Same story. I ordered the Dovo Ebony Astrale which was presented (honestly) as "factory sharpened" which didn't mean "hand honed." It shaved, in the sense that it removed whiskers. But while my beginning technique was horrible (yes!), I realized it had to be sharpened. So I tried stropping the daylights out of it and probably, stropping wrongly, messed it up.

So then I learned even a new razor needs honing, so I bought Norton 220/1K and 4K/8K stones and proceeded to nearly ruin this razor! Meanwhile I'd ordered a razor that had been hand-honed, either from ClassicShaving or SRD, and wow what a difference! Eventually I sent the original razor to a honemeister who got it right for me.

I decided to focus on stropping correctly and have worked on that. Then I picked up a couple of double-grit barber hones and use them to touch up the razors when they need it, but I use them too much I think. Too much fun!

And now I am starting systematically to learn to hone. I have a fistful of razors that have been honed by qualified guys, all of whom I think are on SRP! I have a couple of others that are my "project" razors. They are good razors, but in varying states of dullness. I'm working with them and trying to learn how to do this well.

So…I suggest if you can afford it, you buy a hand-honed razor and send your current one off for honing as well. Really study correct stropping technique and work on your shaving touch and angle.

And this advice comes to you from someone with fewer than 200 straight shaves under his belt, so it's worth exactly what you paid for it!

Quote Originally Posted by dfopp View Post
Just started shaving with a straight razor. When I purchased my Dovo Best Quality I noticed that there was a razor right next to it that said "shave ready" but was quite a bit more expensive. When asked if the razor I purchased was "shave ready" the proptrietor looked at it and said it should do just fine. Being a new razor should I have it honed or not? It shaves pretty well and I have had pretty good luck not bleeding to death. Actually there have been several times I felt like I should have cut myself wide open but did not. A friend that shaves with staright razors looked at it and told me to just strop the F*** out of it. Sometimes it feels like it drags over the stiffer whiskers on my chin. I do strop it before each shave. Don't know of it should be cutting easier or if this is how it;s supposed to feel. Thanks for any help.