No0b with lots N' lots of questions

Hi all, I'm another noob with lots of question. Yes, I have done research but until I found this site Ive been wondering thru numerous websites and am glad to have found one with all the info in one place. Ill try to ask my question in a clear and concise fashion:

1. Is there a particular razor that stands out as far as durability and functionality? Im looking at DOVO since I like german made items and they seem to have a wide variety of styles/prices.

2. What is the difference in strops? Again I was looking at DOVO strops and saw they have 35-80$ strops? What is the difference in them? Will a 35 dollar strop work as well as the 80 dollar one?

3. Brushes. Whats up with them. There is a huge price variation between them (anywhere from 2-300+ dollars). I have heard so much good things about badger brushes that Id like to get one. The one I was eyeballing is a 35 dollar Vulfix badger brush. SO what is the difference between the 35 dollar Vulfix and the 400 dollar Rooney shaving brush?

4. When honing- what do you prefer (grit wise?) I have heard various options about this and most conflict with each other. Will the 12000 grit sharpen well or is it mainly for polishing?

5. Is strop paste necessary? Can I just strop before and after each shave with out the paste and use a stone for sharpening as needed?

6. Cream or soap? what do you prefer and why? Ive never used either (besides the aerosol cream) and wonder what is the main difference.

7. what size blade do you prefer and why?

Thats all I can think of for now
Thanks
Robert

I am pretty new, and have no experience at all with using straights. However, this is what I have learned and I think to be pretty accurate, PLEASE CORRECT IF I AM WRONG GUYS!!! I dont mind :) :w

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2. What is the difference in strops? Again I was looking at DOVO strops and saw they have 35-80$ strops? What is the difference in them? Will a 35 dollar strop work as well as the 80 dollar one?

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There is a strop made by Tony Miller that many members seem to stand by. But overall, you need one thats in good condition (i assume lack of nicks, cuts, not stuck in a bent position) made of leather, whichever it seems people prefer horse? See his page here http://shop.thewellshavedgentleman.com/main.sc

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3. Brushes. Whats up with them. There is a huge price variation between them (anywhere from 2-300+ dollars). I have heard so much good things about badger brushes that Id like to get one. The one I was eyeballing is a 35 dollar Vulfix badger brush. SO what is the difference between the 35 dollar Vulfix and the 400 dollar Rooney shaving brush?

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I hear badger is the best, especially silver tipped. What you have to watch out for is if the hairs fall out easily. There is boars hair which I think is more stiffer, and ex foliates more, and is cheaper. But, then you get down to the handles and such. I was looking at A Perfect Shave and their silver tipped badger brushes run from like 80-1200, just cuz of the handles.

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4. When honing- what do you prefer (grit wise?) I have heard various options about this and most conflict with each other. Will the 12000 grit sharpen well or is it mainly for polishing?

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The way I understand it, is the grit depends on what level of sharpness your blade is at, and you want to take it to. If you need to take a nick or somethin out, you need a real rough grit (like 200 diamond or whatever it is) and then work your way up to as fine as you can. Saw a video where a guy stopped at 8000, but people on here seem to take it even higher.

hope this helps!

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Originally Posted by schwartr

Hi all, I'm another noob with lots of question. Yes, I have done research but until I found this site Ive been wondering thru numerous websites and am glad to have found one with all the info in one place. Ill try to ask my question in a clear and concise fashion:

1. Is there a particular razor that stands out as far as durability and functionality? Im looking at DOVO since I like german made items and they seem to have a wide variety of styles/prices.

2. What is the difference in strops? Again I was looking at DOVO strops and saw they have 35-80$ strops? What is the difference in them? Will a 35 dollar strop work as well as the 80 dollar one?

3. Brushes. Whats up with them. There is a huge price variation between them (anywhere from 2-300+ dollars). I have heard so much good things about badger brushes that Id like to get one. The one I was eyeballing is a 35 dollar Vulfix badger brush. SO what is the difference between the 35 dollar Vulfix and the 400 dollar Rooney shaving brush?

4. When honing- what do you prefer (grit wise?) I have heard various options about this and most conflict with each other. Will the 12000 grit sharpen well or is it mainly for polishing?

5. Is strop paste necessary? Can I just strop before and after each shave with out the paste and use a stone for sharpening as needed?

6. Cream or soap? what do you prefer and why? Ive never used either (besides the aerosol cream) and wonder what is the main difference.

7. what size blade do you prefer and why?

Thats all I can think of for now
Thanks
Robert

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Hi Robert and welcome :)

So many questions! Here's my (brief - other's will hopefully flesh them out a bit) take on them:

1. Dovos are good quality razors and will serve you well, both in terms of durability and functionality. Any razor with good quality steel will do the same.

2. Difference in strop prices will boil down to (usually) quality of workmanship and materials used in construction - not all leather is created equal. Having said that, it is often a good idea to get a cheaper, but still good quality, strop when you are learning because most people cut or nick their first (or second!) strop initially.

3. Again, brush prices boil down to quality of workmanship and materials used. As far as I can tell there are three grades of Badger hair - in increasing order: pure, best, and super (or silvertip). Price goes up accordingly. Then there is the size of the brush (length, thickness, density), handle material (plastic, resin, horn,...). All these play a part in the price. Silvertip is the most expensive, but it's nice and soft.

4. You can get away with 4k/8k grit-wise. However, a finer edge can be achieved by using higher grits. Pastes are generally (depends on what you get, of course) of a very high grit, easy to use initially, but lead to a more fragile edge that can require more frequent honing. A 12k stone will give a finer edge than an 8k stone, but your razor may need some lower grit work before hitting the 12k stone.

5. See 4. It's not necessary, but can be handy.

6.. I prefer cream as some soaps dry out my skin. It's a personal preference for a lot of guys.

7. I prefer anything from 5/8 up. I also prefer a fuller grind (like half or quarter hollow), but full hollow is good too. Again, just a personal preference but I shave my head too and find stiffer, larger blades easer to work with there. You want something you can control easily when you start - 5 or 6 eighths would be my recommendation.

Good luck.

James.

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Originally Posted by schwartr

Hi all, I'm another noob with lots of question. Yes, I have done research but until I found this site Ive been wondering thru numerous websites and am glad to have found one with all the info in one place. Ill try to ask my question in a clear and concise fashion:

1. Is there a particular razor that stands out as far as durability and functionality? Im looking at DOVO since I like german made items and they seem to have a wide variety of styles/prices. A matter of opinion here but Dovo is a fine quality razor

2. What is the difference in strops? Again I was looking at DOVO strops and saw they have 35-80$ strops? What is the difference in them? Will a 35 dollar strop work as well as the 80 dollar one? The thickness and quality of the leather, TM strops are a cut above thats why so many recommend them and you can get his with a starter strop that will take the brunt of the learning process I have owned 2 Illinois strops also, one that is still in service since 1982...

3. Brushes. Whats up with them. There is a huge price variation between them (anywhere from 2-300+ dollars). I have heard so much good things about badger brushes that Id like to get one. The one I was eyeballing is a 35 dollar Vulfix badger brush. SO what is the difference between the 35 dollar Vulfix and the 400 dollar Rooney shaving brush? The quality and amount of bristles is the main difference here silver-tips being the softest and most comfortable on the face, but not necessarily the best for soaps..
I personally love the Shavemac but that is just my opinion...

4. When honing- what do you prefer (grit wise?) I have heard various options about this and most conflict with each other. Will the 12000 grit sharpen well or is it mainly for polishing? Bevel setting 1k sharpening 4k, polishing 8k anything more is just fun these are of course approximate grits.. they can vary slightly

5. Is strop paste necessary? Can I just strop before and after each shave with out the paste and use a stone for sharpening as needed? No it's not necessary but it does help...

6. Cream or soap? what do you prefer and why? Ive never used either (besides the aerosol cream) and wonder what is the main difference. All opinion try some and see what you like

7. what size blade do you prefer and why? 6/8 is the most popular size but each razor and each face is different

Thats all I can think of for now
Thanks
Robert

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That is the best I can do :nj

And I see Jimbo types faster hehehe

1. Dovos are great razors and provide excellent shaves. Also, many vintage blades (which can be found shave-ready in the B/S/T) can provide just as close a shave and be less expensive. For learning to shave, most razors besides the eBay Pakistani razors will work well and last you a very long time.

2. The difference comes in the quality of material and workmanships, as well as accessories such as handles and rings for hanging, etc. Most people, and myself, would recommend Tony Miller's strops @ The Well Shaved Gentleman.

3. As others have noted, the difference again comes in the workmanship. If you want a badger brush, the $35 Vulvix OR Crabtree & Evelyn will serve you will. If you don't want to spend a ton of money, there are guys on here who have had their WalMart boar-hair brushes for 5-10 years!

4. If you are going to learn to hone, and do it frequently with many razors, you will want a Norton 4k/8k. If you plan on simply keeping your blade sharp between hones, the 12k finishing stone will work well.

5. Strop paste is not necessary, but can be used when the blade starts to pull. Simply stropping before every shave on the leather will keep your blade in good working condition.

6. Personally, I prefer the soap. Especially Colleen's soap @ The Gentleman's Quarter. Their soap has a good glycerin base and provides a fantastic lather. You can always mix the two for a Super-lather!!

7. Most people recommend 5/8 for new shavers. Again, a lot of this is personal preference. You might want to try out different sizes just to see what you're comfortable with.

OK, thanks all. I'm starting to get a good Idea of what I'm doing. Now if I could only get some money...



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