Thread: Which razor?

Originally Posted by gugi

As far as the feather recommendation goes, I've bought those twice and sold them twice (at 40% to 50% loss). It's the best shavette type of razor, whole different class than the rest, but it is nothing like a straight razor. It is really well made tool, it is very efficient, but the feel when shaving is completely different. If you want the proper straight razor experience a Feather shavette is not going to provide it.

I disagree with this. I started with a Parker and transitioned to a straight and am VERY glad I did. I was able to focus on technique with a sharp blade (plus it taught me what sharp really is) without having to 'send it out' to pay someone to sharpen it to eliminate that aspect from the equation. There are also some very different 'feels' when it comes to straights. My Parker weighs the same as some 4/8's that I have. Since the OP question isn't about shavettes though I would agree with Wade and just get them both! If you can't afford both right now then one at a time starting with the cheapest as they are both great razors.

If you must get one of those two razors and it was me choosing I would just do a coin toss. I do like the shoulder less design of the blade on the palisander but the scales are just plain wood nothing special. They don't look bad and overall the look is appealing.

The first razor I bought was a dove shavette. It did fine for the time being and learning how to shave and what not without having to learn stropping and worrying about messing up the edge. However, saying that I don't think that it is to big of a deal to just get a true straight. You can learn stropping pretty easy without messing up the blade just remember slow is smooth, smooth is fast and be conscious of what your doing when you flip the razor.

Having said all this, my favorite razor was free. My second favorite razor cost me 10 dollars my third and fourth both 25 including a Dubl Duck satin edge. My least favorite razor (not saying that I don't like it just saying that it doesn't perform like the others) is my $180 Dovo Pearlex. It is my only modern production razor and I can tell. It hones up just fine and shaves real nice but there is a "feel" to it that my "cheap" vintage razors don't have. Its almost like after I am done shaving it is just scratchy. I don't get that feeling with my vintage blades. In fact I don't get any thing from my old blades just buttery smoothness. Something to consider before you buy. I won't lie, even though I will never get rid of my dovo, I regret not going the vintage razor route first. I, like you just wanted a new razor that I could start my shaving legacy with.

Originally Posted by cosperryan

If you must get one of those two razors and it was me choosing I would just do a coin toss. I do like the shoulder less design of the blade on the palisander but the scales are just plain wood nothing special. They don't look bad and overall the look is appealing.

The first razor I bought was a dove shavette. It did fine for the time being and learning how to shave and what not without having to learn stropping and worrying about messing up the edge. However, saying that I don't think that it is to big of a deal to just get a true straight. You can learn stropping pretty easy without messing up the blade just remember slow is smooth, smooth is fast and be conscious of what your doing when you flip the razor.

Having said all this, my favorite razor was free. My second favorite razor cost me 10 dollars my third and fourth both 25 including a Dubl Duck satin edge. My least favorite razor (not saying that I don't like it just saying that it doesn't perform like the others) is my $180 Dovo Pearlex. It is my only modern production razor and I can tell. It hones up just fine and shaves real nice but there is a "feel" to it that my "cheap" vintage razors don't have. Its almost like after I am done shaving it is just scratchy. I don't get that feeling with my vintage blades. In fact I don't get any thing from my old blades just buttery smoothness. Something to consider before you buy. I won't lie, even though I will never get rid of my dovo, I regret not going the vintage razor route first. I, like you just wanted a new razor that I could start my shaving legacy with.

+1. Couldn't have said it better. My "least used" straight is my brand new dovo and my "most used" is a 100+ year old sheffield razor I picked up for $27.00 and I just hooked my friend up with a nice shave ready $17.00 razor that he uses all the time.

Originally Posted by Steel

I disagree with this. I started with a Parker and transitioned to a straight and am VERY glad I did. I was able to focus on technique with a sharp blade (plus it taught me what sharp really is) without having to 'send it out' to pay someone to sharpen it to eliminate that aspect from the equation. There are also some very different 'feels' when it comes to straights. My Parker weighs the same as some 4/8's that I have.

The fact that you started with a Parker shavette and found that helpful does not make the way they shave comparable to a straight razor.

I would submit that your disagreement about the difference is likely a result of very limited experience.

I have orders of magnitude more experience than you with different straight razors (over thousand compared with about 10 for you), and did have that when I experimented with different types of shavettes.
It is not about just how you hold your shaving tool and its weight - a thin factory sharpened and polymer coated blade held in a holder has a very different feeling when shaving from ANY straight razor.

After about 3 months of experience with a few regular straight may be it all seems the same to you, but it isn't. Notice the person who agreed with my statement - he also has years of experience with at lest dozens (I think though hundreds) of razors.


I often wish people would read the preceding posts and pay attention to what is being said instead of blindly pushing their latest 'revelation' onto everybody else regardless of whether it is applicable to the situation or not.

I started out with a shavette and for my personal experience I am so grateful I did. It is true that once you do a shavette and a real SR shave you can feel the difference. Is it an earth shattering difference, I think not. But that just my opinion. A Shavette allowed me to truly focus on my technique and I feel that it has paid off greatly. A true wet shaving/SR shaving regiment can be a long process with a lot of steps(very fun) but long none the less. So I felt not over loading my plate with all that at once was great..,

Some people will say that shavette angles are different than SR angles and I would agree. But with that being said shavette razor angles are much more forgiving. I found it takes a bit more negligence before they will bite you. I used a shavette for a year, and now been using an SR since December. I am yet to cut myself with my SR and I do attribute that to my use of a shavette razor.

I dont know what it is, and I'm sure imma get some kind of backlash for this, but man Gugi sounds very condescending to me when he speaks to those with less experience and it really rubs me the wrong way.

I have been given so much great advice here but the way you go about it is border line rude. I sure your knowledgeable far beyond me but Im no fool when it comes to social interaction and communication and being an admin here I would think you would set a lil better example.

Originally Posted by dexter90723

I dont know what it is, and I'm sure imma get some kind of backlash for this, but man Gugi sounds very condescending to me when he speaks to those with less experience and it really rubs me the wrong way.

I have been given so much great advice here but the way you go about it is border line rude. I sure your knowledgeable far beyond me but Im no fool when it comes to social interaction and communication and being an admin here I would think you would set a lil better example.

Well, sometimes I get fed up reading BS and end up making rude posts. I know that beginners are more enthusiastic than knowledgeable but I don't think that should be an excuse to push everybody else towards their latest preferences.
I just read two more completely false statements that all Dovos shave the same from the cheapest to the most expensive, and that the expensive TIs shave way better than the cheapest.

The Bergischer Lowe Dovo is their most expensive one (they no longer make the MOP and mammoth one) and shaves nothing like any other currently produced Dovo, Boker or TI. It is a lot more like a vintage Dovo than a current production razor. I haven't shaved with every Dovo model, but I have with about ten of them, and if you look at my earlier post I explained how they group.
I have also tried about ten of the current TIs and the most expensive ones do not shave significantly better than the cheapest ones. I still have one or two of their most expensive ones (from the limited editions) basically because I like the looks, but none of them shaves like the Bergischer Lowe Dovo so may be one day I'll get rid of them. I do have about 5-7 vintage ones though which I am not planning to part with.

If I get down to my top 10 best shaving razors, the've cost me between $20 and $500. But there is no $150 razor that you can just buy which would be comparable to any of them. You get lucky and happen on such razor for $10, or you can spend thousands chasing them.
The $20 razor was made around 1830 in Sheffield, it has ivory scales no hone wear and takes as sharp of an edge as those feather professional blades. I've parted with it only once to a custom razor maker who asked what is my magic formula for honing it (there is no magic, the razor simply supports that level of sharpness remaining buttery smooth while most razors do not).

Originally Posted by gugi

....... I know that beginners are more enthusiastic than knowledgeable........

NAILED IT

Gentlemen, we are ALL here to learn and enjoy the art, the practice, the truly divine nature of the straight razor shave. Had I listened to Ivan years ago I would have saved a ton of money chasing razors...(although he did turn me on to John Barber and Heljestrand...which I am eternally grateful!)

Originally Posted by gugi

...

If I get down to my top 10 best shaving razors, the've cost me between $20 and $500. But there is no $150 razor that you can just buy which would be comparable to any of them. You get lucky and happen on such razor for $10, or you can spend thousands chasing them. The $20 razor was made around 1830 in...

And this right cheer folks is why i have 30-ish vintage blades i'm working through, and don't care what name is on them or how wide/curvy/sleek they are - what shaves best _is_ best. Personally don't have any interest in a "modern" blade, too much old steel needs love.

When posting here becomes ad hominem, as it so often does in HHT threads, it's time to go do something worthwhile. Me, I'm going to go get my tires rotated.