Thread: need info asap

i am looking at buying my first straight razor. i found a set on nashvilleknifeshop.com that includes a DOVO high carbon, hollow-ground 5/8 blade and a german strop for 120 bucks. is this a good deal? and also the site offers an option where if you pay 15 more dollars they "pre-hone" your blade. is that they same thing as actually honing? if i select this option will the blade be shave ready. thanks for the info

You might want to think about buying a used razor for your first. Maby you wont feel its for you and then you spend alot of money. But then agian money might not be a problem.

yea i was told that already. i have a friend who let me try his out a couple of times and i feel in love with it. of course i wasnt they smoothest but the dtraight razor gave me a much closer shave and way less irritation than my normal saftey razor. thanks for the quick reply

but do you think that would be a good buy. and if so is pre-honed the same as honed?

Welcome to SRP. Like anything else, there is a learning curve. Read the wiki here, there is a wealth of info. You'll learn to do multiple passes when you shave to get BBS or Baby butt smooth. Dovo is an excellent razor. I have two myself, a 5/8 red, and 6/8 red bismarck. They're excellent shavers. I paid around 100 bucks for them new, so with a strop, I'd say that's a pretty good deal. Pre honing is a must. If your new to str8 razors, you'll want to be able to feel how a properly sharpened razor shaves. I don't anyone at that site your buying from, You may want to ask one of the the guys here that do honing. Look on the bottom of the forums page, you'll see "services" Many of our member here hone blades. Enjoy, Rich

kropy, i got my first blade from nashvilleblah blah blah...
nothing bad to say about them, just don't know about them making it shave ready. i'd say spring for stones as well or borrow them from your friend and do it yourself or have it done by some one here at SRP.

Yes pre honed is the same as honed. Who the honer is makes a difference. You can get one for $75 here honed by Lynn Abrams. For a strop I would look here. You'll never be disappointed with the best.

Welcome to SRP! You can always contact the store and ask who does the honing. If they say it comes that way from the factory, then it's not shave ready. However, I am not trying to discourage you from getting that razor. You just need to be aware that it may not be shave ready and will have to send it to one of the honemiesters to get the edge put on it. As already mentioned there are a few sources to get shave ready razors, although you may have to spend a little extra for the honing depending on where you buy it. You can check the classifieds and the Vendor's Corner forum on this site for your razor. Some of the vendors sell starter kits. One thing to keep in mind is that there no such thing as a beginners razor. Either it's a straight razor or it isn't. As a suggestion you might want to start with a 5/8 or 6/8 round point. You can certainly learn on a spike point, but the round point might be a bit more forgiving.

You haven't mentioned it, but you will need the following as a minimum:

1. Razor (discussed above)
2. Strop (hanginig is the best but a paddle will work too)
3. Shave cream/soap (personal choice)
4. Brush (from under $10 to obscene prices)

Above all, read through site. Especially the stickies at the top of the Newbies Forum, and the Wiki entries.

Hello and welcome to SRP. It sounds like your friend may know how to hone. It makes a difference who hones a razor. If he has experience in honing I would tap him for your first razor honing job. The deal from the store sounds within reason.

bj

Hello Kropy and welcome to SRP, probably the friendliest site on the internet! Listen to these guys, go to the classified section here and buy a shave ready razor from one of the guys there. You can get a good starter razor for about $50-$60. Don't get spike point for your first razor though. That little point can stick you, and being a new user, that's just one more thing you won't have to think about. OLD_SCHOOL and Ronnie Brown have a few razors on the classified's in that range. I'll let you know what everyone has told me here, Take your time and learn to do things the right way and safe way first. Str8 shaving is a very relaxing, enjoyable habbit to get into, so do it right and have fun!