Thread: Real Dovo or Fake?

I asked this once before in this thread but it is still valid. Why would someone counterfeit a Chevrolet when they could counterfeit a BMW. If the Pakistanis were going to spend more time counterfeiting a Dovo than perfecting their own razors I would think they would be counterfeiting DublDuck Wonderedges and "antiquing" them.

Interesting razor. The word on the blade is definitely wrong - it has an "l" instead of a "b" - I don't think that point is arguable:



the bottom of the "l" stroke connects to the next letter. It should be "Facharbeit" - a facharbeiter is a skilled worker, so the designation is skilled or specialist work - quite amusing in this instance!

The tang stamping is odd - I thought that the dies were cast with the complete word, so assembling two letters together wrongly would be out of the question. If the image is enlarged and the lighting tweaked a bit, it looks like there was something else under the first part of the mark:



it almost looks like an "E" under the "L" or possibly a ghostly "O" as if "SOLINGEN" was nearly stamped there instead of Germany - could be just an artefact in posted image, though. All very odd.

The razor looks good though.

Regards,
Neil

Originally Posted by John Crowley

I saw one of the metal boixes for the first time just the other day. They are VERY new and you can't expect an older razor to be in one. the box shown is definately a Dovo box.

Hi - sorry to contradict you but I have been supplying Dovos in the blue metal boxes for three years or more. Maybe they just didn't get to the US until recently?

Originally Posted by blueprinciple

Hi - sorry to contradict you but I have been supplying Dovos in the blue metal boxes for three years or more. Maybe they just didn't get to the US until recently?

I have two Dovos that are very recent purchases (in the US). One is the blue metal box as you describe and the other is in a plastic box similar the one in this thread. However, considering that the speculation is that this razor may be from the 1940s, the box as shown lends more credence to this being an authentic Dovo.

Originally Posted by Neil Miller

Interesting razor. The word on the blade is definitely wrong - it has an "l" instead of a "b" - I don't think that point is arguable:

Well, I think my argument stands that it is a "b" with it looking like an "l" because of the typeface (a better photo might be more telling). However, since it looks like the consensus is that this is a genuine Dovo, perhaps we should just agree to disagree.

Originally Posted by blueprinciple

Hi - sorry to contradict you but I have been supplying Dovos in the blue metal boxes for three years or more. Maybe they just didn't get to the US until recently?

In the scope of things - and when talking about old razors anyway - three years IS recent.

Originally Posted by radaddict

Well, I think my argument stands that it is a "b" with it looking like an "l" because of the typeface (a better photo might be more telling). However, since it looks like the consensus is that this is a genuine Dovo, perhaps we should just agree to disagree.

Heribert Wacker has made razors with that exact gold wash on the blades. So, you can disagree if you want - it isn't going to hurt anyone.

Originally Posted by radaddict

Well, I think my argument stands that it is a "b" with it looking like an "l" because of the typeface (a better photo might be more telling). However, since it looks like the consensus is that this is a genuine Dovo, perhaps we should just agree to disagree.

Don't jump to the wrong idea - I'm not dismissing the razor in the slightest, in fact it looks genuine to me. The only thing that I find remarkable about it is the level of error and illiteracy. I'm still doubtful about the blade spelling - the kerning (ie the spacing between letters) is all wrong for that crucial letter being a "b" - it is a rounded letter and occupies more space than one with two upright sections, and it abuts onto another rounded letter, so there should be enough room for the rounded part of the "b" followed by a space, followed by the next letter.

Obviously fonts will change things slightly, but not the kerning or the general rules of script formation. The lettering from the razor in question is first in the following pic, followed by some sample script fonts (I had to choose those with looped and joined elements which rules out a lot of fonts) followed by the script on Tennis razor:



They aren't dead-ringers, obviously, but show enough difference to be relevant. Perhaps you are right in thinking that a better pic of the razor would help, but I can definitely make out loops and lines on most of the characters except for those that would form the lower half of the "b" - but as you say, that might be just a peculiarity of the font used.

According to the Dovo Jubilee Pamphlet, Dorp was dissatisfied with his sons management of the company and sold it to Fritz Bracht who had toured the continent setting up his own contacts for his own razor brand - Bradrei, so he was a sharp and astute business man. It is often cited that after WW2 Bracht had to look to other products like scissors because of the rise of the electric razor, but less mentioned is the fact that all the Nazi knives and ceremonial edged weapons came out of Solingen and the stigma affected sales of companies such as Dovo - that's not the same as saying that there were few skilled workers - Dorp and Voos only had 13 workers when they started!

I expect that some factories were affected more than others by the war - take the Carl Linder works for example, having all the staff drafted and having to cease production for 10 years. Despite being bombed-out, production commenced again in 1949. The Boker factory was bombed, losing everything, but they rebuilt soon after the war and were able to re-hire some original skilled workers.

As for Dovo I don't have much info, but would like to know more. Perhaps by understanding what went on in those post-war years holds the key to this mystery?

Regards,
Neil

Hey Guys,
Some really good replies and interesting reading. I will try to set up a photobox to take better pics sometime this week. However, the more I look at it, the more I go back to it being "Facharleit." I thought about going back by the shop and getting the last one they had, just to see if it says the same thing. I was thinking it could be a situation that due to the QC issues with spelling, it may be why these razors ended up in Asia where the German and English spellings would not be scrutinized. Anyway, I may be reading too much into it.

So I got tired of waiting for my new hones and strop to arrive, and just decided to try to hone it up on my old Chinese waterstone, and strop it on some linen. It was popping hairs on the back of arm with ease, but the shave was less than pleasurable. Took quite a few passes WTG, ATG, XTG and still not BBS, and my neck is not loving me right now. Also, I noticed it started tarnishing in a few spots within a couple minutes of being in the water. I thought maybe I didn't clean it enough with Alcohol after honing, so I tried to clean it up again. Unfortunately, I wasn't paying attention and the gold wash (etching) on both sides of the "facharleit" came off. Is that normal? I still think I can get it to shave nice. I should have my hones and strop at the end of the week. I guess I will know for sure at that time.