Thread: Need advice on what to buy

Hello everyone!

Ok so I read the beginner's guide from the wikipages but I still have some questions remaining.

This will be my first straight razor and I was thinking of buying the Dovo 5/8 inch semi hollow with ebony handle from this page. But is the size and shape of the blade ok for a beginner? What about the blade material, should I get one with carbon steel blade or stainless steel blade? Considering I want the razor to last as long as possible. How fast will the blade dull, i'm just thinking if I should buy a whetstone right away too. If yes, then which brand and model. Then there's the shaving brush, i've read that the ones with badger hair are the best, but is there some differences in the type of badger hair used. What about the brush handle material, any comments on if I should buy a brush with wooden handle or one with metal handle. I'm looking for high quality, durable and long lasting products so materials probably matter. The looks of the items isn't a priority but I like simplistic looks if i have to choose.

And lastly where should I order the items I want? I need to be sure I can trust the place i'm ordering from.

Some of my questions might be silly but considering i'm looking for a quality straight razor and accessories that last a lifetime and since they can be quite expensive I hope people will understand. Also since I know next to nothing about these things.

Thanks in advance.

Hi,

Lot of questions here and i'm sure you get many answers as well.
Those razors in your link look ok to me, and the prices seem to be moderate. They wont probably come shave ready so you either need a hone or sent it to get honed. If you expect your razor to last for a life time, then you surely need few hones. If you are not familiar with sharpening steel in general, then it takes some time and learning curve to make things going. It is no rocket science either, just a skill everyone can (and should, imho) learn.

There should be not much difference between stainless and carbon steel. I like my knives and blades to be carbon steel but that is just my personal opinion. Typically properly sharpened razor keep its edge for at least few months until you need to touch up with a finishing hone.

Now there are many opinions on what hones you might need, but i suggest Norton 4/8 hone (or similar with same grits). Finishing hone is not dead necessary but makes your shaves better. Chinese 12K is a good finisher or then some vintage barber hone. Choice is yours. There are several other options for hones as well.

Now i'm not a brush expert as i've tried only few. I have both Thäter and Merkur and they are ok. You can also find cheap starting brush from your local Body Shop. It is not probably the best brush there is but surely does what it promises. Imho there is no big difference in brush handle material. No material will last for long if left without a proper care. Water and moisture are the worst enemies of razors and brushes.

From these pages you will find many sources to order shaving supplies. Remember if you order outside E.U. then customs might get interested to visit on your wallet also. Not always but with poor luck.

Lastly remember to ask anything you just want to know about shaving here in SRP. There are many gentlemen more than willing to help you. I can also help you in Finnish/Swedish if any English terms get too complicated.

regards,
Tomi

Buy straight razor form SRD, free honing for life!!!

And congrats on taking the plunge.

The first thing I note is that the first responder - Sailor - is likely not that far away from you. This may be important, in that if you have the ability to connect - at least by email, you can shorten your learning curve and likely save alot of money. I hope there are more guys near you.

The blades on the link are fine - will work well and last long. I did not see anything on the page that indicated that they are made shave ready before shipping - and that's the single biggest issue.

If I could do it again, I would have purchased from another forum member from the classifieds or from one of the forum vendors. I say this because it would have been much more cost effective than buying new. There will be a number of things to buy in addition to the razor/strop/brush - especially if you seek to learn honing also.

You may have guys nearby that can show you some details of the stropping/lathering/shaving/honing process. If this is true, I would strongly encourage you to get to know them and benefit from their experience. Naturally, this forum is a great source also.

I would recommend actually starting a thread asking if there are forum members near you. The benefits of connecting with them would be too numerous to list.

Welcome, and Wow, Lot's of questions, all at once too....You should really read our WIKI.
Any Dovo razor is fine, What it comes down to really, it what you like. Stainless vs Carbon steel...There both good, Carbon holds up well if you take care of it, like anything else.

Hones, don't worry about them right off the bat. Learning to use your razor properly will hard enough. There's plenty of time for hones and honing.

Brushes, I'd go with a Badger, Lately, I've been partial to Simpson, but that's me. Again, it comes down to what you like.

Vendors, As previously mentioned, SRD, here in the states is awesome. Don there will help you with your purchases. The offer free lifetime honing. They sell Dovo. It's a win win for you...

Personally i dont care about the free shipping for life.
Im in europe and shipping dont seem worth it to me
Plus if you are in the EU buying from europe will save you additional VAT
witch can make local deals look much better


these places will supply you with a shave ready razor
Introduction to razors
Home
www.strop-shop.co.uk - hand made straight razor strops, razor pouches, shaving accessories, vintage razors, razor honing and restoration

the classefieds should also be a good place to shop http://straightrazorpalace.com/classifieds/

Thanks for the replies guys.

Yeah, maybe I should have read the wiki pages a little more extensively. However, because I don't know where and what to search to get me the information I need and reading through the whole wiki page and/or sections of the forums can be a very time consuming process. My time is limited because i'm a private investor in the stock market and therefore I need to monitor relevant stock market information 10-14 hours a day, except on weekends. So I hope you guys can understand my limitations with time.

Perhaps i'm being too precise with the detail of information I want to know about the items I may need to buy. I have a thorough personality and if I do something important I do it thoroughly or not at all. Besides the more I know about the accessories and other items I may need, the better I can choose what I know I will feel comfortable with as well as maintain the razor and other equipment.

About buying things; I'm not comfortable to buy outside EU because the further away the merchandise is transported the higher the risk of them getting damage during transportation, plus my purchase would get extra taxation if bought outside EU.

To Sailor:

If you could be so kind maybe we could start interacting through email or PM, which ever suits you better. I'll send my email address to you through PM.

Maybe my original post should have been more informative but I was very tired at that moment.

Thanks again.

Risme

You need razor, strop, shave soap and after shave balm(the links i gave is in eu)
www.fitjarsoapinternational.com
also have real good products to try

Its easy to go for a cheap ebay or amazon strop or razor but they sell >90% garbage
meaning when you know what to look for you still need luck

If you have access to a brick and mortar shop that sells traditional shaving equipment, it might be a good idea to pay them a visit to get a feel for what could work best for you. Concerning brushes, for example, this will help you in deciding what size brush feels comfortable in your hand, what handle materials appeal to you, etc. If you can do the same for razors, I'd recommend that also, so that you can, for example, see in person what size is a 5/8 vs. a 6/8.

Originally Posted by Risme

Hello everyone!

Ok so I read the beginner's guide from the wikipages but I still have some questions remaining.

This will be my first straight razor and I was thinking of buying the Dovo 5/8 inch semi hollow with ebony handle from this page. But is the size and shape of the blade ok for a beginner? What about the blade material, should I get one with carbon steel blade or stainless steel blade? Considering I want the razor to last as long as possible. How fast will the blade dull, i'm just thinking if I should buy a whetstone right away too. If yes, then which brand and model. Then there's the shaving brush, i've read that the ones with badger hair are the best, but is there some differences in the type of badger hair used. What about the brush handle material, any comments on if I should buy a brush with wooden handle or one with metal handle. I'm looking for high quality, durable and long lasting products so materials probably matter. The looks of the items isn't a priority but I like simplistic looks if i have to choose.

And lastly where should I order the items I want? I need to be sure I can trust the place i'm ordering from.

Some of my questions might be silly but considering i'm looking for a quality straight razor and accessories that last a lifetime and since they can be quite expensive I hope people will understand. Also since I know next to nothing about these things.

Thanks in advance.

Razor -- the +80% answer is a 5/8 round point like the Dovo.
Check the classified too. Modern stainless, or carbon it
does not mater. Carbon steel has a slight edge on stainless
steel (pun intended).

Strop -- get a good but not expensive one you will use it every day.

Brush and soap -- the list here is so long. the best $12 you can spend
is the van der hagen premium shave set, brush, soap and lathering bowl.
It will teach you how to lather and prepare your face. A selection of
refill pucks of shave soaps and creams will quickly give you an upgrade
to some very fine soaps and creams. Later a good badger brush can be
added. I keep my Expensive Thater alongside my $7 badger. I love
them both for what they are.

Hone... one of the vendors has lifetime professional honing for the
holiday. A good set of hones is expensive enough that you can buy
a second razor while the lifetime honing offer is there and come out well
ahead of a hone set purchase A well sharpened razor will not need to
be re-honed for 3-6 months.

As good a deal as the lifetime service is, If you find a razor you love,
go for it ... the ~$20+shipping for a trip to a professional honemaster is a BARGAIN.
These guys will sit down with your razor and have
upwards of a thousand bucks in hones to select from to finish your razor.
That and their experience results in a lot better edge than
a beginner can expect. Do the math ~$25 into $800+ is a lot of value for
something you only need a couple times a year.