Thread: First shaver recommendation

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.