Nubie

[Roske]

Hi started shaving with straight, have used DE for years. Purchased a GD. Seemed sharp, polished with 12K but don’t get a shave as smooth as the DE. Any suggestions

 

[Afoshie]

I personally dont like gold dollar. It takes practice. And a well honed razor

 

[Joshua223]

If it a factory edge I would make sure the bevel has been set properly. I wouldn't trust a factory edge on a GD. What kind of 12k are you using?

 

[Roske]

Shapton

 

[Twelvefret]

Hi started shaving with straight, have used DE for years. Purchased a GD. Seemed sharp, polished with 12K but don’t get a shave as smooth as the DE. Any suggestions

May be your technique, but also it may be the razor.

All of my razors are vintage used and abused found at auction. Not a one of them have not been shave worthy after a progression of films, stone, and chromium oxide pasted suede and 200k diamond paste on a piece of balsa wood.

Very good razors can be had for less than $10. If you find one send me some photos in a private message and I'll give you another set of eyes.

Congrats on your SR journey.

 

[Ice-Man]

Hi started shaving with straight, have used DE for years. Purchased a GD. Seemed sharp, polished with 12K but don’t get a shave as smooth as the DE. Any suggestions

Gold dollars are fantastic razors,
They just need some work but it depends what Gold Dollar you have. Is it a 66 if so they all need some work to get them shave ready but once they are they do hold a very good edge.....

But most of all we need to see pics we love pics in here....

 

[Namkcakram]

You’re trying to learn about 3 serious skills simultaneously here.

I’d say get a pro honed razor and focus on the shaving and stropping for a bit. Personally I’m not a GD fan, plenty of better vintages for a smidge more money.

 

[Twelvefret]

You’re trying to learn about 3 serious skills simultaneously here.

I’d say get a pro honed razor and focus on the shaving and stropping for a bit. Personally I’m not a GD fan, plenty of better vintages for a smidge more money.

Or less....LOL!!

 

[HazMat Shaver]

I'm with the last two posts. Sure, A GD can work, but so many others will work so much better for learning with. The 66 needs a lot of work by a pro before you can make it hone properly.

 

[Namkcakram]

Or less....LOL!!

MUCH less when you factor in labor required to get it shaving well if you apply any value to your free time.

 

[Slash McCoy]

Hi started shaving with straight, have used DE for years. Purchased a GD. Seemed sharp, polished with 12K but don’t get a shave as smooth as the DE. Any suggestions

Which model? There are Gold Dollars, and then there are Gold Dollars. You can't compare a W60 with a model 66. For that matter, you can't compare a 1996 to a 66. The #66 can indeed be honed to shave ready condition. It is not something a newbie should expect to be able to do, though. A well modified #66, once set up, can be honed to as high quality an edge as the best razors. An out of the box, stock GD66 is not so difficult to maintain in a shave ready state, once it has been set up by someone who knows this razor and is not bashful about getting it done by whatever means necessary. The higher model numbers within the classic lineup are more or less progressively easier to set up. The 1996 is not in that line and is a much easier razor to set the bevel on. The "W" series is still another lineup and these razors have a very acute bevel angle compared to the others, and are much more comparable to entry level razors from the major makers. My W60 as I recall would shave right out of the box, though it was nowhere near Method Edge sharpness. However there was no major impediment to honing, and the resulting edge was delightful.

Vendors often sell Gold Dollars and list them as "shave ready". That does not mean that they fit your or my definition of shave ready. Doesn't even mean that it will shave at all. YMMV. Buy "shave ready" razors from a trusted vendor and it will at least shave, if you do your part. If you want astonishingly sharp, you need to learn to do it yourself, but a genuine shave ready edge is very nice to start off with.

 

[Roske]

Which model? There are Gold Dollars, and then there are Gold Dollars. You can't compare a W60 with a model 66. For that matter, you can't compare a 1996 to a 66. The #66 can indeed be honed to shave ready condition. It is not something a newbie should expect to be able to do, though. A well modified #66, once set up, can be honed to as high quality an edge as the best razors. An out of the box, stock GD66 is not so difficult to maintain in a shave ready state, once it has been set up by someone who knows this razor and is not bashful about getting it done by whatever means necessary. The higher model numbers within the classic lineup are more or less progressively easier to set up. The 1996 is not in that line and is a much easier razor to set the bevel on. The "W" series is still another lineup and these razors have a very acute bevel angle compared to the others, and are much more comparable to entry level razors from the major makers. My W60 as I recall would shave right out of the box, though it was nowhere near Method Edge sharpness. However there was no major impediment to honing, and the resulting edge was delightful.

Vendors often sell Gold Dollars and list them as "shave ready". That does not mean that they fit your or my definition of shave ready. Doesn't even mean that it will shave at all. YMMV. Buy "shave ready" razors from a trusted vendor and it will at least shave, if you do your part. If you want astonishingly sharp, you need to learn to do it yourself, but a genuine shave ready edge is very nice to start off with.

Which model? There are Gold Dollars, and then there are Gold Dollars. You can't compare a W60 with a model 66. For that matter, you can't compare a 1996 to a 66. The #66 can indeed be honed to shave ready condition. It is not something a newbie should expect to be able to do, though. A well modified #66, once set up, can be honed to as high quality an edge as the best razors. An out of the box, stock GD66 is not so difficult to maintain in a shave ready state, once it has been set up by someone who knows this razor and is not bashful about getting it done by whatever means necessary. The higher model numbers within the classic lineup are more or less progressively easier to set up. The 1996 is not in that line and is a much easier razor to set the bevel on. The "W" series is still another lineup and these razors have a very acute bevel angle compared to the others, and are much more comparable to entry level razors from the major makers. My W60 as I recall would shave right out of the box, though it was nowhere near Method Edge sharpness. However there was no major impediment to honing, and the resulting edge was delightful.

Vendors often sell Gold Dollars and list them as "shave ready". That does not mean that they fit your or my definition of shave ready. Doesn't even mean that it will shave at all. YMMV. Buy "shave ready" razors from a trusted vendor and it will at least shave, if you do your part. If you want astonishingly sharp, you need to learn to do it yourself, but a genuine shave ready edge is very nice to start off with.

 

[Roske]

Well the razor is a 1996 I picked up a king 1K and worked on for a while then a 6K and 24K stropped and it takes the hair on my arm off at half way. Haven’t shaved with it yet but seems much sharper than when new. Wish me luck.

 

[steveclarkus]

View attachment 1000867 View attachment 1000868 Well the razor is a 1996 I picked up a king 1K and worked on for a while then a 6K and 24K stropped and it takes the hair on my arm off at half way. Haven’t shaved with it yet but seems much sharper than when new. Wish me luck.

I had a 1996 and once honed it shaved quite well.

 

[Slash McCoy]

Its a good bang for the buck. Prefer the W60 though.

 

[Roske]

May be your technique, but also it may be the razor.

All of my razors are vintage used and abused found at auction. Not a one of them have not been shave worthy after a progression of films, stone, and chromium oxide pasted suede and 200k diamond paste on a piece of balsa wood.

Very good razors can be had for less than $10. If you find one send me some photos in a private message and I'll give you another set of eyes.

Congrats on your SR journey.

Have you heard of Razor aficionado brothers. I was looking at some of his razors on the bay they look nicely done

 

[steveclarkus]

Have you heard of Razor aficionado brothers. I was looking at some of his razors on the bay they look nicely done

I hear from him a couple of times a week. Only person I buy razors from. JR is my razor hero and good friend now.

 

[Twelvefret]

Have you heard of Razor aficionado brothers. I was looking at some of his razors on the bay they look nicely done

Yes, I have three from him. He is an artist.