Had my first straight razor shave- however painful.

Hello everyone!

I am new to this website, but I feel that I need a bit of advice. I purchased a straight razor yesterday- A Chinese made "double arrow" straight razor (says "66 CHINA" on the blade), a "Cowoy" pure badger brush, "Taylor luxury shaving cream".

My first shave was rather painful, and the whiskers do not cut off clean. I'm having doubts that the blade is actually shave ready (as the barber said it was)- it's probably been sitting in the display stand for 10 years...

Should I buy myself a "Gold Dollar" razor instead? One that is guaranteed to be shave ready?

Thanks guys.

that razor is kinda PITA.
Some of them will take very good edge some never will.
it does have quality issues.
i wouldn't recommend you to buy another blade which has similar issues.
Your best bet will be sign in SRP giveaway you may be the winner or
try look classified and some people do put some razors for newbies shave ready condition.
gl.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dom

Hello everyone!

I am new to this website, but I feel that I need a bit of advice. I purchased a straight razor yesterday- A Chinese made "double arrow" straight razor (says "66 CHINA" on the blade), a "Cowoy" pure badger brush, "Taylor luxury shaving cream".

My first shave was rather painful, and the whiskers do not cut off clean. I'm having doubts that the blade is actually shave ready (as the barber said it was)- it's probably been sitting in the display stand for 10 years...

Should I buy myself a "Gold Dollar" razor instead? One that is guaranteed to be shave ready?

Thanks guys.

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I'm also new, but if you go thoroughly (spelling?) this website you'll see that Gold Dollar razors are not your best bet.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/razor...ar-razors.html

Frequently Asked Questions - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Beginner's guide to straight razor shaving - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Two quick advices (again, from someone really new):
- if you're confident your razor is a good one, just not sharp or "shave ready", send it to a real hone master
- if not, then buy a cheap razor on the classifieds of this website (for example) where the seller guaranty you a "shave ready" one. (so you'll have one to shave and to compare to the first one)

christophe

Welcome to SRP. Sorry to hear your first straight shave was not a pleasant experience. The learning curve on how to use a straight razor is steep and can be made even steeper, and more painfull, if you do not have a shave ready razor. I recommend you check out the classifieds here for a "Shave Ready" razor, lots to chose from. Or look at some offered through the different vendors. Member HNSB usually has some great entry level shave ready razors to choose from, as does Larry over at whippeddog.com, Holli4pirating is another member here with a web page selling quality razors. These gentlemen are extremely helpful and can help you get a shave ready razor if you're on a budget or just don't want to spend a lot of money getting started. I hope this helps you on your journey. These members are just a few that I can remember off the top of my head, my apologies for forgetting others.

Hi Dom,
Firstly, welcome to SRP and know that I share your pain as a GD (Gold Dollar) was my first experience using a cut throat razor as well.
I had no idea that they were not shave ready and wondered why I got a far less than satisfactory shave.
This was before I found this great site for all your straight shaving information.
Secondly, I would suggest that you look at the WIKI first and then the classifieds to obtain a truly shave ready razor from one of the vendors here.
Let them know that you are new to straights and they will give you suggestions on what to start with as regards a razor.
Your experience will improve out of sight IME.
Thirdly, hang on and enjoy the ride

Thanks guys for your help- would you recommend a DOVO straight? Thanks!

I have a dovo. I like it. its the cheap one. the dovo 5/8 best quality

Dovos are good but some of them can be damned expensive. My first razor was a Wahl injector i got for $10 that somewhat did the job. They use disposable blades so you can concentrate more on the shaving and less on the razor care to begin with.

Eventually I bought myself a vintage straightie off of ebay and I never looked back. Mind you ebay is touch and go and you'd probably be much better off buying from here.

I'm a greenhorn to. I have bought 2 razors so far, One for myself and one for a friend at work. both were bought from the classifieds here and for a real low price. Let me tell ya both of those razors from two diff sellers were sharp brotha. when they say shave ready they mean it. I am glad I found this place before ebay(ebay is not evil, just hard if you are new to razors) got me.I think you should just send your razor to somebody here that offers honing. If your razor can take an edge they will get it there. good luck to you.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dom

Hello everyone!

I am new to this website, but I feel that I need a bit of advice. I purchased a straight razor yesterday- A Chinese made "double arrow" straight razor (says "66 CHINA" on the blade), a "Cowoy" pure badger brush, "Taylor luxury shaving cream".

My first shave was rather painful, and the whiskers do not cut off clean. I'm having doubts that the blade is actually shave ready (as the barber said it was)- it's probably been sitting in the display stand for 10 years...

Should I buy myself a "Gold Dollar" razor instead? One that is guaranteed to be shave ready?

Thanks guys.

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I'd buy one like this...Genco 9/16 - Straight Razor Place Classifieds

Then get it honed by Lynn.

I have heard that Gold Dollars can be quite unpredictable. Some are good, while others just can't take an edge. Poor quality control, most likely.

I started with a Dovo Best Quality (6/8, in my case), and find it to be a very nice shaver. However, I bought it because it came in a well-priced starter set. If I had to choose now, well, I'd check the classified section to find a nice low-cost alternative. Also, you could try whipped dog straights for an ugly but usable razor.

Thank you very much guys for your help. I will actually get rid of the current razor I have- I'm convinced it's a very bad one. I'll look into some DOVOs or have a look in the classifieds for one. I'm wondering if sellers will be able to ship to New Zealand?
Thanks once again!

Don't be too hasty getting rid of the razor just yet. It might serve you well as a letter-opener.

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Originally Posted by Dom

I'm wondering if sellers will be able to ship to New Zealand?
Thanks once again!

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There are s good number of Aussies running around here, it shouldnt be a problem for them to ship to NZ.

Ive had similar. Started with a shavette and once proficient upgraded to a straight. First one I bought was from China and it fell apart in my hands before I got as far as the bathroom. Like the guys above say, you just cannot buy cheap and expect great results. I am currently waiting for my Muhle carbon bladed 5/8 straight to arrive. Exciting times!

Darren

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dom

Thank you very much guys for your help. I will actually get rid of the current razor I have- I'm convinced it's a very bad one. I'll look into some DOVOs or have a look in the classifieds for one. I'm wondering if sellers will be able to ship to New Zealand?
Thanks once again!

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Many sellers are all over the world, and I usually see they ship worldwide. I got mine from a member in Japan. +1 on getting a razor from the classifieds. It's win win since you get a good shaver at a good price