBS Coconut (both creme).

So, there's no reason to move to another straight from this GD?

If you want to, that's plenty of reason. You really should have two razors, and you may as well make the second one different from the first. Why not try a vintage? If you want a new Dovo, I highly recommend going for a Bismarck. My favorite production razor. Very ergonomic. Jarrod at www.thesuperiorshave.com is a good source, hones what he sells. Prices aren't bad. You will def like the Bismarck or any other solingen razors of the exact same pattern. Check out Revisor, too.