Dovo-Primo I&II what a pleasant surprise

[Cannon Cocker]

Not a great picture, but I’m trying to compare a Merkur on the left to the Dovo on the right. They look exactly alike, but they shave miles apart.

I have quite a few very good razors with most being modern and still in production. As far as smoothest probably my Timeless SS and Ti .95 OC and my Karve CB “C” SB. I could easily put the Dovo with them. As far as efficiency it gets a little harder. If pressed I would probably put it with my Game Changer .84 SB.

For me the Dovo’s efficiency kind of snuck up on me. I always do three passes and after each pass with the Dovo it’s knocked down more beard. It didn’t seem great but good. After the third pass and some minor cleanup I had my BBS.

I don’t know how to better explain it.

Fyi in the picture the handle on the Merkur is from a Muhle R41.

 

[LRod]

I

Not a great picture, but I’m trying to compare a Merkur on the left to the Dovo on the right. They look exactly alike, but they shave miles apart.

I have quite a few very good razors with most being modern and still in production. As far as smoothest probably my Timeless SS and Ti .95 OC and my Karve CB “C” SB. I could easily put the Dovo with them. As far as efficiency it gets a little harder. If pressed I would probably put it with my Game Changer .84 SB.

For me the Dovo’s efficiency kind of snuck up on me. I always do three passes and after each pass with the Dovo it’s knocked down more beard. It didn’t seem great but good. After the third pass and some minor cleanup I had my BBS.

I don’t know how to better explain it.

Fyi in the picture the handle on the Merkur is from a Muhle R41.

The Superior Shave has a good video on YouTube that details the difference of the head vs. a Merkur. Once I saw the video, I compared it myself and then noticed that it is indeed different.
And for those that want to try one cheap, I just got a New Year's sale coupon code this morning from Razor Emporium. 24% off! I didn't try it but I'm assuming it can be used to buy the Dovo.
That would make the Dovo $38!
Coupon code is "BYE2023"

 

[SaguaroSmart]

@LRod @Cannon Cocker

Thank you both for all the feedback on this razor.
In case you did not notice, I tagged Geofatboy in the comment section of his video about the Primo and asked him whether he would consider the Dovo Primo more efficient than the Merkur 34c and he said yes.
I might add one to my next order just "for science" (the excuses we find to purchase more razors )

 

[LRod]

@LRod @Cannon Cocker

Thank you both for all the feedback on this razor.
In case you did not notice, I tagged Geofatboy in the comment section of his video about the Primo and asked him whether he would consider the Dovo Primo more efficient than the Merkur 34c and he said yes.
I might add one to my next order just "for science" (the excuses we find to purchase more razors )

Cool!
I never found the Merkur's efficient at all. When I started wet shaving it was with a 34C & 23C and quickly moved on from those. So Geofatboy is definitely right. No comparison between the two at all. I'll say it again, nothing Merkur about this razor!

 

[Chickencutlets]

I’ll bite. I ordered one to try out

 

[Chickencutlets]

Let’s hope some of these other razors move now in order to find the new batch.

 

[LRod]

I honestly don't think a better DE exists with this quality and at it's target price point. And like I said, I've had many razors at all different price points & quality levels. I myself can't believe that it ended up for me as a favorite. That wasn't my expectation when I bought it. I simply had seen it as something new to try since I tend to try most of the razors I come across here. I think you (and others) will enjoy it if it's attributes match what you're after.

 

[Chickencutlets]

I honestly don't think a better DE exists with this quality and at it's target price point. And like I said, I've had many razors at all different price points & quality levels. I myself can't believe that it ended up for me as a favorite. That wasn't my expectation when I bought it. I simply had seen it as something new to try since I tend to try most of the razors I come across here. I think you (and others) will enjoy it if it's attributes match what you're after.

I’m curious on how it compares to the razorock mission which I think is a de89 clone, I’m unsure but it’s a great razor for the price.

 

[LRod]

Im curious if how it compares to the razorock mission which I think is a de89 clone, I’m unsure but it’s a great razor for the price.

I never tried the Mission but Razorock was my first step up back when I started wet shaving and I wasn't super impressed with any of them. I know they're loved here because they're good quality for the price but they just never worked for me. I've never tried an Edwin Jagger so who knows. Maybe the Dovo is comparable!
I guess you'll be able to determine that and let us know!

 

[SaguaroSmart]

Not a great picture, but I’m trying to compare a Merkur on the left to the Dovo on the right. They look exactly alike, but they shave miles apart.

I have quite a few very good razors with most being modern and still in production. As far as smoothest probably my Timeless SS and Ti .95 OC and my Karve CB “C” SB. I could easily put the Dovo with them. As far as efficiency it gets a little harder. If pressed I would probably put it with my Game Changer .84 SB.

For me the Dovo’s efficiency kind of snuck up on me. I always do three passes and after each pass with the Dovo it’s knocked down more beard. It didn’t seem great but good. After the third pass and some minor cleanup I had my BBS.

I don’t know how to better explain it.

Fyi in the picture the handle on the Merkur is from a Muhle R41.

Damn I'm really impressed with both of your descriptions. Manufacturing a razor that has an efficiency approaching the GameChanger 84 but as smooth as a 34c is quite impressive especially for $40.

I watched the video from The Superior Shave and he breaks down the differences between the Merkur 34c and the Dovo Primo. It's quite impressive that a few changes like that they managed to have the razor shave almost as efficient as a GC 84. Seems like Dovo pulled off some wizardry. I hope they become successful in the market because I can see why alot of people dismiss it as just another 34c, the head look so close when you just eye ball and neglect to measure the dimensions but as Superior Shave says, small changes in geometry can have a big impact on how a razor shaves.

 

[SaguaroSmart]

I’m curious on how it compares to the razorock mission which I think is a de89 clone, I’m unsure but it’s a great razor for the price.

Obviously I have not tried the Dovo but if what people say here is true, as well as Geofatboy (who says the Dovo is more efficient than a Merkur 34c), I would assume it is more efficient than the DE89. I have tried a DE89 and it is quite mild and nice but a bit weak in efficiency, it is kind of similar to a 34c.

Also the build quality of the Dovo seems superior, they use brass thread inserts like the Muhle R89. Correct me if I'm wrong but last I checked Edwin Jagger still does not use brass threads and their thread are therefore less durable.

 

[Chickencutlets]

Obviously I have not tried the Dovo but if what people say here is true, as well as Geofatboy (who says the Dovo is a more efficient than a Merkur 34c), I would assume it is more efficient than the DE89. I have tried a DE89 and it is quite mild and nice but a bit weak in efficiency, it is kind of similar to a 34c.

Also the build quality of the Dovo seems superior, they use brass thread inserts like the Muhle R89. Correct me if I'm wrong but last I checked Edwin Jagger still does not use brass threads and their thread are therefore less durable.

I came from a muhle r89 and prefer mild razors so the mission being a tad more efficient is a nice change and I like it. Let’s see when the razor comes in how they compare. I think it is safe to say I can move in from my feather as -d2 as I have a few razors I gravitate toward more frequently.

 

[LRod]

Now the question begs, what blade will you all use for the Dovo?
I use Personna Lab Blue's and with that blade I can safely say that it's the smoothest DE that I've owned. Of course YMMV!

 

[SaguaroSmart]

I came from a muhle r89 and prefer mild razors so the mission being a tad more efficient is a nice change and I like it. Let’s see when the razor comes in how they compare. I think it is safe to say I can move in from my feather as -d2 as I have a few razors I gravitate toward more frequently.

I have not tried the mission, I was under the impression the mission head is a clone of the DE89 and therefore has the same head as the R89. I think you can expect the Dovo to be more efficient with as gentle a feel.

 

[SaguaroSmart]

Now the question begs, what blade will you all use for the Dovo?
I use Personna Lab Blue's and with that blade I can safely say that it's the smoothest DE that I've owned. Of course YMMV!

I would use my usual go-to blades at first and see how it goes: Gillette Nacet.

 

[Cannon Cocker]

I would use my usual go-to blades at first and see how it goes: Gillette Nacet.

I have used a Nacet and a Tatara. Both were excellent and smooth.

 

[Chickencutlets]

Now the question begs, what blade will you all use for the Dovo?
I use Personna Lab Blue's and with that blade I can safely say that it's the smoothest DE that I've owned. Of course YMMV!

Man I like Personna blue’s a lot in just about any razor haha

 

[VerbaVolant]

View attachment 1772798

Wow, kudos to Dovo for thinking outside the box and getting this original design out in such a short time. Three years to develop this razor is amazing. From ground up, nevertheless. The originality of this design is so striking when you compare it side-by-side with another razor. See above.
I didn't see anywhere else mentioned anything about the brass insert, either in the handle or head.
Oh well, the name Primo suggests (to me at least) the company is planning new models in the future. I wish them good luck.

 

[LRod]

Wow, kudos to Dovo for thinking outside the box and getting this original design out in such a short time. Three years to develop this razor is amazing. From ground up, nevertheless. The originality of this design is so striking when you compare it side-by-side with another razor. See above.
I didn't see anywhere else mentioned anything about the brass insert, either in the handle or head.

Not much visual differences between brands/designs. That's hard to do with something that uses the same blade design across the board.
Matter of fact, pretty much every modern razor is somehow a copy of another one with subtle changes that then makes it unique.
Where you usually see extreme visual changes are in handles since they're just a stick that can be molded to visually look like whatever they choose.
And as for the brass question:
1. The handle is electroplated brass and the insert is pure brass (you can see it when looking into the screw hole on the handle)
2. Dovo's website describes it in the specs for the razor:

SAFETY RAZOR PRIMO II

The PRIMO II: Decades of Experience Condensed into a Shaving Masterpiece. The name PRIMO translates to “at first”. PRIMO marks a new beginning. A new beginning for you, the wet shaver. More than a century worth of knowledge, condensed into 2 years of development, with a painful amount of...

dovo.com

3. The YouTube videos about the Primo talk about it.

 

[JAHE]

I just have discovered this thread

I got one of the Primos (Primo II) as a birthday gift back in December but haven't had a chance to test drive it as yet.

So I haven't shaved with this razor to date, but decided to give it a try at the weekend. I really dig the design, the craftsmanship and the finish looks fine to my eyes.

There's one "design flaw" though, at least I'd call it as one , being the shaving nerd I am (though average Joe might not even notice it and other nerds might not even care, too).

The post is ultra long and is supposed to keep water out when mated to the brass handle post.

That's the issue.
The lenght of the post is in fact very long, the top part hasn't got any ridges, as pictured.

The design of the thread results in the effect that one can only use the OEM Primo handle with the OEM Primo razor head. But other handle/razor head combos won't work with either the Primo handle or the Primo head.

To be clear, I don't consider this as a design flaw of the Dovo Primo razor as such, but I thought it's worth noting for us geeks, since it hasn't been mentioned here...

For me this is in fact a slight disappointment, since I had loved to match the really nice Primo handle with other razor heads.

But we shall see now how the shave with this beauty goes... will report back.

Cheers!