Getting into straight razors. Looking for a high quality dark brown colored one. Recommendations?

[Ghostgun31]

Hello everybody. New to straight razors and this site here, but looking to join the community. After using disposables for a long time and trying out safety razors, but not really liking them, I've decided get into straight razors and hope that this will be the final form of shaving that I do. I'm the type of person that when I look to buy something that will be around for a long time, I do a lot of research and am willing to pay more for quality. In this case I would prefer a high end razor that I may one day pass down to my son or grandson.

I was quite interested in products from the Art of Shaving until I read three posts and a bunch of comments on reddit which pretty much concluded that their products are overpriced. Seems that the quality and employee expertise is not where you would want and expect them to be after seeing their prices and presentation.

Then I got interested in a Feather straight razor. The one below in particular. Would have preferred a thicker handle, but was willing to overlook that. I've always liked a dark brown color and have an appreciation for wood. Was looking pretty good until I found out that it uses replacement blades instead of having a solid blade. Unfortunate.

https://www.amazon.com/Feather-Arti...1617475932&sprefix=feather+str,aps,194&sr=8-6

Now I'm considering the four straight razors below. As you can probably tell, I like the dark brown wood look. The Dovo Forestal seems like a solid choice knowing how long Dovo has been around. Couldn't really find any reviews much (I mainly look on Amazon) on that specific razor though. Insights?

WCS (West Coast Shaving) is a relatively new company. Any insights on them and their products?

AP Donovan, well I really couldn't find much about this company at all, but the kit together may be the best looking of the four here. The lack of info is suspicious though. Thoughts?

Naked Armor is a relatively new company as well. The Soloman Straight Razor is also very good looking in my eyes. Their own website has this razor holding pretty much a solid 5 stars with 136 reviews, but Amazon has it at 4.2 stars with 288 reviews. Seems like a quite a big difference to me.

Any insights/advice would be greatly appreciated. Or if you have another straight razor recommendation I would definitely be open to suggestions. Thanks

Dovo Forestal 5/8" Red Wood Straight Razor - https://www.westcoastshaving.com/collections/top-10-straight-razors/products/dovo-forestal-5-8-red-wood-straight-razor

WCS Rosewood Straight Razor, 5/8 Carbon Steel - https://www.westcoastshaving.com/collections/top-10-straight-razors/products/wcs-rosewood-straight-razor-5-8-carbon-steel

Razor Set 7/8 inch - mahogany Van Dyke - with shaving brush - https://ap-donovan.com/en/straight-razor-sets/professional-straight-shaving-razor-finest-japanese-steel-with-mahogany-handle-and-strop.html

Solomon Straight Razor | Brown - https://www.nakedarmorazors.com/collections/straight-razors/products/solomon-straight-razor

 

[Tanuki]

Go to Royal Shave now and check out the Dovo Carre, on sale. Like a Bismarck, but selected for a superior grind. I have one and it is a fine, fine razor.

Good enough factory edge that I am trying to use nothing but a diamond pasted balsa strop progression to maintain/improve the edge. I usually finish hone my factory edges immediately after the first shave test. Not the Carre.

Might be too dark wood for your taste.

 

[Straight up]

Ghostgun31,
Welcome aboard the straight razor journey. It is interesting to read that you are more interested in the retailer than the brand. I'm also interested in the fact that you want a particular colour of the scales rather than the quality of the blade. Scales can be replaced if the razor is any good.

Most beginners set their sights on a new razor from reputable companies like Dovo, Thiers Issard, Max Sprecher, etc rather than a retailer like AOS or Naked Armour. I agree AOS is overpriced, but you can snag them on eBay for 1/2 price then dump the horrid stamp.

You have some iffy looking razors in your selection; anything that looks like a pocket knife should set off warning bells. Of the ones you have chosen I think the Dovo might be the best option (Dovo make better - Bismark). I find that shaving sets tend to be poor value for money and are aimed at newbies who don't know what a good razor looks like (no offense intended, we all start somewhere).

If you are looking at using for the rest of your life & passing down (as I am doing) then buy a decent razor. Have a look at the post 'What did you use today' & see what the community is using.

 

[Ghostgun31]

Go to Royal Shave now and check out the Dovo Carre, on sale. Like a Bismarck, but selected for a superior grind. I have one and it is a fine, fine razor.

Good enough factory edge that I am trying to use nothing but a diamond pasted balsa strop progression to maintain/improve the edge. I usually finish hone my factory edges immediately after the first shave test. Not the Carre.

Might be too dark wood for your taste.

Hmm, interesting. Definitely seems high quality. I don't know much about grinds. Looking into that now. Yea maybe a bit too much on the dark side for me haha. Also kind of prefer a slightly more roundish handle. Sorry for the nitpicking. I'll keep this one in mind though. Thank you for the suggestion and insights.

 

[Tanuki]

I followed all four links. Not sure who makes the WCS, but it is probably a fair quality Solingen razor. The Dovo is from perhaps the biggest Solingen outfit. Their least expensive razors are of variable edge quality.

I personally would pass on the Chinese pocket knife/Japanese steel razors. Take a look at The Superior Shave if you want some background on straight razors.

In any case, maintaining a sharp and comfortable edge will be a bigger learning curve than choosing a razor or learning to shave with it. Read up on the straight razor forums here, before you take the plunge.

 

[Ghostgun31]

Ghostgun31,
Welcome aboard the straight razor journey. It is interesting to read that you are more interested in the retailer than the brand. I'm also interested in the fact that you want a particular colour of the scales rather than the quality of the blade. Scales can be replaced if the razor is any good.

Most beginners set their sights on a new razor from reputable companies like Dovo, Thiers Issard, Max Sprecher, etc rather than a retailer like AOS or Naked Armour. I agree AOS is overpriced, but you can snag them on eBay for 1/2 price then dump the horrid stamp.

You have some iffy looking razors in your selection; anything that looks like a pocket knife should set off warning bells. Of the ones you have chosen I think the Dovo might be the best option (Dovo make better - Bismark). I find that shaving sets tend to be poor value for money and are aimed at newbies who don't know what a good razor looks like (no offense intended, we all start somewhere).

If you are looking at using for the rest of your life & passing down (as I am doing) then buy a decent razor. Have a look at the post 'What did you use today' & see what the community is using.

I wouldn't say that I'm really interested in the retailer. The brand is definitely more important. I guess I wasn't good with the communication. The quality of the blade is very important to me. I just never though about changing out the scales, but that is a very useful insight. Thanks! I may very well end up getting a high quality blade and switching out the scales.

I've seen a few posts about Thiers Issard having quality control issues lately. Don't know much about it though. Haven't heard of Max Sprecher. Sorry, new to this world. Let me look them up.

Yea, I was wondering if what I had narrowed down to were good razors or not. Hence the reason I decided to post on here and ask for advice. I had looked over the Bismark earlier and hadn't thought about changing out the scales, but that is an option now. Guessing the Bismark blade is better than the Forestals? Didn't know that about the shaving sets either. Thanks for the insight. I'll probably buy my tools individually and put them together.

I'll check out 'What did you use today'. Thanks again for the advice.

 

[Ghostgun31]

I followed all four links. Not sure who makes the WCS, but it is probably a fair quality Solingen razor. The Dovo is from perhaps the biggest Solingen outfit. Their least expensive razors are of variable edge quality.

I personally would pass on the Chinese pocket knife/Japanese steel razors. Take a look at The Superior Shave if you want some background on straight razors.

In any case, maintaining a sharp and comfortable edge will be a bigger learning curve than choosing a razor or learning to shave with it. Read up on the straight razor forums here, before you take the plunge.

Yea I was wondering how the whole production distribution chain worked lol. Got it. Thanks!

 

[Straight up]

Ghostgun31
You'll probably want a Dutch point on 5/8" or 6/8" as they are 'safer' because the nose is rounded and not square or pointed (Spanish point). Smaller sized razors tend to be easier to use under the nose and are a good place to start. Wood scales are nice, I have a few and had no problems with warping.

I have a few TI razors and never seen an issue with QA/QC, they make a nice razor. But I'm a fan boy so ignore these comments as fan service!

German razors are generally sound performers, razors made in Solingen are generally of good quality. So much so the some might stamp a razor as from Solingen just for the kudos that goes with it.

 

[Tomo]

Ralf Aust is a reputable straight razor maker and Invisible Edge will deliver shave ready. Check out the link below. There are many wood options to choose from that match your so specification. You can’t go wrong with any of these. Just choose something that you like the look of. Do yourself a favor and pick up a strop and some diamond paste in the same order.

Ralf Aust Straight Razors | The Invisible Edge

See our range of Ralf Aust straight razors - based in Solingen, Herr Aust uses traditional tools and methods resulting in a growing fan base.

www.theinvisibleedge.co.uk

 

[Ghostgun31]

Go to Royal Shave now and check out the Dovo Carre, on sale. Like a Bismarck, but selected for a superior grind. I have one and it is a fine, fine razor.

Good enough factory edge that I am trying to use nothing but a diamond pasted balsa strop progression to maintain/improve the edge. I usually finish hone my factory edges immediately after the first shave test. Not the Carre.

Might be too dark wood for your taste.

Hey Tanuki. I understand grinds now, but what exactly is the difference between the Carre's grind and the Bismark's grind? From what I can see, they are both full hollow with carbon steel. Though on Royal Shave's website I don't see it specify which type of carbon steel the Carre is made of. Also not seeing the Carre on Dovo's official site for some reason. Is it discontinued?

 

[Acmemfg]

Looking for a Dovo or have questions about one?
Check out The Superior Shave. Excellent source for Dovos and information about them.

 

[Eastcoast30]

The last two on your list look like junk; the WCS is an unknown maker - questionable. Not every respectable manufacturer will provide a shave ready razor. Some have provided "iffy" grinds. The three I believe to be the most reliable are: Wacker, Ralf Aust and Le Grelot.

 

[Slash McCoy]

The scales are not the razor. The steel part is the razor. The alloy, the heat treating, the grinding and honing. The scales are just the shoes, you could say. Easily changed, and their appearance generally doesn't really matter. Don't be too wrapped up in cosmetic appearance. Pretty don't shave. It just sits there looking good. Like the vintage Jag in your garage that you have worked on for 8 years and driven 30 miles in all that time. Not saying you should buy an ugly razor, only that your preference for a certain look shouldn't override practicality.

Before you even buy a razor, buy a strop. Don't be the guy who has a razor but can't strop it. A TRUE shave ready razor can be used right away. ONCE. After that, you need to strop before every shave. The go-to guy here for strops is @Tony Miller and he can hook you up with something. If he has any of his beginner strops in stock, I would get one of them. Usable quality but expendable, and you are very likely to butcher your first strop while learning. Upgrade later, after you have made your beginner mistakes. Youtube is your friend. Do your research before you do it wrong. Avoid cheap garbage strops and don't touch steel to leather until you thoroughly understand the process. BTW, same goes for shaving.

The Dovo Bismarck and other razors of the same basic profile are a fine way to get started. That general design is very ergonomic. Easy to use, strop, and hone. If it is not made shave ready by a reputable honer then you will need to send it out for honing. Trying to learn to shave with a razor that you are at the same time trying to learn to make sharp, is a recipe for frustration and failure. Many try. Some succeed, most don't. Start with a properly sharp razor if you want to succeed at this. And how do you pick a reputable honemeister? By his own word? His marketing claims? His ego? No, by his reputation in the community, if you are smart. Reputations in our very small world are important and easily damaged, and difficult to repair. Everybody knows everybody. Or at least everybody knows someone who knows any other person. So a well known forum member (not necessarily THIS forum, but yeah, definitely including this one) or someone known to many reputable forum members, is a pretty safe bet. You could try @GsSixgun or @Doc226 or any of several other guys, an sorry I don't really have a list of guys who take in honing. Jarrod at www.thesuperiorshave.com puts a decent edge on all the razors that he sells, and he usually has Bismarcks or similar in stock.

WHen you get your razor, the first question you will have is "Is this thing sharp enough to do the job?" Shaving hair off your arm is how you test your pocketknife, not how you test a razor. See THIS LINK.

The best bang for your buck is a good vintage razor, actually. Picking out a good one online is something of an art, though. But if you are curious, that would make a good separate thread.

LEARN TO SHAVE with your new SHAVE READY straight razor, and once you are a few shaves in, I will tell you how to keep it sharp. No, stropping doesn't do that. It aligns the fragile edge but doesn't remove any steel.

Good Luck, and Happy Shaves.

 

[Tanuki]

what exactly is the difference between the Carre's grind and the Bismark's grind

The story as I understand it: the grinds on those 6/8 blanks with thumb notches (various Bismarcks, the La Forme, the Carre, and others) are the same, but done by different individual artisans. After the grinding and beveling of the blades is complete, they are sorted on quality with the best blades allocated to the more expensive models. Some might even be damaged or rejected on quality - the blanks are not perfectly uniform.

The Bismarcks are well made and very popular, but the other Dovos from that style of blank are a notch or more above. The sale priced Carre I pointed you at is, I expect, a better quality Dovo at a standard Bismarck price. You get what you pay for, but bargains can be found.

Personally, I have a Carre, but I do not have a Bismarck for comparison. My entry level Dovo 5/8 Best Quality (entirely different blank) is fine, but some guys get poorly finished Best Quality Dovos.

There are lots of fine Solingen razors out there. I have too many, but the Carre is the best bang for the buck. I like 6/8 razors and to me the Carre is appropriate for learning. Easy to shave with, easy to strop. Many makers will deliver quality razors from that blank, price and style are considerations.

 

[Tanuki]

BTW, Slash McCoy is an actual straight razor expert, especially about 'The Method' and preparing less expensive Chinese SRs. But what is easy for him will not be easy for you (or me) for a long time!

 

[Slash McCoy]

BTW, Slash McCoy is an actual straight razor expert, especially about 'The Method' and preparing less expensive Chinese SRs. But what is easy for him will not be easy for you (or me) for a long time!

HAHAHA Thanks for that but the reason I do it the way I do it is because I am NOT an expert and can't afford all the expert stuff. A newbie can use The Method and get the same results as me, after a couple of initial attempts, maybe even better than me. But you still need to be able to read an edge and know what a true shave ready edge is like, in order to create one. Sort of like how you have to actually see the Mona Lisa to paint a good copy of it.

 

[Frank Shaves]

I have a Carre. It is my understanding that the Carre is just an upscale Bismarck - as Jarrod at TSS explains it. If you want to spend a little less, get the Bismarck - same blade. The Bismarck (and Carre) is a terrific first straight - great size, round tip and no pesky stabilizer to get in your way when you touch up the razor on your finishing stone (like a Naniwa 12k).

 

[KW Driver]

I just picked up a Ralf Aust, with wood scales that I ordered directly from him. It comes with a shavable edge. He makes a great razor.

I’m not sure TSS is still selling anything these days.

Based on your location, look at Griffith Shaving Goods - The Finest in Luxury Wet Shaving Gear - https://www.griffithshavinggoods.com/ too. He does good honing work if you ask for it.

 

[azwetshaver]

The last two on your list look like junk; the WCS is an unknown maker - questionable. Not every respectable manufacturer will provide a shave ready razor. Some have provided "iffy" grinds. The three I believe to be the most reliable are: Wacker, Ralf Aust and Le Grelot.
View attachment 1246370

These would be my top recommendations. Wacker being my first choice.

 

[azwetshaver]

Welcome to the forum. I would not consider the razors you listed as high end. I would consider the Dovo as a solid beginner's choice. The others I have not heard of. That is not a knock on your choices, just don't want you to believe you purchased a top tier razor and things cant get better. Don't be turned off by a used vintage razor. Once they are disinfected and honed, they are completely safe to use. Some of the best straight razors ever made are vintage.