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I am new to straight razor shaving and I have only tried one razor, the one I bought which is a Dovo Stainless.
I know it was described as shave-ready, and that it probably wasn't. I have with me a strop and a yellow coticule.
I know it is difficult to say without seeing, but would any of you think it worth giving this razor a light honing. I have nothing to compare it with. I'm getting a shave with it, but I'm not blown away. Does it hurt the razor to hone unnecessarily?
Ady
It could hurt it if you don't know how to hone correctly. You say it came 'shave ready' and it is shaving. Did it come from a reputable source ? Since you are shaving lets assume that it may not be the razor. Why not work on your preparation and your stretching, blade angle and general shaving technique before you take it to the hone. Stropping is paramount also.
If it was me I would get a full bladed vintage razor or two or three off of ebay or in an antique store to practice honing before I messed with my only razor. Don't expect to be blown away by a straight razor shave in the beginning. When we say there is a learning curve it is the real tip.
Prep or technique are other things that are essential for a nice shaveQuote:
Originally Posted by adydye
It would help to know where did you get the blade...
I got it from www.charlesnicholls.co.uk so I would expect it to be as good as Dovo ship them out.
I bow to you guys' knowledge about the prep and so on and will concentrate on stropping.
By the way, I'm not unhappy with my first few shaves and I'm not expecting to sprint before I can amble.
I read Christopher Moss's pdf guide, and I think that gave me a good grounding.
I really want to hone when the time comes and I am overseas so other razors are not available.
Ady
Not blown away... not sure what this means, but as a comparison, there are many who do not equal as good a shave as they get from a double edge for some time. Shaving with a straight and getting that "blown away" BBS feeling takes good prep, good technique, and time practice and patience.
Unfortunately the only true and accurate measure of shave readiness is shaving hair. Fortunately most have arm hair that can be used as an indicator. Testing shave readiness by any other means is inconsistent at best, and likely to dull the razor IMHO. If the razor is able to shave arm hair cleanly and without pulling, it is most likely not shaving the face due to prep or technique issues (skin stretching is key).
If the coticule has not been properly prepared for use (lapped / flattened), it may do more harm than good. I am not a coticule user, but most all stones need to be lapped prior to use.
My .02 cents
Browsed the site and I didn't find any indication they would hone them before shipping out. Pop them the question to be certain. I'd wager your blade is factory-sharpened.
You could always use the edge as long as it is comfortable (but don't use any pressure. My Grampa used to say the deepest wounds come from dullest blades). Practice your shaving and stropping as long as you can...
When it starts to get uncomfortable, honing comes into question.
Maybe learning to hone yourself might be your best bet considering your location. However, there is always the risk of not being able to get the edge good enough (that's why I said the above comment about using it till it lasts) and having to fall back to sending it out.
It might be worth getting a shave ready razor to compare (wish I'd started with one). Once you know what you're aiming for, your coticule should be OK to practise on. This is a UK site that I can vouch for. Vintage razors pay back more or less what you pay for them too.