Thread: trading up from a gilette fusion

Hey my name is dennisbeckwith2. I have used a conventional advertised razor since I was 16 and liked it. But I am kinda old fashioned and want to dive into the world of a straight razor shave. I had bought a kreigar razor, paddle strop and vander hagen shave soap kit.
After joining this site ( 1 day later) i have since returned the razor and strop.
I have my eyes on a dovo razor with black handle and blue blade with a red edge. Should i get it or no?

A few other questions.1 can shave soap lather be saved? Where is the best place to see video demonstrations of how to strop and everything else? What other item's should I get besides the razor, strop, soap kit? And what cheapish spray should I get for my new strop?

Thank you

I also have pics of the items I am looking at and mostly shop on amazon if that is helpful at all

The best suggestion you will find here is get a sight unseen razor and strop kit from whipeddog.com it will be a shave ready razor, affordable prices. And great to learn on. The stop is of good quality and cheap you will slice it. So best to learn on it. Also his brushes are great way to get a badger at a low price.. Learn to shave with it to see if you like it. If not you havent lost much. And will be an easy sale. One last thing read all the how tos and videos .. They help a lot!!!

Thank you! I wonder if he has strops that don't have paddle handles?

Welcome to the forum.
Another interesting place to look for a razor is our classifieds section were members sell razors.

Dovo makes a good razor, a real razor unlike the Kreigar. You should be fine with that one or similar. As for lather, no it can't be saved.

If you're looking for shaving and stropping videos, just use the Search tool in the upper right corner of the page. AFDavis11 has a good one. As for the rest, I think you left out after-shaves and astringents. You can find them on Amazon, etc.

As for spraying your strop. Don't! Regularly warming up the strop by rubbing it with the palm of your hand is all that's needed to keep the strop in good working condition. That was a tip I picked up from Gssixgun.

Cheers!

Dovo does make good razors, just be sure it is honed to shave ready. I guess you could "save" the lather by just not rinsing out whatever you mix it up in but I personally don't see the point. I agree not putting anything on your stop besides rubbing it with the palm of your hand. Maybe add a good aftershave to the collection.

Originally Posted by sinnfein

Dovo does make good razors, just be sure it is honed to shave ready. I guess you could "save" the lather by just not rinsing out whatever you mix it up in but I personally don't see the point. I agree not putting anything on your stop besides rubbing it with the palm of your hand. Maybe add a good aftershave to the collection.

Im still using Gillette aftershave gel for sensitive skin with my Gillette razor still I was thinking of still using that

I'm also looking at a nice wood handled straight razor from cutthroats razor company. I want a nice med sized blade that's shave ready with a wood handle and a strop that has a metal handle. I wonder if there is a list of actual stores in Michigan that sell straight razors?

What would be the next step up from dovo as far as quality? And what's an average as far as how long blades last?
I thought you were supposed to spray your strop every once in a blue moon?