Hey guys. I am not up on straights these days. My Boss wants to get her husband a straight for his Birthday. Classic Shaving has a Gold Dollar for $36 with free unlimited sharping. Will this do for a starter razor? A glance at the BST here did not show any straights for sale.
A Properly Honed Gold Dollar is what I Learned to Shave with...The Recent Classic Models are Great Shavers..I have One in My Own Collection..They have a Very Robust Edge & Hard to Bugger Up when Learning...Thats Me Talkin Mind... Billy..
I'll second what Billy says. If you look back a couple of days, I have one posted in the straight razor shave of the day.
Sometimes the gold dollars need some modification for the spine being too thick or for the shoulder. I have a modified one and it is,a good razor. Check with them to see if they take care of the shoulder.
There is this fellow on Esty that sells GD's . He makes any necessary mods to the razors and hones them to shave readyness. I don't have any personal experience with his edges but he has a lot of positive reviews: https://www.etsy.com/listing/613386...f=sr_gallery-1-1&organic_search_click=1&cns=1
The one I posted a pic of did need a little work but not much. The scales on the razor are over built kinda like some of the new German razors but more so. It does shave good, real good, a matter of fact.
I agree with Billy and Oscar. I dont have a GD but two ZY, 430 and monkey tail Both without shoulder and great spine and edge. Enviado do meu iPhone usando o Tapatalk
Maybe look this over before you send any money his way? (Not at work of course - it's reddit.) https://www.reddit.com/r/wicked_edge/comments/5o1unr/psa_classic_shaving/
I bought a Gold Dollar 208 set from Classic shaving (actually it was one of their affiliated sites), and this was my gateway drug into straights. I want to say I paid about $48 with shipping. It came with a beginner's synthetic strop, tin of Blades Grim Soap, and a synthetic brush. I still use the brush, and I still use the soap as part of my regular rotation. The strop got sliced as a casualty of my learning curve on proper stopping technique. I have since "graduated" from the GD razor, and I have over a dozen straights. The GD does not hold its edge nearly as long as something like a Dovo or other well-established brand. But it will shave just as well with a fresh edge. The GD is what I used to practice and learn the basics of honing. They are truly a PAIN to hone because of the lack of precision on the grind and non-uniformity on the spine. All things considered, A GD razor is a good way for someone to try straights without a big investment. If they like it, they will soon find themselves investing in a better one. A note on vendors: Luke Webster, owner of Classic shaving, is considered by some to be the "Prince of Darkness" of the wet shaving world. I definitely find some of his past business practices questionable and some of his marketing deceptive to a newbie. But there are still some good values to be found on his sites. The Etsy vendor that some have mentions, Strike Gold Shave, is extremely reputable. His soaps are also well-regarded. Notice in the description of his razors, he notes "TOE AND HEEL ARE TRIMMED FOR PROPER HONING". This takes care of most (but not all) of the issues that make GD razors difficult to hone. So if your boss wants to go the Gold Dollar route for her hubby, I'd recommend buying from Strike Gold. Then search Amazon for a strop from "Garos Goods" (3" wide pure leather for $20). Sorry for the long-winded reply, and good luck!! Rob
When there is that much information in a post you make make it as long as you like. Thank you for that!