Thread: Best approach for a new razor?

I've got a new Dovo on the way. Other's I've bought pre-honed, but want to learn to do this myself. I've got the DMT 1200 diamond hone from my knife life and bought the Norton 4k/8k and Chinese 12k hones for the razors, but am not yet there on honing them. With a new-from-the-factory razor, do I need to use my DMT 1200 to reset the bevel, or can I just start with the Norton? If the Norton is the starting place, should I do an aggressive pyramid or the conservative pyramid to start? I'd like to do it right, but as conservatively as will do the job.

You honemeisters have any starting suggestions?

it is not bad idea to learn how to hone razor . i would suggest don't start to learn on your brand new dovo.
By cheap blades from bay and learn . take at least 5-10 cheap old razor's and learn how to hone and your hones characteristcis.
check out our wiki and vidoes. Many of them available.
Now about your questions.
Depends from whom you bought dovo it may be already shave ready. if not then i assume you should start with 4k. and move on to 8k then lastly 12k chro2.
if i were you i will leave dovo alone or send some honers to make it shave ready for you.
hope this helps and you will choose right path.

I have had several brand new dovos latly i have bismark prima klang micarta. And i have found they are quite shave ready.

What i do is i perform tpt if it feels real good i have a barbers shop i just grab some hair a strand if it pops a hair (hht) Then i would bet it will shave. Despite all that just shave with it see how it goes if its good leave it. If it pulls you will have to hone it. I'd put marker on the edge and give it 10 laps on your ch12k if marker is fully removed your should be ok try 50 to 100 if no better then do 5/5 3/5 1/5 1/5 pyramid followed by 30 ch12k if no better you can repeat untill happy

If it was me I would test shave the Dovo when you get it and see how it is. I agree with Sham that you'd be better off learning on a cheaper alternative. OTOH, if you want to try it with the Dovo I would go straight to the 4/8 and the conservative pyramid.

If you haven't used the TPT before take a look in the SRP Wiki at the tests in the honing section and read up on it. At randydance's suggestion I learned it by practicing with a new DE blade. This will give you an idea of the 'sticky' feeling you're looking for.

Once you've feel you've got it then strop and test shave.

I agree with the others. I would clean the oil from a new razor first, then *I* would strop the razor before any test shaving (using the TPT to check the edge during stropping).

Only problem with this could be for someone not too experienced at stropping. It's possible that you (figurative) could screw up an otherwise OK edge. I wrote "OK" because I believe an edge is never completely ready to go (even if expertly honed) unless it is freshly stropped right before the shave.

If all else fails, only then would I consider going to the hone. And then only very lightly. A brand new Dovo should not require much honing short of a defect.

Thanks to all for the tips. I'm sensing a fairly good consensus here: first, strop and shave. Then do as little as possible. This answers my main question, which was whether you have to re-set the bevel on a new razor. I have been using a straight that I bought pre-honed for a month, and I think I've got stropping down relatively well. I haven't blown the edge on the two pre-honed razors I've bought. I think I know where to go now. Thanks again.

When your talking new razor don't even think re set bevel. get that out of your head. If a new razor needs to have a bevel reset I would send it back. Usually a new razor may mean a touchup or less and rarely a little more but not anything extensive.