Thread: New Beginnings :)

Originally Posted by BHChieftain

Hi,
I got my starter set from Vintage Blades-- they sell a nice combo kit which includes a new Dovo razor (honed by Lynn), a strop, a mug, and a puck of soap. I chose the Dovo 5/8 full hollow round point. I have several other razors now, but I use the Dovo just about every other day-- it is a real nice blade.

Vintage*Blades*LLC*::...

-Chief

Thanks a bunch chief that's exactly what I was looking for.

If you hone knives you'll at least have some idea of the qualities of a good hone or a bad hone unlike me. And yes honing a razor is completely different, but heres what I"m getting at. Barber hones are a crapshoot, and as soon as a "gem" is found, the prices go sky high. So I would suggest maybe buying one, testing it, reselling it, buy another test, resell, etc. At the end of the day, most of them are good, just some are apparently better. That's what I'm gonna do. But razor honing is completely different and quite complicated/needs practice, so I would recommend just starting with a honed razor and strop and picking up the hones once you've got the other stuff down. (very steep learning curve, take baby steps lol)

Welcome I know there is a lot to learn but it's a must to for the art of str8 shaving.There are good starter sets reasonably priced or you can pick and choose to suit your needs. You're right, your Sharpening stones for knives at best might be used to set the bevel on a blade (Probably your finest knife stone) You can get a razor professionally sharpened for about 20 bucks and once it's sharp it can be maintained with a Barber's hone (8K grit or better) and a strop.
Straight Razor Design has a set you could check into
Dovo Best Quality Black 5/8 Straight Razor Set - $159.99 : Straight Razor Designs, The Finest In Gentlemens Shaving And Grooming Needs

Again welcome don't forget this is nothing like any shave you've had before. It will become much better.

You're right, there is a lot of information, but don't let it overwhelm you. It's much simpler than it sounds.

Get a refurbished Solingen or Sheffield blade from the classifieds or a reputable eBay seller like altima55 for your first razor. A pasted paddle with 1µ and 0.5µ paste on opposite sides is likely your best way to keep that razor going until you're ready to step up your honing. Straight Razor Designs has some really nice looking strops.

Get going!

X

Thanks a lot for the support everyone this is going to be a blast.