Whatever, the linked article just says Dovo uses very good steel nothing more. No mention of either Sheffield silver steel or Swedish steel being used by Dovo. Too far OT now. Outta here.
Bob
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This thread seems to have turned into a discussion about steels, but I believe, maybe erroneously, that the mass produced straights ie Dovo TI etc don't get the same attention to the finish and design that the likes of Ralp Aust and certainly Mastro Livi do. Could it be that it is due to the manufacturing process that they seem to be not quite up to the level of hand made blades?
When I had the Dovo Mammoth razor it specifically said Swedish Steel.
I have read in a few places that maestro Livi hardens the steel used to a greater degree than most razors.
He then takes a great deal of time in putting the wicked edge on through various processes.
I would have to agree though with Bob that the customs will no doubt get far mor attention to being properly honed as opposed to a factory blade.
If you scrub the edge on a TI and a ML and get them both honed then the TI may well come out on top because it would be easier to hone.
Unless a real honemeister has sorted your TI or dovo it's hard to judge how fair they are.
There is alot of decent steel out there and once properly honed it can come down to just personal preference.
Now that is a site that gets rarely quoted. Maybe because this is the one of the oddest things to have happened in the world of honing since, well, forever. TRUE HONING™? Yeah, right...
And Jesus wept.Quote:
The steel quality used in the Dovo is very good. Not terribly much room for improvement. So too the steel used by Gold Dollar. Including the stainless steel used in the 200/800 model. Not so with Fromm. The steel they use is carbon steel and can take an edge. It just doesn’t take a very good one, nor does it hold it for long.
Silberstahl could be 1.2604 (73 WCrMoV 2 2) or 1.2210 (115 CrV 3). Or 1.2516. As it happens, Dovo uses 1.2210, 1.4112, and 1.4034 for their stainless razors.
PS I do not condone the purchase of modern Fromm razors. But their steel is as good as... well, you know...
silver steel has a variance of over 40 on the Rockwell scale...its origin and process is as important as its ingredient composition.
The dovo steel is made in Sweden now if you want to get into it and is inferior to their vintage blades. Just like the Timor blades are by comparison to the older g&f blades.
Im not saying dovo are not good but they're not as good as they used to be.
You'll no doubt know that imo they are not worth the hefty price that they command off the shelf.
Especially when you can grab a Waterhouse custom for the same money.
Interesting post. I wonder if the Livi razor is the stiffest & heaviest of all your 4 ? That may account for it's ease of use for a beginner.
The other "juddery" razors may not be properly sharp or your skill level may not be up to scratch yet.
I don't have a preference with razors as I can shave with whatever is on the bench but I must admit being partial to Iwasaki tamahagane. It's not just about the shave, the steel or the forging but those things count a lot.