Thread: A few hesitant questions

You're a far braver man than I, taking that on as your first straight. I had it bad enough learning to shave with the razor I was learning to hone, and my razor wasn't broken. It just got a little surface rust from being left in the bathroom while someone took a steamy shower. I originally planned to put off honing til later, but life had other ideas.

If it were me...I'd be tempted to look at Ebay and find myself an unbroken vintage blade that's missing the scales and scrap the broken blade. I saw a few earlier while I was shopping around, might be worth looking into. A chipped toe I might wrestle with, but I doubt I would ever want to hassle with a chipped heel. YMMV.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

If you are close as you say, then add 2 layers of electrical tape and do about 20 light laps on the 8k strop and shave, this will tell you where you are really at...this will concentrate the finish to the very edge...

Thanks, I did this and it was noticeably improved. I think with the steeper angle and slightly less metal to remove in future honings, I'll stick with the electrical tape. I'll shave with it 2-3 more times, as each time it got a little better (my imagination or my technique?) I shaved the cheek area WTG, XTG, and finally ATG which felt excellent, however, the blade isn't to the point I feel comfortable doing that with a coarser area of growth like the chin. I will do a few more pyramids with tape this time.

That being said, I guess I'll look into whipped dog's sight unseen, it worries me getting something I have no idea the brand. I don't mind a little metal-glo to clean up tarnish, but some of the razors in the picture don't quite seem worth $43, and they can't all be worth even remotely the same. However, if enough of you say you've had good experiences with them, I'll trust you. But I'd feel better spending even double on a dovo best I know is new as well as pro-honed from SRD.

Side note: Also, based on a lot of your replies, the first image of my post showing the bevels meeting in the middle, I didn't stop with them uneven. I got it to the point where neither a sharpie or magnification could show them unevenly meeting.

Again, thanks for your input, I appreciate it. I didn't want to reply immediately until I'd gotten a few more shaves in to get my sample size up. Also, I'm never giving up on this razor, I'll have others, but I will get it shave ready if it's the last thing I do!

First ad in the classifieds is a 5/8 shave ready Boker for $45.

Originally Posted by edhewitt

First ad in the classifieds is a 5/8 shave ready Boker for $45.

Yes, I'd seen that, I'm not wild about the scales, but that's the last thing I care about, if anything it looked a little too good to be true, considering it's a shave ready Böker in nearly perfect cosmetic shape. Anything I should be concerned about with this? Seller has a good reputation.

I'm hooked at the prospect of a good razor that I can get a canon to compare my current with.

Originally Posted by mrmessma

Thanks, I did this and it was noticeably improved. I think with the steeper angle and slightly less metal to remove in future honings, I'll stick with the electrical tape. I'll shave with it 2-3 more times, as each time it got a little better (my imagination or my technique?) I shaved the cheek area WTG, XTG, and finally ATG which felt excellent, however, the blade isn't to the point I feel comfortable doing that with a coarser area of growth like the chin. I will do a few more pyramids with tape this time.

That being said, I guess I'll look into whipped dog's sight unseen, it worries me getting something I have no idea the brand. I don't mind a little metal-glo to clean up tarnish, but some of the razors in the picture don't quite seem worth $43, and they can't all be worth even remotely the same. However, if enough of you say you've had good experiences with them, I'll trust you. But I'd feel better spending even double on a dovo best I know is new as well as pro-honed from SRD.

Side note: Also, based on a lot of your replies, the first image of my post showing the bevels meeting in the middle, I didn't stop with them uneven. I got it to the point where neither a sharpie or magnification could show them unevenly meeting.

Again, thanks for your input, I appreciate it. I didn't want to reply immediately until I'd gotten a few more shaves in to get my sample size up. Also, I'm never giving up on this razor, I'll have others, but I will get it shave ready if it's the last thing I do!

I'm glad you were able to bring it back to life! I do find that the second or third shave after honing a razor tends to get a bit smoother.

As for the topic of whipped dog's sight unseen shave ready razors you have to think about what you're getting. If you look at eBay, the average buy it now razor is 15 to 25 bucks. It will not be shave ready, which means you will have to sharpen it or send it to be honed, another 25 bucks. Might be more, because some of the razors I've seen on there look like the previous owner tried to sharpen them with coarse pocket knife stones and screwed everything up.

I would argue that if you do the math, it's well worth the 45 bucks he's asking for his razors. You may not get the prettiest razor out there. In fact you might think it downright ugly. But I'm willing to bet it'll shave as good as any other razor out there. Not to sway you away from one of SRD's razors, a Dovo Best would also be an excellent purchase, even more so if it some from Lynn.

Originally Posted by mrmessma

Yes, I'd seen that, I'm not wild about the scales, but that's the last thing I care about, if anything it looked a little too good to be true, considering it's a shave ready Böker in nearly perfect cosmetic shape. Anything I should be concerned about with this? Seller has a good reputation.

I'm hooked at the prospect of a good razor that I can get a canon to compare my current with.

I don't know robd but generally members who sell here are pretty reliable, we are a small community so word spreads pretty fast.
I quite like the scales but i guess that's where personal preference comes in.

Originally Posted by mrmessma

Thanks, I did this and it was noticeably improved. I think with the steeper angle and slightly less metal to remove in future honings, I'll stick with the electrical tape. I'll shave with it 2-3 more times, as each time it got a little better (my imagination or my technique?) I shaved the cheek area WTG, XTG, and finally ATG which felt excellent, however, the blade isn't to the point I feel comfortable doing that with a coarser area of growth like the chin. I will do a few more pyramids with tape this time.

That being said, I guess I'll look into whipped dog's sight unseen, it worries me getting something I have no idea the brand. I don't mind a little metal-glo to clean up tarnish, but some of the razors in the picture don't quite seem worth $43, and they can't all be worth even remotely the same. However, if enough of you say you've had good experiences with them, I'll trust you. But I'd feel better spending even double on a dovo best I know is new as well as pro-honed from SRD.

Side note: Also, based on a lot of your replies, the first image of my post showing the bevels meeting in the middle, I didn't stop with them uneven. I got it to the point where neither a sharpie or magnification could show them unevenly meeting.

Again, thanks for your input, I appreciate it. I didn't want to reply immediately until I'd gotten a few more shaves in to get my sample size up. Also, I'm never giving up on this razor, I'll have others, but I will get it shave ready if it's the last thing I do!

First of all 'Good Job" you got it into shavable service on your own by yourself, by reading and applying what you have learned here.
2) Chins are tricky areas to shave. Your way ahead of the curve. Main focus now for most , is on the flats of your face.
3) More warm water after each pass on your face rehdrates and allows you to feel areas that need more attention.
Choke down on the tang and use more of the distal end (tip) on tight areas . ie chin and lips,curves..
Feel YOUR face for direction of hair growth. No two faces are the same. Then apply the principles of WTG........ take your little wins.
If your straight aint tugging on the flats. test it on the curves. Just like driving slow down around the curve.

Thanks for the purchase!

It's a really nice blade and VERY sharp, it seems to have been rarely used before I honed it so it was close to a factory edge and honed very easily with one layer of tape. No geometry issues with this one