Thread: Gold Dollar razors

Now in all honesty I used to collect gold dollars. Granted they were issued by the us mint but gold dollars they were and I was paying $335 an ounce for them at that point, my dad convinced me not to sink my savings into them......... the one time I shouldn't have listened to pappy! Now as for the brand in question I have a junk box I keep such razors in as they come to me. A cold dark place..... occasionally I offer them for free to customers just starting out. Usually those customers don't even own a strop when they buy a razor so I try to convince them to practice stropping technique prior to doing it to one of my edges!

On one hand I'm sorry I started this thread, but on the other hand, I learned some things.
I have a Dovo and Ralf Aust to shave with. I have honed the Dovo once.
I would rather not beat the snot out of either of these razors to perfect my honing techniques.
What I have learned here is that 'grinding' will be needed on the Gold Dollar to sweeten the shoulder, and maybe some straightening.
Once it is fixed to where it lays on the stone nicely, the honing practice can begin. It may never become a decent shaver, but maybe I'll become a decent honer.
Also, this junker will be a good test bed for replacing scales. Drilling, shaping, peening, etc. that need to be done at least once before attacking a more valuable piece.
So, for $11, I'll have some fun and will try not to be discouraged by keeping in mind what I'm working on.
Thanks for the help fellows.

For $6US to the front door it has been a good practice razor for me. Before I damaged strop and face trying to learn. I butter knifed the GD and learned to strop with it so as to not damage strop. I use it to practice left handed grips and strokes to become two handed shaver. I've dropped it and banged it. YIKES!! I learned to tighten the pins with it. It has paid for it self ten times over as a practice tool. (^8

I will get a couple more when I graduate to learning to hone touch up and bevel setting.

Being new to SR shaving I find them an inexpensive learning tool for many purposes.

Originally Posted by Neckbone

On one hand I'm sorry I started this thread, but on the other hand, I learned some things.
I have a Dovo and Ralf Aust to shave with. I have honed the Dovo once.
I would rather not beat the snot out of either of these razors to perfect my honing techniques.
What I have learned here is that 'grinding' will be needed on the Gold Dollar to sweeten the shoulder, and maybe some straightening.
Once it is fixed to where it lays on the stone nicely, the honing practice can begin. It may never become a decent shaver, but maybe I'll become a decent honer.
Also, this junker will be a good test bed for replacing scales. Drilling, shaping, peening, etc. that need to be done at least once before attacking a more valuable piece.
So, for $11, I'll have some fun and will try not to be discouraged by keeping in mind what I'm working on.
Thanks for the help fellows.

My first razor was a Dovo "Best." I have honed that thing to death, but it still looks great if I can say so myself. . Tape was my friend.

All joking aside (I am not advocating you don't practice with your Dollar), but because I practiced on my Dovo so much, I have gotten to know the razor really well. So much so, whenever I get a new rock I use my Dovo on it first. Its my benchmark razor .

Had I practiced on my Dollar maybe I would have learned faster .

Glad this worked out well!

Have fun, I hope you enjoy learning with it.

Some people swear by them, others swear at them.

I avoid them not because they are cheap, but because they're inferior as far as I am concerned. I recommend others avoid them as well, but ultimately everybody makes their own decisions and lives with the consequences.

I am certainly happy to not have to deal with these razors ever again, not with their dc-styled grind, not with their aesthetics suitable for 4-year olds' artwork exhibit, not with their shaving prowess which sets a benchmark for the 5% of the hundreds of razors I've tried (the bottom 5% that is).

I know that I will never convince those who think they are great shavers - may be I am just a bad honer I still don't care for them even if they shave like filarmonica (I'd still pay the few hundred for a real filarmonica).
But, cheap is cheap and for the right price lots of things can and get overlooked (that is after one knows enough to recognize overlooking is in order).

This is not unique for the gold dollar razors - I see horrible razors posted here all the time and they get tons of 'should be an easy fix' from guys who've never fixed such a razor. Sure, doing lots of work is 'experience', but I've always found learning from other people's mistakes, whenever possible, the smarter way of learning.


In any case the OP already ordered his razor after the first few responses, so he will find out soon enough if he did well or not.

Originally Posted by Christel

Glad this worked out well!

Should you wish to purchase another, you can pick one up for less than $11:
Barber Salon Stainless Steel Blade Straight Cut Cutter Hair Shaving Razor Shaver | eBay

I hope the ebay link is ok, it's a buy it now price to linking to it won't bump up the price and it seems a shame to spend more than you need to on a Gold Dollar.

Have fun, I hope you enjoy learning with it.

links to active listings are best placed in the auction talk section of the forum, might want to edit and repost there

I've honed a couple modified GD razors and while they took a usable edge I too avoid them. Something that needs that much work to use isn't my idea of a good deal.

Originally Posted by Wid

I've honed a couple modified GD razors and while they took a usable edge I too avoid them. Something that needs that much work to use isn't my idea of a good deal.

there good for honing practise though. not like it will bother you if you kill it

Originally Posted by sharptonn

I almost think some do it on purpose and stand back to laugh!

I call this "throwing a hand grenade into the room" I have never done this myself