Thread: dovo vs thiers issard

Originally Posted by dngrspapercut

From what I've gathered so far, the Dovo has softer steel than the TI. I'm not sure if thats good or bad. Anyone know which steel provides a more comfortable shave?

Now this is my take only, but I'm not a fan of Dovo razors. My first was a Best Quality 5/8, and for what is was supposed to do, it was a great blade to learn on.

After having some TI's, and a few other vintage razors at the beginning of my journey, I finally snagged a Dovo Bismarck, with the black scales and inlay, and all the nice gold wash. To this day, I find it one of the worst performing razors I own - it's been pro-honed, I have many razors to compare it to, and for me it's just a sub-par razor. Maybe it's just that particular blade, maybe it's just me, but I'm not a fan....my two cents.

Agreeing with what everyone has said so far about TI overall being a little more pricey. You're going to be able to find Dovo razors that are higher quality and shave better, and you're going to be able to find TI razors that are higher quality and shave better. But it's one of those arguments that are really worth having. Both brands make amazing razors and for $200-300 you can really make a bad decision with either.

Originally Posted by Speedster

Word has it that T-Is come fairly sharp from the factory nowadays. Much better than Dovo from what I understand. Good luck!

Doesnt matter how sharp they come from the factory,that edge will come off when you set the bevel,and the razor is no good until you set a working bevel, and on TI razors you need to
Know what you are doing,and dont think the store will do it for you.The only TI i have that was pre honed took me years to get right never againI think the spine was taped which mucked .
up the geometry
I will only shave with TI razors i have several Dovos etc .I can get a longer lasting shave by 6 hours at least i think its because TI razors have a slightly coarser grind that i like.

Extra hollow and shavettes the same only 14 hours,i love the dirt cheap sedef, super comfortable smooth,but dont use at the moment.
I think extra hollow razor evolved from the frameback razor i would love to own,dont know why nobody makes them now,some people love them.

Okay, so since this got resurrected, i've read about TI's ownership a little over the years and I'm wondering, how are the modern contemporary made TIs?

This is only my personal take, those two razors are the most common of all the modern razors that I hone, I would say as much as 70% of all razors that come my way they are either TI or Dovo, both will deliver a good shave if honed correctly, but for me I would go for the super hard steel of the TI although they can come with their fare share of geometry issues, that said if you get a good TI they can take a fantastic edge and hold it.

Aight, thanks for the feedback, I'm a little concerned about their geometry issues

With the passage of time things have not improved. They have gotten worse. If you buy either of the two you pretty much have to count on a honing job at the minimum and maybe a bevel reset too.

Keep in mind these comments are based on a single sample of both makes of razors. The Dovo was about a 10 year old example going by the real MOP scales it had of a nearly NOS razor. Put a layer of tape on the spine and honed it from bevel set on up. Result is that it shaves very well. The TI was a brand new one from the LeLegende series. After looking at the edge with a loupe I decided to put a layer of tape on it and hones it from bevel set on up. Result is that it shaves very well also. The TI does have a wider bevel than the Dovo and I had to fuss with it while honing a bit more than the Dovo iirc.

I think either will shave well after they have been honed. Yea, I'd pretty much count on either to require a honing before use and you may have to deal with some geometry issues along the way.

Bob

I have one of each, both purchased new but shave ready so I have not had any of the honing issues, I guess that was someone else's problem.

I have touched them up on a 12K Naniwa but I have not really noticed a difference in performance at all. Maybe the TI holds its edge a little longer but not really by much.

I prefer the TI, but in reality that is only based on aesthetics and personal preference.

Dovo / TI? My opinion is that TI is better. I do not like the steel on Dovo. Every time I hone one I'm disappointed with something. I've had some that were brand new and would not hold an edge. Others chipped like mad. Those were my experiences. TI is as hard as a hammer and takes a lot to get them tip top. So as a new guy buying a new razor, that could be an issue for them. While not the original question, I'd suggest Boker or Revisor. I like Revisor the most at this price point but Boker is much easier to get in hand. Both seem to hone up great based, again, on the handful that I've honed and used. Considering that Boker is everywhere, I don't know why Dovo is typically recommended as a first razor.