Just Started, Need a Hone!

Hello all! I'm a 17-year-old high school senior already sick of stupid plastic disposable razors. I just joined the site today and I am very excited about joining the SR community.

I'm considering purchasing my first SR, a "Factory-Honed" Dovo Classic White SR 5/8" (DOVO Straight Razors). It's a new razor and from what I've read on SRP.com here I don't think it's going to come shave-ready. What do you guys think?

If it's really not going to come ready to use, I could send it to a honing service. However I would be too excited to wait that long. is there anyone in the Chicago-land area willing and able to hone for me?

One more thing: I'm also considering looking at used razors on this site, but I'm worried about health risks and general hygiene of used razors, should I be?

Thanks for helping out!

If you buy from some place like Straight Razor Designs or Vintage Blades, the razor will come professionally honed.

A factory honed Dovo may or more than likely may not be shave ready. There is nothing wrong with the razors in the classifieds section, if you have any concerns a quick alcohol dip will take care of it. Right now I am not sure who is in the Chicagoland area.

Welcome to SRP Razorbeam!

Classic Shaving does offer professionaly honed aswell
Other supplyers may offer shave ready razors for less tho

I was referred to Classic Shaving by the pdf I read entitled "The Straight Razor Shave" by Christopher Moss. I'll take a look at the other websites suggested as well as the classified section.

I kind of know what I'm looking for: 5/8", rounded tip, good-for-the-price cheap, but if anyone else has first SR purchase tips, I'd love to hear them.

Also if anyone has what I'm looking for, feel free to PM - personal message - me.

Thanks for the feedback!

Welcome to SRP!

As already mentioned, no need to fear a used razor. More often than not they are of superior quality (grade of steel anyway) than modern razors--with the exceptions of the Dovo's and Bokers being produced currently which I have read good things about here on SRP (though I have no first hand experience). A quick application of a disinfectant such as alcohol will make double sure the blade is sterile.

The vendors mentioned so far are great, but I'd add whippeddog.com into the mix as another vendor who sells razors that are honed; specifically so that new straight users get a good first experience, and they're about the cheapest razors you'll find outside of the classifieds here.

So far as users in Chicago. There is a member map you can check out if you click on "Community" in the bar at the top of the page. There's also a members list that you can search for Chicago/Illinois. However, you'll only get results for guys that have filled in their location in their User Control Panel/Profile. The Member Map also only shows those members who have taken the time to place their marker.

Best of luck on your journey into straight razor shaving!

If you're just starting out, I'd recommend delaying the hone purchase. No matter how well-studied you are (the Wiki here) and how talented, honing is too difficult a skill to acquire quickly. It took me a month of trial and error, ruining two old razors in the process, lots of assistance from the members here, lots of practice nightly, to get to the point where I trusted myself with a decent blade. I'm glad I didn't try my nascent skills on a new or valuable blade because I would have screwed that up to. If you must start honing, I'd recommend starting out with cheap, vintage Ebay blades or flea market purchases and practicing on them. Having a professionally honed blade around to compare as a model would be helpful as well. You're going to learn by making mistakes. Don't make those mistakes on a good blade.

My 16 year old has been using straights for over a year now, so I am sure you will do fine with a little patience and perserverance.

Buying a used razor is no problem. I have a few of them and have never had a problem. You also need to look into getting a brush soap/cream and a strop.

Congrats on your diving in to straight razor shaving and good luck.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by CarrieM

You also need to look into getting a brush soap/cream and a strop.

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+1 to that. Razor, brush, strop, soap; and you can be underway (assuming you buy from rep-dealers mentioned already, so you don't have to do a lot of resto-work or rehab).

The Dovo entry level razor is a good one to start off with, but you will probably find it easier to shave with a 6/8, rather than a 5/8. If you order from Straight Razor Designs, it comes professionally honed and comes with a coupon for a free additional hone, which is good considering that you're likely to dull the edge when you're learning to strop.
Do not skimp on the soap. A lot of the cheaper brands you find in grocery stores, like Natural Grooming and Herban Cowboy, dry out quickly on your face and lead to cuts and scrapes. Use one of the better rated creams, like Truefit and Hill. They cost more up front, but last a long time.

Welcome aboard! +1 for the suggestion to purchase through either the SRP Classifieds or whippeddog. You'll get an excellent shave ready razor at a bargain price. I have two straights. One came from the Classifieds and the other from whippeddog. Between the two, I spent less than $100. Even though they're both over 100 years old, they perform flawlessly.

You should be able to get everything you need for about $150, maybe a bit more.

$30-$35 for a straight, $25 for a decent strop, $10-$20 for a tub of good cream (eg, Taylor of Old Bond Street, Proraso, Truefitt & Hill), $50 for a decent badger hair brush, $5 for an alum block, and $8+ for aftershave, depending on what you like (BTW don't confuse aftershave w/ cologne. They serve two entirely different purposes).

Welcome to your new obsession!

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. I'm looking at the SR websites as I type this...