Thread: Hello SRP, this is Matt from Germany

Welcome to the forum. Unless you were told the DOVO was shave ready it was most likely factory edge. Maybe there is someone near you that hones professionally. If so have it honed and you will know what shave ready is. Go slow with stropping. Start by laying it on a flat surface and make sure the spine and edge are in constant contact with the strop. Light pressure. Poor stropping can ruine an edge very quickly.

Originally Posted by JBHoren

If I were starting out, all over again, I'd follow these rules:

• Learn to face-lather. Learn to do a proper three-pass shave. Learn your beard. Until you do, keep shaving with a DE.
• Stick with a single straight razor, brush, and shaving soap.
• Learn to shave with both hands.
• Buy an inexpensive, 3" strop.
• Always buy "used" razors.
• Don't buy any hones!

Smooth shaving!

Hi JBHoren,
thanks for sharing! 3" strop is on its way

Originally Posted by PaulFLUS

Hello Matt and welcome. Yes it is true that there is a lot to learn for it to go smoothly but it goes faster than it sounds. Before you know it things start to improve and then you realize that you're getting good results and wonder how you didn't always. Just take your time and don't get frustrated. You'll get the hang of it. Definitely read the beginners section and definitely watch some videos but be careful about which ones. There are some clowns on YouTube that will steer you wrong. Pretty much any you see recommended here will be helpful



That's what I said about 180 razors ago. Be sure to watch out for the various acquisition disorders like:
RAD: razor acquisition disorder
HAD: hone acquisition disorder
SAD: strop acquisition disorder and soap acquisition disorder...

You get the idea. And don't count on anyone here to save you from these maladies as there are enablers around every turn here. Basically, we will help you fall down the rabbit holes every time.

Enjoy your stay and feel free to ask questions because someone is always here to help.

Hi PaulFLUS,

thanks for the encouraging words. I'm pretty optimistic that I'll get the hang of it. Will definitely read the beginner section.

180 razors !? Like...do they have their own room?

But I know how it is. Got about 50 flashlights. With knives and watches I kept it at bay.

RAD? I could see myself owning 5-10 razors, max.
HAD? Well. I have some Naniwas from 400-10K, for razors I might need something to finish.
SAD? I'll stick to what's needed here. I don't see any aesthetic aspects in strops.yet. ;-)

Originally Posted by petercp4e

Hi Matt and welcome to SRP.
Enjoy the learning process and your time here on the forum.

Pete <:-}

Hi Pete,
thank you, I will.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Welcome to our site.

You've gotten some really great advice here.

The only thing I would say is to get that razor honed by a pro who does razors and preferably shaves with one too.

Then I'll second learning to use that strop. Start with a butter knife to learn pressure and position. You can ruin an edge on a strop very easily if you are ham handed with it.

Other than that it just takes practice, a lot of practice.

Hi thebigspendur,

thank you for the welcome. Good idea with the butter knife, I think I will do that. Even though I got two gold dollars coming from china, It might be a better idea to use a butter knive first in order not to ruin the strop.

Originally Posted by STF

I was stationed in Paderborn for 5 years.

Mannheim (Coleman Barracks), 1975/76

This is where they live, most of them at least.

My current rotation lives in a barber's box on the counter next to the sink.

Also, there are razors in various stages of restoration in different places around my workshop.
But even though that sounds like a lot there are guys here who have several times as many as I do.

Also, be forewarned, you will nick the first strop. I don't think I know anyone who hasn't nicked their first one. That's why it's best to get a good inexpensive one. That way you have one that will do the job but will not draw tears if it gets a cut or two. That warning especially goes for heirlooms. We get lots of new members who have received razors or other shaving paraphernalia from a father, uncle, grandfather and even great-grandfather and they want to restore it. Most of us here will encourage them to put it away until they are proficient and even then have it restored by someone who really knows what they are doing. It would be a crying shame to lose great granddad's razor because in your zeal to restore it you damaged it

Welcome to the forum.

Welcome, Matt.
The guys are steering you right so go with what has been said and
BUY MORE RAZORS.
When you have to start a Spreadsheet to keep track of them then you are a newbie. Until then...

Welcome aboard

Willkomen,
Guten rasieren

Originally Posted by matt84

Hi JBHoren,
thanks for sharing! 3" strop is on its way



Hi PaulFLUS,

thanks for the encouraging words. I'm pretty optimistic that I'll get the hang of it. Will definitely read the beginner section.

180 razors !? Like...do they have their own room?

But I know how it is. Got about 50 flashlights. With knives and watches I kept it at bay.

RAD? I could see myself owning 5-10 razors, max.
HAD? Well. I have some Naniwas from 400-10K, for razors I might need something to finish.
SAD? I'll stick to what's needed here. I don't see any aesthetic aspects in strops.yet. ;-)


Hi Pete,
thank you, I will.



Hi thebigspendur,

thank you for the welcome. Good idea with the butter knife, I think I will do that. Even though I got two gold dollars coming from china, It might be a better idea to use a butter knive first in order not to ruin the strop.

I cut my first strop up pretty good but as long as it's not cut in half, they can usually be repaired.

I'm still using that first strop today. It's an English Bridal leather and it's been repaired a few times. It's not the prettiest but it still works well.

@CrescentCityRazors is our resident Gold Dollar expert. Most of the guys will probably warn you off Gold Dollars. Their not great but I got one shortly after I first started learning to hone my own razors to practice on, I have it in my rotation at the moment and it shaves well.

CrescentCityRazors has a foolproof method to hone those GD without expensive stones because you do know those GD's won't be shave ready when they arrive eh and I doubt you want to send cheap Chinese razors that only cost a couple of Marks out for honing. That's assuming you can find someone willing to hone a Gold Dollar, a lot won't.

You have a couple of GD's coming, that's OK but you really should go to our B/S/T (Buy/Sell/Trade) section and get a cheap vintage razor there, you can be sure it will absolutely be shave ready if the seller say's it is and it won't cost an arm a leg.

My guess is that you will be very suprised the first time you shave with an actual shave ready razor.

Welcome to the forum! Nice to see new members from other countries. Looks like you've already gotten good advice.

Merkur 23C was my first safety razor. Unfortunately the plating is coming off now. :/