Not shave ready at all. Will send it to be sharpened Pleased with the scales wish it was sharper

I stopped in the Shop at Razor Emporium to get advice on getting started with a true straight edge. I am shifting from a shavette. I bought the Gold Dollar 208 Shave Ready and am very pleased. Like the other reviewer indicates, "I can't compare to a Dovo, etc." because I have not shaved with one. However, if you are somewhat skeptical as to whether you will like straight edge shaving and you want to introduce yourself....then this is a great place to start. The 6/8 may seem a "tad" big but it certainly is manageable and I wouldn't let that stop me from buying. Because the GD 208 has been good so far, I am interested in upgrading to a Dovo when the money is in hand. I will use the 208 as a traveler. The scales and look appeal is pretty ordinary, however, respectful. You simply can't beat this price for an inexpensive straight edge. Make sure to get a strop (full size)and take care of it just like you would with any sharp tool that you would trust on your face. Keep some mineral oil on hand to keep it oily to prevent any rust that could develop over an extended use of time w/o use. I do wish it came with a case versus zip-lock baggy. But hey, what do you expect? No frills at a no frills price. I say go for it...you will like it and you can always upgrade to a German blade in the future.

I've been shaving with my Grandfather's Straight Razors for some time and when I travel I end up resorting to plastic disposables since I won't risk losing the straights to the TSA. I was in Phoenix on a trip and ran across Razor Emporium on the web and stopped by to pick up one of these to be my travel razor. It is a Gold Dollar, so the grinding on the blade is not up to Dovo standards, but with the custom scales and a good hone, this is a respectable razor. In fact, the quality of the hone showed my just how bad my honing technique is. Guess I need to work on that. The staff are great here and good to talk to, I highly recommend their shop.

This straight razor is my first attempt at using a straight razor, so I want to be completely honest and say I have nothing to compare this to. I have shaved with it about a dozen times now and yes it works! I have been shaving with a DE razor for a year and I have to say the straight razor shave is not as close as the DE shave, and not as smooth. I have gone slow, watched several videos and have cut and nicked myself a few times but getting better. I joked one time that my sink looked like a Civil War surgeon's table! I have had a few veteran straight razor shavers tell me to invest more $ for a Dovo or Ralf Aust straight razor and the shave would feel much smoother and closer. But I have also been told to become proficient at straight razor shaving it takes about 100 shaves so you have to count in the beginner factor as well. If I do purchase one of those (I probably will) and am allowed to edit my review I will do so to compare with something else. At this point I can't say don't waste your money on this and go right to a more expensive straight razor, nor can I say you really need to start here! I will say that I like having an inexpensive option to give straight razor shaving a go and this is exactly that and allows me to learn a little about it and make a more educated guess to keep going. So I want to thank Razor Emporium for that option! I think I have already been afflicted with R.A.D. (Razor Acquisition Disorder) since starting DE shaving and I think it is just going to continue through with straight razor shaving as well! I would definitely say if you are eager to try straight razor shaving but don't have the money for the more expensive razors then by all means give this a try!!