Thread: Time to step up my game...

I'm no expert, however, since all the razors from SRD are honed and tested by Lyn, I would suggest that you could no worse than to purchase one from there.
A cheaper alternative might be to send the one you have to Oz (onimaru55) in Sydney and get him to hone it up for you.
Either way you'll get quality results

Go for the Bismarck, it's a great razor. Besides, you were bound to get another one sometime anyway....

I think you'll be able to tell very quickly how much your other razor has dropped off in sharpness when you try the SRD razor. A DE shave can be an indicator of this as well, but it's unfair to compare the two since they are different beasts. If you do end up getting the Bismarck I would recommend sending your first razor to be honed while you use the new SRD razor, and then once it comes back you'll have two shave ready blades. I don't know who honed your blade in NZ the first time around, so I can't say for certain if that's a variable or not. But the mystery hone you have is the great unknown variable here. Try posting some pics and someone may be able to ID it. But you may want to consider getting a proper barber hone or some paste for future touch ups.

I have a rather strong feeling that the blade is not as sharp as it can get, since the Dovo inox 5/8 olivewoods are nothing to sneeze at. another factor might be your technique. for the first year of straight razor shaving I did not get incredibly close shave because my technique was not that good yet. buying a razor from Lynns store is a good idea too.
good luck!

Could be that it needs a touch up. Who cares if you can't shave ATG? Just get a decent shave without going that direction. May be your face and not the blade at all. If you keep honing you could get a bit harsh, then you don't want to go for the 3rd ATG pass. You'll have all kinds of irritation.

Also keep in mind that a DE blade and a straight are two very different animals. A DE blade will always be "sharper" than a straight. This is due to the maufacturing process that human hands cannot replicate.

I think your Dovo is just fine man, probably just your technique, as I have this problem as well. You can't go wrong with any razor from SRD as they all pass through Lynn before they head out. How is the stropping going?

I'm fairly certain that any straight razor you choose from SRD will give you an exceptionally high baseline with which to gauge all others. Choose a size and grind that you prefer. If you don't have a preference yet, I'd recommend a hollow ground 5/8. Interestingly enough, the wiki recommends that as well. But it's really my opinion. Crazy..I know.