Thread: Dovo "Special" Imitation Tortoise

I have received quite a few of these razors lately from the ClassicShaving folks for honing and thought it would be worth mentioning to you guys that they really seem to be a nice value. They are really classy looking razors, hone up nicely and shave well. In addition they have a 4/8, 5/8 and 6/8 blade ranging in price from $69 to $79.

Have fun.

Lynn

Thanks for the heads-up Lynn! It means alot to us newbies to hear feedback like that from a veteran.

I have added it to my wish list for consideration.

Lynn - is this a full hollow or something else - I believe someone has suggested that this might be heavier than a full hollow - but the description on classicshaving indicates otherwise.

There is a review of this razor with pictures over at B&B.

Looks like a full hollow to me. I've only shaved with one DOVO razor, but it was a competent shaver, so I'd expect great quality from a new blade for a very reasonable price from DOVO. I also like this scale design.

Nice to hear your feedback Lynn, i ordered one a few days ago. Can't wait

There's a review and discussion of this razor currently underway in the razor section of B&B, also.

Are all the Swedish blades from Dovo the same, just different scales?

I bought one in the 80's of last century. After not using it for a while the faux tortoise celluloid has started to desintegrate causing accelerated rusting! This is also PapaBull's experience: http://straightrazorpalace.com/showt...erated+rusting

He feels that multicoloured celluloid is more prone to celluloid rot.

Sorry, Lynn that I had to be a spoilsport! I am not disputing the quality of the blade, you are the better judge of that!

I wonder why this handle would disintegrate and their other plastics don't. I have never had a new Dovo handle do that and I have a couple I bought new way over 10 years ago.........hmmmmmmmmmm. Interesting.........How was it stored for all that time?

Lynn

It was stored with another razor: a Ben Hur, in one big plastic coffin, a grey one that came with my Zwilling Friodur in the mid-eighties. Both had a bit of grime on the blade. Both have been living in my cellar for about 8 years. The Ben Hur scales (also some sort of plastic) were fine, the blade of the Ben Hur had mainly rust on the spine (that had been in touch with the tortoise scales of the Dovo) and not on the bit that had been covered by its own scales.

When I stored it 10 years ago the scales were fine.
Next to it a Friodur in a plastic Dovo box and my grandfather's carbons steel razor in its original cardboard box. The latter 2 razors had no problems at all. Those are the ones that I shave with now, the Dovo's blad is probably ruined, the Ben Hur wil be usable when honed.

I have abandoned staright razor shaving in the mid-nineties and picked it up again as soon as I joined SRP. On my own I had never really mastered honing and stropping. There was no one to teach me!
My learning curve since joining SRP has been steep and uphill only. Now I almost exclusively shave w/ straights thanks to SRP!

Interesting.
That was one of my first Dovos (purchased at a knife shop) a few years ago, and while it was new to me, the box does say Made in West Germany...so I'm betting its still a bit old, and I've not had any celluloid rot problems with mine.
John P.