Can anyone identify (or have any information on) this straight razor?

Hello all -

Does anyone know who manufactures this razor? I've seen this type of scale before on a re-scaled Dovo, but I don't think this blade is a Dovo. The razor looks to have been made to honor the life of Peter Hahn, who lived from 1720-1794 as indicated by the blade inscriptions. "Peter Hahn, der biedere schmied von Solingen."...("Peter Hahn, the honest blacksmith of Solingen.") The tang is stamped with "1980", "Meister Ross", and "3/8". The reverse of the blade is stamped "Spitzenqualität" (or "top quality") "Solingen, Germany". Interestingly, the vinyl sleeve is imprinted with the Solingen logo and "West Germany" "Solingen, Inox" (the Berlin Wall came down in 1989 and afterwards, the unified Germany wasn't referred to as "East" or "West" Germany).

Attachment 179140Attachment 179141Attachment 179142

I found another one on eBay in a set of two from a seller in Japan (the second has "Renaissance" on the blade and "Meister Engels" on the tang):

Attachment 179143Attachment 179146Attachment 179144Attachment 179145

Some of the lettering on the lid of the case looks like it could be Japanese. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I can't identify, but is very nice razor. :beer1:

I think I have seen something somewhere about them. Special edition Dovo. Nice!
There are other, older razors with the name on them, notably Droesher.

Wow... that is pretty.

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Originally Posted by sharptonn

I think I have seen something somewhere about them. Special edition Dovo. Nice!
There are other, older razors with the name on them, notably Droesher.

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Yes, I've read on manah's website that Droesher used the "Peter Hahn" tradename/trademark (amongst many others) on some of theirs on the tang in the early 20th century, but this one doesn't have it on the tang, just in the etching on the blade. And there's no Dovo marks on it at all. I found a couple more from the same eBay seller with "Meister Funk" on the tang:

RARE 804 Meister Funk Spitzenqualitat Solingen Germany Straight Razor C 277 | eBay

I can't see how it could be a Dovo without any identifying marks at all; even on their custom jobs for The Superior Shave, they still put it on the tang, and TI puts it on the tang too, for their AoS custom jobs:

Dovo Palisander for TSS:
Attachment 179296

TI for AoS:
Attachment 179295

Going by the other razor you found like yours in the set of two razors, The Renaissance razor is indeed made by Dovo. The picture below if from their current catalog and the last razor is the one with Renaissance with the same logo. That said i believed your razor was made by Dovo.
Attachment 179511

It would seem these are rare, most going to Japan in the mid-80's. It seems to me that straight razors from Spain and Germany were particularly popular with Japanese barbers and so forth in the 60's and 70's. Into the 80's. We now see a pile of them coming for sale from Japan. Later vintage stuff. JMO

Friedr. Baurmann & Söhne, Solingen in 1914, 1920, 1922, 1925 and 1932, Beethovenstrasse 76 in 1939, Sandstrasse 27 in 1983. Brand names: 'Alecto', 'Ambidexter', 'Aviator', 'Baurmann', 'Carbonese', 'Clanor', 'Comfort', 'Corso', 'Ducado', 'Figaro', 'Karbono', 'Marbest', 'Monopol', 'Nora', 'Norma', 'Orchid', 'Peter Hahn', 'Raola', 'Safacto', 'Sunrise', 'Start', 'Yilin', 'Zerbo', 'Zero', Zwerg'. Open-blade razor and safety-razor maker.

~Richard

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Originally Posted by Martin103

Going by the other razor you found like yours in the set of two razors, The Renaissance razor is indeed made by Dovo. The picture below if from their current catalog and the last razor is the one with Renaissance with the same logo. That said i believed your razor was made by Dovo.

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Great catch, Martin! You too, Geezer! I hate to say it, though, but I'm afraid the ones in the pics I uploaded are not in fact DOVO's, although you surprise me by pointing out the remarkable similarities of the DOVO 1885 "Renaissance" model with the copy in the two-razor set. Glen (gssixgun), who a few years back re-scaled a blade with almost identical scales to the ones in my pics, informed me that he believed that the off-white scales with the shield and "Solingen" logo were to his knowledge essentially generic.

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"I am not so sure those scales are tied to any particular Solingen razor company.. I have a feeling they are a generic Solingen scale..."

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I had already known that the shield on the scales is in fact the Coat of Arms of the City of Solingen, Germany, as I currently already have two authentic Dovo Stainless Steel Inox Straight Razors (Models # 4155845 & 4155846) both of which bear this shield on the blade itself, in a gold and/or silver etching with the words "DOVO Inox" and "Solingen" like this:

Attachment 179519

Now the above member, sharptonn, had previously been kind enough to reply to my PM earlier, and pointed out in the SRP Library at

Dovo "Renaissance" 6/8 - Straight Razor Place Library

that a razor with those scales appeared also to be a DOVO 1885 "Renaissance", which also surprised me, as there are no DOVO trademarks or logos on it. Nor does any appear in the one in the current catalog, which is of course authentic (unless they are on the reverse side) - *(see "PPS" below). It even has the "Meister Mertens" or "Mortens" on the tang.

So with all this, I emailed the DOVO Customer Service department in Solingen last night, and here's the reply I received this morning:

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Dear W. Joseph Simmons,

Thank you very much for your email and the photos.

I have asked our production manager who is with DOVO for more than 40 years, and he said that DOVO was not the manufacturer. However, a few decades ago there were many small companies in Solingen producing straight razors, very often 1 or 2 men operations.

The razor seems to be in prime condition, and with it, you have a very nice piece in your collection.

I am very sorry that I cannot be of better help.

Best regards,

(name omitted)
DOVO

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This led me to do a little further research into what Glen had suggested, so I confirmed on the City of Solingen website at

www.solingen.de - Homepage

that the script and fancy "g" are in fact the City of Solingen trademark:

Attachment 179523

I also discovered that the city of Solingen is reportedly "the only City in the world with a registered trademark for the City name".

So it appears that the first Renaissance razor, at least, is probably an imitation of a genuine DOVO. I have concluded that they are essentially just souvenir straight razors, akin to the souvenir spoons you find in many tourist shops! Cool, eh? Frankly, however, I think now that the SRP Library needs to be corrected, and your photo of a genuine DOVO Renaissance razor put in there instead of the imitation one it now suggests is the genuine article. :)

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PS - By the way, I do not own the "Meister Ross" straight razor, but I was thinking about buying it.

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*PPS - I just came across a recent, contemporary image of an authentic DOVO Renaissance razor (Model #1885685) with Spanish Oak scales illustrating that it does in fact have the DOVO logo on the reverse side on the tang:

Attachment 179573Attachment 179574

This does add support for the notion that the Renaissance may have been subject to imposture at one time or another in its history.

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Originally Posted by wjosephsimmons

The scales are definitely generic - and still available - Revisor use them.


This led me to do a little further research into what Glen had suggested, so I confirmed on the City of Solingen website at

www.solingen.de - Homepage

that the script and fancy "g" are in fact the City of Solingen trademark:

Attachment 179523

I also discovered that the city of Solingen is reportedly "the only City in the world with a registered trademark for the City name".

They may know a bit about their own history (Germany, that is and Solingen in particular) but they clearly know b*gg*r-*ll about Sheffield's:

Attachment 179581

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PS - By the way, I do not own the "Meister Ross" straight razor, but I was thinking about buying it.

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Regards,
Neil

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Originally Posted by Neil Miller

Regards,
Neil

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Well-said, Neil. errr, what DID you say? ;)

Oh! had to go thru that quote to see! If I may quote Neil:
"They may know a bit about their own history (Germany, that is and Solingen in particular) but they clearly know b*gg*r-*ll about Sheffield's:"

Man! I feel powerful! :rofl2:

Get your janet-and john out, Tom:)

What I said was:

those faux ivory (ivorene) scales are new mass production, and
Solingen is not the only trademarked city name.

I am available for elementary math ed, too... :)

Regards,
Neil

(that means 'with my regards to you, yours truly, Neil...)

Yeah. I should look into the blue window instead of beyond it. My bad! ;)
Reeeeegards,
Tom

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Originally Posted by sharptonn

Well-said, Neil. errr, what DID you say? ;)

Oh! had to go thru that quote to see! If I may quote Neil:
"They may know a bit about their own history (Germany, that is and Solingen in particular) but they clearly know b*gg*r-*ll about Sheffield's:"

Man! I feel powerful! :rofl2:

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It'll pass... :)

Great post-posting revision, btw!

Regards,
Neil