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?

Did YOU hone this blade?
To me it looks like whomever did hone it went to far back and is hitting the stabilizer.
This WILL create a weird angle and could cause the issue you are having.
You can also start to see the beginning of a heel hook forming.

I am NO expert but this is what I see...

Have you determined that the two sides of the edge at this point are in fact not meeting and therefore not becoming sharp, or are you just going off visuals and assuming this to be the case? Is it definitely not sharp there?

James.

You won't be dealing with Dovo. it should go back to the vendor who sold it to you provided you have not done any honing yourself. if you did then you own it. Otherwise a defective blade bought new should go back.

Go buy a micrometer or get an engineer to measure that section with one. They should be able to measure an overgrind pretty easily with one.

Then I would contact dovo directly. And explain the problem and delay in actually getting to see the razor. And the measurements.

DOVO - Masterpieces in steel - DOVO in Solingen -

I really don't know a great deal about honing, but that spine wear looks pretty uneven.

I think your out of luck with a return,that blade has been severly abused,good luck tho.

Yes I honed this blade, and quite a few times over the past week and a half or so, attempting to master it. I'm not surprised if the blade looks "abused". Everyone who hones a blade once honed their first. And this is mine.

However, the flat spot on the blade is not flat due to my honing. This is clearly obvious when looking at it through a loupe, and I think it's fairly clear in my photos, particularly the first one. The grind marks from the manufacturer are still clearly visible, undisturbed, through that flat section. It's obvious that it was flat when I got it.

It took me a week or so to really see this flat area, as opposed to just looking at it. Being new to straight razors, it's taken some sharpening and examining experience to really start zeroing in on details that would likely be obvious at a glance to the old hands.

When looking at the edge under a loupe, what I see is the bevel thinning out to where for a short distance in that flat area it essentially disappears. The first image I posted demonstrates this fairly well.

Here's another image, from a different angle.

Honing is not difficult until you have a problem...then there are 100's of things it could be.
There is a reason people send there razors to professionals to be honed.

It looks to me like because of going up onto the stabilizer that you have created a "rocking" effect that will leave the condition that your blade is in now. Could it be fixed easily?

YES...but by someone who KNOWS EXACTLY what the problem is and how to fix it.
Could you fix it yourself?... YOU BET YOU CAN! .... but it might take you a while... and some good advice (which is being given to you) to sort out what is wrong.

I would personally use some tape on the spine so as not to cause any more damage to it and REALLY watch some of the videos again or better yet try and find someone local that does honing to see if you can take it to them and learn what is going on.

The people on this board are the MOST HELPFUL and knowledgeable that I have come across and I bet someone would be willing to help you. You are a brave man for learning to hone on such a nice blade. My first couple were flea market finds and I will tell you I beat them up! I am getting better and am happy with the edges I put on them now but I KNOW I could do MUCH better. The key is to "listen" to what the blade is telling you that it wants or needs in order to perform it's best.

Good Luck with it. I KNOW you can get it straightened out and shaving again.

Since you are apparently sol on returning it because you have attempted to hone it, the easiest way out is to send it for a pro corrective honing. The other is to continue to try and hone the trouble spot out. If you go that route try honing heel forward to keep off the stabilizer. You may eventually get a bevel set all the way across but it will be wider at the heel. Feel free to disregard that as I am no expert at honing. Out of curiosity is the other side of the blade the same?

Bob