purchased a SS DOVO 6/8 with red scales on the bay. I know this is one of there less expensive razors. Anyone use one before?
Col conk DOVO
- Thread starter Roske
- Start date
Nice score! If it has the translucent red scales that makes it at least 8 years old. That color was discontinued some time back. An excellent razor with a little hone work. It will no-doubt serve you well!
If you have any questions please dont hesitate to ask!
If you have any questions please dont hesitate to ask!
Ive got the Conk in white. Nice shaver. And it wasnt too wonky!
I figured it was a Dovo. But had no real proof or idea on age.
I figured it was a Dovo. But had no real proof or idea on age.
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- #4
So l haven’t received the razor yet but the seller said it was stainless steel. In able to find info on this razor. Did they make this in stainless?
Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
AFAIK it is not stainless but it wouldn't be the first time I was wrong, if I am.
The Conk razors are I believe rebranded "Best Quality" Dovos and so can be plagued with all sorts of problems. Bad steel is not one of them. Once any wonks are sorted out it will shave just fine. I had 3 out of 3 lemons and I totally swore off entry level Dovo razors forever. Some Dovos like the various Bismarck types and the Prima Klang I like very much.
The Conk razors are I believe rebranded "Best Quality" Dovos and so can be plagued with all sorts of problems. Bad steel is not one of them. Once any wonks are sorted out it will shave just fine. I had 3 out of 3 lemons and I totally swore off entry level Dovo razors forever. Some Dovos like the various Bismarck types and the Prima Klang I like very much.
I agree with Slash's observations though I didn't know that the "Best Quality" line had deteriorated. It's been a while since I've been asked to hone one.
The "Best Quality" line used to be very good.
Your razor is most likely of that line, and like Slash said, I know of none of them that were stainless. Hopefully you got a good one.
Let us know how you fair.
Chris
The "Best Quality" line used to be very good.
Your razor is most likely of that line, and like Slash said, I know of none of them that were stainless. Hopefully you got a good one.
Let us know how you fair.
Chris
It will be carbon steel.
These razors (Both the Red and Pearl) are older razors. They were produced before the DOVO fallout of recent years.
These razors (Both the Red and Pearl) are older razors. They were produced before the DOVO fallout of recent years.
- Thread starter
- #8
So I received the razor. I have been straight shaving for several months and have blades honed by pros. This razor is sharp. The scales are red but not translucent and the blade is definitely carbon steel. This is an un used razor no box but has price tags. With red non translucent scales would this still be an 8 to 10 year old DOVO?
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- #9
Thanks for the info. I felt mine was older but was guessing 1970s.
Your red one looks nice. Give it a shave and let us know how it goes.
The Col. Conk name on the tang dates yours to about the mid 90's.
The later design (like the one shown with the logo on the blade itself) and solid red scales dates it around 2000-2006. We had many of those in stock and they could have been sold all the way up until 2014.
Both razors were definitely made before the batch of questionable "best quality" years though.
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- Thread starter
- #12
Thank You
My pleasure!
Can anyone elaborate on when the “questionable” batch was manufactured and sold as well as what the issues were?
Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
Warped and twisted blades, spines, bad grinding, mostly. A lot of stuff that can be overcome by enthusiastic steel removal by a honer who knows his stuff. I never heard of bad steel, though. Apparently DOVO had personnel issues and I am told that they lost their master grinder. I can't verify that. I had 3 out of 3 entry Dovos turn out to be lemons. At the time I did not really know much about honing. There was no internet, I had no mentor, and wasn't much about barbers and even if, there weren't that many willing to take time to teach newbies. Plus the only straight shaves I got from barbers in that time period kind of sucked. The first one was a Best from a cutlery shop on the riverwalk. The kind that sells "kewl" and "wicked, dude!" knives. He didn't even have a strop and didn't have a clue, either. The second one was a Conk. I wanted an upgrade from the Dovo. Surprise! Then internet happened. Oh, yeah, and a saw a few razors in junk shops (they are called antique shops, now) but OMG they looked so OLD! Couldn't possibly be any good, right? Anyway I bought yet another one online and by this time I kind of had a handle on how spine and blade and bevel angle and hone all worked together, and saw right away that the edge failed to make contact with the hone at the toe on one side, and ditto the spine on the other side. It still didn't really occur to me that maybe just HONING the darn thing until it was thoroughly scourged and chastised into submission might make it hone up okay. I was using a huge and ancient piece of novaculite looking quartzish rock that was harder than unobtanium, unlapped of course cause I still didn't know any better, and I "knew better" than to touch a delicate razor to the fast synthetics that I used to sharpen knives. Between three very wonky blades and a self honing self taught straight shaver, it was purest torture. It was like the Spanish Inquisition. My face always looked like I had spent the morning sorting wildcats.
Eventually I got things figured out. I had never tossed the Conk or the second Best, and one or the other I straightened out on the belt sander with a 100 grit belt, honed it up, decided it was nothing special cause by this time I owned two original Bismarcks and several Bokers and American vintages. I gave away both of them. Now I had figured out that while yeah, the fault was partly mine and an expert honer MIGHT have been able to make an ugly but serviceable razor out of those Dovos, no noob would stand a chance. Contrast this to the Genco that was my first truly successful shaver, which I managed to make sort of shave ready in an hour with a Norton combo and the old Arkie or whatever it was, which I had laboriously lapped on a sandpaper progression and burnished with part of an old saw blade. I still didn't know much but I did know that Dovos sucked. Then I ran across a DOVO Bismarck and though, well I can't use that language here, but I figured it would be horrible. Imagine my surprise when it turned out to be just as good a razor as my Bismarck Bismarcks.
The first Dovo I purchased in the early or mid 80's I am pretty sure. Anyhow, several years at least, before the Gulf War. Then the Conk I bought I want to say about 1990. And a year or two later, the third Dovo. I was later infomed as I had already guessed, that Dovo "Best Quality" actually was their worst quality, probably made by very junior workers, and that the higher end Dovos were actually quite good, with very few exceptions like when they had no master grinder to crack the whip and learn the younguns how to make razors. And now I am told that the entry Dovos are okay. Maybe that is true, now. However you only got to sell me a crappy product three times for me to get the message that you don't need my money and I don't want your product. My name is not Charley Brown and no, Lucy, I do not think I will be kicking your stupid football anymore.
Eventually I got things figured out. I had never tossed the Conk or the second Best, and one or the other I straightened out on the belt sander with a 100 grit belt, honed it up, decided it was nothing special cause by this time I owned two original Bismarcks and several Bokers and American vintages. I gave away both of them. Now I had figured out that while yeah, the fault was partly mine and an expert honer MIGHT have been able to make an ugly but serviceable razor out of those Dovos, no noob would stand a chance. Contrast this to the Genco that was my first truly successful shaver, which I managed to make sort of shave ready in an hour with a Norton combo and the old Arkie or whatever it was, which I had laboriously lapped on a sandpaper progression and burnished with part of an old saw blade. I still didn't know much but I did know that Dovos sucked. Then I ran across a DOVO Bismarck and though, well I can't use that language here, but I figured it would be horrible. Imagine my surprise when it turned out to be just as good a razor as my Bismarck Bismarcks.
The first Dovo I purchased in the early or mid 80's I am pretty sure. Anyhow, several years at least, before the Gulf War. Then the Conk I bought I want to say about 1990. And a year or two later, the third Dovo. I was later infomed as I had already guessed, that Dovo "Best Quality" actually was their worst quality, probably made by very junior workers, and that the higher end Dovos were actually quite good, with very few exceptions like when they had no master grinder to crack the whip and learn the younguns how to make razors. And now I am told that the entry Dovos are okay. Maybe that is true, now. However you only got to sell me a crappy product three times for me to get the message that you don't need my money and I don't want your product. My name is not Charley Brown and no, Lucy, I do not think I will be kicking your stupid football anymore.
- Thread starter
- #16
Used this blade this morning. Good shaver
Awesome! Glad to hear that! Mind telling where you picked it up? Just out of curiosity.Used this blade this morning. Good shaver
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- #18
Ebay a guy from Texas , he did have more.
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- #19
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