My Brand New SR Arrived Today - What Do I Do Next?

[Vaporstang]

I receive a brand new DOVO Full Hollow Carbon Steel 5/8" "Best Quality" today! Like the title says: what do I do with it next?

I assume first I have to clean off the oil. Next do I try shaving with it with a back-up at the ready in case it is not sharp enough? Do I strop it first? Do I strop it with paste first? Hone it before doing anything?

Background: I am not in a hurry right now (although anxious to try it). I am new to SR shaving and have been learning on a shavette. I have not mastered it yet, but have made great strides. I think it is best for me to master this razor a little better first before expanding. (I also have a used SR that came "shave ready" that I have used for a partial shave - part of the reason I decided to keep things simpler for now. But I can use this for practicing honing...)

Thanks!

 

[GreazyThumbs]

Strop it and test shave. See if it is sharp enough. Do you know who sharpened it?

Sent from my VS996 using Tapatalk

 

[Vaporstang]

It's brand new from the factory.

 

[GreazyThumbs]

It's brand new from the factory.

I have heard mixed reviews of their edges from the factory. The only dovo I had was sharpened by the seller. Should probably be good. If not one of us here can put a new edge on it for you. Share your results post shave.

Sent from my VS996 using Tapatalk

 

[Vaporstang]

I have heard mixed reviews of their edges from the factory. The only dovo I had was sharpened by the seller. Should probably be good. If not one of us here can put a new edge on it for you. Share your results post shave.

Sent from my VS996 using Tapatalk

I'll try stropping it first and see how it goes from there. Thanks!

 

[rbscebu]

STOP! Factory sharpened SR's are rarely "shave ready" although you could be lucky. If you are not familiar with propper stropping, you could ruin the blade's edge.

First thing I would do is:

Do you have a fine finishing whetstone or fine lapping paper? If so, use a marker pen (e.g., Sharpie) and mark the full length of the blade's bevel both sides. Similarly mark the blade's spine both sides where it would contact the whetstone or lapping film. Providing you know the basics of honing a SR, now give the blade 2 or 3 VERY light laps on the finishing whetstone.

Now look at your blade. Where there is still ink from the marker pen means that that part did not come in contact with the whetstone or lapping film. This could mean that your whetstone is not truly flat and/or your blade did not have its bevel properly set. If this is the case, properly flatten your whetstone if using one and/or reset the bevel on your blade and progress through honing to achieve a proper shave-ready razor.

If all is OK and you know how to properly strop a SR, now strop the razor on a clean strop and try a single WTG pass shave. If you do not know proper stropping, do not strop the razor and try a single WTG pass shave.

 

[macintoshBR]

My advice is to perform a hanging hair test and just shave with the razor and see what you get.

if satisfactory, continue to use it normally with only stropping and begin to learn how to maintain your razor in shave ready condition (check for example 1um Lapping Film)

if the HHT is good and the shave is not, it could well be your technique is still developing, keep going slowly.

if both are not satisfactory STOP and follow above post’s recommendations

 

[LJS]

Just strop and see if it shaves well. Often not the case from the factory. They set an edge and it will shave....but not comfortably without some better honing.

 

[Straight up]

Send us picture, it's always nice to see a 'fresh' razor.

I'd give it a strop first (always strop before using) and a with the grain pass on the cheeks. See how it goes.
If it's not great, maybe it needs a honing.

 

[Vaporstang]

STOP! Factory sharpened SR's are rarely "shave ready" although you could be lucky. If you are not familiar with propper stropping, you could ruin the blade's edge.

First thing I would do is:

Do you have a fine finishing whetstone or fine lapping paper? If so, use a marker pen (e.g., Sharpie) and mark the full length of the blade's bevel both sides. Similarly mark the blade's spine both sides where it would contact the whetstone or lapping film. Providing you know the basics of honing a SR, now give the blade 2 or 3 VERY light laps on the finishing whetstone.

Now look at your blade. Where there is still ink from the marker pen means that that part did not come in contact with the whetstone or lapping film. This could mean that your whetstone is not truly flat and/or your blade did not have its bevel properly set. If this is the case, properly flatten your whetstone if using one and/or reset the bevel on your blade and progress through honing to achieve a proper shave-ready razor.

If all is OK and you know how to properly strop a SR, now strop the razor on a clean strop and try a single WTG pass shave. If you do not know proper stropping, do not strop the razor and try a single WTG pass shave.

Thanks for the instructions. I think I am okay with the stropping part. If it needs honing, I will have to take a step back and do some research and get a proper stone. I have another razor that I would "experiment" with first.

My advice is to perform a hanging hair test and just shave with the razor and see what you get.

if satisfactory, continue to use it normally with only stropping and begin to learn how to maintain your razor in shave ready condition (check for example 1um Lapping Film)

if the HHT is good and the shave is not, it could well be your technique is still developing, keep going slowly.

if both are not satisfactory STOP and follow above post’s recommendations

I had to look HHT up - I will give it a try. Thanks!

Just strop and see if it shaves well. Often not the case from the factory. They set an edge and it will shave....but not comfortably without some better honing.

Thanks!

Send us picture, it's always nice to see a 'fresh' razor.

I'd give it a strop first (always strop before using) and a with the grain pass on the cheeks. See how it goes.
If it's not great, maybe it needs a honing.

I need to get some photos of my den! Especially since I enjoy photography.

 

[steveclarkus]

I’ve had two factory finished razors, a new Boker and a NOS Bengall. Both were actually shave ready. After the first shave with each, I just did my normal “finish” routine and never had to reset the bevel and do a complete honing routine. Just strop and shave with it and see what you think. Since you’ve been using a shavette, you are accustomed to ultra sharp so don’t expect that kind of edge. I would also recommend lapping film to learn to hone. It is a very trouble free method.

 

[allyourbasearebelongtous]

if you got a razor with a factory edge thats shave ready out of the box, you should run to the bodega and buy a lotto before your luck runs out.

 

[Brutus]

Some people will tell you that Dovos leave the factory shave-ready and quote a video by a gentleman (merchant) who demonstrated a single pass shave with a factory-new Dovo after the the Dovo salesman had told him new Dovos left Solingen shave-ready.

All I can say to that is that “sheave-ready” is one of those subjective definitions in straight shaving and that one’s “shave-ready”, brand-new Dovo is another man’s butter knife.

For someone new to straight shaving I can only suggest to have a new Dovo brought up to a truly shave-ready condition by someone who knows what he is doing.


B.