Dovo-Primo I&II what a pleasant surprise

[Cannon Cocker]

I just had the opportunity to try this razor and was pleasantly surprised. I tend to like razors on the more efficient/aggressive side so when a friend wanted me to try the Dovo I was not at all anxious to give it a go. What I thought would be a mild Merkur type razor turned out to be much more. It shaved very smooth with very little blade feel on the first passed. After three passes and a little cleanup I had a very nice BBS shave. Each pass was a lesson in whisker reduction.

I’m curious to hear from anyone else who has tried this razor.

 

[Halfbeard]

A picture of razor would be good ...

 

[rasoirdangereux]

Never heard of the razor. Is it a new model?

 

[Cannon Cocker]

A picture of razor would be good ...

You can pull up a picture of the Dovo on the web site for The Razor Company.

 

[Cannon Cocker]

Never heard of the razor. Is it a new model?

Yes it is a new model.

 

[LRod]

For those that were asking for pictures:

Background:
I bought the (Primo II) in September on a whim because I saw it for $39. I had read about it and figured that for $39, I couldn't lose much. It's so good that I quickly bought a second one as a spare. I have and have had tons of DE's in all price ranges and this Dovo has ended up in my "Top 3" SB DE's in my rotation. It's shares that recognition with my Rex Envoy & Chiseled Face Legacy! I tend to favor razors on the medium aggressive end but this is my go to if I want a mild shave. The issue is that it's mild but extraordinarily efficient. I don't know what magic the Germans did with this razor but it's really something else. It glides over your skin! A razor that must be tried!
I typically use it with a Personna Lab Blue blade which works perfect for me on this razor.
The weight, balance and handle is pretty much perfect!
Note: This is an original Dovo design that has nothing to do with Merkur. Dovo and Merkur have split!
They spent almost 3 years developing and testing it and it's a work of art! The fit & finish is A-1!
The handle is brass and the head is zinc die cast but it's coated in what they call and developed "Chrome 3 coating".
This coating is supposed to resist what normal zamak doesn't. So it shouldn't rust! They also added a brass insert
in the handle which is what screws on the post. The post is ultra long and is supposed to keep water out when mated to the brass handle post.
The Primo I has smoother tighter knurling and the Primo II has rougher knurling. I bought both Primo II's.
For those interested, Knife Center has the Primo II in stock for $39. Everywhere else it's like $60.
Fantastic deal on a fantastic razor!

 

[BigJ]

Certainly a handsome razor, especially for the price!! Thanks for calling this to our attention!

 

[LRod]

Certainly a handsome razor, especially for the price!! Thanks for calling this to our attention!

After spending hundreds on razors, it's shocking to find something at this price point that performs as well as it does. A very premium feeling razor that's accessible to most. Best $39 I've spent on shaving gear!

 

[Jay21]

After spending hundreds on razors, it's shocking to find something at this price point that performs as well as it does. A very premium feeling razor that's accessible to most. Best $39 I've spent on shaving gear!

I watched a video that claimed it had positive blade exposure. How much blade feel is there? I don’t like razors with a lot of exposure but this has really caught my eye.

 

[LRod]

I watched a video that claimed it had positive blade exposure. How much blade feel is there? I don’t like razors with a lot of exposure but this has really caught my eye.

If you like little blade feel, you'll like it.
You barely feel anything!
It's very slightly positive!

 

[Jay21]

If you like little blade feel, you'll like it.
You barely feel anything!
It's very slightly positive!

I’m not a fan of blade feel, but if it’s not too much, I may be ok with it.

 

[LRod]

I’m not a fan of blade feel, but if it’s not too much, I may be ok with it.

Each person has their limits when it comes to blade feel. What might be a lot for you, might not be much for me and vice versa. But for me, I almost feel no blade on this razor. And I use Lab Blue blades on it which are really sharp.
YMMV!

 

[SaguaroSmart]

Each person has their limits when it comes to blade feel. What might be a lot for you, might not be much for me and vice versa. But for me, I almost feel no blade on this razor. And I use Lab Blue blades on it which are really sharp.
YMMV!

When you say it's mild but extraordinarily efficient, what do you mean ? Could you compare it to common razors ?

Is it as efficient as a GameChanger .84, Lupo 72, Muhle Rocca ?
Is it as mild as them or milder ? Are we talking Muhle R89 mild ?

Pretty cool to see Dovo release new razors, I think they are more famous for their straight razors but I'm always happy to see more options on the market.

 

[LRod]

When you say it's mild but extraordinarily efficient, what do you mean ? Could you compare it to common razors ?

Is it as efficient as a GameChanger .84, Lupo 72, Muhle Rocca ?
Is it as mild as them or milder ? Are we talking Muhle R89 mild ?

Pretty cool to see Dovo release new razors, I think they are more famous for their straight razors but I'm always happy to see more options on the market.

Out of your list, I've only tried the Lupo 72 and the Rocca. It's way milder than those with probably equal efficiency.
I'd probably say it's as mild as a Merkur 34C but smoother and much more efficient.
I guess I can also compare it to the Rex Envoy which I also have where it's a bit milder than that but as efficient.
Note: I shave 2 passes daily WTG/XTG but don't do ATG so YMMV in terms of what I see as efficient vs. others!
And yes, nice to see them offer this. It's a great razor that I think most users would accept.
I think that's what Dovo is after!
They've split with Merkur so it's their own clean sheet design and it's more than excellent for the price. Looks, feels and shaves above it's price point.
And I just noticed a couple days ago that they're starting to sell them in more shaving retailers.
Knife Center still has it at the best price for $39.95!

 

[SaguaroSmart]

Out of your list, I've only tried the Lupo 72 and the Rocca. It's way milder than those with probably equal efficiency.
I'd probably say it's as mild as a Merkur 34C but smoother and much more efficient.
I guess I can also compare it to the Rex Envoy which I also have where it's a bit milder than that but as efficient.
Note: I shave 2 passes daily WTG/XTG but don't do ATG so YMMV in terms of what I see as efficient vs. others!
And yes, nice to see them offer this. It's a great razor that I think most users would accept.
I think that's what Dovo is after!
They've split with Merkur so it's their own clean sheet design and it's more than excellent for the price. Looks, feels and shaves above it's price point.
And I just noticed a couple days ago that they're starting to sell them in more shaving retailers.
Knife Center still has it at the best price for $39.95!

That sounds like a great little razor the way you describe it. If it really is as mild as a 34c and somehow almost as efficient as a Lupo 72 it must be a gem. Even if it isn't exactly as efficient, it would be quite the engineering feat. For such an affordable price, I might pick one up.

@Chickencutlets Agreed.

 

[LRod]

That sounds like a great little razor the way you describe it. If it really is as mild as a 34c and somehow almost as efficient as a Lupo 72 it must be a gem. Even if it isn't exactly as efficient, it would be quite the engineering feat. For such an affordable price, I might pick one up.

@Chickencutlets Agreed.

It's definitely worth it at $40!
I like it so much that I have two. I bought the first one and a few days later bought the second one after trying it out.
I'm sure it'll last a long time but I figured that I might as well store a second one just in case.
I've been through the whole spectrum of budget, mid-price and high price razors (lots & lots of them) and this sub $40 razor ended up in my top 5 favorite DE's!

 

[LRod]

I am wondering if more people snag this razor and can get more opinions on it versus just one person.

Well, I'm not the only one. @Cannon Cocker started the thread and he's tried it so that's two, LOL!!
At the $40 that Knife Center sells it for, I'm guessing more people might want to give it a go.
Every other place sells it for $50!
One thing I think that's happening is Dovo trying to shake off the old Merkur relationship. I keep reading
comments of people saying that it looks like a Merkur head so they assume that it'll be the same.
It looks nothing like a Merkur and shaves nothing like a Merkur and Dovo has absolutely nothing to do
anymore with Merkur. This is a pure clean sheet Dovo design and build!
Another thing that might interest people:
a few videos now exist on YouTube showcasing the razor.
Matter of fact, Geofatboy just posted a new one yesterday!

 

[SaguaroSmart]

I just had the opportunity to try this razor and was pleasantly surprised. I tend to like razors on the more efficient/aggressive side so when a friend wanted me to try the Dovo I was not at all anxious to give it a go. What I thought would be a mild Merkur type razor turned out to be much more. It shaved very smooth with very little blade feel on the first passed. After three passes and a little cleanup I had a very nice BBS shave. Each pass was a lesson in whisker reduction.

I’m curious to hear from anyone else who has tried this razor.

it seems both LRod and you have really been positively surprised by the Dovo Primo. Do you mind giving us a bit more detailed comparison with other common razors like LRod did ? In your opinion, what razors does the Primo compare to in terms of efficiency ?

Honestly LRod has practically convinced me to give it a try and the price is no concern but I figure it's always nice to hear several opinions on the perceived efficiency of the razor. It might help more people here give it a try.

@LRod I've actually watched Geo's review. Unfortunately I wish he spoke more about the efficiency and feel, as with most manufacturers he describes the looks, weight etc but did not really compare it to other razors. Great video though as always, Geo is entertaining.

 

[Cannon Cocker]

 

[Cannon Cocker]

Not a great picture, but I’m trying to compare a Merkur on the left to the Dovo on the right. They look exactly alike, but they shave miles apart.

I have quite a few very good razors with most being modern and still in production. As far as smoothest probably my Timeless SS and Ti .95 OC and my Karve CB “C” SB. I could easily put the Dovo with them. As far as efficiency it gets a little harder. If pressed I would probably put it with my Game Changer .84 SB.

For me the Dovo’s efficiency kind of snuck up on me. I always do three passes and after each pass with the Dovo it’s knocked down more beard. It didn’t seem great but good. After the third pass and some minor cleanup I had my BBS.

I don’t know how to better explain it.

Fyi in the picture the handle on the Merkur is from a Muhle R41.