Getting my blade near Boston shave-ready

I'm new to wet shaving; I bought a razor, brush, soap and strop at Leavitt & Peirce in Harvard Square yesterday. This morning I tried using it for the first time, and though there were no mishaps and I felt pretty comfortable, it just didn't seem like the razor was sharp enough or cutting hair effectively.

The razor is a Dovo Astrale. Unfortunately the only one left in the shop was the display one; I did end up getting it (for a discount), but I'm not so sure about the shaving ability of the edge right now. Further cause for concern is my bad stropping technique, which I hope to improve later.

What advice do you have for making sure my razor is shave-ready? (Is there a place where I can get it honed near Boston, for instance?) I don't see the point in practicing on an ineffective blade. On the other hand, I wonder how quickly I can remove that edge with improper technique.

Thanks!

unless you hook up with a senior member in your area which I believe Pete is close to you, sending it out is the most reliable way, cause lots say they can sharpen your razor but they tend to wreck them. knife guys cant seem to get that straight. and power tools for sharpening aint good for razors. we have several guys on the forum who you can mail them to and you will start right, more than likely your Dovo just has a factory edge on it, so we don't know what you have.

and yes stropping is to be learned not just going to pick it up right away. but go slow so you don't mess up the edge, here again Pete can work with you so you can see what needs done. One on one is the best way. also remember your technique is a learning process too, and some take as many as a hundred shaves to really start knowing how to save well, so you could have a shave ready razor and not know it.. ask if you want some referrals on honing by PM and I,ll guide you there, But Pete can help with that too, Tc

I normally reside in Cambridge, so I know the store Leavitt & Peirce quite well. Great place. If I were in town, I'd try to help you out, but I'm in France for the next few months. At one point, several weeks back, I was chatting with one of the clerks at L & P and asked them about their razor honing service. As I recall, they said someone in Revere did it for them: drop off the razor by Friday and it would be ready the next Friday, or something like that. Now, I have no experience with their honing service as I hone my own blades, and cannot vouch for it, but you might try that as a first option, especially as you bought your set-up from them.

I spent four years walking past Leavitt and Peirce, and never once considered setting foot in the place. I had no idea that it sold shaving supplies.
:banghead:

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Originally Posted by Utopian

I spent four years walking past Leavitt and Peirce, and never once considered setting foot in the place. I had no idea that it sold shaving supplies.
:banghead:

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They have two street display windows. One is dedicated to tobacco and smoking products and the other to toiletries. In the midst of the toiletries they will tuck vintage razors, and new soaps, brushes, and aftershaves. It's great 'cause you can go inside and smell the aftershaves.

Did you ever visit Colonial Drug in Harvard Square? It also sold shaving stuff, but sadly, closed few years back, or relocated to Watertown, or somewhere cheaper to pay rent...

When I first started it seemed like the razor wasn't cutting hair effectively. I know mine was shave ready, it was my technique. I was using too much pressure. I get much closer shaves using no pressure at all. It's difficult to do at first but you will get there.

As others have said though I would recommend getting someone to have a look at the edge for you, just to be sure. If there is someone local maybe they can help you with your stropping technique too.

Good luck and enjoy.

Thank you for all this; it's quite helpful! I'd read about Colonial Drug – they moved to Newton a few years back. I considered going out there, but without a car it would be a bit of a trip that was hard to justify given that I was literally passing by L&P on the way to lunch.

L&P had a very small selection of razors (four blades, all from Solingen), but I'd heard Dovo were reliable so I didn't hesitate too much. They had some good-looking brushes, and their soaps and aftershaves all looked nice.

I think I'll start by checking with L&P tomorrow and see what they can do or at least recommend. In the meantime, I've been practicing my stropping and I think I can do it well enough now not to hurt the edge!

Like I said in your introductory thread, if you need help or want to meet up I'd be glad to.
I don't run a honing service, however I do all my own honing and quite a bit for friends, referrals and family.
If you don't have the time to drive out and meet and want to mail me the razor, I'd be glad to hone it for you for no charge.
I'm just a PM away.

Pete <:-}

Howard Schechter (The Perfect Edge | For all your sharpening/honing supplies) is in Shrewsbury, if you want to go for a drive. You can see him work here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z1voZKvGW8

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Originally Posted by ansibil

I'm new to wet shaving;
I bought a razor, brush, soap and strop at Leavitt & Peirce in Harvard Square yesterday.
... honing...

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Remember that a hone master is just fixed rate USPS box away anyplace
in the continental US. If you find one locally you are golden. Looks like you
have a local offer...

The Dovo Astrale is a darn fine razor.

Do not send it to me for honing. I might shave test it for a couple years just to make sure...
Like I said darn fine razor.

Well I have some good news: I went in to Leavitt & Peirce today and they are willing to send it to their honing masters, free of charge! Because their pickups happen early on Friday, I'll have to wait till next week, and then get it back the week after. But I won't have to mail it.

In the meantime, I'll keep working on my technique… Glad to hear that once that improves, I'll get to experience a very nice shave!

Fingers crossed.

Remember, it's a learning process.

:)

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Originally Posted by ansibil

Well I have some good news: I went in to Leavitt & Peirce today and they are willing to send it to their honing masters, free of charge! Because their pickups happen early on Friday, I'll have to wait till next week, and then get it back the week after. But I won't have to mail it.

In the meantime, I'll keep working on my technique… Glad to hear that once that improves, I'll get to experience a very nice shave!

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I think Leavitt and Pierce is a nice old shop, but it is possible that their honing master was the issue in the first place. Since barbers typically use shavettes with disposable blades these days, there aren't many people around (outside of an enthusiast community like this one) who know how to hone a razor.

So if you continue to have issues, don't give up -- connect with one of the mentors who have offered their help.

BTW, it took me about a month when I started before I got shaves that made me happy. But it was a month well spent and well worth it!

I wish I could remember the name of the place where the clerk said that their honing is done!

I think their honing service provider is located in Revere, or maybe Lynn. I've not bought a razor from L & P, or used the honing service, but my impression in walking into the store on several occasions has been that they sell their new razors as received from the factory. Add to this that the razor was apparently a store display model sold at a discount, then there may well be a need to send it out for a honing.

Glad to hear that they were willing to send it out gratis. Hope it works out for you. When it returns, if you can post some pix of the bevel and edge as received before shaving with it, I'd appreciate it as I will be curious to see how it looks.

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Originally Posted by Brontosaurus

I think their honing service provider is located in Revere, or maybe Lynn.

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Well, I hope that honing service is in Lynn. Because if it's in Revere, the razor could come out the way it went in, but... that never happens in Lynn.

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Originally Posted by jmabuse

Well, I hope that honing service is in Lynn. Because if it's in Revere, the razor could come out the way it went in, but... that never happens in Lynn.

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It's a bad sign when you have to explain your own joke but here goes -- there's an old rhyme about Lynn's reputation:

Lynn, Lynn, the city of sin
You never come out, the way you came in
You ask for water, but they give you gin
What looks like gold is really tin
If you're not bad, they won’t let you in
It’s the damnedest city I’ve ever lived in

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Originally Posted by jmabuse

It's a bad sign when you have to explain your own joke but here goes -- there's an old rhyme about Lynn's reputation:

Lynn, Lynn, the city of sin
....

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Note one of the better honemasters we know is named Lynn.
If a razor goes into his shop his reputation is that it will come out nicely finished.

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Originally Posted by niftyshaving

Note one of the better honemasters we know is named Lynn.
If a razor goes into his shop his reputation is that it will come out nicely finished.

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Indeed - that was my first thought!

Didn't Lynn found this site?

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Originally Posted by ansibil

Indeed - that was my first thought!

Didn't Lynn found this site?

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Yikes, no disrespect intended to Lynn Abrams! We are all the beneficiaries of Lynn's work in setting up this site.

I was referring (as the thread was) to Lynn, Massachusetts, a coastal town north of Boston:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynn,_Massachusetts

Lynn is about two miles north of Revere, Massachusetts, also mentioned earlier in the thread. Lynn, Massachusetts was established in 1629 and is named after the town of King's Lynn, which is in Norfolk, England.

I hope this resolves any and all concerns in the matter.

So I got my razor back yesterday. It went to Siraco Sharpening & Bojo Clipper Service in Lynn, Massachusetts. Don't know if any of you all have experience with them, or can tell me how it would compare to a honemaster who only does straights.

Still waiting for the day when I can get a good shave from a straight razor.

Here are some pictures of the blade before use.

Well good luck with the edge that a sharpening service puts on it. I truly hope it's good, nut don't come back after all the good advise bit%#^*g about the edge, these guys and their machines don't get along with a razors edge, but who knows maybe he really does shave with them and knows his way around a razor hone, probably not, but here's to hoping. Tc

The links to your pictures are broken, so we can't see what they did to your razor. I think you made a mistake in taking it to a sharpening shop, most of them ruin razors. I hope they haven't ruined yours.

The pictures are here now.

Unfortunately I didn't check ahead of time where it was going – this is simply the place where Leavitt & Peirce takes all its customers' razors for honing. Apparently they're happy with it, so I'd hope it wouldn't ruin a blade. I'll keep considering what to do next.

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Originally Posted by ansibil

The pictures are here now.

Unfortunately I didn't check ahead of time where it was going – this is simply the place where Leavitt & Peirce takes all its customers' razors for honing. Apparently they're happy with it, so I'd hope it wouldn't ruin a blade. I'll keep considering what to do next.

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I can't tell from the pictures how the edge is but it doesn't look like any serious damage was done. If it doesn't shave the way you like, you still have plenty of options. It can be hard when you start to know what a well honed blade feels like, so it might be good to take up the advice of people here on getting a honemeister on it, so you have a standard for comparison.

If you run the edge through the hair on your arm, not right on the skin like shaving but just enough so the hairs touch the edge, does it cut the hairs? Does it catch and pull, or just pop them off? Or do they just go under it without getting cut?

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Originally Posted by jmabuse

I can't tell from the pictures how the edge is but it doesn't look like any serious damage was done. If it doesn't shave the way you like, you still have plenty of options. It can be hard when you start to know what a well honed blade feels like, so it might be good to take up the advice of people here on getting a honemeister on it, so you have a standard for comparison.

If you run the edge through the hair on your arm, not right on the skin like shaving but just enough so the hairs touch the edge, does it cut the hairs? Does it catch and pull, or just pop them off? Or do they just go under it without getting cut?

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Both before and after, they just go under it without getting cut.

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Originally Posted by ansibil

Both before and after, they just go under it without getting cut.

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My friend, unless you have truly amazing kung-fu master arm hair, capable of dodging flying razors, that razor is not sharp.

Do you have a car? Because if you do, you should go see Howard Schechter. That Dovo is a really nice razor and you should already be enjoying good shaves with it. If you have a friend with a car, get your friend to drive you out.

Howard is a gentleman and if you call him and explain in advance, he will welcome you into his shop and you and your friend will enjoy the visit and receive an education in honing, shaving, geology, etc.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jmabuse

My friend, unless you have truly amazing kung-fu master arm hair, capable of dodging flying razors, that razor is not sharp.

Do you have a car? Because if you do, you should go see Howard Schechter. That Dovo is a really nice razor and you should already be enjoying good shaves with it. If you have a friend with a car, tell your friend to drive you out. Howard is a gentleman and if you call him and explain in advance, he will welcome you and you and your friends will enjoy the visit and receive an education in honing, shaving, geology, etc.

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I would love to. And I have already been kindly offered in-person shaving advice and honing by a member of this site (about an hour from where I live). Unfortunately, I do not have a car. I am thinking of potentially getting one in the next month or two, in which case all this will suddenly get much easier!