Ripped off? - Do all Dovos have a mark?

[james2]

----SORRY I'M HAVING ISSUES WITH IMAGES!----

Hello,
Whilst I have been reading these forums for a while now (I started double edged shaving last year because of you guys. Thanks!) I have only just signed up.

I have been wanting to take the plunge into straights for a while, but being a student funds are limited. So I ordered one of these: http://www.theenglishshavingcompany.com/

Having received it next day (great service!) it doesn't appear to be anything like pictured (I know it says black but the actual scales are cheaper) and there is no DOVO mark like on other dovo razors I have seen it just says Solingen Germany as you can see in the picture below:

But the box has these stickers on:

Any thoughts? I've not had a shave with it yet because my strop hasn't arrived yet (from somewhere else). Are razors returnable? Would it be worth returning it and getting something a bit more expensive?

Thank you in advance! I look forward to beginning my new cut-throat (hopefully not...) experience.

 

[mdunn]

its a dovo, just branded for EJ.

I guess you could return it, but why would you? Its a dovo, just in different brand scales.

 

[james2]

Cheers mdunn,
I was just making sure. I didn't want to be using a crappy blade for the first time without knowing it!

Sorry about the images. They come out humungous on my computer!

 

[Isaac]

I dont want to say celluloid rot, but it looks a bit off. Obviously its not celluloid, but a plastic, but I would ask for an exchange/refund.

 

[richmondesi]

I dont want to say celluloid rot, but it looks a bit off. Obviously its not celluloid, but a plastic, but I would ask for an exchange/refund.

Why

 

[mdunn]

I dont want to say celluloid rot, but it looks a bit off. Obviously its not celluloid, but a plastic, but I would ask for an exchange/refund.

what? where?

 

[Ookla The Mok]

Why

Maybe I am missing something too, but I don't see any reason for alarm in theses amazingly large photos.

 

[Y2K]

Maybe I am missing something too, but I don't see any reason for alarm in theses amazingly large photos.

+1 on that. I looked at the "tiny" pictures you posed and compared them to the one posted at the vendor which clearly states that the scales are black plastic and they manufactured for Edwin Jagger by Dovo. So to me it looks like you got exacty what you ordered. Looks like one fine razor to me.

 

[james2]

I wasn't too bothered by the scales as I was well aware they were going to be plastic. I was more concerned about the blade being a copy with no DOVO stamp. I bought my DE from the same company and was very happy with it and the service!

Thanks for the reassurance everyone. I'm looking forward to my test drive next week.

 

[texquill]

Having done business with them, I can recommend The English Shaving Company as being an excellent vendor. There shouldn't be any concern regarding the integrity of what they sell you.

 

[Sputnik]

Paul,

Did you notice the blade was honed without a tape? There is a clearly seen "bevel" on the spine. I wonder why Dovo does that? Funny enough, TI blades I have seen don't have any honing marks on the spines. Thus, they do use spine taping for honing.

Why

 

[Will P.C.]

Its just a rebranded dovo so it should be a good razor. My friend has one of these and he says it shaves very well

 

[Leon]

Funny how no one mentioned this earlier. There's some more-than-mild spinewear. And the wear at the heel edge? What do you say about that?

Paul,

Did you notice the blade was honed without a tape? There is a clearly seen "bevel" on the spine. I wonder why Dovo does that? Funny enough, TI blades I have seen don't have any honing marks on the spines. Thus, they do use spine taping for honing.

 

[SliceOfLife]

I've only put the first bevel on maybe four razors so far, but frankly the spine-wear doesn't look unusual at all based on comparing it to my limited experience. A lot of razors come to an almost point at the side of the spine, so the first time you hone it, it will look like you've removed a lot more material than you actually did.

 

[Isaac]

HAHA...thats what I get for posting at like 2am. I was referring to the discoloration of the blade in relation to the scales. Ill must move along and remember not to try to post anything that late at night..haha

 

[richmondesi]

Paul,

Did you notice the blade was honed without a tape? There is a clearly seen "bevel" on the spine. I wonder why Dovo does that? Funny enough, TI blades I have seen don't have any honing marks on the spines. Thus, they do use spine taping for honing.

yeah, I noticed the wear, but I'd call that hone wear on the spine normal.

Funny how no one mentioned this earlier. There's some more-than-mild spinewear. And the wear at the heel edge? What do you say about that?

I respectfully disagree with you. The pictures are huge which makes this look more pronounced than it is. Even with my screen zoomed all the way to the smallest possible setting, it's still twice the size of my whole screen. However, those "glaring" issues are not nearly as bad. Considering that's still 3 times bigger than the actual razor, I'd wager that it's fine

Additionally, I, for one, try to hone in such a way as to introduce a slight smile at the shaving edge. I've also read instructions in Barbers Textbooks that taught the same principle... I'd have no complaint with this razor.

To the OP, enjoy it

 

[Sputnik]

Paul,

If you look at Dovo's production video, you'll see that they hone it on what looks like a yellow coti to me and then just strop it on a wide Dovo strop. What's your take?

Here is the link to the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_-s0phRZng&

 

[richmondesi]

Paul,

If you look at Dovo's production video, you'll see that they hone it on what looks like a yellow coti to me and then just strop it on a wide Dovo strop. What's your take?

Here is the link to the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_-s0phRZng&

I've seen that before, but I'm not sure what kind of stone that is to be perfectly honest. The only thing that I'll say with any sense of certainty is that I wouldn't expect it to be "shave ready" out of the box... Great video though!

FWIW, I have liked the DOVO razors that I've used

 

[Sputnik]

After watching the video, one would realize that DOVO uses the same blanks for all models. They might shape them a bit diffrent, put fancy engraving on some, scales do vary, etc. Essentially, it is the same steel. Hence, in terms of shaving ability, there should not be much diffrence between the models. Essentially, in terms of ThyssenKrupp steel they use, which determines the sharpness of the edge, the choice is either carbon or stainless. The rest is marketing.

 

[Bruce]

Scrolling up and down and side to side, got the best of me. What's the problem again? If the razor is as it was described in whatever ad you bought it from, you have what you paid for. Does it shave well? If you wanted ivory scales and paid richly for them, you have a problem even if it shaves like a dream.

I have a DOVO with butterscotch scales that could be its sibling - half sibling as their last names differ. I have a couple of other razors that seem to shave better, one of which is a cousin, a DOVO with turtle-like scales, but it's a lot smaller than the one you got. I think you're actually really lucky, that giant of a razor has to be a real collectors item. Worth thousands probably.

Man, some people have all the luck.