Thread: New to Straight Razor shaving.

Hello, I am new to straight razor shaving and have a new blade arriving in the mail. It is a dovo 6/8 full hollow carbon steel blade. The razor is listed as shave ready. What will I need to do before it is indeed, shave ready? Thanks for your help.

Welcome aboard.

The big question is where you bought the razor. If it's off the board here or from SRD, or a couple other vendors, shave ready means exactly that. A Dovo factory direct "shave ready" has from a number of sources been a less than stellar performer. The same goes for a lot of auction wins.

If it's the latter, it could stand a good honing by someone experienced. I'll assume, in the meantime, you've acquired an adequate strop and are practicing stropping with a dinner knife.

Take time to read the forums, the FAQs, and the stickied posts.

Well, claims or not when you shave with it you will know if it's shave ready. If it's not it will depend on what the issue is. It could require anything from a touchup on a hone to a re-set bevel.

Where did you buy it?

Check your vendor's site to see if it's shave ready. If it is only a factory edge, you'll have to send it out for its first correct sharpening. Send it out to a professional so that the bevel is set right the first time. After that you can touch it up yourself with a barber hone. You will love that big 6/8 blade. It gives you more control on your face and on the strop. You'll have a blast with the new Dovo. They are excellent razors in spite of what people say.

It is coming from Vintage Straight Razor. I have not gotten a strop yet, but it is also in the mail. I should say that I do have experience honing woodworking chisels on whetstones, so I am not completely alien to stone sharpening. If I do need to send it out for a professional sharpen, does anybody have anybody they would suggest? Thanks in advance.

Sharping woodworking chisels is a differend thing than a razor, look in the classifield for a guy near your place.

Have it professionally honed.........Then YOU will know that the razor is ready. There are a number of people in the classifieds that do honing..............Hope you have many good shaves !