aaron,

Jim Ayars of Vintage Blades says that he looked at both DOVO and Thiers Issard and chose DOVO based on their tighter quality control (and this may be among other considerations). I'd like to throw out another consideration: Vintage*Blades*LLC*::*Dovo...

If the link doesn't work, this is the DOVO Special 6/8 with the fake tortise scales. While I freely admit to being a razor junkie and one with extremely fickle affections, this razor will always be among my favorites. It hones well, shaves well and looks really good. Until one gets into significantly pricier razors, I think this razor's scales look really, really good. I'm also a fan of the 6/8 size over the 5/8. I think the razor handles better for my hands and face: both a bit bigger than average. And the bigger size holds more used lather, which means I don't have to rinse/wipe the blade as often as I would with a smaller blade. The size thing may be affected by one's having to trim around moustaches and other facial hair where a smaller razor may be more maneuverable, which is not a problem for me as I've chosen the clean shaven look.

good luck, good shaving,