I have owned this razor for probably seven or eight years. It is based on the Gold Dollar 208 which is one of their oldest designs. It is my opinion that Gold Dollar tried to copy a Theirs Issard and that is where they got the heavy shoulders and thick spine from. I bought it because I wanted to try a Gold Dollar 208 but hated the scales and did not want to replace them myself. The workmanship is fine, and the scales are nice. It is my 3x per week razor. It shaves fine. I do three passes with this, and then a clean up pass and the back of my neck with a safety razor. It is a fine razor if properly honed. I take mine through a three stone progression (light touch up really) and a pasted canvas strop about every 6-8 months. Only takes about 15 minutes. I strop before and after every shave. Gold Dollar has pretty good metallurgy. I would say at least equal to an entry level Dovo, maybe better. A few years ago I decide to get one of Gold Dollar's new designs, a 300 with blue/purple scales. They are nothing to write home about and the pins are loose and can't be tightened. At least they are not as offensive as the scales on the 208. In any event it is a very different razor than the 208. Far less steel and a thinner spine. It is a true full hollow grind, and sings like it should. The 208 does not sing. As a result, the bevel on the 300 is slightly more accute and gives an easier against the grain pass than the slightly more obtuse bevel on the 208. So what does all this mean? The 208 is a great razor for someone who is willing to buy a cheap two sided synthetic wet stone from China and paste for the strop. Honing a SR that is in good condition (i.e. not a full restoration) is very easy-much easier than free hand sharpening a knife. The 208 has a lot of steel, a thick spine and will outlast you if you don't abuse it, e.g. chip the edge. Taken care of, it can be an heirloom. You could easily reset the bevel three or four times on this razor and still not wind up with wonky geometry. The price you pay is that it will never be as sharp as a SR with a thinner spine and different geometry. The 300 is far lighter, sings nicely and takes a finer edge because of the thinner spine. The price you will pay is that you can probably only reset the bevel once before the geometry gets wonky. But, if you don't abuse it, don't let it rust, etc. you should never have to do that. I think that the Gold Dollars are great razors for anyone willing to learn how to hone. Don't let YouTube videos make you think it is hard. Anybody can do it and it is rewarding to never have to buy a blade again or be dependent on someone else to keep your equipment in condition. So why buy anything else? Well some SR are really beautiful. My favorite is a Filarmonica-the one with the lyre inlay. Would it shave any better? Probably not. I hope that this helps.

This was my first real razor purchase. I had practiced with a cheap made blade and done enough to decide it was blade quality limiting me. When I first got this razor I noticed I could only really shave the heel. I sent a message asking what I should do, and was almost immediately answered. They sent the package to send it back free of charge for honing or replacing. They were able to hone the razor and I’m now 5-10 shaves in and highly satisfied. Great costumer service and great quality product. Highly recommend.

This is my 1st straight razor. Boy have I waffled on the selection of this razor or another more precious one. After receiving and inspecting, I found that the sides are well fitted and house the blade squarely. The tapered design has a masculine profile. The blade is well polished, oiled and sharp. There was the slightest blade edge chip near the tip corner. I've stropped before and after shaving and have completed my first three successful straight razor shaves. The razor cleans up easily. My only down side comment is that I have no reference as to what "shave ready" means. I shaved, it was ready. To me it was a wee bit tuggy but I have no reference to compare it and it could be my technique. I'm using it on an every-other-day basis. Each shave helps with more experience wielding the razor. Overall, I would purchase again.

This razor wasn't nearly as sharp as I hoped. I'm new to straight razor shaving and the price on this was right, the experience though was not. I thought it might be my technique that was off so I tried a shavette with a disposable razor brand I know works well (I use a double edged safety razor normally) for my skin and it provided a much better shave using my same newbie technique. I wouldn't purchase this razor for the price again.