Thread: Bergischer Löwe Owners

Hi guys.. This post serves as a warning to new BL owners and perhaps requesting feedback from existing ones.

By God is this razor pretty, but what do you all think about design? That rubber strip sure looks nice. Got my razor, must have shaved with it 5 times- each drying it with a hair dry and then oiling it every time.

Today the rubber piece moved aside by itself and behold, red rusty mist and when wiped off like black smudges underneath it.

Which bugs me! Because when razor came the black rubber piece was immobile and there was no way to dry underneath it without loosening it which you wouldn't want to do when new. But when it starts moving you get to see the disasters it has caused.

I know that many just cut it off before they started experiencing problems. Good decision. Now it's too late for me because it hides the damage it caused. Guess when it wears off and needs to come off for good, that's when I'll get depressed as for now it covers it well.

Sigh

Yes - this is an old standing issue with the BL - was going to grab one myself but was told there's just to many issues with them! The rubber band being the main one. You'd think Dovo would learn by now to remove the thing or do something better. I know one vendor now who won't sell them, because they keep coming back with this issue!!

But yes, they are a sweet looking razor!!

It is all in how you use and care for it, imo.
Mine is close to four years now, and looks just as it did when new.
The trick is to never get the tang wet.

I don't use water, except at the end only to carefully clean the blade 😔

And I blow-dry it and oil it. Oh well.. Can't do more. At this point will wither try to preserve it and not use it as much, or the opposite make it my daily shaver and not care as much.

The rubber piece will continue to cause problems no matter what I do , I believe.

Problem with these BL blades is the unknown. Of course we dry and maintain our blades, it's when we think we've done the work, and somehow something creeps in we don't know about, that the surprise of some rust occurs, and the fact is, the likelihood of condensation getting under that rubber band is much higher than a blade without it. You'd think Dovo would have tried to remedy this design flaw.

For the experienced user who knows how to take care of a blade, chances are minimal. As was explained to me by Phil at the Classic Edge, it was all the beginners who purchase this blade, rust occurs, and suddenly he's got lots of these blades coming back in to deal with...it's just not worth the headache to sell these blades....bad customer experience, much larger investment in time and resources to "fix" what shouldn't have to be fixed.

I have had other razors, NOS though, that have rubber sleeves, notably filarmonica and boker razors. Although some had particularly tight fitting sleeves, a little ingenuity got them all movable, after which I used a rust resistant treatment like tuf-glide. Never had an issue with them. One make (fili) was definitely inox, the others could have been too, only makes sense with a grip like this, but even inox rusts.

I can't really see the mindset of putting one these grips on a non-stainless razor FWIW, kind of like filling life-vests with lead: pointless.

Regards,
Neil

Why wouldn't you just take the rubber off...?

Problem solved

Originally Posted by kwlfca

Why wouldn't you just take the rubber off...?

Problem solved

Because it looks a bit naff? It was designed to have a certain look... presumably people buy it partly for the look.

Regards,
Neil

Originally Posted by Neil Miller

Because it looks a bit naff? It was designed to have a certain look... presumably people buy it partly for the look.

Regards,
Neil

I don't know what naff means, but if it were me, I'd just take the rubber off...but that's just me I suppose.

Originally Posted by kwlfca

I don't know what naff means, but if it were me, I'd just take the rubber off...but that's just me I suppose.

Naff UK slang for Poorly thought out, not to be confused with its etymology.