Thread: Shavette

My new Dovo is beginning to feel distinctly dull, I suspect poor stropping on my part. Anyway I bought a shavette and some blades for comparison, and the shave was far superior. So the question is : Will the Dovo ever be as sharp as the disposable blades? I`m sure it wasn`t that sharp when I got it new a few weeks ago.

You can get a straight razor up to the same level of sharpness as a feather if you know what you are doing, or if you send it to someone who does..!

Feathers feel "sharper" because the company that makes the blades coats them in teflon after they are sharpened, which gives them that scary sharp edge with no resistance. They're not actually any sharper than a well honed straight, but feel like they are due to the teflon.

The teflon is put on to make the blade last longer before it dulls.

Originally Posted by freddo669

My new Dovo is beginning to feel distinctly dull, I suspect poor stropping on my part. Anyway I bought a shavette and some blades for comparison, and the shave was far superior. So the question is : Will the Dovo ever be as sharp as the disposable blades? I`m sure it wasn`t that sharp when I got it new a few weeks ago.

Yes, your DOVO can be as sharp as your shavette and definitely more comfortable. Was your razor honed after delivery from the factory? If not, it may need a better edge. If it was honed, it just needs some passes on finishing hone to bring back the edge. Your stropping was probably ok if the edge lasted a few weeks. I assume you only have one real straight razor and were using daily. The shavette is a good travel and good as a backup but I find it lacks the balance and comfort of a real straight. It is a good benchmark however for sharpness.

Originally Posted by CloseShave

Yes, your DOVO can be as sharp as your shavette and definitely more comfortable. Was your razor honed after delivery from the factory? If not, it may need a better edge. If it was honed, it just needs some passes on finishing hone to bring back the edge. Your stropping was probably ok if the edge lasted a few weeks. I assume you only have one real straight razor and were using daily. The shavette is a good travel and good as a backup but I find it lacks the balance and comfort of a real straight. It is a good benchmark however for sharpness.

A far as I know the Dovo was untouched after leaving the factory. I`m a newbie, so I will persevere. If I could get the Dovo to cut like the shavette I would be extremely pleased.

Originally Posted by freddo669

A far as I know the Dovo was untouched after leaving the factory. I`m a newbie, so I will persevere. If I could get the Dovo to cut like the shavette I would be extremely pleased.

If your razor came from the factory it will most likely NOT be shave ready. If it wasnt pro-honed when you bought it you should send it out to a honemeister (check the classifieds and Straiht Razor Designs.com) to get it honed.

Many people buy straights direct from the factory and then give up when they cant get a good shave out of the thing! The razors are sort of honed on a flat wheel and then stropped before they leave the factory, but this rarely gives them an acceptable edge. It would be far too expensive to hone them on a series of stones before they were shipped, so they dont bother.

I'd recommend you send your razor out to be honed by a pro, then you're truly know what shave ready is..!

I find Steve at the Invisible Edge very knowledgeable on honing. He's in the Uk at:Shave-Ready Vintage Razors.
I have not used his services but have consulted with him several times on honing problems which he has helped me sort out.

I've bought a couple of TI's from Steve who always hones them well.
Man they are the silky smooooth!!!
That Dovo can be better that a shavette honed properly, good to use DE blade as a benchmark though.
DE's are very agressive edges, lightest of touches is the rule
You won't get a fraction of the irritation from a well honed straight and good shaving technique.

Deckard

Thanks for the replies. Will be sending the Dovo off to Steve ASAP!

Originally Posted by freddo669

Thanks for the replies. Will be sending the Dovo off to Steve ASAP!

You won't regret it. Steve's great to deal with. You won't believe how nice that blade shaves when it comes back.

Just to jump in, I'm due a razor back from a forum member who is in the Classifieds section, Gary Haywood, who has been a pleasure to deal with and is far cheaper than The Invisible Edge.