Thread: is this Dovo razor deficient?

I'm new to straight razors as of two months ago. My first razor was a Feather, and that's what I've learned shaving with. I purchased a brand new Dovo Prima Silver Steel razor from an online vendor, and I think it's deficient. This being my first "real" straight razor, however, I acknowledge that I may just not know enough to be able to make such a pronouncement.

Here's the symptom: there's a spot about 3/4" or so from the heel end of the edge that won't take the bevel that's established both before it and after it on one side of the blade. The reason is that the blade seems to have been ground too much at that one spot during its manufacture, such that there just isn't metal where the blade bevel should be on that one side in that one spot.

Here are some photos. The first shows the lack of bevel in that one narrow region of the edge. The next two catch the light reflections so as to show that there is a slight depression in the steel of the blade right at that location due to too much grinding when the blade was produced.

The spine wear reflects my efforts over the last week and a half to get it properly honed and shave ready. At first I didn't really know what I was looking at, but as I've studied this edge, read posts here on this forum, watched Youtube videos by Lynn Abrams and others on honing, bevel setting, etc., I've been able to understand better what I'm looking at, and from that I've concluded that this razor was sold to me with a manufacturing flaw.

1) Do you guys agree that the blade was overground when it was produced and that with this flaw it won't be possible to achieve a good shaveable edge on this razor?

2) If you agree with 1), have you guys worked with Dovo before on returns or replacements, and how are they to work with?

-or-

3) Should I be going back to the vendor who sold me this razor back in June or early July (I was away on military training when I bought it, and wasn't able to start working on honing until I came home two weeks ago) to ask for a replacement or refund?