Just got my first straight razor...

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This is my first post here and I am completely new to using a straight razor. After doing some online research, I decided to invest in a Dovo straight razor and a Kanayama strop. I just received them and started using it after watching some YouTube videos.

My first shave was a bit rough. I had not shaved in 3 days and the razor was painfully tugging away along my face. So I used the strop, however, I did not notice any difference. I ended shaving with a disposable razor. I am not sure what I was doing wrong. I was expecting a much smoother shave - at least better than the disposable twin-blade razor.

I just ordered a set of Norton sharpening stones after watching another YouTube video. Does the Dovo straight razor come ready-to-use? Or does it require sharpening first?
 
This is my first post here and I am completely new to using a straight razor. After doing some online research, I decided to invest in a Dovo straight razor and a Kanayama strop. I just received them and started using it after watching some YouTube videos.

My first shave was a bit rough. I had not shaved in 3 days and the razor was painfully tugging away along my face. So I used the strop, however, I did not notice any difference. I ended shaving with a disposable razor. I am not sure what I was doing wrong. I was expecting a much smoother shave - at least better than the disposable twin-blade razor.

I just ordered a set of Norton sharpening stones after watching another YouTube video. Does the Dovo straight razor come ready-to-use? Or does it require sharpening first?
Welcome to TSR.
Well I see this all too often, it seems a lot of razors purchased including Dovo's will need some form of honing from the get go before they will be up to a standard fit for shaving.
It's great that you are jumping in with both feet and are learning to straight shave, strop and use a full set of stones all at once.
If I was you I would get a vintage razor on the cheap and practice on that with your new set of stones and once you have mastered the stones you can then hone your Dovo without risk of doing any damage.
Or in the meantime you could send your razor off to have its bevel set and honed and start to learn how to shave with a shave ready razor.
On the other hand your razor could have been sharp enough and through lack of skill you failed to get a good shave from it, then there is the Stropping, many a good edge has been ruined by the incorrect use of a strop.
A member on this forum who has forgotten more about straight razors than I know is @Fergiebilly , I'm sure if you had a chat to him he would put you on the right path. Good luck with your Dovo and your straight shaving. P.
 
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Dovo Razors are NOT Shave Ready from the Factory or Most UK Vendors..I Can Tell You this One as You Describe it is Not Shave Ready..It Needs Honed..I Would Suggest You Got it Honed..You Dont Know what an SR Shave Ready Edge Should Feel Like..So Attempting to Hone it Without Shaving Experience is a Big Shot in the Dark..:)

I Have Honed More Dovo Razors than I can Remember for Folks..If You Want a Superb Edge Put on it PM Me..Just PM You..:D

Billy
 
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None of the Dovo razors I've bought have been shave ready.

Two had good bevels set and were close but needed refreshing with a high grit stone and paste, but I chose these by checking that there was no warp and with a loup in the shop.

At least one (bought through Amazon) had a serious bevel problem.

I would suggest getting your razor set up by a well reputed honemeister. Shave with it the first time after you get it back without stropping.

I would also suggest getting a paddle strop. It is far easier to avoid mistakes with these.

If you are jumping from a modern multi blade razor to a straight, and depending on the type of edge put on it, you should think about reducing hair with each pass rather than shaving right off in a single pass.
 
Thanks all for your replies. So it does require honing. That's something I need to learn how to do. Maybe I will find another straight razor to practice with. I think there is a sticky on honing here that I will read next.
 
@Fergiebilly,
I purchased a set of Norton water stones that includes four grits: 220, 1000, 4000, and 8000 along with a flattening stone and a bonus DVD on sharpening. I have read the sticking on hones. It stated "A rough rule of thumb is for the next hone to be approximately twice the grit rating of the last stone." Do you recommend my buying additional stones with other grits to fill in gaps of the series that I just purchased (such as 600 and/or 2000) or stones with a higher grit (such as 12000 or 16000)? Or will my set suffice?
 
Thanks all for your replies. So it does require honing. That's something I need to learn how to do. Maybe I will find another straight razor to practice with. I think there is a sticky on honing here that I will read next.
in the meantime why not have Billy hone your Dovo and you can be learning to shave while you are learning to hone.
I send Billy all my straights to be honed and he will put a fantastic edge on it, his prices are very reasonable too. He has been honing razors for years and is held in high regard here. P.
 
@Fergiebilly,
I purchased a set of Norton water stones that includes four grits: 220, 1000, 4000, and 8000 along with a flattening stone and a bonus DVD on sharpening. I have read the sticking on hones. It stated "A rough rule of thumb is for the next hone to be approximately twice the grit rating of the last stone." Do you recommend my buying additional stones with other grits to fill in gaps of the series that I just purchased (such as 600 and/or 2000) or stones with a higher grit (such as 12000 or 16000)? Or will my set suffice?
The 1000 or 1K Stone for Bevel Work..A New Dovo Does Not Need a Lower Grit Hone..I Would Recommend a Naniwa Super Stone 12 K for Finishing..Superb Stone..Probably has Around a 14 K Finishing Capacity in Reality in the Right Hands..95 % of the Work or the Magic Happens on the 1 K Bevel Hone..o_O

Billy
 
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There are a number of things you need to teach yourself and this can quickly become overwhelming and expensive if you try to take them all on at once.

Each skill you need to learn is an accomplishment in itself and fun to learn. Last year I got a friend shaving and these were how they broke it down:

1) Learn to strop. Do this before you put the razor to your skin. Bad stropping can round the edge of the razor and blunt it. Watch some videos and practise the movement with a butter knife on your leg.
2) Learn to shave your cheeks. These are typically the easiest and least sensitive parts of your face. If you are going to learn a modern style get used to using both your hands. Use a shave ready razor from a respected source.
3) Learn to build a good lather for straight shaving. This is typically slightly thinner than a lather for a safety razor. You will find this helps cutting the hair.

At this point you will be at a point where you know what it should feel like when everything is working correctly.

4) Start to learn shaving the rest of your face WTG and XTG.
5) Learn to refresh your blade. You have a couple of options. Paste or lapping film. For 20 years all I knew was how to strop with and without paste. Research Chromium Oxide and diamond pastes.
@Fergiebilly provides the best advice on lapping film that I have seen anywhere. Search this forum for posts on it.
6) Learn to sharpen your blade. There are a couple of methods. If you search for videos on refreshing and making blades shave ready you will see methods using a combination of synthetic stones and paste or natural stones. As per the advice above the Naniwa 12K is the best option. Don't make the mistake of getting another make with the same supposed grit rating - it won't be and will give different results.

You only need to set the bevel and take it through the various levels of sharpening / polishing once. If you get someone experienced to do this for you, skills 1-6 will see you through for the rest of your life, unless you damage the edge. Some razors come from the factory with a good bevel and can be set up with just 6 and 5 above. It's worth learning how to inspect a bevel and tell if a razor is warped or not.

Of course by this point, you will have invested so much time and developed so much skill that you will probably want to complete your knowledge and learn to set a bevel and an edge to your own personal tastes.
 
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Thanks all for your replies. So it does require honing. That's something I need to learn how to do. Maybe I will find another straight razor to practice with. I think there is a sticky on honing here that I will read next.
The level of honing depends on whether factory bevel is good and whether the razor warped in manufacture. If you have a good factory bevel then you might get away with stropping with pastes. I have a Dovo that only needed that, but generally they need more work.

You are far safer relying on the skill and knowledge of someone with experience to set up your first razor. Then you have a benchmark to work against when you start honing yourself.
 
The level of honing depends on whether factory bevel is good and whether the razor warped in manufacture. If you have a good factory bevel then you might get away with stropping with pastes. I have a Dovo that only needed that, but generally they need more work.
I agree, but untill you become proficient at honing you will not be able to tell how much work a razor may need. This was the reason I suggested having the razor looked at by someone who knows what they are doing in the meantime and that way the OP will have a shave ready razor to use untill he can hone his honing skills ( pun intended )
:) P.
 
I agree, but untill you become proficient at honing you will not be able to tell how much work a razor may need. This was the reason I suggested having the razor looked at by someone who knows what they are doing in the meantime and that way the OP will have a shave ready razor to use untill he can hone his honing skills ( pun intended )
:) P.
100% agree with you and have amended my previous post to reflect that.

Yours is definitely the best advice.
 
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