Noob which GD?

[Mike M]

I am looking at acquiring my first straight razor I was looking at a GD,, now I know the 208 is popular but I was wondering how is the w59 to hone and maybe mod. The reason for wanting the w59 over the 208 is the look, but as a noob would I be better off with a 208 or something else entirely?

 

[trentr]

I am looking at acquiring my first straight razor I was looking at a GD,, now I know the 208 is popular but I was wondering how is the w59 to hone and maybe mod. The reason for wanting the w59 over the 208 is the look, but as a noob would I be better off with a 208 or something else entirely?

Everyone has their own "thing". There is a fellar on here with a 7 day set of w59's that likes to shave with them. The biggest lot of us feel like the w59 looks good in a picture and that is about as far as it goes. I was disappointed in mine when I got it in my hand. Looked better in pic. I did not find it a pleasure to hone, but it was my first smiling razor to hone and I am fairly new to honing period. I really dislike how it feels in my hand. The finger spots in the spine are all wrong.

Again, purely opinion. I would say go with 208 or 66 before w59.

 

[Polarbeard]

I've never owned a 208, but I've had a 59. In my opinion it wasn't what I'd call a good razor and definitely not a razor for beginners due to the very pointed and sharp toe and the short blade. I gave it away to an English member and I hope he doesn't hold it against me. Then again he was well known for trying every odd and potentially dangerous shaving contraption he could find.

You haven't contemplated getting a basic Ralf Aust razor?

 

[Biltong & Boerewors]

Most of us make the mistake of buying something we like the look of as a first razor, instead of what's most practical.

I do own a W59, and it has bitten me a few times. Definitely not for beginners. Easiest razor to learn shaving with is a round point.

Coming back to your thread heading - the best GD to start with is one that has been honed properly by a reliable source. These razors are made from good steel, but poorly made and finished, so it takes a bit of experience to set them up right.

Where in the world are you Mike?

 

[Ravenonrock]

I have two Gold Dollars, a P80 round point 6/8 and a W62 round point 6/8. The steel on both I would consider ok for beginners. I bought them to practice honing on and they both required considerable work to get shave ready. The P80 has clumsy large scales that make stropping and honing more challenging. The W62 has cheap faux marble scales, not quite balanced to the heft of the blade. I think there are other options if you are willing to spend a little more for a shave ready razor that will provide a more enjoyable first experience. It may require patience, but there are some fine shave ready vintage SR's from reputable sellers for under $100.

 

[Eastcoast30]

Ids are not a great choice for a beginner. Getting them ready involves more than honing. Sometimes there are geometry issues that need to be corrected first. There are some on this forum that work with GDs and I am sure they will chime in. If you must get a GD, get one that is shave ready from a reputable seller.

 

[Green manalishi]

I would buy a shave ready vintage razor.In my opinion the Gold Dollar razors feel wrong..They feel huge and heavy to me.The scales can also be lacking.They can be a great template for someone who knows what they are doing,(or is trying to learn)I would not get one as a first..I have one and I got it strait, and just don’t like it in comparison to my other razors.Most of which I bought around 25 dollars.If you do buy one my option would be a truly shave ready 208.But I still think one is better served with a cheap vintage razor.

 

[Legion]

Never tried a w59, but I’ve had good results with the 208. I wouldn’t buy one off the peg as my first razor though. Too unpredictable in the QC.

 

[AdamAZ]

Ralf Aust razors made by Ralf Aust and that come initially honed by Ralf Aust are particularly shave ready and one can basically get an outstanding functional razor for not more than a GD after having paid someone to get it in shave ready condition. I would recommend simply skipping the lower grade Chinese steel razor and getting something that you will not readily outgrow. You should be able to get a synthetic handle really fine knife for around $135 or a finer scaled version for around $200. Either way you will not be lacking in quality and will be assured to get something that is not flawed by a mass producer.

From the six that I own it is apparent that he takes a lot of pride in his productions. My recommendation would be a 5/8" or 6/8" round point to start with.

 

[Slash McCoy]

The 208 is very popular. I like the P81 better. Less heavy lifting needed, to make it shave. I do not care for any of the "W" series models. Recently I received a couple of 300's in stainless steel and they seem rather nice, and like the P81 they have no stabilizer. I am also partial to the 800. The grinding is not anything to write home about but better than the smaller model numbers. The 900 is top of the line but costs too much IMHO. The 900, 800, and 300 are sort of scarce out there but the P81 isn't so hard to find. I would keep a lookout for the 800 or 300, but in the meantime grab a P81 or two. A couple of 208's if you can't find P81s at a good price, or if you just don't like the two dimensional cutout scales of the P81. The 208 has the checkerboard pattern applique over ABS scales. Grinding is usually not too bad.

But here's the thing. You need to start with a shave ready razor, learn to shave and learn how to recognize a shave ready edge. Then you can learn to hone, after you have that experience and when your razor gets dull through use. Typically the recommendation is to start with TWO shave ready razors. When one gets dull, send it out for honing, and shave with the other while you wait for the first to get back to you. After that, when #2 gets dull, try your hand at refreshing the edge with a finisher. I know that sounds backwards, and you want the egg before the chicken, but that doesn't usually work out very well. You want to get the razor, "sharpen" it, and then shave with it. Trust me, that is the hard way, the frustrating way, and the way to probable failure and giving up. Further, you can't trust anybody online just because he says (or SHE says!) he is an expert at straight razor shaving and honing and will send you a true shave ready razor. You need to verify that seller here or on another forum. The other option is to line up someone who will hone your Gold Dollar for you as soon as you get it. GDs are regarded as being a lot of work to hone, so most guys will charge extra for honing a GD and many won't touch one.

By whatever means, you need to start with a true shave ready razor, whether new, or vintage. If you find a seller of GDs you can trust, well and good, but it is possible that a GD for your first razor just isn't in the cards.

BUT, if the seller can be trusted to sell you a razor that is true shave ready and not just internet shave ready, it doesn't matter all that much which model you get, and the humble GD66 will work just fine, and is cheap. Same with the Gold Monkey 666 or 777 models. Dirt cheap. Once they are well honed, you don't care how hard it was to set the bevel. It is done.

Once you are an experienced shaver and have learned to hone, sure, go nuts. Buy a whole bouquet of Gold Dollars. Maybe in time for next year's mod competition!

 

[Eastcoast30]

Ids are not a great choice for a beginner. Getting them ready involves more than honing. Sometimes there are geometry issues that need to be corrected first. There are some on this forum that work with GDs and I am sure they will chime in. If you must get a GD, get one that is shave ready from a reputable seller.

That's GDs and not Ids above, sorry.

 

[rbscebu]

I'm the bloke with the matching seven-day set of Gold Dollar W59 straight razors and enjoy shaving with them. I would never recommend them for a beginner. Only consider them once you have truly mastered SR shaving. Even the, it will be another learning curve to become proficient in shaving with one. I found that the W59 request a LOT of work to get it shave-ready to my liking.

I have also purchased a few Good Dollar 208 SR's. They are more friendly to a beginner than the W59. The 208 still requires work to get it shave-ready, but only a normal amount. For me, the downside of the 208 is the lightweight ABS plastic scales. They can be easily deformed when closing the blade such that the blade's edge catches on the scales - thus damaging the edge.

The lightweight scales of the 208 also throw the razor's centre of gravity out, which I find quite noticeable when shaving. Most SR's when opened 180° balance at about the pivot pin. The 208 balances at about the shoulder of the blade.

 

[Mike M]

Thanks all, I think I shall have to rethink my entry into SR shaving