I like 6/8 round point with decorated (i.e. wavy) spine. With or without scales, new. Preferably without any gold etching.
Any experience /suggestions out there?
Any experience /suggestions out there?
sub $250 razor
- Thread starter Hunter Bock
- Start date
Boker or Aust
I like my Boker Manufaktur although it's blinged out a bit with gold wash and spine. A Dovo just a hair outside of your preferred price point, but close: Dovo Flowing: https://thesuperiorshave.com/product/dovo-flowing-straight-razor/
Dovo Bergischer Lowe with ebony scales, but it does have some gold - nice wafer thin grind.
Would you consider a 7/8 inch TI with thumb notch? These razors do not feel that large. The problem being that the models with spine work seem to go over your price point.
Would you consider a 7/8 inch TI with thumb notch? These razors do not feel that large. The problem being that the models with spine work seem to go over your price point.
- Thread starter
- #5
Gold means tape when you eventually have to touch-up hone, correct? I'm not against gold per se.
I use tape on some of my razors, but I have not been using tape on my Bergischer Lowe, and the only portion of the blade on which the gold no longer exists is a very, very thin strip right where the spine makes contact with the stone. Doesn't bother me.
The hone wear is narrow and I am a philistine so I would just hone right over it. Despite its prehistoric appearance my face is not museum quality so a razor I'm shaving with does not need to be museum quality either 
- Thread starter
- #8
The Dovo Flowing is attractive but is openly listed as requiring honing prior to use.
From anyone's experience out there: are we talking higher end honing, or does the Dovo arrive with just the bevel set?
From anyone's experience out there: are we talking higher end honing, or does the Dovo arrive with just the bevel set?
Jarrod at TSS will hone it before sending (just ask). Some folks don't like anyone to touch their pretty razors; I'm like, dude please hone it, I'll ruin it later but at least let's start out with a good edge.
I have bought four new Dovos since September 2020: one shave-ready, and three factory sealed. The shave-ready was shave ready, and the three factory sealed all only required stropping on leather. I have since touched up all four on only a Naniwa 12k or JNAT finisher, and all four shave great. And I have now used edges honed by a number of good honers.
I have heard stories about factory sealed Dovos not shaving so great in the past. Makes me wonder if whatever Dovo as a company has gone through more recently has actually resulted in higher quality.
And let me finish with this is the way things should be. You should be able to buy a razor that shaves well out of the box.
I have heard stories about factory sealed Dovos not shaving so great in the past. Makes me wonder if whatever Dovo as a company has gone through more recently has actually resulted in higher quality.
And let me finish with this is the way things should be. You should be able to buy a razor that shaves well out of the box.
Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
Philosophically, I agree. When you buy a product, it should be in usable condition. With razors, though, that's a really big deal. There is a big difference in the quality of an edge that was created in 5 minutes vs one created in 35 minutes. And there is also an inverse effect on the cost of production, per razor. And at high production levels, the methods used in attaining a usable edge can come with problems for the owner.
Glad you are finding recent Dovos to be nice and sharp. It would be interesting to see what recently made "Best Quality" razors are like, though.
There has always been a wide gulf in quality and usability between Dovo's entry level garbage and their pretty darn good middle shelf razors. Same steel, but not the same razor. For my part, the only new Dovos I have bought in the last 30 years have been the couple of Bismarcks I bought from Jarrod, who hones them as a matter of course. Prior to that, I bought three different entry level Dovos that were utter crap, out of the box. Knowing then what I know now, I should have been able to straighten them out, but that wasn't the case.
- Thread starter
- #12
I should conclude there is no need to go under 10-12K for a DOVO from a sealed box?
Another to consider is revisor. It's German with a wide variety styles and costs. The ones I got were "shave ready." Time with a 12K and strops improved the shave.
