Thread: Beginner seeking opinion

I have shaved exactly 7 times and so I am quite green at this. I have noticed something that I'm not sure is normal or not hence this post. OK, I bought a "cost effective" razor to start out (not knowing any better), I purchased a Gold Dollar 208. Before anything else is said, I bought it professionally honed and re-worked by Rup Razor. It is sharp, edge is straight, however, after my first couple shaves I'd always notice the blade would pull more and more towards the end which is when I would get the nastiest knicks. I have now developed the habit of stropping after between each section, right, left, and neck. This has improved the comfort of the shave dramatically.
Shave 7 has gone much better than 1, but not yet blood-free as the blade still seems to dull quickly while shaving. My wondering is, could the blade so substandard that I have to strop every step of my shave, or is it that my experience is catching up to create a better shave.
Or in other words, do I have a legitimate argument to bring to my wife in seeking approval in spending $200.00 on a new razor when this whole experiment originally was to save money? Simply put does a better blade equal less blood?

Make sure that your lather isn't drying out. That can lead to the feeling that your razor is getting dull and will definitly cause some bloodletting.

Hi, I can't really comment on stropping between shaving parts of the face (I've never had to do this and for me it would be a bit of a hassle), and certainly go ahead and spend 200 buckeroonies of you WANT to (and are allowed to), but I don't think it's needed. From my limited knowledge (I only have 5 razors and have only been SR shaving for 3 and a half months) and from the advice I've got here the higher prices are not necessarily anything to do with a better shave. My first razor only cost 50 bucks and it's a great shaver (vintage Burrell Top Flight).

Originally Posted by Theseus

Make sure that your lather isn't drying out. That can lead to the feeling that your razor is getting dull and will definitly cause some bloodletting.

Good point Theseus, I had a bit of a rough shave this morning because of my lather being on the dry side. Earned me a little irritation.

From what I saw here, some people got Gold Dollars (or Double Arrows) to shave properly (after some good deal of honing), others didn't. The consensus seems to be that consistency isn't that great on this brand. I have one myself (my grand-grandfather's), but the blade is poorly ground (crooked) and I haven't been able to sharpen it with my limited experience.

But you certainly don't have to spend 200$ on a good razor. With 50-70 or so you can get a good shave ready vintage and over that, a new one if you wish so. It ain't that bad Check the classifieds here, see what you like. Also, for affordable vintage razors and beginner kits, Larry at whippeddog.com has a good reputation here. If you want to buy new, check SRD or other man grooming stores. Oh, and yes, check your lather! Dry lather definitely sucks!

Good luck!

There was quite a discussion/debate about Gold Dollar razors here last year, leading SRP officials to not recommend them as a brand to be sought after by wet shavers. The jury is still out on them, however. As has been said, sometimes they deliver good shaves. Sometimes they don't. The problem seems to be the quality of the steel used to produce them. That's why they don't hold an edge.

That being said, you don't have to spend $200 to get a good quality straight razor. A quality razor can be obtained for less than $100, maybe even less than that. Look in the SRP Classifieds. There are usually vintage straight razors for sale there that won't wreck your budget. There are also razor restorers out there, such as Larry of Whipped Dog or Robert Keyes of Bob's Razors, who offer quality vintage honed straight razors at a reasonable price.

I hope this information helps.

My opinion is to contact RupRazor and discuss the problem with them and see what they advise you as far as using their product.
As far as new razor you can get DOVO Best quality for ~$75 no need to spend a lot of $$ on a new razor. You also have the option of getting a good vintage razor from the classifieds.

My testimony here is this:
I decided to go to the next level, I wanted a good razor, but I had to watch my wallet. Straight Razor Designs offered the Straight Razor Wet Shaving Kit which allowed me to venture into the world of straight razor shaving giving me everything I need as well as a razor that is guaranteed to be shave ready. As a result, I got one heck of a nice kit for well under $200. Plus Lynn stands behind every razor he sells with good old fashion customer service. Guess what, I wanted another razor, where did I get it? Straight Razor Designs/Lynn. Both Dovos I purchased from Lynn have been performing flawlessly for me and I have had no problems with the edges which I maintain diligently.

As for the Gold Dollars, how well are they going to hold up over a period of time? Are they going to be high maintenance? Is the savings really worth it?

Someone in this forum help me here, is a high end razor easier to maintain than an economy razor?? I cannot answer because I have three Dovos.

As a newbie I would suggest you get a vintage razor from the classifieds. Razors from Sheffield, Solingen, US and Sweden are your best bet. There is a Gold Dollar thread on SRP is you do a search. We do not recommend them to to manufacturing quality issues. The cost to repair the issues can meet or exceed the cost of a good used vintage. Some high priced razors may do better than the rest but mostly it is the hot brand name and/or the scale material (eye candy) that bumps the price up. A properly honed razor off the preferred list in the SRP WIKI would be your give you a great start into straight razor shaving w/o question to it's quality or ability to perform as expected. Good luck.

Originally Posted by pmburk

My testimony here is this:
I decided to go to the next level, I wanted a good razor, but I had to watch my wallet. Straight Razor Designs offered the Straight Razor Wet Shaving Kit which allowed me to venture into the world of straight razor shaving giving me everything I need as well as a razor that is guaranteed to be shave ready. As a result, I got one heck of a nice kit for well under $200. Plus Lynn stands behind every razor he sells with good old fashion customer service. Guess what, I wanted another razor, where did I get it? Straight Razor Designs/Lynn. Both Dovos I purchased from Lynn have been performing flawlessly for me and I have had no problems with the edges which I maintain diligently.

As for the Gold Dollars, how well are they going to hold up over a period of time? Are they going to be high maintenance? Is the savings really worth it?

Someone in this forum help me here, is a high end razor easier to maintain than an economy razor?? I cannot answer because I have three Dovos.

I must add to my previous post: I am certain that our other vendors provide their clients excellent customer service too. I was only speaking on the fact that SRD/Lynn is the only vendor I purchased razors from.