Thread: Opinions?

Originally Posted by Howard Newell

So what you guys are saying is that both razors are of good quality and will provide excellent shaves no matter what?

In all likelihood, IMHO.

X

I would say Hoppe after a couple of razors then start working on getting a few of the more expensive ones. On the TI I have a silver steel and prefer the Dovo Micarta over it. Just started saving your going to want one of each sooner or later.

I have no experience with the Hoppe but I am the direct opposite of the previous poster. I have the Dovo and a TI Silver Steel. The Dovo doesn't even come close to the comfort of the TI. Weird, Straight Razor Shaving is truly a personal thing. One person likes this type of razor the other person hates it.

Did you do this on purpose, Howard? Ask RichZ, he'll say the Dorko.

Heh heh, no I didn't do that on purpose. I just wanted to know if one razor was slightly better than the other. That's all. I think I'm going to go with the German razor just because I don't actually own one yet and I think it'll be a nice addition to have.
That is of course unless someone has a truly compelling reason for me to own the Thiers-Issard :-D!

I bought a German Hoppe in the late summer, or early fall, when John was still honing for free. I bleached the edge for a few seconds and the edge was definitely far from shave-ready after that. I will assume it was the bleach, but have seen multiple complaints here or B&B that the honing is not quite up to par.

That said, I at first did not care much for the Hoppe, thinking it must have been cheapo for a reason. As my shaving and honing have improved, though, I find that it actually gives me among my most comfortable yet closest shaves. I has a thin blade, very nearly singing. I found that early in my straight shaving career (I'm still early) that singing blades had difficulty cutting through my tough chin hairs. Now, this and my singing TI 6/8 both give me great shaves, only requiring a second pass. These blades really need to be super sharp and the shaving angle needs to be just right, and both these qualities took time for me to develop.

In sum, the Hoppe is a great razor, at a great price for NOS. The scales and ornamentation are not as much fun as the TI but the shave is roughly equivalent.