Is this worth the price?

[deadman13]

ok, so im thinking of picking up another expensive hobby (to add to the collection: cigars, pipes, hookah, choppers, tattoos etc) and since i work at a cigar shop, we have a few razors for sale. mostly safety razors or "vintage" handles with mach 3 heads. but we have one straight razor there, its a Solingen Best Quality "Col. Ichabod Conk" with a "pearl" handle.


its 180 to customers, but i get a discount for working there. it has what appears to be a few nicks on the blade (near the middle, minute dark strips going towards the spine just a bit), and the blade gets awfully close to the scale when closing it (you can kinda see it on one pic) but it doesnt touch.

so anywho, i need to know if its worth getting this as a nice first blade, or if i should get the sight unseen deal with the richmans strop from whipped dog

[ReardenSteel]

You joined SRP in 2009, have 5 posts and are wondering if that is a good first razor? "You're killin' me Smalls" I would pass on it and go for the sight unseen deal. Larry will make sure you get a "shave-ready" razor. That Dovo is factory sharp. They're are not the same thing. You can always check the classifieds here for a decent razor as well.

[deadman13]

yeah, i dont remember signing up. i thought today i was going to make some first posts and see about getting a nice razor, till it told me i was already a member... lol. sorry for being so, um, spacey? i think i see one in the classifieds that will make a nice first razor, one thats cheaper and much nicer and ready to go. ive emailed him, so im waiting on that. maybe this would be a second razor one day...

[sigit666]

I think that's worth it, I'll buy it if i were you, but that's my imo
dovo best quality with regular plastic scale has cost the same price instead yours have pearlex handle.
& I dont think dovo col. conk w/ pearlex scale have that many available.
btw, the little scratches & blade not quite centered are quite common, that's not bad, most brand new & nos I've had the same condition except boker

[gugi]

I think that's worth it, I'll buy it if i were you, but that's my imo
dovo best quality with regular plastic scale has cost the same price instead yours have pearlex handle.
& I dont think dovo col. conk w/ pearlex scale have that many available.
btw, the little scratches & blade not quite centered are quite common, that's not bad, most brand new & nos I've had the same condition except boker

You forgot that this razor is damaged and needs a good amount of money added before it can shave, while the 'for the same price dovo best quality' can be had perfectly honed with a certificate for free additional honing in the future. Those pearlex scales are not the ones with the inlays, and to me they are not worth any more than $10 (actually less due to the poor fit).
BTW I've never seen scratches on a brand new dovo, though my first one was pinned off centered, which certainly bugged me. Every one of my NOS razors has been perfect though.

[deadman13]

the "damage" might not be as bad as i think, or damage at all. was really hard to get a good shot of it. ill try tomorrow. this blade was on display for quite some time, and im sure people have played with it some.

[gugi]

it has what appears to be a few nicks on the blade (near the middle, minute dark strips going towards the spine just a bit)

This is significant damage, as far as razor edge is concerned. Anything over 100 microns is pretty significant. Trust me they can barely shave with the edge they leave the factory with, and this one is in much worse shape.
Of course, it's your money, so you can spend it as you like, if you have your heart set on this one get it, if you want you can even try shaving with it as it is before getting it honed by somebody with experience at these things, just keep in mind that that's not how these are supposed to be.

[deadman13]

i may need to edit that. i dont mean nicks taken out of the blade. there just seems to be "dark" streaks (tiny) going up the blade. ill see if i can get a good pic

[gugi]

Yes, that should not be there and its presence is enough to tell me the edge is no good (I've seen probably close to 1000 razors by now, and honed most of them, so I am not just making stuff up). However it seems that you are trying to find an excuse to buy it. As I said, if that's the case, just do it. It's far better to learn a lesson (and if you stick with straight razor shaving you will know what I mean in several months or a year) than having regrets thinking that you've 'missed on a deal'.

[deadman13]

oh im not looking for an excuse, i can get these anytime from work. just thinking i may have misdiagnosed. i think ive already found better anyway, waiting to hear back from someone.