Is my (brand new) Dovo Bismark razor rusting?

[Frank Shaves]

But, For what’s worth, Jarrod’s silicon cotton sleeves work like magic. I don’t do any special regimen after shaving. Warm water, toilet paper on the blade, toilet paper on the inside of the scales, a dozen laps on the strop, and then to the sleeve it goes. No messy oil, alcohol or air pumps.

Sorry to hear about the whole experience, @Ctbjdm.

For my first summer using straight razors, I went out and bought a bunch of Jarrod's sleeves, and am very happy with the decision. Not sure what the climate is like where you live, but oxidation is a real threat to carbon steel razors that you need to pay attention to. I now own tens of razors many of which I restored after their previous owners allowed them to oxidize (rust). My first razor was a Bismarck from Jarrod which now has a couple of spots on it - I suspect from not fully rinsing the razor after performing the cherry tomato test. I try to view the imperfections as part of the circle of life, and try not to lose sight of the fact that I bought the razors for the purpose of shaving - and that they do very well!

 

[dabrock]

Those sleeves are probably a good idea, or volatile paper, especially for someone in a high humidity area. I live in an area of rather high humidity but haven't had any issues yet, but I'm thinking of grabbing some sleeves for my razors, other than the GDs. For those in the UK and Europe, there is a seller on Etsy that sells a similar sleeve product.

 

[Eastcoast30]

For what it's worth; Dovo filed for bankruptcy in May 2020. That should tell you something. They had been acquired by Mercur. My experience with this type of acquisition by a larger company is that the new parent company wrings out every penny of profit without putting anything back in (say for tooling or other upgrades).

My preference for modern German razors is for Wacker and Ralf Aust.

 

[dabrock]

For what it's worth; Dovo filed for bankruptcy in May 2020. That should tell you something. They had been acquired by Mercur. My experience with this type of acquisition by a larger company is that the new parent company wrings out every penny of profit without putting anything back in (say for tooling or other upgrades).

My preference for modern German razors is for Wacker and Ralf Aust.
View attachment 1292361

I thought Merkur was Dovo.

 

[macintoshBR]

They had been acquired by Mercur. My experience with this type of acquisition by a larger company is that the new parent company wrings out every penny of profit without putting anything back in (say for tooling or other upgrades).
View attachment 1292361

Sorry sir, but this is fake news! Merkur and Dovo have belonged to the same group forever.

Dovo filed for bankruptcy, that’s true. Since then, it has found investors and seems to be on a positive trajectory. I follow their Instagram account and they seem to be modernizing their business to succeed in the 21st century. For once, they are changing their production facilities to a new location in Solingen, after >120 years in the same place

 

[djm]

Sorry to hear about the whole experience, @Ctbjdm.

For my first summer using straight razors, I went out and bought a bunch of Jarrod's sleeves, and am very happy with the decision. Not sure what the climate is like where you live, but oxidation is a real threat to carbon steel razors that you need to pay attention to. I now own tens of razors many of which I restored after their previous owners allowed them to oxidize (rust). My first razor was a Bismarck from Jarrod which now has a couple of spots on it - I suspect from not fully rinsing the razor after performing the cherry tomato test. I try to view the imperfections as part of the circle of life, and try not to lose sight of the fact that I bought the razors for the purpose of shaving - and that they do very well!

I will echo what Frank Shaves says without touching the question of fault. I have a Rigarazor that developed water spots fairly soon after the purchase. In that case, it was 100% my fault for leaving it half open on the counter and getting some water on it. It was not rust- but the spots do not want to come off not matter what I do.

Anyhow, while disappointing, I remind myself that the only person who will care is me (for some reason, I have a tough time convincing anybody else in my life that this is a matter that should concern them.) If I let it bother me, then I would have to sell the razor as shaving should not elicit negative emotions. Instead, I smile and carry on. A razor is a tool, and this razor shaves extraordinarily well. Instead of a negative experience, I have a great experience every time I handle it.

In short, I'm going to guess that you will be stuck with a razor that is not up to your standard. The question will be if you can ignore the surface flaws if it shaves well. This might also be the time to tell you about vintage straights that have survived for decades and are generally priced at half (or less) the cost of a new one with a much larger selection of grinds, finishes, and scales...

I hope that you can still enjoy the blade...

 

[Rusty Blade]

I won't comment on the dispute or who is at fault. I do have a few observations.

To begin, I will say that this is one reason why I dont like gold etching on straight razors. It is super delicate and prone to damage no matter how careful you are. I prefer a clean blade.

I believe that once I buy any tool, including a straight razor, then the responsibility to care for it is mine and no one else. And this means I need to inform myself on the proper care of that tool before I open the box. Sometimes the learning process involves mistakes that I have to own. Experience is a great, but sometimes cruel teacher. Some mistakes I make are expensive, but usually my fault because I did not follow good practice. I try to make those mistakes only once.

I buy many vintage SRs from antique stores. Most have stain, damaged gold plating, or rust. Most of this can be solved with a progression of sandpaper and polish to reveal a clean rust free blade (and yes, sometimes that means sacrificing the gold) that will last another hundred years if proper care is taken.

My final comment is that I often seek advice from fellow B&B members on various issues related to stŕaight razors. I get lots of informed advice that is very helpful. I do, however, sometimes get advice that I know is incorrect. And it is up to me to decide what advice I should follow or disregard.

 

[Frank Shaves]

To begin, I will say that this is one reason why I dont like gold etching on straight razors. It is super delicate and prone to damage no matter how careful you are. I prefer a clean blade.

I am with @Rusty Blade on this one. If I could go back in time and request razors from misters Wade, Butcher, Thiers and Pou, I would request clean blades.

 

[Steve56]

FWIW, the razor ‘socks’ are made by Sack Ups in Morganton, NC.

They will make what you want but a minimum order of socks in razor size may be a bit high for someone who only wants a few. Alternatively, you could buy a larger piece of material/product and have them cut and sewn or sew them yourself.

They’re treated with silicone oil, which you can buy almost anywhere, so you could also make your own and apply the oil, or just apply some silicone oil to the blade with a tissue. Sack Ups used to offer the oil to ‘replenish’ their products but don’t seem to now.

Silicone oil has a very low surface tension, it will ‘creep’ all over a surface even if you miss a spot or two.

 

[Rusty Blade]

FWIW, the razor ‘socks’ are made by Sack Ups in Morganton, NC.

They will make what you want but a minimum order of socks in razor size may be a bit high for someone who only wants a few. Alternatively, you could buy a larger piece of material/product and have them cut and sewn or sew them yourself.

They’re treated with silicone oil, which you can buy almost anywhere, so you could also make your own and apply the oil, or just apply some silicone oil to the blade with a tissue. Sack Ups used to offer the oil to ‘replenish’ their products but don’t seem to now.

Silicone oil has a very low surface tension, it will ‘creep’ all over a surface even if you miss a spot or two.

They sound interesting. I have never tried one. So far I have not needed anything except dry/dehumidified storage.

 

[Steve56]

I will echo what Frank Shaves says without touching the question of fault. I have a Rigarazor that developed water spots fairly soon after the purchase. In that case, it was 100% my fault for leaving it half open on the counter and getting some water on it. It was not rust- but the spots do not want to come off not matter what I do.

Anyhow, while disappointing, I remind myself that the only person who will care is me (for some reason, I have a tough time convincing anybody else in my life that this is a matter that should concern them.) If I let it bother me, then I would have to sell the razor as shaving should not elicit negative emotions. Instead, I smile and carry on. A razor is a tool, and this razor shaves extraordinarily well. Instead of a negative experience, I have a great experience every time I handle it.

In short, I'm going to guess that you will be stuck with a razor that is not up to your standard. The question will be if you can ignore the surface flaws if it shaves well. This might also be the time to tell you about vintage straights that have survived for decades and are generally priced at half (or less) the cost of a new one with a much larger selection of grinds, finishes, and scales...

I hope that you can still enjoy the blade...

Why not send it to Alfredo, aka @Doc226 and have him polish the spots out? Then be more careful about water! lol.

 

[Eastcoast30]

Why not send it to Alfredo, aka @Doc226 and have him polish the spots out? Then be more careful about water! lol.

Agree with @Steve56, why aggravate yourself with a seller that seems stuck on not doing anything. Alfredo did a fine polish job for me once. Send it off and then enjoy shaving with it. And for what it's worth, Matt at Griffith and Brad at Maggards will take better care of you in the future.

 

[Luecke2326]

@djm said it right "This might also be the time to tell you about vintage straights that have survived for decades and are generally priced at half (or less) the cost of a new one with a much larger selection of grinds, finishes, and scales..."

Vintage is the way to go and its much cheaper!

OP Good luck and enjoy your shaves.

 

[Eastcoast30]

@djm said it right "This might also be the time to tell you about vintage straights that have survived for decades and are generally priced at half (or less) the cost of a new one with a much larger selection of grinds, finishes, and scales..."

Vintage is the way to go and its much cheaper!

OP Good luck and enjoy your shaves.

Agreed. I just picked up a vintage Kikuboshi in New Open Stock condition for well under $100. It has a fantastic full hollow grind in Swedish steel; likely Sandvik 30. And I doubt a new Dovo could compare.

 

[street]

That must suck ! This leads me to wonder if modern straights are really worth it ? Though I must admit I did pick up a modern Boker used along with a proper strop some time back and is on its way to me.

I've had two Dovo's.Still own one. They don't even come close to a good vintage Solingen blade.

 

[luv2shave]

FWIW, the razor ‘socks’ are made by Sack Ups in Morganton, NC.

They will make what you want but a minimum order of socks in razor size may be a bit high for someone who only wants a few. Alternatively, you could buy a larger piece of material/product and have them cut and sewn or sew them yourself.

They’re treated with silicone oil, which you can buy almost anywhere, so you could also make your own and apply the oil, or just apply some silicone oil to the blade with a tissue. Sack Ups used to offer the oil to ‘replenish’ their products but don’t seem to now.

Silicone oil has a very low surface tension, it will ‘creep’ all over a surface even if you miss a spot or two.

I looked up the sack-ups site under knives and they have various multi knife roll ups. Yje 801 looks promising and maybe store multiple razors nicely. that's a great tip there on sack-ups

 

[Manannan]

At the beginning of my tumble down the straight razor/kamisori rabbit hole, I had an early experience of how extremely quickly a carbon steel blade (on a Dovo Mammut) can show black stains, during a honing session across several stones, when I allowed the blade to remain wet for too long; a session with baking soda sorted out all but one tiny stubborn spot. My obsessive drying routine now involves use of a paper tissue, a cotton handkerchief and a hairdryer on gentle low heat to dry after use and razor oil and VCI paper for storage (vaseline for extended storage); I have toyed with the idea of silicone socks, but have read that they can dry out and stain scales made from horn, ivory, fossilised ivory, etc. When travelling, especially at sea, I only use a straight with a stainless steel blade or a stainless steel shavette/barberette.