Thread: Gold dollar or alternative?

I myself wasn't satisfied by the quality of those GD. I bought and sharpened (ooops, honed, is it^^) one myself, by curiosity, and the edge wouldn't stand a single shave.

I wouldn't recommend 'em as a first blade, personally.

You're better off finding something vintage in the Classifieds, IMHO. Good luck!

I have to chime in as someone who STARTED into straights on a Gold Dollar - don't do it, bro.

After a couple months of shaving with the GD, I picked up a few vintage Böker blades for an average of $20 each, got some generous help with tidying one up from a local forum mentor, and now the GD is a "practice stropping razor" for my girlfriend who is getting into using a straight - she also confiscated my restored Böker, because it shaves AMAZINGLY.

Skip the GD, heed advice from this forum on an eBay vintage - or get a fully restored vintage in the classifieds - and spend less than $50. There are members everywhere, and I've never heard of one unwilling to help a newbie.

If you insist on going new, then as mentioned above pick up an $81 Dovo BQ from The Superior Shave, or see if Lynn will match the price and cut you a break on honing (I'm not making promises for Lynn, he will say what he says). I will add that, the razor that comes from The Superior Shave will have a factory edge on it, and will need to be tightened up before it's actually usable (I discovered that the Dovo Bismarck I was gifted came from The Superior Shave, and that was my experience also).

Good luck, bro; and, stay the hell away from the Gold Dollar - haha.

Rich

Welcome to the SRP forum!! Your gonna need a strop too. You already know this I'm sure. Please put the money you have set aside towards a better quality razor.
Do I have a Gold Dollar- yes (66)
Was it my first razor- no
Does it shave- yes
Does the GD requires a lot of attention- yes
I must confess that I do like the weight and hand feel of the GD.
Do I use it any more- no

Save your money.

thanks for all the help guys, think i might just go with the Dovo then. i've just read alot of semi-good things about the GD's. I've alloted 50-75$ [approx] for the razor, that doesnt include the things i'm also willing to spend such as brush,strop,soap, etc. it just amazes me that there's no middle ground for a new razor in that approx range, its either 150$ or bust, with the exception of the Dovo Best at ~$80. I realize i should have said hone, but my phone was being retarded with the auto-correct so i just put "sharpened." believe me, i do alot of research into new stuff before i jump in. i've been lurking around multiple forums & google for about 3 weeks now, as well as watching Youtube vids and such.

i've heard someone say that you can get 3" leather belt blanks and make your own strop using 550 cord, anyone know where i could get some decent leather, or a good cheap strop? i've already got my brush picked out, im getting a Edwin Jagger Best Badger, with some Proraso, probably try some cheapy Williams mug just because.

Originally Posted by zero2005

thanks for all the help guys, think i might just go with the Dovo then. i've just read alot of semi-good things about the GD's. I've alloted 50-75$ [approx] for the razor, that doesnt include the things i'm also willing to spend such as brush,strop,soap, etc. it just amazes me that there's no middle ground for a new razor in that approx range, its either 150$ or bust, with the exception of the Dovo Best at ~$80. I realize i should have said hone, but my phone was being retarded with the auto-correct so i just put "sharpened." believe me, i do alot of research into new stuff before i jump in. i've been lurking around multiple forums & google for about 3 weeks now, as well as watching Youtube vids and such.

i've heard someone say that you can get 3" leather belt blanks and make your own strop using 550 cord, anyone know where i could get some decent leather, or a good cheap strop? i've already got my brush picked out, im getting a Edwin Jagger Best Badger, with some Proraso, probably try some cheapy Williams mug just because.

I was just ribbing you...welcome to the forum...we all have a lot of fun here.

It may be a good idea to list your location on your profile as there could be a mentor or razor club nearby to help you out.
Good luck !!

My first razor was a Dovo from Lynn. It is getting honed by him as we speak. I still use it all the time. I can't stress to you the importance of a quality, sharp razor. It has a very steep learning curve and it will only make it more complicated if you have a dull razor that is less than quality. Good luck to you in your journey. This is a great place with lots of info. If I had it to do all over again I would probably go with a vintage.

Originally Posted by zero2005

I've alloted 50-75$ [approx] for the razor, that doesnt include the things i'm also willing to spend such as brush,strop,soap, etc. it just amazes me that there's no middle ground for a new razor in that approx range, its either 150$ or bust, with the exception of the Dovo Best at ~$80.

Yes, unfortunately that's the nature of things. A razor is a very precise instrument - it has the sharpest edge of any common object you would encounter, and producing that isn't trivial. The grinding which is the important part is still done largely by hand and as you've most likely found out from your research, even in the old days the grinders were the most skilled workers in the factory.
It isn't hard in principle, the hard part is doing it well, and that requires skill, experience, and putting the time.
The Gold Dollars and the various other brands the same production is sold under are a good example of what you get when you try to cut the cost. They are of poor quality with a lot of issues.
Some people would say those issues are not a big deal, others would say they are a big deal. The thing is that even after correction of the basic problems and honing, you could make them to shave but they still remain poorly made. Some people go as far as to spend hours to heavily modify them and still the signs of the original poor manufacture are there. It looks OK at a first glance, but on closer inspection you see the crooked grind and the amateurish transitions. At this point those are largely aesthetic things, and if you only care for function you would have a razor that shaves.
Some people would tell you that they shave just as well as any other razor out there, some will tell you they shave poorly. I personally don't care for the way they shave. I don't care for the way many current production razors shave compared to their vintage counterparts either, but to me the gold dollars are inferior shavers compared to the regular brands.

You don't have the budget to try and decide for yourself, so you've got to pick either a gold dollar or the entry level dovo. Ultimately it's your decision and I guess the best you can do is look at the people's background.
I've been around for about 7 years now and have seen pretty much all of those who recommend stuff start from zero. Many of them have a terrible track record of being poseurs, and even if they have more experience now, their character hasn't changed.

Just a quick query regarding vintage razors, I have bought seven now off ebay. Two are beyond repairing (far to much rust on the edge) but all of them appear to be quality bits of kit.

My question is, are there any vintage makes which are junk or, are all of them well made. From what I can tell they just didn't make junk back then (not a disposable society like today) but I would be nice to know if there are any vintage makes to avoid.