Questions from a newbie.

I have been SR shaving for 2 weeks now on my wonderfully cheap kit that i bought which included a zeepk razor. Not knowing anything about SR shaving or sites like this to get me started i went the cheap route to see i would like it. But now i am certainly enjoying this new adventure and have a few questions.

1. The zeepk razor has been made clear on here as a razor to avoid at all cost so i am wondering what benefits you get from the Dovo and company? i have honed my razor and it shaves really smooth and does not pull my hair out.

2. I am wanting to shave my entire head with the straight razor. Is this a good idea or should i stick with the cartridges for that.

Welcome to SRP

If your razor works well for you it doesn't matter who honed it or who says it's no good. Whether a Dovo honed by one of the really good guys would be an improvement for you is hard to tell. If you decide to find out please do let us know.

There are few guys here who shave their heads with their straight razors, I don't see a reason for not giving it a try. Look up the videos and the threads on the subject for helpful advice.

Speaking from experience, the difference is night and day. I got a zeepk as a gift, and I shaved ok with it once or twice (really because I didn't know what a good shave was supposed to feel like). I will say that I didn't feel any real hair pulling either, but this lasted about two shaves. Let me put this plainly, I do not have any cash to spare on being so picky that I would discard something just because people on the forum say that it's crap. Suffice it to say that my zeepk has been reduced to dremel and grinding practice.

Here is my suggestion for you... Go to the classifieds and find a 30-40 dollar razor that is listed as shave ready, and give it a go. I believe that if you do this, you will not pick up the zeepk again. But like Gugi said, I don't mean to tell you what you have to do, or to tell you that you are wrong. I would say that it is worth the money to do the side by side comparison. And if they are both awesome, you'll have two great shavers. In my experience, the zeepk wouldn't ever take/hold an edge even through a whole shave, but who knows, strange things happen.

And just to be at full disclosure, IMHO the zeepk strop and hone aren't worth what it cost to make them.

First, welcome. This a place where us new folk can get the help we need. The zeepk razor may sharpen but holding its edge may be something else. I personaly don't have any experience with one but the knowledgable people will be here shortly. Dovo is a high quality razor one many people swear by I was told if I was conciderding a new razor Dovo is one of the top three. As for shaving your head don't know too much there either. I did just lose my gotee so I had more face for my razor. Don't think I'll shave my head anytime soon though. Again, welcome and as for me on this site all advice has been top notch and well worth the time to check it out. Don't forget the WIKI it answers many questions.

Seriously though, just take a look at the classifieds if nothing else. Have your paypal ready just in case because some of those go fast. There are some perfectly nice razors in the $30-$40 range. You won't regret making the small investment.

I think this is a case of, You don't know what your missing. If it works for you, that's great. One of the problems with Zeepk is their inability to hold an edge. +1'n with Enuf2 Once it gets really dull, and you try to hone it, That may be where the trouble lies, but you won't know until then. So for now, your ok. Dovo is an excellent German made razor, Quality Solingen carbon steel.
They shave wonderfully, and take an edge with little effort. They are one of the most reasonalby priced new razors on the market. Straight Razor Designs, Lynn and Don's site probably have the lowest prices on Dovo. Dovo was my first razor, A Bismarck. I highly recommend them. The classifieds here are an excellent source for razors too, and because of that, they sell rather quickly.

Thanks for all of the advice, I will be keeping my eye on the classifieds for a new razor now that I know I will be enjoying the experiance for many years to come it will be worth the investment. thanks again.

I started with a cheap brush, soap and disposable straight blade and got introduced to straight shaving! After about 4 shaves, I started to get the hang of it and invested in better tools - Best Badger Brush, Dovo Special, 3" strop, Col Conk Soap, & 4 sided pasted strop.

What I like about the Dovo Special was that it was much more forgiving when shaving- no cuts with the tip or giving weepers when it was sharp. I did have to learn the finer points of stropping and understanding when my Dovo was sharp enough to get the shave I desired and how to determine that level of sharpness. This blade will last a long time, so it was an investment.

The badger brush holds water better, so lathering take less time and effort than the boar brush. Plus, it softer and a much better quality brush overall.

I do think what I picked up was a good investment as they all are going strong for me and will last many, many years. The big shaving co's are not getting any more money from me!:)

I did pick up two other new Dovo's and created a rotation, so I guess I have the straight shaving bug as I converted from the old mach 3.

Pabster

If you're getting smooth shaves from your system, stick with it! Don't worry about all of the opinions.