Thread: Help Me Decide

I'm about to take the plunge and I would appreciate the wisdom of the forum members to help me decide on a new razor. A little background on me. I have been shaving with electrics (blasphemy!) for many years (norelcos and most recently a panasonic vortex). I am starting a new job with strict grooming standards and I'm looking for a better shave to deal with my inherited coarse facial hair that seems to give me 5 o'clock shadow at 11:30.

I have pretty much decided to start out with a brand new razor although I have read about the merits of vintage blades. I am looking at a TI Supergnome and a Dovo "Silver Steel" with ebony scales. I searched the forum for info on what exactly "silver steel" was, but I'm still a little confused. Is it stainless? Whichever one I choose, I will pay to have it "shave ready". What are the merits of each razor? Thank you for any help. I'm enjoying learning about this subject. Neal

I do not have a TI, but my three dovos are awesome! Be sure to get a larger blade for your courser beard. 6/8 or up. God bless and I hope this helps.

I believe Silver Steel is a term used for high carbon steel. I have both Dovo's and TI's, and love them both. I also have a number of vintage razors in my rotation. Of them all I'd say I prefer my Dovo Bergischer Lowe, and my vintage Puma's the most. Also, once you have the blade honed you'll want to learn how to maintain the blade and hone it yourself. A good strop is a must also. Hope this helps.

I'm not much help when it comes to new razors, because I don't have any, but I did want to chime in with a little advice.

If you have strict grooming guidelines to meet, using just a straight may not give you the close shaves you need until you get good at it. I don't want to discourage you; I'm just pointing out that there is a bit of a learning curve. Once you have a few weeks of shaves under your belt it should be no problem, but you might not be able to get close shaves daily right away. I hope you stick it out though, and I wish you the best of luck.

Thank you for your advice. I'm leaning toward the Dovo along with a starter set of supplies from Vintage Blades. I betting that after a few shaves, the straight razor will still be closer than the electric.

I can't comment on the TI as I don't have one (Yet!) but you can't go wrong with a DOVO.