Thread: Dovo not shaving well

My Dovo 5/8 Tortoise is not shaving well. It was my first shave ready razor and when it was new (bought shave ready year + ago) it seemed to shave ok. (My standard has raised and it may not have shaved good then.) I just don't like the shave any more. It is sharp it passes all of the tests. I honed it myself I have had good luck with every other razor I have honed. I seem to get great shaves from all of the other razors I have, spare a robertson. Both the Dovo and the Robertson are hollow ground the rest of my regular razors are a little thicker in grind, my favorite being a Union Spike. I like the narrower blades. I either don't know how to hone the hollow or don't like the shave it gives.

Don

If it passes all the tests and your other razors perform better it may well be that full hollows are just not the razors suiting you best.Some guys with heavy beards prefer the heavier razors.

+ 1 on what Kees just said, I am just the opposite I can hone a Wedge to perfection, but when I shave with one it just doesn't feel as smooth as my Hollow's... One thing to also keep in mind is that a full hollow grind in general takes a lighter touch on the hones and strops to get the best out of them.... Of course as with most of this hobby it is JMHO....

Having read this forum for several years, it is a fact that we are all different and we as individuals tend to have a preference for a type or style of razor.

In the experimentation faze of straight razor shaver owning, I found I quite quickly could determine the difference between a good and a bad razor but deciding which style is best is far more difficult, because we are human and always hope there is something better around the corner. It's one of the reasons why this forum is so great. Members share years of experience freely and the trading section provides a an excellent facility to trade and try quality equipment that is fairly described and at fair and realistic prices

Though we all have preferences as to the kind of razors we like I'm of a mind that any quality razor can be honed to give a great shave. Some are just greater than others for one reason or another. If I were you I would keep at it with the Dovo. I'm sure it can be honed up to give you the shave you want and deserve.

I would agree with Spendur - my experience of the Special is that it can carry a very good, fine edge that doesn't need a lot of finicky work to come right. Maybe it's just that your stubble is best suited to a stiffer blade but it may pay to keep at it. I find good results from finishing on a chinese 12k black hone only just damp and lots of passes - you can really get a wicked edge with this method - usually!

Good luck with it anyway.

Thanks for the encourgament. I will continue to try to get this thing to shave. Untill then I have plenty of good vintage blades to shave with.

Don

I might be out of line here, but this is an idea that I've had rattling around in my head. It might be possible that you've done too good of a job honing it. Either a super sharp brittle edge that wears away or you've ground down the striations that help cut. Here's where my weird idea is: it be possible that in either of the two cases, they can still pass all of the tests but when faced with a beard....

Try going back to a 4000 grit and starting all over.

Anyone else had that thought?

Mark

Originally Posted by 0o.Mark.o0

I might be out of line here, but this is an idea that I've had rattling around in my head. It might be possible that you've done too good of a job honing it. Either a super sharp brittle edge that wears away or you've ground down the striations that help cut. Here's where my weird idea is: it be possible that in either of the two cases, they can still pass all of the tests but when faced with a beard....

Try going back to a 4000 grit and starting all over.

Anyone else had that thought?

Mark

Good Idea,It wouldn't hurt to try that. Feel the edge "feel the edge".....