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Is Bismarck a brand?
I'm new to straight razor shaving, wanting to trim my recently acquired Van Dyke. I have a Pearl King with "First Class, Original Solingen" on the blade, that I don't remember where I got it, and my father's Bismark. The razor has "Bismark Registered" in silver inlay on what appears to be faux ivory plastic or celluloid scales. One side of the tang is stamped "Bismarck" and the other side of the tang is stamped "Made in Germany Soligen". He had it since after WWII. I see Bismarck model Dovo's, but can't find any info on Bismarck brand razors.
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welcome to srp
make sure to hide that razor from lynn :)
since i don't have the exact story of bismarck i'll let one of the other guys post the info
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Bismark is a vintage brand, as well as a current Dovo model. The Bismarks that are stamped "Registered" on the tail are really really sweet shavers. Beyond that, I don't have any other info on the brand.
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Could we see Pics...I am curious.:)
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Welcome to SRP. Your grandpa's razor is in good shape and vintage Bismarcks are fine shavers. The Bismarck razor company was in business from 1900 to 1930 according to Goin's Encyclopedia of Cutlery. Dorp & Voos, which became Dovo, bought them out apparently and continued to use the brand name. The brand name was one of many things from battleships to razors named after the German statesman Otto Von Bismarck who was important in the unification of Germany. Sort of a German equivalent to our George Washington.
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Thanks for the information. When I was trying to research the brand I was looking under current brands. I hadn't realized it was a brand bought out by Dovo. That was my father's razor. He passed in the 90's. I remember, in the early fifties, when he would shave with that razor. I was still young when he switched to the safety razors of that era.
Thanks again for all your replies. I had just ordered a custom honed Dovo from Classic Shaving before I discovered, and started reading, this site. I ordered the tortoise scale model. I collect old Sheaffer fountain pens and the tortoise scales closely match some of my pens from the 20's. Maybe, down the road a little, I'll order a Bismarck model, for old time's sake.
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If you look in member services in the SRP Classifieds you'll find members who offer honing at a nominal fee. That vintage Bismarck you have will make a fine shave if properly honed. As good or better than anything you can buy nowadays.
