Thread: Newbie - graduating from Parker SR1 - need advice how to proceed ...

Straight razors will never be as sharp as disposable SE or DE blades.
So, be prepared for a big disappointment when you finally get your Dovo Str8.
I have finally settled on a Merkur Futur with Feather DE blades. It is much more satisfactory (for me) to shave with it than with my collection (yes, I went a bit overboard ...) of str8s.
The str8s are toys and conversation pieces, BUT your shave will NEVER be as easy and close as you get with the Merkur Futur; in addition it will take you a while to learn how to properly strop and eventually sharpen a str8.

Good luck,
johnp

Originally Posted by johnp2343

Straight razors will never be as sharp as disposable SE or DE blades.
So, be prepared for a big disappointment when you finally get your Dovo Str8.
I have finally settled on a Merkur Futur with Feather DE blades. It is much more satisfactory (for me) to shave with it than with my collection (yes, I went a bit overboard ...) of str8s.
The str8s are toys and conversation pieces, BUT your shave will NEVER be as easy and close as you get with the Merkur Futur; in addition it will take you a while to learn how to properly strop and eventually sharpen a str8.

Good luck,
johnp

That's only a little bit of malarkey. Will a straight be as sharp as a feather blade...... Could be close... Is a straight smoother than a feather blade.... Damn right! Can you better control your angle of approach and pressure with a straight, and therefore can get CLoSER more satisfying shaves..... With practice! If a great shave in a couple tries is what you want stick with a DE.... As for it being a conversation piece, I think you would find people to be more interested if you bought a nice vase and plopped it on your coffee table... Then when people come over they'll say hey, nice flowers! Bc I think you'll find 9/10 people don't care that you shave with a straight or a DE or whatever... Once hair removal comes up in convo with the general public, you'll see what Kind conversation piece you have one your hands... Once and a while you'll find someone who will think its neat, but most people are confused why you don't just shave with a Mach 5000.. IMO if you new a razor to help you have a conversation, then you may want to focus on joke telling, cooking and just being a good friend as the razor convo surely will only get you so far!

As for a reply to the OP, to be helpful, I prefer a dovo, but there are some really nice TIs out there too, each maker has pros and cons but all in all your looking at good razors if you opt for either brand. The one suggestion I would make is that you consider a 6/8. I find the slightly larger blade goes a long way in the cream removal dept. I recently picked up a dovo flowing which has a really nice hand feel to it, fill hollow 6/8... It's nice. Check it out!

As always to a new guy, good luck, don't believe everything you read online, stick with it, report back in when u get the real hang of it! If you don't know what in talking about now, when it happens you will.

Originally Posted by johnp2343

Thanks for your input and hoping to become a regular member of this site.

John P.

Welcome to the site and I would recommend the TI, great shavers, though as already mentioned DOVOs are good too. I just prefer the TI blades.