Thread: Dovo Razor constantly needs honing?

I have the exact razor. Mine would not hold an edge either, but after it got honed a few times, something changed and now it's pretty good. At the time I chalked it up to bad honing, but I guess it could have been my stropping technique. Now that particular razor gets honed approx. once a year, but I also don't use it as much as I used to.

Great discussions on new vs old Dovos.
I am considering my first brand new razor with my Christmas spoils and was eyeing a Dovo Cnl Conk, mostly due to the red scales on her, and the price point.
If you gents had the choice between a new Dovo such as the one I mentioned vs a vintage Filly, or Red devil from Sweden, which way would you swing?
All of my blades thus far are vintage finds and I have only been into this craft for about 6 months now so am unsure as to the real merits of new vs old.
Steel quality, craftsmanship etc were ostensibly much greater 'back in the day' but new has its own attraction and the Dovo name is still quite good as I understand.
Don't mean to thread jack, but I'm just curious.
Cheers all.

I have 3 new Dovos - 2 "Best Quality" and 1 "Special". They are $90 and $130 with honing from Straight Razor Designs. Ie: "low end dovo's".

I also have 4 vintage razors, a Torrey and 3 extra hollows.
I also have a Theirs Issard with 135c steel.

I find the steel in the new Dovos to be the equal of my vintage razors. MAybe slightly harder temper than the Torrey, but still easy to hone to a very sharp and smooth edge. The TI is too hard (takes a loooong time to sharpen) and does not get as sharp or smooth of an edge. It stays sharper longer, but only by 20% or so. So not worth the trouble to me. I think the softer "standard" steel gets refreshed easier & better when doing the daily stropping too.

I'd have no worries about new razors made by Dovo, Boker, Ralf Oast, or the Theirs Issards that aren't made from 135c steel. I'd also have no worries about vintage razors sold by senior members in the classified section of this forum that are sold as "shave ready". The senior members will know which vintage razors have good steel and don't have any defects.

Ps: get a paddle strop and some chromium oxide to refresh your edge between honings. For a beginner, 7 stokes at the end of the week is about right. Later this will be every 2-3 weeks.

A barber hone (anything in the 10-12k grit range) should be used instead of a pasted strop every 4th refresh for the maximum time between honings.