Thread: First shave today...

I purchased a Dovo Shavette, to begin with, and a beginners kit " art of shaving ". What a smooth shave, a few knicks but very enjoyable. Getting the right hand position will take some time, but practice makes perfect :-) I am sure after a period of time I will want to upgrade to a better razor, but for now still learning. Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

JimBob

Hello JimBob, it's been a little slow on the forum the last few days, sorry for not welcoming you sooner. Holidays most likely. Ive never used a Shavette, but quite a few of the members do. I'm pretty sure, if you hang around on the forum, it won't be long before you'll want a standard straight razor. It kind of gets addictive. Known around here as RAD & HAD (razor acquisition disorder and hone acquisition disorder.) Watch out for the signs of it, it's a terrible affliction. Probably not more than about 97% of us have it. Anyway, welcome to SRP and enjoy the ride. If you havent read through the wiki, its a great place to start. Frequently Asked Questions - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Best Regards, Howard

Congratulations!

I started shaving with my Shavette about 1-1/2 years ago and upgraded to a real str8 a few months later. I actually found it much easier to shave with a real str8 than with a Shavette. If I had it to do over again, I would have started with a round point rather than a spike point, but I think my experience with the Shavette helped immensely in handling that. Good luck on your journey!

New Member from MN

Thanks for the response's. Your right and am looking to get a Str8. Sure didn't take long to figure that out. Now what kind?

Welcome aboard! Best advice is to visit whippeddog.com, which is run by SRP member LarryAndro (Larry Andressen). He has some wonderfully restored straights at bargain prices. I think I paid $35 for the Eyre 4/8 barber notch. My best suggestion would be to look for a round tip, as a spike point (square tip) can be far too unforgiving for a beginner.

Welcome to your new obsession!

Welcome to the forum JimBob. Don't hesitate to ask questions as they come to mind. The Wicki suggestion is a good one. You will find a lot of information to help you. You can find some very nice razors in our classified section for you to consider. Our host here, Straight Razor Designs has some starter kits to begin your journey and they will be happy to answer your questions as well.

Dovo Best Quality is a good start. They have shave ready kits on Straight Razor Designs.

Since the prices are so low now may I suggest you acquire 2 razors?

Most of the vintage razors have already been sorted out and the guys offering them thru the SRP Classified ads have a reputation to maintain. That should give you confidence.
StraightRazorDesigns.com currently has the best offer on the Internet for new razors with free honing for life. A very valuable offer.

Spike point vs round point......not such a big deal really. The point on the spike point can be dulled if that concerns you. Size...make sure it is a 9/16, 5/8 or a 6/8 width.

Ho Ho Ho.. Santa is coming early this yr. and bringing a Boker King Cutter.( from SRP ). This will be my first str8, not counting the Savette. Really looking forward to using it !!

My first shave with a straight razor, and it was great... This is the first time I strouped, (guess that is how you say it ) Read a lot about it and I think I did it right, I could hear a high pitched sound, hopefully that was supposed to happen.