Thread: New razor

I have not posted for maybe 1.5 or 2 years now i would guess. Been using a no sharpen razor the whole time, gotten good with it. Well i found myself with some extra money last night, since i now dont have to pay for a wedding. So i decided it was time for me to get a real razor after all this time. Well i played around on amazon browsing, not really decided i was buying one from there, but i found a razor i really liked. It is a dovo astrale 5/8'' with ebony handle. Once i seen it, i had to have it. I researched them a little, and found that they are good razors for beginers, and i know i will still be one going from a no sharpen to a real razor, so i purchased it, with only 2 left in stock. I payed 170 for it. Did i get ripped off or is that a fair price? here is a link to it.

Amazon.com: Dovo "Astrale" Straight Razor, 5/8": Health & Personal Care

I just bought my first too. I love the look of the astral, and actually want one to. Go look at Straight Razor Designs web site. I don't know if this particular razor is in stock right now, but much cheaper price and will come shave ready. They seem to have an amazing reputation, which is why I went there for my first.

Originally Posted by unholyalmond

I have not posted for maybe 1.5 or 2 years now i would guess. Been using a no sharpen razor the whole time, gotten good with it. Well i found myself with some extra money last night, since i now dont have to pay for a wedding. So i decided it was time for me to get a real razor after all this time. Well i played around on amazon browsing, not really decided i was buying one from there, but i found a razor i really liked. It is a dovo astrale 5/8'' with ebony handle. Once i seen it, i had to have it. I researched them a little, and found that they are good razors for beginers, and i know i will still be one going from a no sharpen to a real razor, so i purchased it, with only 2 left in stock. I payed 170 for it. Did i get ripped off or is that a fair price? here is a link to it.

Amazon.com: Dovo "Astrale" Straight Razor, 5/8": Health & Personal Care

If that's the one you really like, I think you were wise to nail it down. There are some extenuating circumstances as described on the Dovo.UK site (italicized below):

Please note: Dovo lead times for replacement stock is now some eight to ten months.There are several reasons for this - last Xmas was unusually busy due in no small part to the Bond film ‘Skyfall’ – featuring as it did James Bond using a straight razor –and this helped to push demand through the roof.

Also, on a sadder note, one of Dovo’s master grinders died suddenly quite recently, and you’ll appreciate that these people are not easily replaced, so the effect is that the waiting time for Dovo razors simply ballooned. We are doing our best to obtain our new stock as soon as possible so please keep dropping in!

NB please DO NOT order from pages that have been saved or ‘cached’ on your computer - bookmarked etc - as this will not reflect current stock levels and can result in out of stock items being ordered.

Always refresh this page before ordering thanks!

What I would do is get the razor professionally honed at least the first time or two before attempting it yourself, so you'll know what a shave ready razor feels like.

Probably when some of these James Bond wannabees find out that it takes practice to learn how to use a straight, some of these will turn up for sale second hand.

But for now, good luck, and enjoy!

I think u did ok, the only thing I would do is have it sent out to b honed.. So u know what a sharp razor is suppose to feel like..

Originally Posted by unholyalmond

... I researched them a little, and found that they are good razors for beginers, and i know i will still be one going from a no sharpen to a real razor, so i purchased it, with only 2 left in stock. I payed 170 for it. Did i get ripped off or is that a fair price?...

It IS a good razor full stop.
maybe the price you paid is a bit high.
eBay | COUPE-CHOUX DOVO ASTRALE DEMI-EVIDE MANCHE EBENE

i can live with the price difference between mine and the one you listed. and i had purchased it before posting. so what i am gathering from the responses, is it will not come shave ready? That sucks i have looked around and there are no honers anywhere near me. So what do i need to do, to get it honed?

A good starting point is to contact one of the members on this site to get your new razor honed to "shave ready".

Member Services - Straight Razor Place Classifieds

You will be very wise to have it honed by a reputable honemeister.

Enjoy your new adventure.

Sunbird

Originally Posted by unholyalmond

i can live with the price difference between mine and the one you listed. and i had purchased it before posting. so what i am gathering from the responses, is it will not come shave ready? That sucks i have looked around and there are no honers anywhere near me. So what do i need to do, to get it honed?

If it doesn't say "shave ready" it isn't. Get it done by one of our members who offer this service (Member Services - Straight Razor Place Classifieds). It will let you see what a shave ready razor feels like.

Ok thank you for the advice and the link. I will contact somone tonight to get it honed. I figure this is something that i need to learn to do.

New DOVOs are not shave ready from factory, nonetheless they are sharp enough and if you strop well (100 very light passes) you can often shave with it. Try, then send it to hone and feel the difference.
Dont't try to do it yourself at once, send it to a professional, then you'll have a reference on HOW shave ready should be when you'll eventually go and hone yourself.