Advice on Hones

**TucoRamirez** · 04-05-2013, 02:46 PM

The 325 plate makes life easier. Sooner or later most of us purchase one

**Double0757** · 04-05-2013, 04:48 PM

Been in Japan, I would get an Atoma 400 or 1200 diamond plate, they are flatter than the DMT325 and both can be used for lapping. The cost is a little more, but you would save on shipping! Double O

**suits123** · 04-05-2013, 05:10 PM

Here is a more detailed description for lapping with sand paper: Hone Lapping 101 - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Just incase you go that way.

**ziggy925** · 04-06-2013, 01:25 AM

Here's a tip: Assuming your new razor is honed and shave-ready when you get it, try shaving with it before you do anything to it. This way you will know how a "sharp" razor feels on your face, and when you do hone it you can judge what kind of a job you did. It's not uncommon for a newbie to strop or hone a blade dull.

BTW, thanks for your service.

**DAHE4** · 04-08-2013, 10:39 PM

The razor I bought is a dovo 5/8. It comes with a kit and says it is shave ready. When it finally arrives in the mail should I just wipe the oil off of it and try to shave my cheeks? Or should I try to strop it first? Being in okinawa I probably have a week before it arrives, maybe even 2 weeks. I am just trying to gain as much knowledge as possible before I even do my first shave.

**SirStropalot** · 04-08-2013, 11:09 PM

Shave ready means it is ready to go. No stropping before. By not stropping you experience a shave ready edge and if the shave doesn't go well you'll know it wasn't the razor. You try to eliminate as many variables as possible in the beginning so that you can hopefully find what needs practice. Just wipe the oil off, or you can rinse with hot tap water to help remove it. Always try to keep water, lather and other rust causing things out of the pivot pin area of the razor.

Who did you get your set from?

Howard

Edit: Here's some good info also. This is Lynn's stropping video and will help a lot I think.

**DAHE4** · 04-09-2013, 03:28 AM

I bought the razor set from amazon. I'm not sure how to post a link from my phone, but it was the only dovo set that amazon had. I ordered from amazon due to the fact I knew for a fact that they ship USPS to fpo addresses. Thanks for the video. I think that will help a lot when it comes time for me to strop for the first time.

**SirStropalot** · 04-09-2013, 03:50 AM

Just a heads up. It may very well be that your razor is coming with the factory edge. There are a few vendors, and, I'm not sure about Amazon, but probably they too are calling the factory edge "Shave Ready". The factory edge is not really shave ready. One way to tell if its the factory edge is if the razor coffin, tin, or however it was packaged at Dovo is still sealed when you get it...then it's their edge. If it needs honed and you can't find someone there that truly knows how to hone a razor, I'd be glad to do it for you and return it via USPS and I'll pay the return shipping.

If you decide to try honing it yourself, use one layer of electrical tape on the spine so you don't get uneven hone wear on the spine.

I'll edit this post in a few minutes with a link to gssixgun's honing videos. He'll have one using your set of hones and they should help a lot.

Howard

Here's the link: http://m.youtube.com/#/results?deskt...l=1&sa=X&gl=US

If it turns out that you do need some help, or would like to have me hone it, you can PM (private message) me by clicking on my user name and then private messages.

**DAHE4** · 04-09-2013, 06:13 AM

I appreciate the offer and may even take you up on it, if it does not come shave ready. After looking at it on amazon, I found that I am only purchasing it through amazon. It is actually coming from vintage straight razor. Is this a reputable company? I will also pay attention to how the blade is packaged to see if it came straight from the factory or not. Thanks again for all the help!

**DAHE4** · 04-09-2013, 10:45 AM

Ok, now I am confused. I looked on amazon again after I saw on here that people didn't have much good to say about the vintage razor company. It says sold by fgp, but under the discriptiin it talks about vintage straight razors. Below is the link to the razor I bought on amazon. Please let me know what you think. DOVO 504B 5/8 Col Conk Straight Razor with Full Shaving Set:Amazon:Health & Personal Care

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