Thread: Looking to buy my first Straight Razor!

What Marshal says above IS your best bet!

I think we've all been there with Gold Dollars. Regrind this, reshape that, reset the bevel because whoever did it at the factory was WAY off, then maybe you can get it to shave right. And of course we watch new guys get suckered in by the 'Pro honed and shave ready!' adverts on them all the time.

Buying a Gold Dollar - $20

Finding out 'shave ready' is a lie - free, but the process sucks because the shave is awful and the razor tugs like an old rusty Gillette.

Having it pro-honed: $8 shipping one way. $25 for honing services (if the honemeister is feeling generous and doesn't charge for the work necessary to bring it to %100 shave ready). Return shipping - another $8.

And then when they get it, it'll last 2 weeks before their stropping technique dulls the edge and they have to send it out again.

So at the end of that process they're out $102 approx. Meanwhile if they bought a Dovo from Straight Razor Design it's $103 for a 5/8 half hollow, free shipping on anything over $75, comes hand honed to shaving sharp and with a free certificate for their first re-honing.

If it's gonna cost the same at the end of the day, give me the Dovo. Like everything else it's the hidden fees that get you.

All im going to say is you have heard it many times now. Dont buy the junk razor, i mean gold dollar. Buy from one of use on the forum. Take your time. It takes a couple months of shaving every day before it starts to come together. Dont worry about learning to hone for a while after that. Learn the shave, learn how the lather works best with water and learn to strop. Then buy something really nice that wipes out your wallet, all the hones in the world and start honing away the CHEEPER/first razor.
Good luck.