Quote Originally Posted by entropy
I have a few theories about why this might be happening

1) The Dovo might not be sharp enough? This is obviously a relative term, given that it was honed before being sent to me, but I think we’d all agree that even fully honed it’s not as sharp as the Feather – which to date is my only reference point. Which brings me to theory 2…

2) Maybe my beard is tougher than I thought. I always considered my beard to be pretty average, but then I recalled two things – that I tend to go through blades (either high-tech multi-blade jobs or more recently DEs) relatively quickly, and my hair has always been both very thick and grown in quickly between cuts. I know that I get 5 o’clock shadow around noon many days… So, maybe given that, the Feather is just better equipped to shave my particular beard (as others in here have suggested).

3) And finally, I’m wondering if maybe I need to use a different lathering/prep technique.

that Feather AC... what a great starter!
I use str8s, Feather DEs and Feather AC (super) in my regular rotation, and I'm not surprized.

When I got the Fetaher AC, I already had afew str8s (shave ready), and I started honing after I had the Feather.

No str8 sharpened by a human will ever be as sharp as a Feather. Mine include ones from Lynn, John Crowley, David Uthe, Robert Williams, and Bill Ellis. None come close to the Feather.

Because of its sharpness, the Feather shaves like a DE. With a light touch, no pull and without the use of pressure. The sharpest Str8 will require some pressure and have a slight pull in comparison. So, questioning the sharpness of the Dovo was a good point, but don't expect anything to make it as sharp or smooth as a Feather. The Dovo needs to be a little sharper, because the difference shouldn't be that great, but it will never disappear.

You just documented the difference. Enjoy and respect that sharpness, and learn to use it.