Starter questions, more opinions the better :)

First off, I would like to say that I do not have any razors yet, but am extremely interested in getting one in the next month. After much research, I think I am clear on most things, but have one generic and one specific question.

1. I'm sure this will be a quick answer, but what makes a strop a good quality strop? I'm not asking between 2" or 3", but more so what will last me longer in the long run? If I were hypothetically to have a decent strop form (I will figure out the learning), I want to know what makes a strop worth purchasing, compared to what I should keep my $$ away from.

2. Please forgive me, but I surely hope this not to be the best of brands questions. I'm currently trying to figure out which razor I would like to buy, and have not really got anywhere, after many hours of reading and searching. I know I will purchase one of the following:

A) DOVO: I have seen good and bad things, mostly that they seem a little bit overpriced, and that apparently their older stuff was better. Prior to recently I had my heart set on the bergischer Lowe, but then discovered it had problems with the gold fading and the rubber moving. Regardless, they seem like they could be good or bad.

B) Thieres-Issard: they seem to have mostly good reviews, but most of the negative ones appear to be related to the pivot bolt being problematic on some of them. It seems that they have a good quality blade, but a few have had problems.

C) boker: again, I have heard good and bad things. They seem to be really good all around, and have good reviews, but of the of the ones that are bad, they suggest that they are the worst of the three which makes very little sense to me.

Currently I'm really stuck between the three, but DOVO is looking behind the other two. What I'm looking for is a hopefully unbiased opinion on which will last me the longest, and is produced with the nicest quality.
Just to clarify though, I am NOT looking for which one will give the closest shave, because as far as I can tell, it really will just come down to stropping, honing and shaving technique.

I hope all of what I said is clear and makes sense. I really do hope I'm obeying all the rules and I really do look forward to the answers. I look forward to becoming a straight razor shaver, and to become more involved in the community. Thank you so much for your patience and time.

P.S. please just remember that all of the information I have portrayed is solely based on reading other people's experiences, please correct me on anything that is wrong. I'll be happy to learn the truth:)

Hi & welcome to the 'Place'. Looks like you've done some research. Good on you.

Of the razor brands you mention I like the T.I. but as you've seen a good one can be had from any maker as well as a bad one. Maybe look for a seller with really good after sales service. ?

Any reputable strop brand will do the job & longevity may just come down to whether you slice it or not .
At this point an initial strop purchase or any purchase may not be your last.

Simply avoid 'cheap' with leather.

Hey and welcome to the forum. Only a couple of thing to add to the previous post, as you are looking at new check out Revisor's razors Home and if you buy new try and get one that comes shave ready. It is not guaranteed that the factory supplied edge is 100% shave ready. Some are and some aren't so it is a good idea to purchase from a reputable supplier one that is shave ready which means it was professionally honed by the supplier before sending out. Hope you find what you are looking for.

Bob

Welcome to SRP. Any quality strop will last a lifetime for the average straight razor shaver. The choice of material is a matter of personal preference. The personal preference is based on what we call draw. This is the resistance felt of the steel against the leather when stropping. Substances such as horsehide or kangaroo offer little draw, while English bridal leather offers more, and latigo offers much more. The bad news is that you would have to try all of the above to know which you prefer. The good news is that whichever you start with will do the job, and if you stick with it, you'll get used to it.

Some schools of thought recommend a cheaper 'starter strop' to begin with because of the likelihood of cutting/nicking the strop. If you practice flipping the razor between thumb and forefinger until you've become very comfortable with the motion, before you begin to actually strop, it is less likely that you'll nick your strop. If you do nick your strop, most of us have, it is usually fixable. A well made strop is more than a piece of leather. It is treated, tanned for the express purpose and superior to a hunk of leather from Tandy, or an old belt you have in the closet.

Any of the razors brands you mentioned can do the job. Quality control issues come up but in general people tend to post about problems with new razors rather than those that have no issues. So while you may read forum posts complaining about pivots or uneven bevels I would think they are the exception rather than the rule. Buying a razor from a well known and respected vendor such as Straight Razor Designs, Classic Shaving, or Vintage Blades LLC. will insure that if there are quality control issues, from the manufacturer, the razor can be exchanged as long as you don't use it before making your complaint.

For a person starting out my recommendation would be a starter level Dovo since that is the most economical of the aforementioned razors. It is a good serviceable blade, cheaper because it is no frills, and the steel is as good as that in the fancier models. If you go that route and find that straight razor shaving isn't your cup of tea you won't have as much skin in the game as you would have buying a Boker or a TI. :gl:

I bought a pretty expensive strop the first time out, then had to replace it shortly after I got it. Trust me, you will nick a strop to start with! I'm still very new to this, but I'm getting better. I have my fancy one, and I have a natural tanned hide one that I still use very often just because I'm not worried about messing it up too much. +1 to Jimmy. I got a Dovo that was fairly inexpensive to start with and +1 to Bob, I had it professionaly honed before I got it. As in not from the factory. Good luck, this hobby usually turns into an obsession. It is a fun one though!

If you buy a strop from a reasonable shop it will be just fine. Keep in mind your first is a learner. Not likely to be your last. As for which razor I won't say one is better than the other. The only piece of advice I will give you is make sure you but a "shave ready" razor in other words that is honed before you use it the first time and don't strop it before the first shave.

Welcome to SRP. Glad to see that you did some research up front.

1. From past posts that I've read on strops, it seems that different strop materials strop differently, but they are all good strops. When I was a beginner, I got a brand new SR and a basic 2.5" Illinois (cow hide leather) strop with the package. The strop works great, but I made minor nicks and slices on it while learning to strop. I still use the strop today and it works like a champ. I may end up getting a 3" strop in the future.

2. My beginner SR was a DOVO Best Quality 6/8 half-hollow. I had it professionally honed a couple of times over its life before I took over the honing. It is a basic SR, but it shaves great and I've never had any problems with it. I have also had comparable shaves with older SRs that I purchased from flea markets and honed myself.

If you take care of your strop and SR well enough, then they can last you a lifetime.

Lots of good advice here. Listen to Jimmy - great useful post.

In the end, if moneys not an option, just buy what looks good to you.

In new razors, in my opinion, the steel and craftsmanship is all fairly similar. The price difference is in the scales, and any frills (gold wash, etching) on the blade.

I have two new Dovos - a best quality and an Astrale. The best quality is a 6/8 with black scales. Plain, but is my favorite shaver. Great weight, balance, holds a great edge (was purchased from SRD shave ready). Jumps top and bottom. I love it. And for the price, can't be beat. The B Lowe, Flowing, etc are beautiful, and so are most of the TI and Boker blades (I have a Boker King Cutter, no TI in my rotation yet). But I'm betting the quality of build and shave are very close.

Good luck and welcome!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Xyphota

Currently I'm really stuck between the three, but DOVO is looking behind the other two. What I'm looking for is a hopefully unbiased opinion on which will last me the longest, and is produced with the nicest quality.
Just to clarify though, I am NOT looking for which one will give the closest shave, because as far as I can tell, it really will just come down to stropping, honing and shaving technique.

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Any razor will last you the exact same amount of time. With proper maintenance that would be your lifetime.
As far as which is produced with the nicest quality, I haven't seen all that many of the new Bokers, but I can't tell whether TI or Dovo are higher quality - to me they seem to have pretty much the same quality and the same variations in it. But those are samples of about 10 TI and 20-30 Dovos. I currently have only one current production of each company, oakwing and bergischer lowe - shaving-wise I prefer the second by far to the first, looks-wise I prefer the former.
Actually that's not true, I forgot about the MOP Dovo stainless and another Dovo with fancy wood that I still have to hone up (as usual factory edge was no good).

Xyphota,

Let me add my welcome to SRP as well.

You've already received some excellent advice on razors and strops. My only suggestion is to consider making your first purchase a complete razor strop set. Several of the vendors who advertise here offer such a combination. They will not sell you an inferior or over-priced strop or razor. The total cost will probably be a few dollars less than if you buy your essentials a la carte. They will also sell you a razor that is honed so that it is shave ready--another important consideration. You don't need to break the bank for your first razor/strop purchase. I own all of the brand name razors you mentioned and have been satisfied with every one of them. Remember...If you really like this art, then you will be adding more straight razors to your repertoire.

Good luck!

I agree - there seems to be very little difference between the qualities of the factory manufacturers in terms of let's say entry level steel. I have no experience of the new Bokers though, so others will have to inform you there.

I generally advise people for their first razor to not go overboard with price. An entry level Dovo (Best Quality) is a really good choice IMO: it is a plain, good quality razor that will do the job well and let you learn the ropes. A bit like the Toyota Corolla of razors.. :)

There's nothing wrong with TIs either - they just seem a little more expensive to me.

A good quality strop basically boils down to good quality leather (and I guess hardware and finish). But basically if the leather is OK (smooth, decent finish) the strop will be OK.

James.

I am thankful for much of the advice given so far! I should have originally added that i was already set on having it honed and sharpened by a professional but im glad you guys are quick to pick up on things that most probably would not have. I do in the long run think i would like to hone my own blade(s) and believe i can do so adequately with the Norton 4k/8k and potentially a 12k or 16k for polishing If learn they are a good idea. however that is besides the point!

I believe the second person to respond (thank you but i forgot your name :(, i should have quoted) suggested a revisor razor. Does anybody have any information on how they compare to the other three i suggested? looking on their website, it is very clear that they have some beautiful razors! unfortunately though the majority of the website is in german, and its hard to tell some of the details. Can some one tell me how to tell if the blade is carbon steel or stainless steel? I read in another post that the owner is a great guy, so maybe ill email him. does anyone know if they send out the blades pre-honed?

One last question on the strops? Especially on the SRD website, most of the strops come as a double set? and that the second is made of vinyl or something likewise? I watched Lynns video on the stropping and he most certainly had two back to back. im just curious as to what purpose the non-leather one serves and how much of an effect does it have on the shave?

Thank you all so much!

In theory, the linen / canvas / pressed wool serves two purposes. The first is that it heats up the edge of the blade prior to hitting the leather, which in theory should provide a smoother edge. The material in theory can also remove any microscopic bevel issues, which would prevent you from nicking the strop.

Does it do these things? I don't know, and there is debate on this forum and others regarding stropping.

I use both. Its part of my routine. I get comfortable shaves, and I'm not going to argue with the results.

You gotta do what feels right to you, and what makes the shave most comfortable and enjoyable.

The material also provides a medium for pastes, like diamond or CrOx, which is used to touch up an edge when its not quite up to par.

SRD strops are nice, as they sell replacement pieces. That way, if you nick your leather or want to try a new one, you can just buy the leather piece and go.

Revisor sell both CS & SS. Just click on a razor & the description will say stainless if it is stainless . Anything else like normalstahl is CS.

Strops get dirty with steel particles.. A non leather strop is a precursor to leather & saves the leather somewhat.

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Originally Posted by Xyphota

I believe the second person to respond (thank you but i forgot your name :(, i should have quoted) suggested a revisor razor. Does anybody have any information on how they compare to the other three i suggested? looking on their website, it is very clear that they have some beautiful razors! unfortunately though the majority of the website is in german, and its hard to tell some of the details. Can some one tell me how to tell if the blade is carbon steel or stainless steel? I read in another post that the owner is a great guy, so maybe ill email him. does anyone know if they send out the blades pre-honed?

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I'm pretty sure they arrive with quite good edges, not like the big productions. If nothing is mentioned about the steel you should assume it's high carbon steel, stainless is far rarer and will be noted. But stainless steel for razors is also high carbon steel - nothing to do with your stainless forks and will rust very easily, just not as easy as the high-carbon. Of course, for the best information on a razor contact the vendor for details.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Xyphota

One last question on the strops? Especially on the SRD website, most of the strops come as a double set? and that the second is made of vinyl or something likewise? I watched Lynns video on the stropping and he most certainly had two back to back. im just curious as to what purpose the non-leather one serves and how much of an effect does it have on the shave?

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It's essential for keeping the edge sharp long time. With only plain leather stropping you'll have to take the razor to the hone far more often. If there's any debate about it, it's from people who haven't really tested the difference. If you dig through the old threads from years ago you'll find experiments running for months and may be into years dedicated to exactly this issue.

The polymer fabric has a weird feel while stropping, especially at the beginning, like driving over those metal bridges, but with time it becomes more normal and may be one gets more used to it. It functions well though. Not that the fabric component on the illinois strops isn't weird when new, just in a different way.