Thread: Fresh Meat

Hello all. My name's Andrew and I'm brand new to straight razor shaving. I have always enjoyed the shaving experience, and recently thought I'd like to try a straight. Still waiting for my first razor so I can get started, but I am a little unsure of what I need. The razor I'm waiting on is a DOVO ebony handle spike point bought from classic shaving. Although it says 'shave ready' is it really? I have heard mixed things. Some say that 'shave ready' razors are not truely ready, but I have also heard that Lynn does the sharpening for classic shaving, so I'm not sure.
Secondly, I'm not sure which hone to get. I was looking at a Norton 4k/8k, but I'm not sure if this is good enough (untill i develop an obsession that is) or if I should also invest in something finer.

Welcome to SRP. A lot of good info here . The Norton 4/8 is a good choice for sharpening and maintenance. A good coticule is also good. Do a bit of reading on the forum and you'll get pointed in the right direction. I have a few razors honed by Lynn and all are exceptional.

Thanks, but should that razor actually be shave ready out of the box, or should I still be looking at honing it?

Originally Posted by 8BallAce

Thanks, but should that razor actually be shave ready out of the box, or should I still be looking at honing it?

If you ordered a pre honed razor it should be shave ready out of the box. Be aware though that improper stropping can dull a shave ready edge. Correct shaving technique is important as well. If you have previous experience with correct preparation, lathering, and blade angle with a DE that will be helpful.

Properly stretching the skin and manipulating the razor take time to learn. Until you do even a sharp razor can feel like it is not. Hold the razor securely but lightly enough that if it pulls it moves in your fingers rather then nicks. Never force a razor and use short and light strokes. Look in the SRP Wiki up on the tool bar for shaving tutorials and also in the forum index for shaving videos.

Originally Posted by 8BallAce

Still waiting for my first razor so I can get started, but I am a little unsure of what I need. The razor I'm waiting on is a DOVO ebony handle spike point bought from classic shaving. Although it says 'shave ready' is it really? I have heard mixed things. Some say that 'shave ready' razors are not truely ready, but I have also heard that Lynn does the sharpening for classic shaving, so I'm not sure.

Greetings, Andrew, and welcome to SRP. I just received a "Shave Ready" Dovo 5/8 Special with imitation tortoise shell scales from Classic Shaving and it is indeed ready to shave. Classic Shaving sends out their razors to be hand honed to a true "shave ready". My first str8, purchased in a tobacco shop, was shave ready from the factory. It had not been hand honed and is not sharp enough to shave. I'm going to send it out for a proper sharpening.

Do you have a good strop? You'll want to strop the razor before each shave. You need shave soap and a nice badger brush. If you're on a tight budget, a boar bristle brush will do (under $10), but a badger brush is so much nicer. I have used a small pure badger brush since 1975 and just moved up to a medium silver tip badger brush. Silver tip is worth the money, but there is nothing wrong with pure badger for your first brush. The canned, aerosol shave creme is garbage.

There is a lot of great info in the Wiki (above) to get you up to speed. I also recommend Lynn Abram's DVD, "World of Straight Razor Shaving". It's over 3 hrs and covers many topics, including a demonstration shave. Reading about stropping is nice, but seeing it done is so much better.

Take your time and enjoy your shave. Clean the lather from your blade often and re-lather your face if it dries out. Above all, enjoy.

Dave

Thanks for the info. I do have a good strop, a DOVO extra wide leather, and I just picked up a vulfix pure badger brush. I'm not sure which soap to go with, but I ordered a sample package from TGQ because I heard some good things.
How long did you go before you had to hone your razor. I know the general consensus is when the shave no longer feels comfortable, but what is an average time frame? Also, I have heard some mixed things in regards to taping the spine. Some say that it is good to preserve the spine, but some say it isn't as good for the edge, does anyone know for sure?

Originally Posted by 8BallAce

Thanks for the info. I do have a good strop, a DOVO extra wide leather, and I just picked up a vulfix pure badger brush. I'm not sure which soap to go with, but I ordered a sample package from TGQ because I heard some good things.
How long did you go before you had to hone your razor. I know the general consensus is when the shave no longer feels comfortable, but what is an average time frame? Also, I have heard some mixed things in regards to taping the spine. Some say that it is good to preserve the spine, but some say it isn't as good for the edge, does anyone know for sure?

I can't speak to the average time frame as I have so many razors that I rarely use the same one often enough to have a sense of how long before it will need a touch up. I suspect it depends on many variables such as the blade, your beard and technique.

As far as taping the spine, first I would give your vendor a call and ask if the spine was taped to hone the razor you bought. If it was then it would be a good idea to continue to tape it. If I only had a few new razors that didn't need a lot of work to get sharp I probably wouldn't tape the spine. In my case I buy a lot of ebay specials that need significant edge work and I tape the spine.

With the amount of razors I have and that I hone I decided early on that it was too hard to remember which I taped if I was selective about it so I tape them all. I have had no problems with this policy yet.