Thread: First Razor: New vs Vintage

I currently use some old straight razor that I found in an antique
store. I suspect it to be in sub-optimal shaving condition so I'm
looking for a first shave ready razor. I saw a few nice and affordable
razors on

http://www.billysblades.com

but there isn't that much of a saving compared to a brand new Dovo
from

http://www.classicshaving.com

Are the 60$ Dovo low quality products? How should I interpret the
"x/8" numbers? Is it the width of the blade? What should I get? My
beard is not that heavy but I also shave my head.

My first and one of my favorite razors is a Dovo that I recieved new. There are other higher end razors but you will be ok with it. The X/8 is the width of the blade. The theory here has been the heavier your beard the bigger the blade should be. I don't know that I have a heavy beard but I prefer a 7/8 sometimes and a 4/8 on others . Shaving your head with a str8 wow you are brave. . I will now add that there are razors to be bought from members here that will be priced right and be honed very well. (Lynn is the founder of the site and hones razors with the best of them he has a number of razors that he has for sale that you will be happy with. ) Take a look in the users gallery.

Initially I was set on a new DOVO for my first razor till I happened to get a great antique on ebay. With a little honing on a Norton 4000/8000 waterstone it is now one of my best shavers. I also have a Böker which was practically custom ordered (wood scales and a rounded spike) from one of the members and it arrived sharper than I could have previously imagined. That's a definite benefit of getting a razor from a member.

Just as a thought. If your current razor is simply dulling, you can get it topped up by one of the honemeisters and return it to your shaving rotation right quick.

X

P.S. Welcome to the group BTW. There's lots of great advice here and even friendlier people.

If you're talking about the $59 or so Dovo, white plastic handles, and says "Best Quality" or something on the blade, it is a fine shaver. That was my first ever razor, 10 years ago give or take. It's still in my daily rotation. I have a heavy beard, and it needs stropping mid-shave, but it takes a good edge quite easily. I personally like the stainless that Dovo uses. I have a couple different Dovos with stainless and they both hold their edge much better. The tradeoff is a little more work to get it there in the first place.

I know alot of people here probably won't agree with me on this but in my opinion if your just starting out and really don't know jack about shaving and aren't motivated to become a hobbyest in this thing I'd buy a new razor like a midline TI. My first razor was just such a razor and even though most razors aren't at optimum out of the box my TI (and other TIs I've since bought) have shaved very well out of the box.

Of course if you get bitten by the bug and really want to get into this thing then I'd say buy from one of the regulars who sell on this site.

My first razor was a DOVO Micarta (No.105), and it is one of my best shavers. DOVO are very good quality products. I think the stainless steel myth is only that, a myth, and stainless steel blade will give you much enjoyment just like any other...

For best shave-ready solution, get used one from the members here. You will get a benchmark for all of your honing jobs to follow.

Get 5/8 to start, then progress if you like heavier blade.


Nenad