Dovo Straight Razor '

This item arrived on time and was exactly what I expected it to be. This straight razor was new out of the original packaging and was shave ready from that moment on. (Though there is a bit of a debate on how shave ready it is) Plastic scales (handle) with a shiny finish. Blade is nice; has the dovo logo on one side and nothing on the other. We live in a time where we throw a lot of stuff away. It's become so easy. Something gets used up and is no longer as good as it was, what do we do? Throw it out; get a newer and better one. Happens all the time with cheap shaving razors you see in your local stores. They're even referred to as "throwaways". Then you have your expensive brands that sell you an item that looks cool and does the job but then, eventually, you have to replace the blade. You throw out the head and you have to buy a pack of those heads for a price more than what you paid for the body and initial head. And so that's life. Buy cheap blades or buy a nicer looking one and spend an arm and a leg annually on new blades, to ensure you look respectable and to show others you can take care of yourself. I started to have a problem with this. I was feeling bad because I was throwing so much stuff out and I was feeling bad because I had less money in my pocket. I had an electric razor and that does the job but I've gone through several of them. It was something I thought would last a long time but would end up breaking down. Either something physical would break on it or it wouldn't keep a charge after a while. My last one I've had to keep constantly plugged into the wall. I was getting sick of shelling out more money just to take hair off my face. I started looking into staright razors. Despite a little maintenance to keep the blade sharp, straight razors are items that last a very long time if you know what you're doing. Sure the quality ones cost more than your typical razor where you have to replace the head, but over time you have to spend more money to replace those heads. A straight razor is a one time purchase. It's practically a guarantee that you'll spend less in the long run by picking one of these up. So I bought this one. After about a month of use,(I use it about once a week) I can say that with proper care this blade is still sharp. There's also a little plus for me here: straight razors are iconic in that they're a novel way at shaving. Not everyone today knows how to shave with a straight razor. Life has become faster. People don't have time. But I say make time for this. There's something about shaving with a straight razor that screams cool for me. An open blade with no guard and your going to use that to shave your face and neck?! Believe it or not, it might be one of the best ways to shave. I can't remember getting this close of a shave without developing ingrown hairs. Haven't had any ingrowns with this thing yet. If you're looking to take that next step and switch to a straight razor for shaving, this is a good starter blade. Update: 5/19/17 I've purchased some sharpening stones in the past to keep the edge sharp. Anyone looking into using a straight razor should know that after a while of shaving with it, the blade will begin to lose its edge and will need to be sharpened once again. Let me be clear, I did some research before making these other purchases. Not just on products and brands but in technique on sharpening. There's a lot of info out there that'll show the dos and don'ts of sharpening straight razors. It's not rocket science but it does require some patience, a steady hand (which I hope you have if you're thinking of buying one of these) and the right materials. After sharpening it, I've noticed that the blade cuts smoother than I remember it doing when I first started. (Though that could be because I was still learning) I'm still satisfied with this straight razor a year in. My advice for anyone looking to pick one of these up, do some research in the general upkeep for a straight razor as well. Even if you know you won't be sharpening it yourself. At least you know the process. And if you're going to have someone sharpen it for you look into someone whose sharpened straight razors before (if you don't know someone yet) TL;DR: Great blade. Saves you money over the long run. Gotta learn how to sharpen it though. Or get someone else to do it.

First off, not the one I ordered so know that before you decide to order on Amazon. I ordered a gold Solingen with a white handle and got an Astrale with a black handle. I was brimming with anticipation as I opened the box ready to see a beautiful razor but what I got... meh. I'm not going to take a star off the product for Amazon's mistake. 5 star craftsmanship, 3 stars to Amazon for almost getting me what I ordered. The price difference is only $10 and which one is worth more depends on whether you're looking on Amazon or the Dovo website. Yes, they're flipped around, don't know why. Now I could get an exchange for the one I really wanted but it's another hassle (out of the many in life) and it's another thing I don't need to add to my to do list. As for the function of the razor itself, I tested it straight out of the box and the edge is superb, for the most part. I cleaned up around my beard with minimal pulling. Out of the three I now own this is by far the best with the Gold Dollar from Razor Emporium being a distant second (it works) and a generic cheapo I got for $25 being a paperweight. I got this because I wanted a razor that could shave as well as a shavette without having to buy disposable blade. Based on my trial run this razor can do that with the same level of comfort. I have used a shavette for a few years with more than a dozen brands of blades because it worked better than any straight edge I owned until now. This Dovo is every bit as sharp as a shavette with a brand new blade. One minor flaw I would like to point out is that there was one part of the blade that wasn't cutting out of the box. I went over the same spot several times and it just would not cut. So I took my new razor to a ceramic stone and in less than a minute the whole edge was sharp. If you have any issues with the sharpness out of the box I would recommend running it over a ceramic sharpener (make sure you know how first) because this razor will take an edge very quickly and easily. In conclusion, while not the model I purchased I am overall pleased with this razor. The craftsmanship of the blade itself is top notch and everything I hoped for when I first started trying shavettes and straight blades. Unfortunately I am not completely done with the shavette. I still have over 1,000 blades from when I was buying boxes of 100 during my experimental stage. Final word, thank you Dovo for making a superior product that meets and exceeds all expectations. Keep up the good work and you will have a lifelong customer should I ever need, or want, a new razor.

Below is my first review. Since then, the handle broke at the pivot point. The razor is super sharp and will shave you smoothly and cleanly, but WHY use cheap plastic? UNREAL! That's $120.00 with tax! I haven't had a chance to use the DOVO much yet other than swiping some hair from my leg and arm, but so far, I love it. It came in a thin plastic box holder that was safely wrapped with shrink wrap from the company. That made me feel good, and it gave me a peace of mind that the razor had never been used or removed. The razor itself is flawless and beautiful, and very well constructed. I might strop it a few times, but mine really doesn't need it. Next, I will shave with it tomorrow or the next day. I've let my facial hair grow a few days longer than usual in anticipation of using this brand new DOVO straight-razor! I can't wait! 03-13-23 Update!!! I just finished my first full shave with the DOVO straight razor, and my first full shave ever with a traditional straight razor. It went great. I literally had one tiny nick so small that it didn't even bleed. It took a while, but I wanted to make sure I did it right. I've literally had more tiny nicks, cuts, and razor burn from regular cartridge razors. Even the one shave with a Shavette resulted in more nicks and irritation. If you're nervous though, I do advise learning to shave with a Shavette for a while since only a tiny bit of the disposable blade sticks through because a straight razor has the capability of gashing you open, and very severely. So don't do it with someone in the bathroom with you, no kids and no animals running around. Good luck and be safe!

It is a well made razor to begin with. It was not that sharp out of the box. It is a steep learning curve to get used with a straight razor. So many trials before you can get a decent shave. It is normal that it rusts, you have protect it with oil. Soon after you will want to go a more hollow razor.

Wow, what a razor! This thing looks beautiful and seems extremely well constructed. I can tell a lot of care went into this. There is no 'ebenholz' emblem on the handle but that's fine, I prefer it without. Everything else seems as pictured. I love the ebony wood handle, it's worth paying the extra 20 bucks or so over plastic. This razor comes sharp sharp sharp! It was shave ready right out of the case, though I still stropped it a few times for posterity. This thing passed the hanging hair test right out of the packaging with flying colors- Again, I can see a lot of care went into this product. This is my second straight razor, I started with a Gold Dollar to get the feel for using one and to make sure I liked it. I was sold on the Gold Dollar and this is even better (even at 7x the cost, it's worth it). The Dovo is lighter, the edge is finer, and there is a much more even grind along the length of the blade. If you have reserves on getting a Dovo because of the cost, trust me- get it, you'll just be upgrading eventually anyway. Let's face it, this is the last razor you'll ever have to buy, just think of it as an investment- you'll still save tons over disposables! I'm including a photo of the razor I received in case anyone is wondering how it compares to the advertised product. Thanks for making a superb product, Dovo!

I spent the better part of 3 years researching wet shaving. If you are new to this idea, I would highly recommend the book "The Art of Shaving" as it will give you some sort of baseline. This razor met all my expectations. The blade is of high quality steel, but is NOT SHAVE READY. You will want to make sure you hone this blade before use. I was very excited when I got this, that I tried to shave right away. I did not cut myself, but I could feel the blade pulling the hairs out, not cutting them. A few days later, when I got the honing stones, I got the blade nice and sharp and I was amazed at how easy the blade cut through the hairs. Another point I would highlight, is that when I shaved the first time I did NOT warm my face. I also used my "Edge" shaving soap. The Art of Shaving recommends that you do not warm your face, as this makes the hairs bend and not cut well. My face was not irritated after shaving with a cold face, but the pulling of the hair did not feel good. When I got some Taylor of Old Bond Street soap, which is supposed to make the hair more brittle, this also improved the shave. So I would highly recommend this blade to anyone, but make sure you get it honed and that you have a good quality shaving soap. Also just wet the face, and give a good lather. You will get a better shave, and less ingrown hairs or face irritation.

People correctly talk about the steep learning curve- very true, and not just with this Dovo product. I started off with the Dovo Shavette, which uses disposable safety blades, to get the feel for straight edge shaving. Like this product, that one came with zero instructions. My face paid a heavy price during the learning curve, but my kids got a kick out of it. There's not a mention of how to insert the blade, suggested techniques, nothing. I gave up the solo experimentation and watched some online videos eventually. I got to the point where I could get a fairly smooth first pass without looking like I had slept on barbed wire. I started looking into true straight edge razors and found this one I can only conclude that Dovo enjoys torture. This, too, arrived with zero instructions. I normally don't review products, but am doing so now partly as a public service announcement, in hopes that newbies like myself will be able to enjoy straight edge shaving without risking familial abuse, not to mention serious injury. Joking aside, it's too bad they don't share information up front. Once I reached some level of competence with it, straight edge shaving definitely satisfies my compulsion for a perfectly smooth, terrific shave The first thing I learned is that what arrived at my door wasn't remotely prepared to shave. Some people have said theirs was shave ready. If so, good for them. I can only say in hindsight, I wish I would have prepared it properly before assaulting my face with it. It had no edge whats so ever- not that I knew what an edge was at the time. After getting frustrated with the experience, I went back to the online videos. I can't remember what they were, but I got good ones from other reviews, so check those. You can sharpen on your own with the right tools, which are: - A stone somewhere between 2000 and 4000 grit to set the edge - An 8000 grit stone to hone the edge - Honing oil - One strop to use with stropping compound to further polish the edge - Stropping compound - Preferably a second strop to use daily, with a rough side and a smooth side You can find all this either here or at local hardware stores. I used both I won't go into all the detail, but it is extremely important to set the edge. Without the proper tool, you're going to get off to a rough start SE shaving. Start with the lower grit stone. Watch the videos on how to use them. One mistake I made was trying to sharpen it like I have knives. The key with the razor is FLAT. Keep it flat when setting and polishing the edge. After the rough stone, move up to the 8000 grit, polish it with the strop and compound, then finish it off with a clean strop- rough side first, then the smooth side. You'll know when you have it ready when you look at the edge under a light. On the leading part of the blade, there should be small, shiny edge maybe 1/64" or 1/32" wide. Once I figured that out, the process got much easier On to the shaving. Use a good soap or lotion, whatever you prefer. I have a favorite soap that has some caster oil in it. I use a shaving oil after I wet my face occasionally, right before I put on the soap. That's good stuff. Once lathered up, flat is again the key word. Keep it as flat to your face as possible. I generally go in the direction of the grain first pass. I've learned not to expect a smooth face (at least by my standards) after the first pass. This is unlike the shavette, which gets much closer the first time through. I'll experiment with different directions and things. I generally wind up making 3 passes, the last of which goes straight into the grain As for maintenance, another thing I learned is not to strop the blade after shaving. I'm not sure why this is, but apparently the blade needs to "rest" afterward, so I strop it right before I shave in the morning. That made a big difference. I use the clean strop every time prior to shaving. After 5 shaves or so, you might start to feel it pulling hair rather than cutting it, despite the stropping. As soon as I feel that, I go back to the strop in combination with the stropping compound. Every few weeks, I'll take it back to the 8000 grit stone. Every now and then I'll nick the blade. If that happens, go back to the rough stone and go through the entire sharpening process The product itself is good. I get a superior shave with the shavette in less time. In fairness, I'm still learning little tricks to the shaving technique and blade maintenance. It gets better over time. There's nothing quite like a good straight edge shave. It's definitely worth it. As much as I enjoy learning on my own, I wish they would share some of this upfront. The whole process was far more frustrating- and painful- than it needed to be

This razor is of amazing quality first and foremost. The fit and finish is amazing. Just look at the pics I attached. When you buy a razor at this price you buy it for those two things but is it shave ready? When I pulled mine out of the case I went to try to tree top a hair I had my eye on from my arm. I actually caught a hair before it and down it went. If you can’t do it out of the box there is always the strop. If you are ready for a straight razor then you need a strop at the very minimum. No exceptions. It’s how you shave with a straight razor. Strop before and strop after. I don’t understand the “not shave ready” reviews. Even if this barely shave hair directly off my arm, I bought this razor because of the quality of the steel first and the aesthetics second. I can hone or have it honed. Even if they are all as sharp as mine, guess what, you’re going to have to maintain that edge or have it maintained. Yes, mine passed the having hair test out of the box. If that is a big deal to you and you just can’t get it (quick tip, it’s all about the angle) strop it, linen then leather. I can tell you what you don’t hear people complaining about is spine thickness deviation or crooked spines which is what you deal with on inferior products. I hope this helps calm those worrying if it’s shave ready and hope you all enjoy the pics. As for the shave, you can’t touch the feel of this steel at this price point.