Buying for husband

Hi there,
I have been reading the information on this site and it has been very helpful in learning about straight razors. Thanks! I am buying a straight razor for my husband as a gift and he has never used one before. I am trying to select the perfect blade for him as a beginner. I am likely to buy a Dovo "best quality" but I am not sure about grind or length. He has a heavy beard and from what I have read the 6/8 and half hollow grind work better with a heavy beard. But most places recommend a 5/8 and full hollow is said to give a closer shave. Can someone point me in the right direction. Should I buy a 6/8 or 5/8 and full hollow or half hollow.

Also these claim to be shave ready. Is this true?

Thanks, Dee

I'll assume you have discussed and he knows about it. Straights can be bad gifts to just spring on somebody.

There is no such thing as a starter razor. Just go with middle of the road like you have indicated and a part hollow would be good.

Unless the razor has been honed by the seller and you know he knows what he is doing it will probably not be shave ready despite what they say.

We have some great vendors here who can provide a shave ready razor.

Either one will work...the 6/8 might a little trickier under the mose if he shaves there but other than that for a start both will work...As far as grinds go since he is new it probably wont make that much of a difference because he does not a frame of refrence.
Hope this helps a little. At least for now I would go for a half hollow.

Not sure about the grind, but regards being shave ready, if it's from SRD or Invisible Edge, then it should be ready to go as it'll be honed by Lynn (SRD) or Steve (IE). Anywhere else, most likey it will beed to be honed before use. Both of these sites offer a sharpening service.

He will need a strop along with the razor. So if it is within the budget you might look at the specials that include both. I think the Dovo you're looking at is a good choice. I would suggest the 6/8. One of our vendors, Straight Razor Designs, hones the razor at no extra charge and includes a second honing free of charge. They also sell razor/strop kits. If possible make sure your husband watches some of the beginner's videos and reads our beginner's guide in the SRP library here . :gl:

My plan was to buy the razor, a stop, and the Lynn Abrams World of Straight Razor Shaving DVD. Does that sound like a good starting pack? Of course I will refer him to the forum/website here too.

So is the general consensus 6/8 half hollow?

SRD doesn't seem to have half hollow. Guess I would have to go with full.

That's what I started with and I absolutely love mine! Granted I still have a lot to learn and a lot of different things to try. My beard isn't extremely thick like some men though. Anyhoo, the Dovo 6/8" half hollow was my first and now I have a total of 5 straights and it's still my favorite. Not too bad in my opinion, although, some people think that using a straight razor is "weird" so it might be something you want to mention to get a feel for how he feels about them first.

Then again, maybe it's just "weird" to everyone I'm around (being in college) and living in a house with my fraternity brothers, none of whom shave with a straight razor. Although they have slowly started to accept it and kind of taken an interest in it, always asking me to shave them. I never do, I just let their envy build. Either way, I love it, so I don't care what they think about my means of shaving. Just might want to gauge your husbands interest first. Hope this helps!

I've suggested he try it before and hes receptive to it.

I just don't want to choose the wrong razor for him.

Does anyone know if SRD sells dovo 6/8 half hollows... can't find them on the site.

I have a "hard heavy beard" as well and the razor that seems the best to me is a 6/8, though it is not a Dovo.

If you are looking heavily at a Dovo and just need to know the size and grind, I would recommend calling Dovo to see if they can shed some light. Despite the fact that there is a lot of great knowledge and advice here, Dovo is probably the most knowledgeable about the use of Dovo products, or at least increase the odds of your success.

You may have to go with a full hollow..I checked that site and another one and the best quality I see only comes full hollow..
It is still a good razor..at this stage of the game it probably wont make a difference..
If he sticks with it there will be alot of others to choose from..
Trust me once he gets hooked if he does the razor aquistion disorder (RAD) will kick in...

I started RECENTLY with the Dovo Ebony Stainless 5/8 full hollow, in part because I wanted to start with a stainless blade until I decided whether I liked it or not. I got the set from SRD with a strop and Lynn's DVD, which was VERY helpful. Now I've got three more vintage straight razors with a short-term goal to have a SEVEN-DAY rotation, and they are ALL different in size, grind and metal. Dovo makes a GREAT razor (watch it on "How It's Made" 2010) - can't really go wrong. As I am still learning, I still use my Atra Plus on 2 weekdays when I only have 15 minutes to shave between working out and getting back to work on time, or when I totally screw up and my face needs to heal a bit! I'm considering a few 6/8" full hollows and half hollows now, but hey, that's all part of the fun.

(Now I found out TODAY that my wife's great-grandmother was a barber, and her Dad has her old straight razors! Can't wait to see them, now that I know a little something about the manufacturers, history and worth now.)

In general, however, 5/8 are at a decent price point and a versatile size, while the larger ones start getting more expensive. Even a 4/8 razor is a lot of blade to get used to (and be careful with) for somebody that's always used cartridges.

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Originally Posted by Stormo

I've suggested he try it before and hes receptive to it.

I just don't want to choose the wrong razor for him.

Does anyone know if SRD sells dovo 6/8 half hollows... can't find them on the site.

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Yes they do,just out of stock at the moment.Give them a call 330.598.1414

Just purchased the traditional shaving set from the Invisible Edge with their classic full hollow SR, & I'm more than happy with it. I've only used it a couple of times & it was definitely shave ready when received. The delivery was quick, & Steve replied to an email I sent very quickly. I was impressed overall. As for full hollow vs half hollow, I really couldn't say as I have no frame of reference, I'm new to this as well.

I emailed SRD about the half hollows and they don't have any right now but that there wouldn't be much difference in the feeling between the two. He also said that for a heavy beard the 6/8 might be better. So I ended up ordering the set of the Dovo 6/8 full hollow, strop and DVD. Now to just wait for Christmas to give it... I have so much information t o impress him with that I've learned.. lol