New Guy Needs Help

Hi guys, I bought a Dovo Straight Razor 5/8 about a month ago and have shaved about 4 times, but i think i may have stropped wrong because the blade dosnt feel as sharp as it should, as i shave i feel it pulling the hair and it leaves quite a bit of stubble around the cheeks and chin. Do you think i need to hone it? or will stopping be fine.
There is also some black patches on the blade (which has been spreading)and im not sure if it is rust or how to remove it, and am wondering if it effects the sharpness of the blade. I have attatched pictures. i dry it well after each shave (multiple times) and keep it in a warm dry area. Attachment 115963Attachment 115964Attachment 115965Attachment 115966Any help would be Awesome :D

I have been having similar problems, I shaved for the 2nd time this morning, I have the exact same razor as well...

Altho you may think the razor is dry, at some point it is not or maybe your water is very acidic.
Maybe you have allowed water in between the scales, maybe you have timber scales that have absorbed some water, maybe you have stored it in a plastic box that has trapped moisture & maybe your razor rusts just looking at water.

btw yes you have corrosion there & it is very likely affecting your edge. I would recommend a light abrasive polish possibly starting at 400 or 600 grit & a rehone. Simple metal polish may remove the staining but the micro-pits will remain

After that you need to assess why it is rusting & avoid the causes. Another cause is taking a long time to shave & leaving the blade wet. Habitually wiping the blade dry as you go is a better idea than rinsing it. Last thing , oil your blade after shaving & especially after any reconditioning work. Freshly abraded steel is very prone to rust.

Depending on where you got it, it might not really be "shave ready" as some vendors claim. I know I have fallen victim to this, it was advertised as shave ready and it was a miserable experience. Granted it was also a poor quality razor. I wound up buying a new razor of good quality and it was honed by a professional, needless to say it shaved like a dream. I was almost turned off of straight razor shaving, but am glad I gave it a second chance.

Yeah, I'd give it a touch up hone. If it were me I'd give it ten laps on my Shapton 16k. if that didn't work I'd then consider moving to a pyramid on the Norton 4/8. I never really get my razors wet; I never rinse them; and I store them outside of the bathroom (in my bedroom) in a leather case after wiping dry and applying a light coat of Eucalyptus oil...

Last thing I would like to add to the good recommendations these gentlemen left for you is that you MUST strop before and after the shave or your edge will fail you quickly. I personally go 60 before the shave and 40 after as a minimum.

Where are you from?

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Originally Posted by shooter74743

Last thing I would like to add to the good recommendations these gentlemen left for you is that you MUST strop before and after the shave or your edge will fail you quickly. I personally go 60 before the shave and 40 after as a minimum.

Where are you from?

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Hi, Yeah i will start to strop more frequently, im from Brisbane Australia.

I dont really trust my ability to hone, and im not sure how to locate a professional in my area, do you think it would be better to just purchase a new one? And if so, where would a reasonable place to do so be?

where in australia is a professional who can rehone? i havnt done it before and im not sure if i want to risk the razor. Will the 600 grit abrasive polish remove the micro pits? and what is a good brand of this polish to use.

Like was mentioned when u originally bought thAt razor it may not have been shave ready.. And since your new your stropping skills may not be up to pAr yet.. Took me awhile everybody is different. Here is what I would do go into the classifieds right here on srp go into member services there are many people that offer honing services that know whAt there doing and will get that razor sharp for you so you know whAt a honed razor is suppose to feel like. Send it to them for a honing. Try removing the stains on your razor with Maas metAl polish stuff works greAt. If that doesn't remove the staining it may need a light restore when it is sent out to be honed.. All the info you will need is right here on srp just do a custom google search on this page for any topic good luck..

Check with a few of the Aussie's here: Down under

Look in the "Workshop" for how to handsand, that is about the best way to remove pits.