New to the forum and to straight razors! just a few questions

[MatBurke]

Hey guys (and girls) I am new to the world of the straight razor and have a few questions (that you probly have seen 100000 times before) I bought an cheap SR with replaceable blades about 3 weeks ago to practice and get used to the feel of a SR. I decided i liked shaving this way and bought this kit the other night. Vintage Straight Razor | Dovo Razors | DOVO 506B 6/8 Col Conk Straight Razor with Luxury Shave Set | VintageStraightRazor.com

I havent gotten the set yet but I think i will be pleased. My only concern is the balsa wood strop. Should i upgrade to leather right away or is this a decent strop for a beginner? I went with a 6/8 razor because i have big meaty hands and i thought this might be a little easier for me to handle. Was that a mistake? What do you all think of this kit? I did some research and i think this will suit me fine but i wanted to get some advice from some seasoned pros! hope i can get a little help and any advice i can get on other products i should invest in.

thanks!
-mat

[gssixgun]

Hmmmmm yeah might have asked before you bought and done much better..

[ReardenSteel]

Hi Mat and welcome to SRP. I have never done business with the company you bought from so I can't speak for the quality of additional products in the kit, but DOVO makes decent razors, so that should be fine. Although I would be concerned about whether the razor is actually shave ready, having been honed by hand by someone who knows what they're doing, or just factory sharp. You most probably will need to upgrade to a leather strop at some point. Be sure to read the links for beginners if you have not done so already and keep us posted. Ask questions. Hope you enjoy your new hobby.

[HNSB]

At least you bought one of the DOVO/Col. Conk razors... You'll end up with a good razor.
Whether it comes shave ready is a whole different story...

Save the balsa strop for pasting later... Look into a decent leather strop to maintain your razor for now.

[JimmyHAD]

Welcome to SRP and good luck with it. Ask any questions that you will have down the road. Folks here are more than willing to help out fellow straight razor users whether new at it or veterans.

[nun2sharp]

At least you will get a good razor and you didnt buy one of those razors for 9.99 from China like so many others have. Be sure to get that thing honed as it will probably not be ready straight from the box. Please check the classifieds under member services to get it honed. Be sure to check the reviews for strops as well, you will be needing one. Welcome to SRP.

[MatBurke]

thanks guys glad to see i got a decent blade. a new strop will deff be my next investment. Thanks for the help and if you would like to suggest a strop im all ears!

[Ryan82]

Thanks for the help and if you would like to suggest a strop im all ears!

Like everything else associated with wetshaving it really depends on your budget, but some good brands include SRD, Illinois, Tony Miller and Dovo. Lately it seems that many artisan made strops are popping up, and I'm sure they have merit but I have no experience with them and therefore can't comment on them one way or another.

[tlittle]

I started with a Vintage Blades LLC black latigo and was frankly disappointed. It ended up being very waxy and stiff, and it felt like my blade really wasn't making the best contact. I can understand the draw of latigo strops (get it? heehee), but for a beginner I think it's a better idea to go for something that doesn't need to break in so much.

I ended up selling mine, and went for a 2" scrupleworks strop. It's definitely on the more expensive side, but man I love that thing. It has the perfect amount of draw for my stropping style, and I'm a fan of the genuine linen backing. Can't say no to the aesthetics either

...But this wasn't supposed to be a plug for scrupleworks. Really! I'm just saying that you should definitely do some research before just picking up a random more inexpensive strop like I did. I hear whipped dog strops are great if you want to go that route. Perhaps SRD latigo is better quality as well, as I've heard great things about their other offerings. Tony Miller also has a fantastic reputation.

Good luck with the search!

[Sitka]

Hey Mat,

I looked around for a strop for about a year before I bought one. The maker offered a practice strop with the set. I am really glad I started on that practice strop. In fact, I have not even moved on to the real deal. Like most things worth learning, shaving seems to take a significant amount of time and technique. The videos have helped me, along with the good people here on SRP. Another user sent me a collection of stropping videos that I will PM to you - very helpful. I would humbly offer the thought of mastering the technique of stropping before investing in an expensive piece. My practice strop looks really bad with a ton of cuts and nicks. Seems obvious, but if you start day dreaming with a straight in your hand, bad things happen.

Welcome to the journey,

Sitka