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  1. #1
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    Cool new razor ...to hone or not

    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.

  2. #2
    Comfortably Numb Del1r1um's Avatar
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    After reading your post, my answer revolves around this line...

    Quote Originally Posted by dfopp View Post
    Don't know of it should be cutting easier or if this is how it;s supposed to feel. Thanks for any help.
    Since you aren't 100% sure what it's supposed to feel like, why not treat yourself to a professional honing by one of our resident pros. That way you'll kill two birds with one stone.

    1. sharp, truly shave ready razor
    2. good benchmark for what a razor should feel like.

    Good luck!

    Dave

  3. #3
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    Hey, Dfopp, If you decide that you want the razor touched up, I'll do it for you, on the house, provided you cover shipping.

    EDIT: I can't remember the thread, but there was a member (AFDavis, I believe) who experimented with what "Stropping the f***" out of a razor could do... I believe the conclusion was that, with enough strop laps, you can even revive a somewhat dulled edge (if someone knows the thread, please direct me to it, it was a good read) so your friend's suggestion of a good, long stropping session may be a very good idea, provided your stropping technique is solid

    cheers,
    Jeremy
    Last edited by ShavedZombie; 08-08-2010 at 04:52 AM.

  4. #4
    Senior Member blabbermouth JimmyHAD's Avatar
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    You say it is working so I would say don't fix it. When you feel it needs attention there are experienced honemeisters in the SRP member services that will hone it expertly for a nominal fee.
    Be careful how you treat people on your way up, you may meet them again on your way back down.

  5. The Following User Says Thank You to JimmyHAD For This Useful Post:

    BKratchmer (08-08-2010)

  6. #5
    what Dad calls me nun2sharp's Avatar
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    If your beard prep and technique are good the shave should feel almost effortless. no pulling, tugging. Take your friends advice and strop it GOOD. If this does not improve it to the point that it is effortless, something needs to change.
    It is easier to fool people than to convince them they have been fooled. Twain

  7. #6
    The original Skolor and Gentileman. gugi's Avatar
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    Why don't you ask your friend? I mean after it's stropped, perhaps have him test it if he's willing to do it.

  8. #7
    Senior Member blabbermouth niftyshaving's Avatar
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    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.
    If you have the angle correct and the razor sharp it should shave
    a lot like or better than a Yellow Handle BiC tossable razor. Both
    are sharp steel.... Double edge razors are another option if you
    have one in the house.

    A well honed open razor has the potential of being sharper
    and smoother than the BiC and since the angle can be adjusted
    to be optimum for your face the shave can be better too.

    So strop the fleas out of it and shave what you can finishing
    the difficult places with a tossable. Holding the razor safely,
    stropping and shaving the full face takes some practice.

    Your stropping will improve and with it the shave. Eventually
    stropping will no longer refresh the edge at which time it
    will need a touch up on a hone set (8000 grit or finer to finish).
    Sending the razor to an expert is recommended because you
    will get to experience "sharp" and need not invest in a full
    set of hones. One option is to take ShavedZombie up on his offer....

    All this time you will garner experience "lathering".
    Skin and whisker prep are important. It pays to worry away
    half a puck of inexpensive shave soap "Latherin". Building
    a good shaving lather is easy but takes practice.

    Does your friend use an open razor and if so how does he
    (or she) hone his?

  9. #8
    Senior Member cutalot's Avatar
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    [QUOTE=ShavedZombie;637770]Hey, Dfopp, If you decide that you want the razor touched up, I'll do it for you, on the house, provided you cover the shipping
    you cant lose with this offer i would do it in a heartbeat . the members here are tops and will go the extra mile for a stranger

  10. #9
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    Thanks for everyones advice. I will probably have it honed. I'm kind of hooked and am considereing purchasing a second razor that I know is have ready so I will have a bck up to use if I send this one off. Thanks again evryone!

  11. #10
    Senior Member LawsonStone's Avatar
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    Default Don't try it yourself yet

    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.

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