Thread: 50 shaves and my opinions on 4 razor brands.

Originally Posted by Daniele

The same could be said of the Chinese steel but it doesn't stop it from having bad credibility.
You choose what you wish to keep or drop in the beliefs of steel quality.

Battle of the Budget Razors – Gold Dollar v. Dovo v. Fromm | ASR


Swedish steel is not mentioned in your link btw.
The dovo doesn't use German sliver steel.

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

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?

Originally Posted by DMA

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?

Sorry to have had the thread side tracked to steels. I am wondering if your Dovo and TI are being used with factory edges? I can't see the steels in those being poor but factory edges can be a bit lacking and the resulting shaves less than desired.

Bob

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.

Originally Posted by Daniele

Battle of the Budget Razors – Gold Dollar v. Dovo v. Fromm | ASR

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...

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.

And Jesus wept.

Originally Posted by Daniele

The dovo doesn't use German sliver steel.

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.

Originally Posted by DMA

Hi All,
i just wanted to give you a relatively new shavers opinion of the various razors I have.
The Dovo masters shaves well but doesn't set my world alight, it seems to be a bit tricky to control and doesn't inspire confidence, it feels a bit 'springy' on the whiskers and even on a second pass just feels ordinary.
The Theirs-Issard Sparticus is marginally better, and doesn't have the springy juddery feel of the Dovo when going over a two day growth of whiskers.
My Ralf Aust is another step up in a quality feel to the shave, it has a feel that does make me feel more comfortable and more confident, whilst providing an excellent result after the second pass.
Finally, my Mastro Livi Grifetto, is in a class of its own. It has a good weight to it and inspires confidence with its grind and general feel. There is no suggestion of it wanting to jump on tough whiskers, and just glides across my face with good feedback and the edge really is very sharp and firm.
After two passes it shaves as close as the others after three, and going round tricky parts on the chin is a breeze.
I struggle to get the quality after 3 passes with the Dovo that I can get with the Grifetto after 2.
These are just my thoughts and experiences and I would much rather have 2 Grifetto's than any 5 other razors that I've tried so far. The reason I say that is because the ML's are a bit pricey but you get what you pay for in this world.
I wonder has anyone else got opinions of their regular razors and which do you prefer out of your collections, not so much from the aesthetic point, but from the pure joy of using it to give the best results.
I know I am very inexperienced when compared to the long time SR users but I am definitely feeling a difference between the Brand’s.

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.

Originally Posted by onimaru55

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.

Oooooh! Can I try one?


Bruce

Originally Posted by sharptonn

Oooooh! Can I try one?


Bruce

I sold nearly all my razors to get the money to buy one & I still couldn't afford it
You'll have to ask an owner. i just work on them.