LTSO (Looking to show off) Bergischer Lowe with amazing scales

[vmathis12019]

This is one of two I picked up today and holy cow this thing is a beauty. Just wanted to share the droolz.

[Crusader]

That hing is a beauty! If I may ask. How much, where purchased and the stats please.
I am looking to get my first sr and would like a nice one . TIA

[Recluse]

That is one fine looking razor.

[vmathis12019]

I was gonna move this to the show and tell, but since this is here, I'll leave it. Mods if you see it, newbie mistake, and please move it!

That hing is a beauty! If I may ask. How much, where purchased and the stats please.
I am looking to get my first sr and would like a nice one . TIA

This is a Dovo Bergischer Loewe with buffalo horn scales, a 5/8 Full Hollow ground (what most of us use most often) Carbon steel blade, and all of the beautiful 24K gold plating hanging out ont he spine. There are no file jimps, but rather a band of some sort of plastic/rubber synthetic material for grip. No idea if it works, as I've yet to shave it, but it feels good in a dry hand. I've seen people be able to pick them up on sale or second hand at a huge discount (a fellow on here bragged on a 140 USD acquisition. No idea if it was new or not, but the scales don't look like the buffalo horn on the current production model). I don't buy used cars because I don't like the idea of someone farting in my car seat besides me, and I don't buy used grooming products for essentially the same reason. Just my own preference.

I paid 285 USD from The Superior Shave. I have an American address in Germany, and their Google based shopping cart didn't take kindly to it, but a quick phone call and the order was placed and shipped within 10 hours. Great customer service and no BS approach to selling straights over there. I like 'em. Some don't, so it's all about how you like to do business. Shipping was free and it took 7 days to get here. Not bad. It's 2pm here, so I haven't yet shaved with it, but everything I've bought from them has come more or less acceptably honed. I'm nit-picky, so I usually take them straight to a diamond pasted hanging strop, chrom oxy linen, then 70 clean linen-100 leather non-pasted. I do this for every razor I get new, though, and if you're looking for a place that sells a razor actually "Shave-Ready," TSS is about as close as I've seen. You'll get a satisfactory shave from anything they sell you with nothing more than a good stropping. Another nice touch they offer that I haven't seen anywhere else is that if you buy a product with natural materials (i.e. wood/bone/horn scales/handle) they will list their items individually so you can see which EXACT piece you are getting. That's how I found this one. They tend to price them based on uniformity and matching scales (so this one was cheaper as the scales are not uniform in appearance on both sides). Perfect pieces tend to be priced more expensively. It's a technique, and one I personally appreciate.

Some people make the argument that you shouldn't buy a super nice straight as your first shaver. I strongly disagree. The idea that SR shaving isn't "for" everyone is ridiculous, and a big up-front investment is more motivation to keep you going until you get good at it. My first cutter was a Dovo Meister. Beautiful, and with strop, brush, stand, all of the pre/post shaving accoutrement, I was in for well over 350$ before my first shave ever happened. And brother, it was a TERRIBLE shave. Had it been an eighty dollar vintage resto... I probably wouldn't have stuck with it. I'm an Army officer, so shaving everyday isn't up for discussion, and it was a ROUGH several weeks before I really got the hang of it. Go all or nothing, IMO, and the Bergischer Loewe is probably one of the most classically elegant ways to do it.

[bongo]

Classy !!

[BobH]

Congrats, I have always liked the looks of those.

Bob

[vmathis12019]

What is this photo-flipping wizardry?

[Birnando]

My very first straight was a Bergischer Löwe.
I got it cause I thought it was a real looker.
That is how I still see it

[Pkp1903]

I have had this razor for a year or so and I give you 1 VERY important tip on the care of this specific razor. The black rubber band will loosen and slide around, this is not a bad thing. You will want to push it forward after each shave and dry underneath it and oil it very well. I had rusting start under the black rubber band in less than 24 hours. I now push the band forward, oil from toe to tang, and let the band stay pushed forward close to the blade until my next shave with it. I would hate for you to get rust as quickly as I did (luckily it came right off) by not knowing how to work that rubber band.

I have also read several posts where gentlemen will actually remove the black band due to fear of/history of rust in this particular area.

[funtown]

Not my thing personally, but that is a work of art. Enjoy that baby!