Thread: Dovo Best Quality Never Stays Sharp

Hi,

I have a DOVO Best Quality I received over the summer. Out of the box it was shave ready and an amazing shave. I was able to touch it up for several months using a chromium pasted nylon strop and that kept it shave ready for a few months.

When it came time to hone it, I tried on my own first with the Norton 4k/8k, I was never able to get is sharper than a few passes before it started to pull, tug, and generally stop cutting...

I've sent the razor to two separate honing services now. StraightRazors.com and Howard Schechter (The Perfect Edge) and both times it's come back sharp enough for half a face before it tugs and pulls again.

I have two Gold Dollar Shavers I alternate through that I've been able to hone myself up to 12k for a decent shave, and both of these have been honed once each for a touch up with out problem. I use these daily now so I'm pretty confident in my shaving technique.

My question is regarding the Dovo, has anyone had an experience with a blade that they couldn't keep sharp for some reason? Is it possible the angle is too small now due to overhoning or maybe something else I haven't come across yet?

Feedback welcome!

What the problem is in this case I don't know, but I do know that the Dovo "best quality" is far from that, I've had serious issues with several of those, especially warped blades.

The angle could be a problem, to ascertain this you can use the angle calculator that's somewhere on the internet.
You could also send it back to the previous honer and ask him to look into it, they should be able to tell what's wrong.

Could you show a picture of the razor? Just to see how much of it has been honed off. I remember one razor that had pretty extensive honewear. Whatever I did, I couldn't get a stable edge on it. According to a friend I could have been honing in a zone of the razor where the steel was not hard enough.

Where in south Florida? There are members there who might be able to help. I live in Pompano Beach.

I'm not sure what your level of experience is but I'm going to assume that this is not your first week shaving with a SR since you've accumulated three razors and several hones. If the edge is falling apart during the shave it might be concluded that its a bevel issue. Being that it was sent out twice, I suspect that the bevel was set just fine. BUT this may be an indication that the steel itself is in question as its not holding that edge throughout the shave. Is there anything you can say about how the razor was behaving in your attempts to hone it? Did it seem to get sharper and better up to a point and then suddenly take two steps back, forcing you to go back and start again?

This may not be the answer you're looking for, but frankly the Dovo Best Quality and Dovo Bismarck I have never really held an edge either.

Sent the Bismarck to two different pro razor honers and neither held the edge, let alone took one in my opinion. I know Dovo has or has had some quality issues, so you may have just got a dud.

Again, just my opinion on the two razors I have....

Originally Posted by Phrank

This may not be the answer you're looking for, but frankly the Dovo Best Quality and Dovo Bismarck I have never really held an edge either.

Sent the Bismarck to two different pro razor honers and neither held the edge, let alone took one in my opinion. I know Dovo has or has had some quality issues, so you may have just got a dud.

Again, just my opinion on the two razors I have....

My sample size with Dovo is rather small, three razors. But my conclusions were the same as yours.

Many of these Dovo " Best Quality" razors seem to be coming out of the factory with frowns and other issues. The scales frequently break at the pivot, as they are quite brittle.

I have had a similar experience as Decraew. The razor had some honewear, and I couldn't get a decent bevel on it. Was it the steel, was it geometry? I couldn't understand it.

From where did you buy the razor in the first place? When you say "out if the box," that does not necessarily mean it was a factory edge. If you shaved with it for months, the blade was fine but the subsequent honings were not. I think you need to find out who honed it in the first place and send it back there.

Wow I guess I am lucky. I have a Dovo best that I bought from the classifieds here. I have used it now for quite a few shaves and have nothing but stropped it. Just shaved with it this morning, gave me a beautiful shave. I can even go out in public with it.

When you first received the razor, how long did you shave with the razor before you started using cro-ox to keep the edge refreshed?