Thread: My shaving experience

Ok, so I have been using straight razors now for 4 months. I shave daily because my beastly face hair makes me.
I started on a shavette and enjoyed the experience but deemed the shavette to dangerous for real use. I then bought a cheap straight razor off ebay and really loved the shave off that (even the the edge lacked temper to hold the edge) and a week later received a dovo best quality razor. This was honed professionally and I REALLLLLY loved the shave from this beast and shave with it daily. I ruined to strops while learning but by best one got away unscaved. Well, like every straight razorer I decided to get some hones, I got generic Chinese crap which has now found its new home propping the door open. I now have a lovely norton set and my 12k, The brand escapes me. I refinished my dovo due to dulling and got a real nice shave again, before long I got some chromium oxide and boy o boy was that a game changer. I now shave so close to the skin I am left wondering why I have a face anymore.

My lesson from this was to stop buying cheap crap and invest in the real deal. I hope others read this and really do take it seriousley (yes thats you) because I spent near £60 on the cheaper stuff and learned that they didnt do the job correctly and had to spend the same anyway getting the right stuff.

Should have done that to begin with. Straight razors are all about what works for you and right now I know what works for me. I shave with my dovo day in day out with no issues. At the point that my dovo is to blunt to shave I use my shavvete. if I am travveling I use my shavvete. Point is, my straight is the bomb, followed by my shavette, I cant remember how to use any other shave nor would I want to.

Everyone loves a bargain and everyone wants to believe their bargain is the real deal, you know, item A that costs a fraction of what item B costs but is just as good and maybe better in every way.

Folks believe that so much they ignore the warnings and have to learn for themselves the hard way. I guess that's just part of life.

Many will buy shaving gear in the category of "it works" and many will be perfectly happy with these items and use them all their lives while others seek out something a little better and that ultimate prize keeps moving further and further out of reach.

The important thing is to get a great shave and maintain your gear and everything else is window dressing.

I agree. I just thought I'd share my story. I learned the hard way as many before me have and many others will. I only wish I had listened

You know you found out what most everyone I believe in straight shaving does. I jumped straight in buying Dovo and have never bought any cheaper razors like Gold Dollars or such. Not that I am a razor snob......just rather know I am getting a great razor than throwing money away. Good luck and keep shaving.

The Dovos are very good...
I bought one last year, along with a set of Naniwa hones, and a 3" strop.
I started my journey 30 yrs. ago with a 4/8 Torrey vintage razor. And have to say, I've only shaved with my Dovo 4-5 times, only because the vintage razors seem to shave so much better for me, and I now have quite a few of them.
Theye have no equal IMHO
Try a vintage razor from the classified, and see what you've been missing

Aha. I think I'll wait untill I get better with the restorations. I have a razor hear that lacks temper and I heard that I could get the thing red hot then dunk in cold water to add temper... does that actually work or just someone with a foolish thought?

Save it for making a wind chime[emoji6]

Well it is a full hollow so should sound good. I had a question.... what difference in sound or performance does a full hollow have over a half hollow

Not sure, havent made my wind chime yet. I figure 1/2 hollow would make a better ring against the pipes, and last longer in the the weather y'all have over there. [emoji1]

Lmao fair enough. I find that the full hollow is slightly louder when shaving where the half hollow is quite but has more ring to it. I would have thought that it'd be the other way around