Thread: Dovo and Rough Rider...dynamic duo?

I have a Dovo Classic and a Rough Rider Black Widow that I use almost daily. I have honed the Rough Rider to a 17.5 degree inclusive with a 20 degree micro bevel and it shaves extremely well (surprisingly, as it is a soft 440 stainless). I can perform a hair drop test and it passes with flying colors. The reason I paired these two up is to show people thinking about getting into shaving with a small budget, that you don't have to go out and spend 300 dollars on a razor. If you take the time to learn how to hone and maintain an edge you can take a sub 20 dollar Chinese razor and make it perform just as good if not better than that of one 30 times the cost. This isn't to discourage anyone from purchasing a work of art such as a Dovo but if you're just getting started I would highly recommend purchasing a cheaper one. Not only to save cost if you don't in fact like it, but to learn how to effectively bevel and maintain your razor. Yes, a cheaper razor will require more maintenance..Yes, you get what you pay for..But I think we should drop the notion that one should have to spend absurd amounts on razors just to find out they don't really like it. Buy an inexpensive razor..maintain it...learn the intricacies of the steel..strop it...and enjoy it knowing you've only spent a small amount on it. To me, that makes shaving all the more gratifying and rewarding..knowing that you took a cheap razor that most people would scoff at, and made it not only shave ready, but a comfortable shave as well. Hope this was helpful and encouraging for someone who is considering getting into straights. Although they look high end..they don't always demand high end prices!😁

I'm not sure where you get the idea that it is common practice in this forum to recommend a $100+ current production razor to new straight razor shavers. What is clear to me is that this misconception has colored your view of us as evidenced by your highly confrontational posts and flirtation with getting banned. Even this last post is confrontational in its condescending and preachy style.

What you will find, should you choose to do some research before posting more nonsense, is that what we by far and away recommended to new shavers is to get a decent vintage razor that has been properly honed - with the suggestion of looking in the forum classifieds for one. For those who prefer to buy a new razor to start with, the recommendation is to buy from a reputable vendor who offers true shave-ready razors. Often times the new shaver asks about the more high-priced models with fancier scales, etc., and you find that we almost universally will try to steer them to a basic model to learn on.

Nothing gets up peoples noses more than a newly signed up member who barges into a forum posting crap based on unfound prejudices and/or outright ignorance except perhaps a deliberate troll. I am still undecided which of these categories you fit into.

It is advised to start to learn shaving with a shave ready razor which doesn't necessarily mean expensive. I have no knowledge of the rough rider, but I have seen numerous new members trying to learn on so called RSO's that will never take an edge suitable for shaving.

Geez man can't you just recommend Gold Dollars like every other Anti-Establishment agenda driven newb ???

I mean really they are cheaper and they actually have a HT and Temper that can be honed, and pretty correct geometry after some small fixes ..

Those Rough Riders are serious junk, nothing from the scales to the HT to the geometry is correct.. At least $2 spent on a GD with some minor work and honing will get a real straight razor..

And PLEASE check the prices of of Old World SR's if you paid $300 for that Dovo Classic my friend you got taken big time

Would also argue with a dovo being a work of art, custom such as Koraat, Livi, Brown etc are more works of art. A dovo is a mass produced decent/good quality razor.

Also what you will need to hone such a cheap razor will be a lot more expensive than buying a decent razor to start with.

What point are you trying to prove?

So in short your suggestion is:
1- Buy from eBay a questionable new razor in the $5-20 range.
2- buy at least $100-150 worth of hones.
3- try to hone said razor with said hones.
4- most likely struggle to get a Shavable edge for a long time.
5- try to shave with said razor.
6- end up here asking questions about why they are having trouble.

Of course for some people this outcome won't eventuate, they may already have a set of nice hones, they may have enough patience to teach themselves, but the razor may still not hold an edge.

I tried not to respond to this post, but:

First, I'm not sure if you wrote this wrong or not, but I don't think that blade geometry makes any sense. Even if it did, it wouldn't make any sense for a razor.

I have honed the Rough Rider to a 17.5 degree inclusive with a 20 degree micro bevel

Second, the general thrust of your argument seems to be that a newcomer to straight razor shaving could invest several hundred dollars in stones and invest a considerable amount of time learning to hone blades in order to save money by buying a $20 razor with inappropriate steel, instead of just spending $100 for a good razor that has been professionally honed. Do you actually think that is sound advice?

"No amount of money spent on a stone can ever replace the value of the time it takes learning to use it properly." Your quote couldn't have summed up the point I'm trying to get across any better.

Nothing confrontational about this thread whatsoever. I'm trying to rid the notion that all straight razors have to be some unattainable, ridiculously expensive, lost art that everyone I talk to imagines it to be. I simply stated that I was able to turn a cheap (most say unusable) razor into something comfortable to work with and a joy to use. And the enjoyment of doing so makes it all the more gratifying .

You can get a Japanese wet stone for under 20 dollars...same applies for a strop..or hell, use the edge of your car window that works too. Point is, everyone I try to persuade to try straights has this preconceived notion that they have to go out and but an expensive razor..when in fact it's quite the contrary. It's pretty cool to take something most people would call useless or a "decorative piece" and make it useful. I have Dovos, a Bison, and a Grim..I love them all, but 1300 dollars is a lot of money for shaving products.