[skaios]

Hello everyone,

I have been reading about straight razors and watching videos about them for a while now. I have shortlisted a few things that I felt would be good to start with. I would be very grateful if you could provide some inputs.

I do not have the budget to go all out. But from what I read I realised that it is the sharpness of the blade and its maintainence that makes or breaks the experience rather than how expensive a razor might be.

I found a website called Knives at Knife Center that seems pretty affordable.


The razor
DOVO Black Handle Best Value 5/8" Straight Razor Full Hollow Ground

The strop
Jemico DOVO German Razor Strop 13" Rindleder Leather Single Sided

Strop conditioner
Jemico DOVO German Razor Strop Leather Conditioner In Small Tube

I understand that honing is an essential part of the process. Is there one particular stone that would help me maintain the razor or would I have to buy a whole assortment of them to keep it sharp?

I absolutely love the concept of shaving with a straight razor and I am delighted to have found this forum.

Thanks.

Regards,
Harsh Shah

[matt]

The razor looks fine, I started straight shaving with the exact same one, just remember to get it honed. I am not sure about the strop. If you can look up Tony Miller at thewellshavedgentlemen.com. For a little less than twice the price of the Jemico you could pick up one of his starter strops that will for sure fit the bill for a good strop. Maybe someone else will chime in about the Jemico, I really don't know much about it but all the rave here for strops is Tony miller.

[dward]

Harsh, you eventually need a leather conditioner. But you shouldn't need it for a new strop purchased from a reputable vendor. You didn't mention shave soap/cream. Very important item.

[ben.mid]

Hi,
Great razor, but no matter how much you strop it, it will need honing first. I'd get it done rather than doing it yourself. It'll be done right & give you a benchmark for how it's meant to be, & it'll save you having to buy stones for a while.
I have a Jemico, though it's the one with the padded leather handle & it's very good. I can't compare it to a Miller, but that's a fantastic price (especially by U.K. standards).
As for the strop conditioner, if you're like me, you may need it after you've had to sand the nicks out of the strop while learning, but it's not really essential. I've used hand cream with good results.
It's great to master, so take it easy & persevere!