Dovo is here! My first 3 shaves with a straight.

My Dovo best 6/8 half hollow razor and latigo 3 inch strop arrived late last week (thanks Jim at vintage blades!!), just wanted to give my impressions as it was my first time even holding a straight!

Thursday - shave 1: I didn't have much time to try it out, but gave one cheek a go and it was awful (as I predicted would be). Lots of tugging and pulling, I tried many different angles and had a perfect proraso green lather. A little confused I finished with my Futur and picked it up again friday.

Friday - shave 2: my first time stropping, rolling the blade on the spine was odd but got the hang of it quick! One tiny nick on the bottom of the leather portion (impressed that was all I did). Lathered up the razorock mudder focker and gave cheek a go. Still tugging, not as bad but annoying enough. I give under the chin a shave, gripping the blade as Jarrod from superior shave does in his youtube video, much more smooth, blade glides! Time running short, finished with Futur.


Sunday - shave 3: strop the blade, no damage! catching on quick! I find the repetitive motion of stropping very relaxing...almost meditative. Lather up my razorock nervous wreck for the first time, love it! This time I start with under my chin, same as how I finished Friday. Great results and I finally realize with the 2 handed blade grip I am holding it much more tight. Give the sideburns and cheeks a quick mowing with traditional grip (just much more firm near the blade). This solved the tugging problem! Excited as I was I finished the tricky spots with the Futur, not ready for that....no rush right? Only a tiny bleeder on the cheek so far! Didn't feel it.

Lessons learned: The Dovo is not a merkur Futur! grip it tight!! A lighter touch does not mean a lighter grip, this is where I went wrong! Can't wait to graduate to a singing razor!


if any of you can recommend a good pre shave oil that keeps the skin slick please let me know. I have tobs and truefitt, both absorb very quickly, I want extra slick for my Dovo!!

Congrats on the quick progress. Have you tried adding more water to your lather? If you are wanting a more slick feeling adding water will do the trick.

DR Harris Arlington makes a great pre shave..warm n fuzzy feeling

Thanks all, tried the extra water in lather but it still didnt have that lingering protective slickness I get from an oil.

Proraso white pre shave works well for me

It sounds like the razor isn't shave ready. If it is pulling and dragging, it isn't sharp enough. I understand that a number of people have found new Dovo razors to be in need of proper honing.

Yes to be sure the Dovo is honed after receiving, as a newbie too, what I thought was sharp, i bought a new Dovo too. just got a lesson of what really sharp is. If its knife sharp then it's dull..

The post reads like he picked up the Dovo from Vintage Blades, if that is the case then yes, it would have come shave ready, from what I know and have heard about them. They have all the straights they sell hand finished and tested to be truly shave ready.

I had a lot of tugging, due to wrong angle. I brought the spine closer to the skin and that did the trick.
Congrats!

I have a Bismarck from Vintage Blades. Jim says all the straights he sells come honed by Lynn Abrams and are shave ready.
+1 to Galhatz above... tugging is due to angle and sometimes from going too slow or too fast. As your hand develops confidence, you will get less tugging.