Thread: Der Dovo Bismark..... ja or nein !!

Ok...so I have been toying with getting a Bismark,but I have concerns.First,I have heard the handle is made of celluloid which I don't feel I am a big fan of due to it's flammability and I've heard celluloid deteriorates badly over time?? Also,I am very used to a 5/8,especially when it comes to getting into tight corners and also doin the upper lip.But the Black Bismark keeps haunting me.Input.....need input !!

Can't really say anything on that model other than I seem to have heard good things about it here and elsewhere, I'm sure others will chime in on that score. As to your doubts as towards celluloid, I'd say don't worry. As concerns its flammability, well, you're not going to set fire to it and its stability over time is generally pretty good. I have blades with celluloid handles made in the early part of the last century that still do the job and still look the part. If you're really worried you could always have the blade rescaled (maybe avoid wood, it has flammability issues).

I just remember seeing pics of a celluloid handle being charred when put close to heat somewhere here(I think it was the Wiki) and it did not sit with me to well.Heard it was real unstable??

If there is something about the Bismark don't get it. There are tons of vintage blades with similar styles but there you won't know what the scale material is. In all reality the Bismark will last you a lifetime before anything starts to go on it if the scales are made of cellulose, which I doubt. If you're really concerned just give SRD a call or drop an email off to Dovo. I'm sure both would be helpful but you might get a quicker response from Don and/or Lynn at SRD.

Nightblade-Get that sucker so I can live vicariously! I've had a Bismarck and a Bergischer Lowe (even nicer!) on my radar for some time, but am under a temporary razor embargo (the wife) until finances improve.

Ha ha razor embargo..good one (ouch).I feel your pain my emabargoed brother.I'll let you now how it turns out.

I thought celluloid was no longer used for razor scales, but I could very well be mistaken. I thought the scales were plastic. I'm also seeing one in bone, and you could always have it rescaled in whatever you'd want.

As for the size, I wouldn't really worry about it. It may be a matter of what you get used to and how your technique adapts, but have never found a razor so large that it's tough to shave certain places. I can do the coup de matrie and shave under my nose with an 8/8 razor (I haven't gotten to honing my new 10/8 monster, but I did the motion with the unhoned blade to my skin and it seemed fine).

Really, the worst that could happen is you buy it, decide it's too big, and you trade or re-sell it for a small loss while, at the same time, learning something about your current preferences in blades.

Excellent answer Holli4pirating...thank you...you are not the weakest link welcome(I miss that show ha ha).Seriously though,thanks,that's what I was lookin for. I had remembered reading somewhere that the scales were cellulose but I'll ask SRD next chance and see what they say.I feel the AD welling up; in me.

I have a Bismarck and it's a good razor. That said, The scales on the faux ivory model are thick, as in armor plate. The scales on the black scaled version are proportional to the rest of the razor, so go figure...

I find it's a difficult razor to hone compared to older razors I have, but once honed correctly, it's a heck of a shaver. That probably has something to do with the content of the steel. It's also easily prone to rust, so it has to be stored oiled. The blade is a full hollow, which is a love/hate thing with me. It seems larger than 6/8, and is a chore to maneuver on the upper lip and in other tight places.

Bismarck scales -- the red ones at least -- are indeed celluloid. Don't attempt to sterilize them in isopropyl -- they will melt. Also, don't attempt to light a cigar with them. As long as you restrain yourself in these two matters, they will indeed last a lifetime. Most of the "plastic" Dovos are celluloid.