Thread: I made a huge decision ~ and it is your fault!

I put my Birthday Present Order in to the daughters!

I decided to try Straight Razor Shaving. However, the one I want is a bit too highly priced to expect anyone to spend on something that I might not be able to use! Courage needed!

So I suggested a Shavette! Will practise and am studying and studying and studying. I will report back with updates!

A good decision.
I started out on this journey with a Dovo Shavette two years ago and still return to it occasionally for an excellent shave after aquiring some magnificent SR's. Give it a few weeks and I am sure the new SR will be sitting alongside the Shavette! SAD is it not.
Well done

Let us know when you are prepared for your final exam.

It's OK you can blame the new guy.....

Welcome aboard.

I started with a shavette too. But warning... I found that shaving with a real straight was somehow far more forgiving and frankly more enjoyable. Good luck to you but if for some reason you find that the shavette isn't quite what you expected, don't give up hope and tryout an inexpensive vintage

Thanks guys! I read on Amazon reviews the same thing about Shavette/Straight. The chap there said that the Shavette is an ideal 'Training' device and that when he moved on to a proper straight that training made so much difference!

I am not sure re Exam - could take a while!

Re: Sunbird. Funny you should say that ~ I get the feeling from comments from Family that they think the same. Still, what the hell it is a pretty useful hobby and after 18 months of shaving (six months with filtered water) I have had comments about the skin being good!

Originally Posted by EggSuckingLeech

... and try out an inexpensive vintage

I thought about this but the only ones I could find in UK cost as much as or more than a new one - admittedly bottom of the range from the better companies - such as Thiers-Issard. For example there is a Vintage Tuckmar-Tee for £65 and a TI for £83.00 or a Dovo for £65.

Although I would probably go for the slightly higher priced ones at Dovo.

Would a new one from a good make not be better for a beginner like me? Cheers.

I got my first one here. At least you also know that it will come to you well honed and sharp. You can always go with a new one but note that it might not come sharp enough and you will want to send it out to get honed (even the Dovo). My recommendation for a beginner would be to start with a well-honed vintage, a cheap strop and see how much you enjoy it. If you go to that site, you can get a package including the vintage and a poor man's strop and you will be on your way at minimal cost. Again, that's how I started (per recommendations here) and I wouldn't change a thing.

P.S. I have only been at this sport for almost 6 months so I am admitting to you that I feel unqualified to pass along any advice. If someone else more experienced than I has better advice, take theirs

thanks for that EggSuckingLeech but... Whipped Dog are in the States. I am in the UK. The cost of shipping makes it rather uneconomical. We do have a site over here that guarantees that the razors they sell are shave ready.

Anyway I do have time as it will be a few months before I can get one. I am off to Japan later this year for some months plus next month I will be going to Dubai.

I will explore Japanese razors over there. My daughter lives in Japan and is sussing out the market there. Should be interesting.

Originally Posted by Ralpapajan

I thought about this but the only ones I could find in UK cost as much as or more than a new one - admittedly bottom of the range from the better companies - such as Thiers-Issard. For example there is a Vintage Tuckmar-Tee for £65 and a TI for £83.00 or a Dovo for £65.

Although I would probably go for the slightly higher priced ones at Dovo.

Would a new one from a good make not be better for a beginner like me? Cheers.

my first vintage cost £13 inc postage.

great shaver and i still use it, no pitting or anything wrong at all

last one i picked up for honing practise was 25


if you in the uk buy the kit from barber blades for 5-10. or on amazon from barberblades.

i still use this and no problem.


if you like it buy a pair of knipex side cutters for 15-20 to cut de blades in half


much safer than trying to snap them