Going to start up with my straight once more

I have not managed to get an adequate shave yet with my striaght, so this morning I went into the Art of Shaving for a lesson. The barber there is a tall man with a beard and shaves with nothing but a straight. He gave me a short 15 minute lesson and has taught me that I was going at this exersize backwards. I have an Illinois strop and was trying to sharpen the blade on the strop. Please, please don't laugh I did not know better. Tomorrow I will go buy myself a hone and get to work. I will need to go in for a second lesson once I have the proper tools on me. I want to use a straight becuase the electric never did an adequate job, cartridge razors made my face look like it had been through a meat grinder, double edges do a great job but can't get under the nose and even out the sieburns. The straight seems to be the only thing that can get all three done peoperly.

The best would be to have somebody with experience hone your razor.
Buying a hone is not enough, you need to buy the correct one for the job and then learn how to use it.

The barber has told me what I need to get and I will show me what I need to know when I go back in for my second lesson. My razor is a Dovo Stainless Inox 42 the hone will also be a Dovo as the barber has taught me the hone needs to be german as well as the razor since different countries tend to construct the metal differently. "It would not be a good idea to buy a Japaneese hone to go with a German" razor he warns. I figure its probably the best idea to pair a dovo hone with a dovo razor, the two should be compatible. Fortuantely for me there is a hook on the wall of the shave den, perhaps the previous owner used a straight razor as well. I would like to be able to pass on to my four year old son something truely valuable that can take care of him for the rest of his days and so far this is the best that I have been able to find. I can imagine all of the dollars he will nto be spending on blades since he needs none, although he will need to buy addional soaps and/or creams.

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Originally Posted by jbcohen

the barber has taught me the hone needs to be german as well as the razor since different countries tend to construct the metal differently. "It would not be a good idea to buy a Japaneese hone to go with a German" razor he warns.

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If you did not misunderstand what that barber was telling you, I would suggest that you NEVER speak with that barber again. The nationality of the razor is irrelevant to the nationality of the hone.

I'm going to agree and go one further; Run, don't walk, away from that barber.

You are much better off reading and asking questions here. You will be getting the advice from people who know exactly what they're doing. This barber has already proved, in your few examples, to not know squat.

I think AOS has outdone themselves, in the inexperienced straight razor category, with this one.

Perhaps we can be generous and assume the barber was suggesting a nice Thuringian/Escher would be a good match?

I don't know if Dovo make hones.

If you tell us the condition of your razor and precisely what hone you plan to buy we can advise.

When I bought my first razor I bought a hone from the same shop. It turned out to be useless. Don't make the same mistake and waste your money, listen to the advice you can get here for free.

It's a stainless steel dovo as stated above its in excellent shape, it looks like to me no nicks dings or what ever, it looks to me like its just about brand new apart from the blade doesn't always go back into the handle it sort of wanders a bit. I have chosen a different store to get the hone at from the store I bought the razor itself in and I have not chosen a brand name for the hone as yet.

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Originally Posted by jbcohen

It's a stainless steel dovo as stated above its in excellent shape, it looks like to me no nicks dings or what ever, it looks to me like its just about brand new apart from the blade doesn't always go back into the handle it sort of wanders a bit. I have chosen a different store to get the hone at from the store I bought the razor itself in and I have not chosen a brand name for the hone as yet.

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The "wandering" of the blade suggests that the pivot pin needs to be tightened. This is done by LIGHTLY tapping the pin with a light-weight ball peen hammer--alternating about 10 taps per side.

You might benefit from checking with this forum before buying that hone. If you could post a description of it, it's likely that we could help you get something effective.

that this guy is pulling our monkeytails?

No pcb I am not pulling your legg I am new to this all and have no idea what a good hone looks like I am not pulling anyones tail or legg or any part of their body for that mater.

Attached is a Col Conk that I was thinking of. I have had good luck with conks in the past:

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Originally Posted by gugi

The best would be to have somebody with experience hone your razor.
Buying a hone is not enough, you need to buy the correct one for the job and then learn how to use it.

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Affirm!! :gl:

Have done some research on-line via sources in the newbie section stickie. It has given me a link to a web site with a section on the hones which has taught me a thing or to about hones and what to look for a what to stay away from. Now I understand what forum members are talking about when they talk about a 9K hone.

O.K. So you went to AOS and "a man with a beard who uses nothing but straights to shave with" spends 15 minutes teaching you (who have almost 250 posts on this site attributed to you -- many more than I have) how to shave, and telling you that you need a hone made in the same country that your blade was produced, and you believe him. The fact that you might need a hone at all to sharpen a blade is a revelation.

Your Dovo is perfect, except for the fact that the hinge pin is loose. You mention this in passing, as if it is inconsequential (the hook is set... wait for it... wait for it...) and, sure enough, someone points out that this might be a problem.

Please don't get me wrong. I'm loving this post.

I see in your profile that you're a fan of sci-fi and fantasy literature. Any books you could recommend to me?

All advice I have gotten here as been taken under serious consideration. I am looking at a hone from True Value hardware with a 8K grit or possibly 9K grit. Lowes offered a Diamond Edge which the web site in a newbie corner sticky warned against. So that's out. Please advise.