Dovo ''not-so-special'' 5/8 straight

First off this site really is great so apologies for my first post being a bit of a moan but thought I'd see if there were any alternative views on the Dovo Special 5/8 faux Tortoise scaled straight razor?

After reviewing a-lot of great reviews I thought I'd jump in and join what seemed like a great purchase (i.e. value, quality and aesthetics), however once delivered I can't help but feel a little deflated :cry:. I was expecting it to be duller than a butter knife when out of the box and to be fair it was but once honed and stropped it did take a good edge. That said it just looks and feels cheaper than it's reasonable price tag would suggest.

Maybe those Artisans of Solingen have finally succumbed to modern production methods, but I really wasn't expecting all the graphics to be etched (e.g. the maker and model number placed on the tang) rather than stamped, the scales to feel very very flimsy and the whole razor to weigh little more than the packet of DE blades which were consequently pressed into service!

Again for those of you who love your Dovo, I'm genuinely happy for you but want to find those (if you exist) who think the quality of these new blades to be a little lacking?

I just wish manufacturers still made some of hose paper thin hollow points still.. It is impossible to find a new blade that is thin enough these days... It sems like I can only find older blades that fit that mark.

I do not understand why do you have a problem with the weight? You can't realistically expect a 5/8 hollow ground to weight a lot. In general Dovo best is the cheapest budget line of Dovo, I would suggest if you are after looks, get the big wallet out and go for a TI, a high end Dovo, or a custom.

I do have a problem with the weight amongst other design features, hence the thread! Yes I realise it's not a TI, nor a custom but when compared to my significantly older Bismarck which I'd expect to be within the same quality range it doesn't do very well for the reasons already mentioned..

Was looking to get another blade to put in my kit-bag which could take a fair degree of punishment (quick honing/stropping and God knows what else) and was let down by the quality of the razor on arrival. As for weight specifically, well depending on your currency you can expect to pay anything from 100-130 (USD/Euro etc.), my swiss army knife falls well below that price tag and feels a hell of a-lot heavier (sharper out of the box too)! Also please remember a sight-unseen from Larry at whippeddog is cheaper still and the steel those gents provide is not only sharper but also heavier.

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Originally Posted by sailordave

I do have a problem with the weight amongst other design features, hence the thread! Yes I realise it's not a TI, nor a custom but when compared to my significantly older Bismarck which I'd expect to be within the same quality range it doesn't do very well for the reasons already mentioned..

Was looking to get another blade to put in my kit-bag which could take a fair degree of punishment (quick honing/stropping and God knows what else). As for weight specifically, well depending on your currency you can expect to pay anything from 100-130 (USD/Euro etc.), my swiss army knife falls well below that price tag and feels a hell of a-lot heavier (sharper out of the box too)! Also please remember a sight-unseen from Larry at whippeddog is cheaper still and the steel those gents provide is not only sharper but also heavier.

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I guess I am having a problem with your expectation of a straight razor to be hefty or heavy or weight certain weight.
If you want heavy, find a 8/8 full wedge.

Your swiss army knife is made with more metal than a razor so it will weight more, but it is a knife not a razor so comparing weight of two completely different tools is a bit apples vs oranges.

From your post above are you concerned with razor longevity because it seems not sturdy? If that is the case, don't worry as longas it is cared for properly that razor should last your life time and then may be your kids life time as well.

All true, those scales are cheap plastic, its basically the same thing the $2 gas station sunglasses are made of. Alot of a razors value is in the scale material. Cheaper razor, cheaper scales, exotic woods and carbon fiber scales = more expensive razor. If you are looking for a heavier 5/8 full hollow that's not overly expensive. Check out SRD; Lynn carries the Dovo carpe diem razor with "multiwood" handles. I have this razor, and it's twice as heavy as my other 5/8. The multiwood is actually Dymondwood ( hardwood that's been pressurized, stabilized, and dyed). It's a beautiful razor, I personally am not crazy about the weight of the scales. My $.02

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Originally Posted by tiddle

All true, those scales are cheap plastic, its basically the same thing the $2 gas station sunglasses are made of. Alot of a razors value is in the scale material. Cheaper razor, cheaper scales, exotic woods and carbon fiber scales = more expensive razor. If you are looking for a heavier 5/8 full hollow that's not overly expensive. Check out SRD; Lynn carries the Dovo carpe diem razor with "multiwood" handles. I have this razor, and it's twice as heavy as my other 5/8. The multiwood is actually Dymondwood ( hardwood that's been pressurized, stabilized, and dyed). It's a beautiful razor, I personally am not crazy about the weight of the scales. My $.02

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Have to admit that the right thing to do would have been to post a question before buying rather than ranting afterwards as the above sounds a far better option, ahh if they only came in 'hindsight'...

Well it only comes in 20/20 :rofl2: Seriously though, it was my first razor, and I read about it, looked at great reviews, but no one mentioned the weight of the scales. So when I took it out I was surprised at how heavy they were. Once I got my second and third razor I noticed that it wasn't the blade, but the scale material. With a little snoopin' around I found out they were diamond wood, and not wood with an acrylic or polyurethane finish and that made them more dense, thus heavier. Call it a learning curve I guess.

WoW, Facts are a amazing thing so lets just try and put a few in this thread

Weight:
Vintage Dovo Fritz Bracht #25 BTW that is a 6/8 = 1.8 ozCurrent Dovo best quality 5/8 = 1.5 oz

Scales:
I need to double check but I am pretty sure the Tortoise scales are actually Celluloid and not Plastic, I will make sure though..

Sharp:
Sharpness out of the box, is something that has actually been made better over that last few years by Dovo and TI neither is really what most of us consider "Shave Ready" but they are better then they were..


Edit: I think the editor is fixed :)

I do not own any Dovos, but what I have seen has been good for the price IMO.

I've heard some reports of broken scales, but all I have read were accompanied with a report of very good customer service and satisfaction.

Many applogies for the posts having no spacing seems the editor is not working quite right for me this morning

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Originally Posted by gssixgun

Many applogies for the posts having no spacing seems the editor is not working quite right for me this morning

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Well, if it makes you feel any better, you're not the only one.

W.r.t the lightweight 5/8ths, they are all like that. When you get the wafer thin vintage razors (not all of them are, but you can find some super light grinds if you sort through a few), they are much lighter yet. I only have one new razor (and a lot of vintage razors)...a dovo bismarck. It's got some very minor cosmetics, but when I look at it, I think there's no way I could produce the same thing for $132 in the 20th century and make a living at it. I think that it's quite a nice razor for the price, despite the fact that it is more expensive than some vintage razors that I have that are more precise and a bit more skillfully made. We're comparing what we expect at new price compared to what consensus may be for something vintage. A lot of the better hollow ground razors sold for a day's wage or a large fraction of a day's wage back around the turn of the century. Most people didn't make more than $2 a day. An average day's wage now is about 4 times what a dovo special costs. Taxes are more and all of that stuff...yadda yadda, but I would imagine a gold washed razor like a bismarck with a nice metal case would've been more than the half a day's wage that it costs now...in relative terms.

Interesting thread topic. It is a shame the OP didn't post before buying but I can't help but think expectations were a bit too high for a razor that's at the bottom of dovos line. It's still a good shaver. You can always rescale it later

I have a Dovo Best and I rather like it as simple as it is... It was my first.

Actually, maybe because it was my first, I took the time to learn what it liked and I can put an edge on it like no other. It's my "old faithful," and the blade that gets the job of testing out any new pastes or stones. But it's still pretty basic.

That said, I will state that I feel the OP's pain. I can't think of any blade other than maybe my old Swedes that I haven't wanted to change something on it. Heck! To be honest I can't think of anything I have bought recently that I haven't wanted to improve somehow! Personalizing is fun too!

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Originally Posted by sailordave

I do have a problem with the weight amongst other design features, hence the thread! Yes I realise it's not a TI, nor a custom but when compared to my significantly older Bismarck which I'd expect to be within the same quality range it doesn't do very well for the reasons already mentioned..

Was looking to get another blade to put in my kit-bag which could take a fair degree of punishment (quick honing/stropping and God knows what else) and was let down by the quality of the razor on arrival. As for weight specifically, well depending on your currency you can expect to pay anything from 100-130 (USD/Euro etc.), my swiss army knife falls well below that price tag and feels a hell of a-lot heavier (sharper out of the box too)! Also please remember a sight-unseen from Larry at whippeddog is cheaper still and the steel those gents provide is not only sharper but also heavier.

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I don't think weight has a direct correlation with quality, to be honest, but I do agree that the product is not that impressive looking for the price!

The old Dovos were something else - they ooze quality. Personally I would rather pay the same for a good vintage Fritz Bracht, but each to his own.

Regards,
Neil

I do like my Dovo ebony spike, it's a nice looking razor with the gold wash and shaves well, as does the carpe diem, and for the money I do think the quality does justify the price ( I haven't had any cosmetic or mechanical issues luckily), but when it comes to mass production, you usually do get what you pay for. As was mentioned previously, you can always have them rescaled, and plenty of guys here can do it for a reasonable price with a large variety of materials; the hard part is just picking something out ;)

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Originally Posted by gssixgun

Many applogies for the posts having no spacing seems the editor is not working quite right for me this morning

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Consider yourself banned mister...

Great information, here. Thanks for all the interesting thoughts, gents.

I love the smell of a Troll in the morning...........

WOWZA!!

Have fun

Troll?

Anyway thanks all for the responses, if nothing else it delivered a good debate. Expectations were obviously far too high, end of story!

The Dovo special is also my first new straight razor (I own 5 or 6 vintage ones) and I too must say that I was disappointed with it at first. But when it was properly honed and stropped it is a great shaver. The prices of all new razors are high, but if you consider that you're getting a Swedish steel razor here my only complain is the look of the scales.. Which you can change eventually

Yup, glad this guy only posted 4 times. From my understanding, dovo has great razors, to compare a knifes weight to a razor in means of quality is just moronic.... and I thought people like a light scale. Especially if the blade is light. No one likes the blade pulliñ from your face and cramping the hand right? He can say they look cheap. But yea, you're not buying pearl here buddy. Geesh. I love all razors for what they are. Unless they are modern fakes than they are not really 'razors' anyways. Tisk tisk. Some people just don't have the true passion for it I guess.

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Originally Posted by Jock

The Dovo special is also my first new straight razor (I own 5 or 6 vintage ones) and I too must say that I was disappointed with it at first. But when it was properly honed and stropped it is a great shaver. The prices of all new razors are high, but if you consider that you're getting a Swedish steel razor here my only complain is the look of the scales.. Which you can change eventually

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can u explain me Swedish steel ? moras cost next to nothing like 2 dollars or cheaper on sales the steal comes from factory at around 5k grit sharp it is truly a Swedish steel made there in Sweden it cant be the same right ?
swedish steel is some name for a fancy metal that was used to make katanas or some shit ?

This thread was made 5 years ago.

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well at least im not making new useless threads to ask questions lol

No harm in asking questions, especially when you are uncertain. No question is useless, only to the ignorant.

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Originally Posted by EMDE

well at least im not making new useless threads to ask questions lol

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I think people much rather appreciate a new thread to a necroposted crusty old one.

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