Hi from Bridgwater, England

Well, not only am I new to straight razors, but I'm new to web forums - last thing I posted had a stamp on it.

What can I say? Years ago, I dallied with the idea of a straight razor. I pressed my nose against the glass of tobacconist's windows - can you find a more eclectic shop than one selling cigarettes, sweets and razors? I drooled over cracked-ice scales and gold-leaf blades. I asked my barber (the great and sadly now retired Paul of Torquay for whose haircut a 400 mile round trip was a small price to pay) in whom I place an absolute trust and who'd cut my hair since the dawn of time. He told me, "don't! You'll cut your face off!" Well, actually, he didn't quite say that, but it was his shop, we knew each other well and he wasn't constrained by forum rules...

I kept to this advice for a decade until I broke. Well, I got fed up with Fisher Price designed cartridge razors. I decided that, perhaps, if I pointed at them in supermarket aisles and laughed (I mean, some take batteries for goodness sake), maybe I shouldn't be buying them any more!

I had a look at a proper razor in a local bricks and mortar shop, frightened myself and ran away. However a couple of weeks of reading this website, practising with a shavette and not winning ebay auctions for vintage "shave ready" beasties, I went back to the shop and exchanged hard cash for rather harder and colder steel.

I am now the proud owner of a Dovo "Prima" with ebony scales and a deep violet pencil tin to put it in. After a weekend of obsessive shaving, I do need to break it to my razor that, yes, there is someone else, my fiancee, with whom I need to spend some time too! After all, if my razor is unforgiving, it is only my face it will cut-off...

Mind you, I can't help thinking:

1) it ought to be a little bit sharper;
2) my chin ought to be a different shape;
3) I ought to try a second-hand shave-ready beastie honed to perfection by someone who knows his stuff;
4) that I want every razor I see!
4.5) I even want to learn how restore and hone the sad, unloved ones.

I'd really like to thank the contributors to this site and its founder, especially for (but not limited to) the super beginners guide, which must be the sine qua non for thousands of new straight razor users.

Welcome to SRP!
A very entertaining and amusing first post:)

I suspect your razor could use a proper honing. Very often, the factory edge leaves a bit to be desired.
In England, I'd personally send it out to Neil Miller at the strop-shop.co.uk, but there are many others as well.

Your chin will soon yield to the mighty straight razor, just give it a bit of time:)

Enjoy your stay here, we are thrilled to have you joining in.

Any questions, feel free to ask:)

Weeza,

Welcome to SRP. Pleased to have you aboard!

Birnando offers sage advice. There are many different ways to "skin a cat" even a cat that looks and shaves like a straight razor. Consult the SRP Classifieds. You may find an individual close to you who would be ready, willing and able to hone your razor to perfection.

Take care--and smooth shaving.

Welcome tp SRP.My chin used to be the wrong shape too :-)

Wezza,

Welcome and hello from Hastings :)

WRT honing of your razor, we are well blessed with skilled honers in the UK; to name a few :

1) Mr Neil Miller (www.strop-shop.co.uk - hand made straight razor strops, razor pouches, shaving accessories, vintage razors, razor honing and restoration)

2) Mr Gary Haywood, who specialises in honing on coticules (he is a member here at SRP)

3) Mr Steve Dempster (Introduction to razors)

Have fun !

Best regards

Russ

Hi Wezza, and welcome! Sounds like you chose a challenging blade to learn on. The Prima Klang is an extra-hollow, singing blade, right? I think you'll find just about every other blade more forgiving than this one. As others have said, it's likely that your factory edge isn't fully up to snuff. And as you suspect, you should have a second blade in the house so you can still shave while the other's out for honing.

Your compassion toward the unloved blades is moving, and widely shared here.

Best wishes to you.

Wow, thanks for all the encouragement and advice. I think I'll persevere with the blade as-is until it bites before I send it for honing. Good practice I reckon. Really grateful for the recommendations.

Anyway, if the blade is a bit fierce and fighty, it is my fault for being too impatient - I'd finally resolved to buy online on what must have been the day the excellent InvisibleEdge website (the very same as recommended by PhatMan) closed for a holiday. I contained myself for a few days, but it was no good. Golum like, I traipsed into town, coveting my precious in the shopses because the websiteses were closeded! Why had I taken so long to get myself together? I can only think it was the subliminal message I was picking-up in the website name between the "b" and the "d"...

Roughkype will be pleased to hear its a "Prima" "Silver Steel" (which I understand sounds infinitely posher than it is). Full hollow and no more, for which my chin (still there) is thankful.

Cheers!

Hi Wezza, Congratulations on your purchase and well done for getting past the scary first shave :D

if you feel its not sharp enough as everyone has said theres plenty of places in the UK that can do a better job than the factory to sharpen it for you, for another recomendation, i bought a Kobar razor from ebay that was already very sharp and would shave well, but to make sure i sent it off to

Introduction to razors

it came back and is now scary sharp :D for the money ( i think it was under £20 iirc) its well worth doing!

congrats again and i hope you have many happy blood free shaves :)

kris