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Buying a real straight razor... a dovo. Your thoughts?

B

bluefoxicy

http://www.royalshave.com/p/405-050/dovo_astrale_razor.html

This is it. Any comments? (Warning: Don't plan on invading my home while I'm shaving, you will be disappointed)

I already have only a norton 4000/8000 stone, very little experience with it (I have 2 pakistani razors and a carbon-steel razor that didn't ever get sharp enough to cut hair), a cheap $20 strop, a cheap $15 brush that works, and ... I have enough to use a Double-edge razor, which I use now (I just got a Merkur Slant).

The entire inventory I'm looking at purchasing in the next couple months is as listed:

http://westcoastshaving.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=28_30_34&products_id=209

http://westcoastshaving.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=24&products_id=74

http://westcoastshaving.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=10&products_id=133

http://westcoastshaving.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=10&products_id=68

http://www.royalshave.com/p/405-050/dovo_astrale_razor.html

http://www.royalshave.com/p/430-004-00/dovo_strop_russian_straighthandle.html

http://www.royalshave.com/p/427-004/dovo_pastes.html

http://premiumknives.com/ShopSite/Sentry_Solutions_TufGlide.html

http://www.amazon.com/Norton-Waterstone-Starter-Kit-flattening/dp/B000XK0FMU/

Thinking about these towels instead though...

http://www.royalshave.com/p/434-001/rs_green_herringbone_towel.html

http://www.royalshave.com/p/434-003/rs_white_steamtowel_html
 
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B

bluefoxicy

Thanks, that's interesting. :)

It IS possible to request that a razor ordered from Dovo/Merkur be honed BY Dovo/Merkur; however, the warranty is void. Dovo will hone a razor to "sharper than factory standards" and call that "out of spec modification" and not warrantable. I would trust them to do so if i wanted it honed.

Anyway I like THAT razor, additional honing or not. I think I can care for carbon steel (rinse, alcohol rinse, Tuf-Glide); I like the harder blade. Obviously the place you showed me carries plenty of Dovo razors, I'd like that same Dovo razor from there just as well; I'll likely hone it myself when the time comes though, in either case (any tips i.e. should I use the 4k or skip straight to 8k would be helpful)

Question is is that a decent enough starter razor to use for my daily shave? Or would a full hollow or stainless steel or whatnot be better for me, and why?
 
hint:

http://straightrazordesigns.com/ind...ath=44&zenid=e160a698a85d98efc47a8ce6cfed47a5

Pre-honed by a true Honemeister and re-honed by a true Honemeister :w00t:


just a thought!!!


No question that if you are going to buy a new Dovo, you want one from Straight Razor Designs, so you can get it honed by Lynn with a re-hone thrown in. That's a no brainer.

While at SRD, you'd do well to pick up a 3" latigo strop, which is comparable in price to the Dovo strop, but better-regarded, I believe.

If I were you, I'd stick with a $15 Omega boar brush, forget the Shavemac, Conk mug, and towel. Apply the $100+ you saved there and apply the money to getting another straight razor - a vintage 6/8 or wider blade with a different grind than the Dovo. That way you will have a chance to field test different razors. Indeed, for $100 you can pick up 2-3 good, shave ready vintage straights on this board or others. Or you could spend the $100 on one really nice vintage. Some great examples can be found here.

Keep what you like, re-sell what doesn't suit your fancy. It's easier I think to re-sell a $50 vintage razor than a $100 Shavemac. More potential buyers.

You can always get a Shavemac later; an Omega boar isn't going to do the job any worse and the feel is quite good. Trying out different straights is what will make the most difference in the shave, IMHO.
 
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You say you have a carbon steel razor and a norton 4/8k hone.

If it is a vintage razor and you can not get a good shave from it, throwing money at new razors won't help you.

You really want to learn how to make it sharp or you may end up destroying a new razor. You won't be the first. Straight razor shaving is to do with skill not money. You can laern the skills with inexpensive equipment and then move forward. The shave should be good from just about any carbon steel blade.

Send it off to one of the honemasters and see how it should feel and then see if you can find what you are doing wrong. Only then buy a new razor.
 
I have a real problem buying from a place that doesn't know that this statement just is not true....

(All razor come factory certified “ready to shave.” ) from that ad*

That tells me that they have never even shaved with one...

And after reading Bassets post I went back through yer list and he is way right, you can get better stuff for way less money, and for sure have a shave ready razor, to aspire too for honing your own as my friend English is saying... This would set you up perfect for a straight shave and show you what a blade should feel like... As Basset said "A no brainer" IMHO too...
 
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I'm gonna mirror the above quite a bit. If you don't know how to hone, don't worry about it until after you have learned to shave and after you know what shave ready means. Your OP makes it obvious and the Norton 8k, while possible, isn't the best hone to finish with. Dovo Razors need to be professionally honed and Lynn is a good place to start. Also he really has the best prices. Looking at what you want to order it seems you are looking for flashy which is fine. Some of it is a waste and you could get better items for cheaper, the mug for one. I have an apothecary mug and they are a bit strange. I also paid less than 5 bucks for it. Better strops are out there, Tony Miller:thumbup1:(I'm partial), Ruprazor, and Lynn's at SRD would all be better strops. Look take it slow, forget about honing, get the razor you want with a good edge and learn to shave with it. Good luck, we wish you success.
 
B

bluefoxicy

You say you have a carbon steel razor and a norton 4/8k hone.

If it is a vintage razor and you can not get a good shave from it, throwing money at new razors won't help you.

I have a carbon steel razor that I don't even think is flat, heh. The other two are stainless steel Pakistan razors that feel more like tin foil.

The carbon steel one's some fancy looking, heavy piece of metal that cost $15 on Ebay. I've tried slashing my wrists with it, it can't even scrape the dead skin off. I gave up when I started to wonder if there was ever a real blade ground onto it.
 
B

bluefoxicy

No question that if you are going to buy a new Dovo, you want one from Straight Razor Designs, so you can get it honed by Lynn with a re-hone thrown in. That's a no brainer.

While at SRD, you'd do well to pick up a 3" latigo strop, which is comparable in price to the Dovo strop, but better-regarded, I believe.

Nods. I guess nobody really thinks these are ready to shave with, a pro-honed one would be nice then. The honing should last for a while.

I want to go back to a bowl, the barber mug I have is nice but I miss whipping a lather in an open bowl. The Apothecary mug looks nicer to me in that regard.

I have a $20 strop that came with two Pakistani razors that I don't like, they're foil and the edges are rough and nasty (like they've been used to hammer at granite). I KNOW I have a non-working razor... maybe the strop is fine though, I've heard of people stroping on a newspaper.
 

It is full hollow ground, but relatively stiff grind as far as full hollow goes. There are only few models of the 'half hollow' grind, I thought Astrale was full hollow, but apparently I was mistaken - the single stabilizer is usually found on less than full hollowed razors.
If you'll be buying from SRD, I thought their sets offer even more savings. You can always give them a call and see if they may have a particular razor you're looking for, or can get it reasonably fast.
 
B

bluefoxicy

It is full hollow ground, but relatively stiff grind as far as full hollow goes. There are only few models of the 'half hollow' grind, I thought Astrale was full hollow, but apparently I was mistaken - the single stabilizer is usually found on less than full hollowed razors.
If you'll be buying from SRD, I thought their sets offer even more savings. You can always give them a call and see if they may have a particular razor you're looking for, or can get it reasonably fast.

Ohh that's nice.

I wonder which is better material... silver steel == carbon steel right? Hmm. that's a good price for full hollow blade though, expensive/dangerous to grind.
 
I want to go back to a bowl, the barber mug I have is nice but I miss whipping a lather in an open bowl. The Apothecary mug looks nicer to me in that regard.

I'll send you a few pics, the apothecary mug is a poor choice for lathering IMO.
 
Also check out Vintage Blades (www.vintagebladesllc.com). I am not connected to them in any way -- just a customer! But they have a LOT more Dovos than Classic Shaving and they also offer free honing by Lynn. I think their prices are better than Classic Shaving too.

And I agree with the comment above -- get some crap used razors to practice honing with. I would not start on a new one.
 
My new mission:

Everytime somebody says that, I am going to ask why??? why would we as experienced people keep telling newbs "Get some crap razors to practice honing on" When anyone who hones razors know for a fact the easiest razors to hone are the ones that are either New/NOS or that are just beginning to dull out...

The single toughest thing for a Newbie honer to learn, is how to set a bevel, so we tell them get a crap razor that not only needs the bevel set, but most likely needs real bevel work done...

The easiest way to learn to hone is this buy your first "shave ready" razor, then when it starts to go dull buy your second "shave ready" razor...
Now you have the perfect learning tools in your hands, a razor that has a bevel set and just needs to be re-touched and a benchmark razor to compare your work too...You also have some shaves and stropping under your belt so you can really tell if your honing is doing anything...

The only argument that I can think of to this scenario is COST and I never said NEW shave ready razors...

This to me is almost like teaching a kid to swim by tossing them in the deep end....

Just something I have been mulling on for awhile and my humble opinion...
 
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B

bluefoxicy

This to me is almost like teaching a kid to swim by tossing them in the deep end....

I sank 12 feet, like a rock.

The second time too. Someone had to come fetch my body off the bottom of the pool.

Third time... I stayed in the center of the pool, 15 feet deep, for about 12 hours. Above the water, of course. It takes very little effort.

I see I'll need 3 razors.
 
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