Thread: How to decide on the first real straight/strop etc purchase as a newb

So I feel the bug or should I keep it on the related topic and say the itch coming on already LOL and I've only just begun!

While I opted to start with the dovo shavette for a couple of reasons (it's entry price and no blade sharpening) I can't help but wonder what it would be like with a nice solid one piece blade. I should also clarify that I have every intention on continuing to learn on that equipment even though its feather weight feel seems very odd to me.

At any rate while I undertake this journey of learning the craft I would like to continue to educate myself on the various aspects of equipment as well. I've already begun to pickup on some things and realize that I will inherently continue to do so the more I read and research things. Regardless of whatever point in time I have the mindset of thinking I know what I would like to upgrade to, I can't help but wonder how I will really know or feel comfortable with that purchase when the day comes (I know how I am, that day will come :P). This seems to hold even more true when given the seemingly consistent undertone that you will figure out what you like after you've tried whatever it is your trying because not everything works for one the same as the next person be it soap, technique, strop, razor, brush etc...

So that leaves me to want to find someone or someplace that has the equipment that I can touch and feel first hand. The last thing I would want to do is have read alot of consensus on a item(s), buy a lot of gear at hundreds of dollars only to realize I want to try a different setup maybe something as simple as a feeling a wedge vs a 1/2 grind, reading about it only gets me so far. Heck I even hate the thought of buying a 75 dollar razor, paying to have it professionally honed just to experiment and try, I'd rather spend my dollars with a few of its friends on good investment.

I'm sure there have been many before me in the same predicament but surely there has to be a better way. I've checked meetup.com for local groups. My local barber shop has only DE and SE razors no true straights. And I have no local buds with a straight to utilize as a resource. Any suggestions on where or what type of place I could find that has a decent selection to pickup equipment in my hands?

So, I suppose my point is at the end of the day, I'm just looking for some form of local resource here in Atlanta Georgia to seek out info first hand. Hopefully there are some members in my area that see this and wouldn't mind helping a new guy out as well

Hopefully there will be a get together of SRP members in your area. Everyone brings razors and you'd get to put hands on all kinds.

In metro Atlanta there are 2 Art of Shaving store. Visit there and handle, but DON'T Buy there. They may or may not have a selection of different styles, but no matter what they say, they won't have shave ready, nor will they have good prices. Unfortunately, other than a meet-up, seeing a variety of straights is not likely anywhere, except perhaps a large old fashioned barber shop.

@ Haroldg48

Thanks, I will definitely be checking them out.

I am right there with you razorcut, thank you for this post. my gf bought me a dovo shavette, i love it, have a great time gettin bbs shaves out of it, but i am definitely looking to move up at some point to a straight, the thought of stropping a blade, having that weight in my hand, it all appeals to me, but again, like you, i dont know where to start, and i do not have the money to drop on a blade that i dont like, or isnt a good blade, let me know what you come up with, i am very interested to know where others have started

The AOS stores typically have a Dovo 5/8 round point and square point; and Thiers Izzards 5/8 round point and square point. You can pick them up and hold them and compare them.
Apparently putting an AOS stamp on the blade increases its cost by $30. So I'd buy somewhere else. And regardless of what they say, the razors are not shave ready.

Unfortunately for your wallet, after a few months you will probably own multiple razors with multiple grinds. It's called RAD.

If no one from Atlanta pipes up, I'm about 2 hours from there and would be glad to meet you half way.

Unfortunately unless you find people local to you willing to share their equipment you have no options. You can hold a razor in your hand, in a store that sells them (as Harold suggested) but that goes only so far. The reality is that holding a razor is awkward until you build the muscle memory.

There should be a cost to trying out something as personal as a razor. I mean would you want to pay full price for a razor that somebody else has returned? There is always the secondary market so you can recover part of your cost, but there is no way to know what your preferences are until you go through the process of trying out different things.

The best option is always going to be to find somebody local to you and Atlanta sounds like a pretty big area, so chances are there are more people than elsewhere. Look around the forum, make some friends - you already got an offer to meet somebody an hour away.

Check for ads in Craig's list. Guys selling or honing and ask questions. You will find somebody I bet. If you buy something in the classifieds you can pretty much get most of your money back or try trading. Just a thought...I wouldn't go from a shavette to a 9/8 wedge. You could start with a hollow grind and then move to a wedge some where in 5/8 to 6/8 and not go broke trying it. It's not like your going to be like most of us and wind up with 8,794,420 razors :<0)

Well I hit up the Art of Shaving, both locations here in the Atlanta area. First, I went to the Perimeter Mall Location. For anyone else planning on visiting it for the same purpose they did not stock any. That location only had DE and SE holders which was odd to me because it was the larger store and had chair services. Next I hit up the Lenox store and even though it was very small, it did have 4 razors that I was able to hold and talk with a gent about. That was very helpful, I learned alot from him. He took the time to explain some things and actually showed me a few things as well, such as the proper amount of tension to put on the strop with each of us holding an end, that amongst other things was something that I had thought about to this point and would be difficult to get the feel of by simply reading about it. As for the Razors besides the licensing for AOS they had 3 Dovo's and a TI. The 3 Dovo's where basically the same blade 5/8, round tip, full ground, carbon except the scales where different and one had some decorative gold on the steels spine and blade face. The TI was in the same league a 5/8 blade, round tip, full ground and carbon with some wood scales. The dovo's all felt pretty much the same in my hand even when mimicking different shave positions as far as grip and balance with the scales only adding a slightly different feel between them. The one thing that was very interesting was the lowest price model. While the guy I spoke with them informed me he could not tell a difference, he had been instructed by the Dovo rep that that particular model was a single edge and was meant to be used shaving on the one side only and not flipped like the others. It also came in a smaller plastic case similar looking to a tooth brush holder as opposed to the typical nicer Dovo case similar to that of a sun glass case. He went on to say it was still a very good blade and came out of the same factory from Dovo. My takeaway on it was that it was there low end "value engineered" competitive blade, except it didn't make that big a difference on the price tag in my humble opinion. Of the 4 I did like how the TI felt over the Dovo's, primarily because it having a more pronounced set of Jimps. Not having a actual use comparison of these units or much experience otherwise they still seemed a little to small and delicate to me for my extra large frame body type/hands. Perhaps the tradeoff for that feel I was expecting in my hand would be offset by the manuevarbility around the face as well as reaching the nooks and crannies of a smaller blade, I don't know. I guess my next hope would be to find something somewhat opposite like a 6/8 or even 7/8 wedge. At any rate it was a very worthwhile trip, I even got some samples to take home with me and a card for a local honing specialist that they utilize and recommended.

Originally Posted by buckeyecoastie

let me know what you come up with

I did have an idea on the way home for another potential option for a place to get my hands on some blades in person, a pawn shop. I've heard flea markets alot but no mention of pawn shops. I don't know of many flea markets around here, while I'm sure they exist I just don't know but I do know we have lots of pawn shops. Food for thought...

Originally Posted by criswilson10

It's called RAD.

If no one from Atlanta pipes up, I'm about 2 hours from there and would be glad to meet you half way.

What's RAD stand for? And WOW thanks for the generous offer to go an hour out of your way just to help me out. Hopefully, I never need to put you to that trouble not to mention expense with the price of gas these days. I'll keep that option on the back burner if only for no other reason but to meet a fellow SRP member . I think I just need to keep my local exploration efforts up for now since there is no rush and see how that plays out but nonetheless definitely thanks for the offer.

Razor Aquisition Disorder. I suspect you will pretty much have to choose something you like the look of and want to use, that is half the battle. Once you have been around here for a while and people get to know you, you may well find that ypu can borrow equipment from other members, i was lucky enough to get loaned at least half a dozen different types of razor so that i could work out what i liked.