After getting my Dovo back from gssixgun with a fresh hone and spike mute I couldn't wait to try it out. I received it back on a day that I had just shaved. Was torture waiting for beard to grow back and an event to shave for. Well all of that happened last night. I was thurley happy with the work and the way he muted the spike. The blade was as sharp as expected from tip to heel on the face. Clean even consistent with an effortless shave experience.
Doesn't surprise me. I've got two coming home from Glen. I know his work and can't wait. BUT WE GOTTA SEE PICS!!
Yea, Glen's honing is unsurpassed. Having tried honing it really makes me appreciate the skill level of someone who can do it extremely well. Chris, I know you were looking for a strop. Glen says he uses an Illinois strop 827. Its not an expensive strop from $35 to $45. I think if a hone meister uses that strop it just might be good enough .
If we are going to be on the subject of using stops after glens work. The 827 tends to be a stiffer leather. Anything about the softer ones like the 127 or 206?
Congrats on the refined Dovo! Coincidentally, I have an 827 strop on its way to me now. Should be here Tuesday. It will be replacing my beat-up Whipped Dog—a strop upon which I learned…and it shows. Nicks, scratches, gouges and the like. After six months of abuse, it was time for a change. The NEW strop is 2/5" wide (vs 3" on the WD), so I'll have to work on my 'X' pattern...
That is great!!! I am sending him a Wheatley Brothers 5/8 Hollow Ground fora Custom Restore....he is highly recommended! !
I had the 127, did not like it at all, the leather was quite stiff and I may not have broken it in properly, stropping surface seem small. I have a 361 Cowhide and it seems fine, nice big stropping area. I only purchased it over the 827 because it was an inexpensive ebay buy. From what I've read the 827 leather surface isn't stiff so much as a bit rougher and suede like by design. If I understand correctly its the opposite side of the cowhide than regularly used in strops. This mystified some users as the leather is unlike other leathers. I am suspecting that with Illinois strops actually using them over time helps break them in and improves the feel of the draw. I have a vintage Illinois 361 horsehide strop and its been well used by the previous owner over I don't know how many years but the draw is smooth as butter and its a pleasure to use.
Glen does great work. Chris we hope you will provide some pictures because we enjoy seeing the results!
I sent Glen a couple dozen straights for honing and 2 for total restoration (new scales, etc.) when I first started with straights 2 or 3 years ago. I've never experienced honing as good as Glen's. The edges were sharply perfect.
I've been tempted to send one of my razors into Glen just to see if it's that much better than what I do myself. I have to admit, I went through alot of shaves that were not so great for quite a few weeks. I had gotten a BBW and a 50×175 coticule from Howard at the perfectedge.com and the red paste and I've several strops, all illinois 827's and just put razor to hone, razor to strop, and razor to face ad nauseum until I got it. Now I have great shaves and I use as my benchmark a dovo shavette with the longer Dovo blades in them. I was always tempted to send my razors to Lynn or Glen for a long time but now not so much because I really don't want anything sharper than what a Dovo shavette blade is. But I still think I should send one in just to have it and say to myself either "Wow, I'm as good as the pros now!" or "I've got a little more honing up of my skills to accomplish." But as I've said, I'm very happy with my results now and would suggest to others to do the same because it forces you to get good or give up the practice altogether. In hindsight, I think it would have been beneficial to have one razor honed by these guys just as a benchmark though, it's just not something I did or spent my money on. Instead I spent it on a whole bevy of coticules which I've acquired because of developed HAD!
