Thread: beginner need help first straight razor

The first razor I bought was an ebony Dovo. I dropped it in the sink the first day and messed up the blade. Not realizing for quite a while that I had caused the problem, I thought I just didn't like the razor.

I bought a Dovo "best quality" shortly after that. I think it's the cheapest one they make. I never dropped it, and despite having bought several more expensive razors, it is still my favorite.

Be sure to read the wiki section for some great info.

On which razor, there is the brand and the type.
The wiki has a "brands to avoid" list, so check that out. For the type, there are several considerations:

-width of the blade
-grind of the blade
-type of point
-type of steel
-scales

For width, as mentioned before, 5/8 or 6/8 is a good place to start. 8/8 (1 inch) is the largest, but can be hard to maneurver, esp. for under the nose, etc. 4/8 or 3/8 are pretty narrow, and it can be harder to keep the blade angle at the right point when shaving, plus the blades don't hold a lot of cream, so you need to rinse them off frequently. But the smaller blades are good for trimming moustaches.

For grind, razors typically come in full hollow, half hollow, quarter hollow, and wedge. Full hollows are the thinnest, wedges are the thickest. Thinner blades give more feedback and feel lighter. The thicker quarter hollow and wedges are very stiff, and work great for heavy beards. I have 3 razors, one is full hollow, one is half, one is quarter. They all shave great, and they all feel completely different when I shave-- I like the contrast.

For points (toe of the razor), there are round, spike, french and spanish (I'm sure there are others). The spike point can induce a cut pretty easily if you make the mistake of lifting the edge of the razor away from your face, so they are not recommended for beginners ( but many beginners here have spike points and report no problems, and I, with my round point razor, lifted the edge and got a nasty 1/4 inch cut...). But on the other hand, the spike point enables super accurate trimming, so nice if you have a moustache or beard. I use round and french points (a french point has a more defined toe edge than a round point, but not as extreme as a spike). Spanish points look really cool, and also provide a more defined edge at the toe. I have a moustache and a goatee, and my 2 round points work just fine, as does the french point. I think this really boils down to asethetics of the razor more than anything else.

Steel type- either carbon steel or stainless. Most razors are carbon steel. They rust really quickly if there is water left on them, so you need to be sure to keep your razor dry and in a low humidity place (ie, don't store them in the bathroom if you don't have good ventilation there). Some say stainless is harder to hone, others say it really isn't that different. I've come to the conclusion that the steel type does not really matter. It is the quality of the steel that is important, there is poor carbon steel and poor stainless steel, so be sure to pick a good brand either way.

Scales- does not affect the shave, purely asethetic. Many vintage razors have celluoid scales, and occationally the celluiod breaks down and the resulting release of gas can corrode the razor. I have no idea how often this happens, but just something to be aware of.

One other note, many razors have gold wash decoration on them. The gold wash is very thin, and wears out easily. Just note that metal polish will remove the gold wash very quickly, so be careful if you polish the blade (I just polish the gold wash off-- I prefer a clean, shiny blade).

Finally, if you buy a new razor, it generally won't be sharp enough to shave comfortably. Be sure to send it out for honing. If you order on-line, there often is a honing service option. Or you can ship it to one of the honemeisters on this site (see "Classified" section for folks who do honing).

Happy hunting,

-Chief