Dovo 5/8ths Tortoise Special, Bum Blade?

**Tanner68** · 07-15-2007, 07:17 PM

I think I got a bum blade on my brand new Dovo 5/8ths Tortoise Special.
I just don't have enough experience to be sure.
I have two other straights, and I have no problem honing them. Nothing fancy, I just use a Norton 4k/8k, and then strop and have been satisfied thus far. After I master this stone, I will move up to another degree of keeness.

But this Dovo is giving me problems, and I am honing it with the same technique that works on my other blades. The wear on the spine is very uneven. Broad at the shoulder and tapering to narrow at the head. On that side there is no bevel on the edge below the head.
On the other side, the wear on the spine is U shaped.

The edge of the blade is keen and smooth in the middle, but the ends of the blade feel ragged to my thumb. And the bevel is uneven up and down the blade on both sides. I can't shave with it.
Could my blade be out of whack from the factory... not symetrical maybe?

Please let me know if you have any theories or questions.
And thanks in advance. (I feel a little guilty asking for help, since this is my first post and I haven't contributed beforehand.)

**Taz** · 07-15-2007, 07:25 PM

Welcome a question is a great place to start. It is hard to say without seeing it but it possibly could be. Where did you get it

**ignatz** · 07-15-2007, 11:39 PM

Your description of the blade makes me suspicious as to whether it is completely end-to-end flat along the spine. If the blade is curved out of 'plane' then you will have the devil of a time trying to hone it on a flat stone.

Try placing just the side of the spine of the razor along some known straight surface. Flip it over and check the other side. Is it obviously bowed or curved?

Another little trick is to put some permanent marker on both sides of the blade along the cutting edge and then take one or two gentle honing swipes back and forth across your finest stone. Areas where the blade is not contacting the stone properly will be evidenced by the marker color which remains there. [Note: use a magnifier of some sort to bring your eye in close for this inspection.]

If this 'out-of-flat' condition does turn out to be the problem then you have two choices: (1) If you purchased this from some reputable place, then take it back for a replacement or a refund, or else (2) you can opt to regrind the blade.

If you have already chosen for option number '2', then you might just as well run the following test, which is best left for when all else fails, since it directly necessitates a full resharpening. Take the blade back to a coarser stone (something like a 1000- or 2000-grit) and run a few swipes of the blade back and forth on it. Bring the blade up to your eye (again with a magnifier) and give it a visual check. The heavier scratches from the coarser stone will be screamingly obvious on the polished edge. Check to see that the scratch marks of the coarser stone are to be found evenly all along the blade's cutting edge. If this is not so, then just continue to hone, hone, hone with that coarse stone until you flattened the blade geometry sufficiently to the point where you are obtaining contact with the cutting edge all the way along on both sides of the blade. Once that has been achieved, work your way back up through progressively finer grit stones and then your pastes and/or strop. Should work.

A last idea, if neither of those two options appeals to you, is to work a small honing stone along the blade (reference the image). That can work on a deeply bellied blade or one that is not flat, but is admittedly fussy work, demands that you have such a small, handy piece of fine sharpening stone and really isn't everyone's cup of tea.

**Tanner68** · 07-16-2007, 08:29 PM

Thanks for the responses.
I don't want to mention the vendor yet, since I havn't contacted them and want to be fair.
I like all of Ignatz's suggestions. The razor didn't look good after the straight edge test along the spine. Light poked thru and matched up with the bevel or lack of a bevel. I will contact the place I bought it from, and try to send it back to them or Dovo.
However, regrinding it has a certain appeal, and if I gotta do that, it won't be the worst thing.
Thanks guys. I will post some picks if I get a chance and they turn out to be illustrative. My own camera is down for the moment.

**gglockner** · 07-16-2007, 09:48 PM

If the bevel was uneven when you purchased it, chances are that it has an curve in the spine. If you bought it brand new send it back. Some times you can look down the blade from the toe end and see if there is a problem.

Glen

**Doc4** · 07-19-2007, 06:08 PM

Originally Posted by Tanner68

Thanks for the responses.
I don't want to mention the vendor yet, since I havn't contacted them and want to be fair.
I like all of Ignatz's suggestions. The razor didn't look good after the straight edge test along the spine. Light poked thru and matched up with the bevel or lack of a bevel. I will contact the place I bought it from, and try to send it back to them or Dovo.
However, regrinding it has a certain appeal, and if I gotta do that, it won't be the worst thing.
Thanks guys. I will post some picks if I get a chance and they turn out to be illustrative. My own camera is down for the moment.

Well, I don't think the vendor bent the blade ... it's a DOVO problem. Once you contact the Vendor about it and see what their customer service is like you may want to tell us that the XYZ Co. has great or lousy customer service based on their response ... right now it probably doesn't matter where you bought it.

But sending it back seems the appropriate course.

**jacqueeagonsr** · 07-24-2007, 09:09 PM

Like Tanner68, I, too, am new to this site. And, likewise, am having a blade sharpening problem. I started to post a new thread when I found this one. I have a Filarmonica 3/8, and 5/8's from Kropp, Timor, and KeenKutter and have no problems putting an edge on any of them. I have a Japanese 1000/6000 and a Chinese 12K. I recently acquired a Levering Razor Co. "the Artist" and have been having a devil of a time putting an edge on it. Ignatzs' suggestion to put a permanent marker on the edge let me see exactly where the problems were. What a great trick!! I have been making knives for quite a few years and thought I knew how to sharpen 'things'. I guess you can teach old dogs new tricks. Many thanks. Will give it the 'real' test next time I shave.

**jacqueeagonsr** · 07-24-2007, 09:15 PM

How does one change that "Ex-Lurker" thing that shows up under my and Tanner68's user id??? (thanks)

**roughrider** · 07-25-2007, 12:11 AM

Originally Posted by jacqueeagonsr

How does one change that "Ex-Lurker" thing that shows up under my and Tanner68's user id??? (thanks)

The titles change as your post count increases.

**MarSellus Wallace** · 07-25-2007, 12:28 AM

Originally Posted by jacqueeagonsr

How does one change that "Ex-Lurker" thing that shows up under my and Tanner68's user id??? (thanks)

A common problem. It will only get better (or worse) as your posts increase in number... It is a gimmick the mods introduced.

**jacqueeagonsr** · 07-25-2007, 07:36 PM

Well, that didn't work. The blade will take a hair off my arm (either - i.e., cuts equally from both sides of the blade) but, won't make a scratch on the grey hairs on my face. I'm at a loss. I even tested the blade (not the cutting edge) with my Rockwell Hardness testing files and believe the blade to have an RC of 62-64. I have micrometered the spine and find it to be a few thousands thinner than my other blades. And the wear on the spine is not consistent. "Fatter" on the middle than on the ends. Any suggestions are welcome.

**izlat** · 07-26-2007, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by jacqueeagonsr

Well, that didn't work. The blade will take a hair off my arm (either - i.e., cuts equally from both sides of the blade) but, won't make a scratch on the grey hairs on my face. I'm at a loss. I even tested the blade (not the cutting edge) with my Rockwell Hardness testing files and believe the blade to have an RC of 62-64. I have micrometered the spine and find it to be a few thousands thinner than my other blades. And the wear on the spine is not consistent. "Fatter" on the middle than on the ends. Any suggestions are welcome.

Well, it sounds like it needs more work, obviously

Either not sharp enough or overhoned. (Btw, I assume your marker is wearing off the edge evenly now in 2-3 laps on the hone?)

Can you take a look at the edge under magnification? Do you see tiny breaks / dots in the edge? This may be a sigh of overhoning. When the fin disintegrates and bends you are left with a duller part that won't shave. Usually, such a razor may start well but deteriorates very quickly during the shave.

I actually would guess yours just needs more work. Many razors will take hair off my arms but need quite a bit for a good shave performance.

What hones are you using? Try 30 light laps on a coticule with light milky slurry, see if this improves the shave. Or some Pyramids on a Norton 4k/8k

Good luck
Ivo

**jacqueeagonsr** · 07-26-2007, 03:33 PM

Originally Posted by izlat

Well, it sounds like it needs more work . . . . .
What hones are you using? Try 30 light laps on a coticule - - - -

I have a Japanese King 1000/6000 and a Chinese 12K. I don't have a Belgian coticule - thought all of them had been quarried out back in the '60's. (but, I'd like to have one if anyone know's of one at a reasonable price) Here's what I have done using Ignatzs' and Izlat's suggestions. I had put some permanent marker on both sides of the blade along the cutting edge and, after a bit of honing, examined the edge with an 8X loupe. I thought I had a good edge. I expanded Izlat's magnification suggestion to a 10X loupe that I don't care to use as it's too hard to get in focus. Well, it DID let me see that I still had some marker black on the edge of the blade. So, I honed it on my 12K chinese until the black was gone; remarked the edge by sliding the edge along the side of the marker tip, like you'd do on a thumbnail to test the sharpness; rehoned the blade again on the 12k until the black was again gone. It does feel sharper, but, I think, not sharp enough. Will test the edge when I shave again on Saturday. Thanks for the advice - no matter what the outcome.

**jacqueeagonsr** · 07-28-2007, 07:44 PM

Originally Posted by jacqueeagonsr

- - - - - Will test the edge when I shave again on Saturday. Thanks for the advice - no matter what the outcome.

Well, I tried it this AM - I have a salt and pepper beard - it would shave the brown hair, but, not the coarser grey ones. I'm thinking I should go back to the 6000 grit stone for a few light strokes and then re-polish with the 12K Chinese. On examination with the 10X loupe, the edge is really polished - no serations left - Could I have the blade too polished?? Is the 12K too fine?? i.e., is the 6000 the place to stop before stroping?? Again, thanks for any comments.

**izlat** · 07-31-2007, 12:47 PM

12K is certainly not too fine, some people use 30K

Cheers
Ivo

**Lynn** · 08-08-2007, 09:59 AM

I have seen this razor and it has definitely been honed unevenly. There were two areas more flattened on one side and one large area on the rear spine of the back side. Both effected the edge. It laid flat on the stone and it honed up nicely for shaving. This appeared to be more of an experience problem than a problem with the razor. Keep practicing. I have honed up thousands and each one is always different.

Have fun,

Lynn