Thread: First shaver recommendation

I also agree with the gentlemen posting above.

A vintage blade in good condition eclipses any recent production, entry-level Dovo in terms of price and quality. The worse razor I've honed to date was for a beginner this past spring who bought a brand-new Dovo "Best Quality." Laughable model name to be honest!

A little advice for on down the road; if you are only going to shave with a straight razor don't get caught up in the 'got to have several hones' syndrome, hones can get expensive, a simple barber hone is all you will need for touch ups. On the other hand if you decide to start collecting/restoring then you can think about getting several hones, you'll need them.

Take your time, concentrate and avoid distractions. Straight razor shaving has a very large learning curve and once you get the hang of it can be very pleasurable. Enjoy the journey and have fun....Happy Shaving!

A lot of people recommend a moderately priced "starter" razor like the Dovo Best Quality or Boker Classic. However, these are 5/8" blade width. I think you are better off starting with a 6/8" width razor since it is easier determining the proper shave angle with a slightly larger blade. I have a couple of vintage 5/8" razors in my rotation, but far prefer using 6/8" and 7/8" razors. Many experienced shavers would agree.

There are some 6/8 razors like the Dovo Bismark and Boker Elite that have thumb notches. Some people love them; but for me, thumb notches make it harder to hold when shaving, stropping and honing.

Most people believe the best point style for the beginner is the round point. That is good advice when you start, but once you develop some skills, you might prefer other point types.

Many people on the forum recommend Ralf Aust razors for beginners. I concur with that recommendation. I have both a 6/8" and 7/8" RA razors. They are well made, competitively priced and give good shaves.

Dovo claims their razor are "shave ready" from the factory. I purchased a Dovo Bismark, but it was not even close to being able to shave my tough beard. If your beard is not so tough, it might be OK. Once properly honed, the razor gives a good shave, but I do not like it well enough to purchase another Dovo.

I also find the 6/8 to be a better starter size razor since that width sits pretty squarely in the middle of the typical size range. Given a minority of shavers hold a preference for smaller razors, starting out with a medium-sized one makes the most sense to me.

Originally Posted by RayClem

A lot of people recommend a moderately priced "starter" razor like the Dovo Best Quality or Boker Classic. However, these are 5/8" blade width. I think you are better off starting with a 6/8" width razor since it is easier determining the proper shave angle with a slightly larger blade. I have a couple of vintage 5/8" razors in my rotation, but far prefer using 6/8" and 7/8" razors. Many experienced shavers would agree.

There are some 6/8 razors like the Dovo Bismark and Boker Elite that have thumb notches. Some people love them; but for me, thumb notches make it harder to hold when shaving, stropping and honing.

Most people believe the best point style for the beginner is the round point. That is good advice when you start, but once you develop some skills, you might prefer other point types.

Many people on the forum recommend Ralf Aust razors for beginners. I concur with that recommendation. I have both a 6/8" and 7/8" RA razors. They are well made, competitively priced and give good shaves.

Dovo claims their razor are "shave ready" from the factory. I purchased a Dovo Bismark, but it was not even close to being able to shave my tough beard. If your beard is not so tough, it might be OK. Once properly honed, the razor gives a good shave, but I do not like it well enough to purchase another Dovo.

Just a correction, my Dovo Best. Bought when you started was a 6/8. Still have it too, but that’s another story, but to do it all over I would have bought a cheap used vintage in the classifieds shave ready. Good way to start without spending much. Tc

I was where you are a few years ago, except I had a 5/8 plain round point razor I had bought years before and tried, failed and put away 20 years before. Here is my advice based on my experience.

Don't buy yet. Spend some time on this forum and read a lot about it. Spend some time in the library reading about lathering, stropping and shaving and different types of brushes, soaps, strops and razors. When on the forum make note of the number of posts some of the members have. Some have well into the thousands. Give their opinions a LOT of weight. They know what they're doing, and along the way they've made some mistakes that they can keep you from making.

When you do decide to buy, buy good quality, not flashy or trendy and just buy one of everything at first. Watch the B/S/T and you'll find some good deals, that are priced well. Don't buy anything off eBay.

As you come to like the experience, you can add to your equipment, and the best advice given so far is forget the hones for a while...a year or more! It is much cheaper (and better) to have a pro hone for you during that learning time. Knowing you have a good edge on your razor eliminates a lot of the variables from your shaves.

Above all, enjoy yourself, both the reading and the doing when you get to it, and ask questions. This is a good group willing to help. If in doubt, PM me or someone else (particularly mentors). You'll get straight (pun intended) answers!

Me, I'd grab that SansSouci that's on the B/S/T right now. Other than that a ubiquitous round-tip 5/8 full-hollow for starters, but yeah, not the Dovo "Best Quality." Main thing is that it arrives to you genuinely shave-ready in starting out. Don't strop it the first time, shave with it first, then strop afterwards, as you risk to role the edge in starting out with a strop the first time.

Any specific vintage blade recommendations? Brands and how to pick the right quality?