Dovo Classic Straight Razor

Product Description

Dovo Steelware was founded in Solingen, Germany around 1906, and began producing implements of male face grooming in the 1930s. Nearly 100 years later the company is still supporting and still forging its classic straight-edge... [Read more]

Top Reviews

It got super sharp. It was a very comfortable first shave
by przemek b (5 out of 5 stars)
September 5, 2017

As soon as I got the blade I ran it over my finishing stone and stroped it, It got super sharp. It was a very comfortable first shave. I test the sharpness of my blade by running it against the hair on my arm, without touching the skin. and if it catches or cuts the hair it's sharp enough for me. The best part about the blade is the fact that after I shaved with it, it still cought the hair on my arm which only tells me that it retains the edge very well. Good quality steel. So far extremely impressed. This is definitely a buy again item, except I have a feeling it will last a very long time.
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My first razor. Get it honed.
by Willie H. (4 out of 5 stars)
August 11, 2015

I am a service member in Germany. I ordered this razor from Amazon and received it in good order. I shaved with it a few times and it started to pull a little. I also have a leather strop that I used on it before shaving. I use the linen side after shaving to ensure its clean and dry. I took it the Solingen dealer who told me it was not shave ready. He said if you can read the Solingen marking "on the blade" its not shave ready because honing and sharpening it takes that label off. Of course, I asked why didn't they come shave ready and he said (with interpretation) that this company (Solingen) sells them to the distributors and its up to these sellers to get them shave ready for the customers. Then he added, "Do you keep a bottle of wine out on the counter all the time, ready to drink? or only bring it out when you are ready to drink it?" If you understand German culture this makes perfect sense as this is the way they think about everything. They do things when its time to do things..not before..and certainly not afterwards.

This was my first straight razor and first experience using a straight razor. I took my time and have yet to cut myself, but all in due time i'm sure. Like most I watched several videos online and had a few friends who recommended this as a good starting razor. I've always had a smooth babyface so this just makes it all the nicer. The initial 2-3 shaves were close and I loved that feeling. The one thing I will tell you is to keep your hands dry because the plastic scales move/flex very easily when wet. I used Taylor of Old Bond Street cream and after shave and Jack Black pre-shave oil. The razor makes a nice crisp sound when cutting, which I liked. The feedback is a good indicator to me whereas I'm sure some could find it unnerving. The steel is extremely solid. I have owned the razor for about 3 weeks and used it 10 times. Once those clean passes started to pull I just put it down and went to the professionals. I feel its better to KNOW its honed and sharpen than to guess. Who better to take it to than the Germans? I know some of you may not have that option but get it honed and remove that doubt from your mind.

The main reason I purchased this razor was because it was made in Germany. I have lived in Germany over a year and they make products to last forever. If it has a German stamp on it you can guarantee it has gone through rigorous controls and testing. This company was originally in West Germany and they still use the same packaging, a bit of nostalgia but just goes to show you how they do business.
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Like this product
by Pack Fly (3 out of 5 stars)
March 17, 2015

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
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this is a good starter blade
by FrankieJ (5 out of 5 stars)
September 6, 2016

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.
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Superb blade
by ROD (5 out of 5 stars)
June 23, 2017

My understanding is that the Dovo factory depends on the sellers to sharpen the razors if they are to be sold as 'shave ready'. Mine from GB Buckingham & Sons did arrive very sharp, which I tested by shaving without honing or stropping whatsoever. It was a good shave, however I do have a light beard compared to most men. Stropping it on linen using .25 micron diamond paste 60 'round trips' followed by another 60 on leather gave it a superb edge. I would have liked nicer scales, but the price certainly reflected that. My preference was to get the nice Dovo blade and maybe add some custom wood scales later.
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totally happy
by James G. Johnson (5 out of 5 stars)
March 9, 2016

Stropped it on leather and shaved. Had it a while now and have yet to put it on a stone. I leather strop it daily and once a week give it 20 strokes on a strop made from denim glued to an oak board with green buffing compound rubbed into the cloth. I have some mahogany I intend to replace the handle with but am in no hurry as these work fine. Other razors may cost more because they have better and cooler handles but I'll bet they don't shave any better.
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Handle Broke
by Ryan (2 out of 5 stars)
February 23, 2014

I wanted a straight razor that was somewhat inexpensive for traveling so I purchased this. The blade is good quality but the handle is flimsy plastic. I went to sharpen the blade today and the handle cracked while I was sharpening. The kicker is I was only touching the blade. A chuck of plastic just fell off the handle near one of the pins. Ill be keeping the blade but these scales are worth maybe a month worth of use.
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not great shave, good enough to continue
by Dennis Dean (5 out of 5 stars)
August 6, 2014

I rate this purchase with five stars only because there is not category for more stars. I started shaving with a straight edge razor almost two years ago. I began with a starter kit that included a cheaper razor, one small sharping stone, brush, and strophe. The kit gave an acceptable, not great shave, good enough to continue. I next purchased three sharping stone: and 4000,8000, and 12000 grit and my shaves dramatically improved. But perfection had to wait until the arrival of this razor, this work of art, this Dovo Classic Straight Razor Half Hollow. My shaves are as close as they are irritation free. I love the whole ritual of straight edge shaving, from preparing the blade to the actual shave.

My only criticism is not starting with this razor. My recommendation is that if you can afford it by this Dovo, your face will appreciate it.

I think the most successful straight edge users are a bit obsessive compulsive who will not stop with the first cut and there will be a first cut, and second cut, and more. Use them as a catalyst to improve your technique. There will come a day when it comes together in a perfect shave. Study Your tube videos on all aspects of shaving, not just on the actual shave. Proper blade preparation is crucial.
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Perfect gift...
by Suze,Top Contributor: Makeup (5 out of 5 stars)
February 5, 2017

Purchased this as a gift for my boyfriend whose wanted a real, quality straight razor for a while. This is exceptional quality and it comes in a very nice, protective case as well. Only thing worth noting is it is NOT shave ready as stated, but if you know how to sharpen and edge the blade, that's not really a problem.
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Best razor for the money!
by Robert S. (4 out of 5 stars)
July 31, 2017

This is an excellent first blade. I say "blade" specifically because that is what you are paying for, the dovo blade. the scales are pretty cheap, but they work if your easy on them.

Few words of caution,
1. the shipment is slow mine took 10 days to arrive
2. You CAN shave with it directly out of the box, but I would STRONGLY suggest getting a secondary hone on it, you'll thank yourself.
3. As with all high carbon steel, it MUST be kept dry or it will pit and then rust.

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