Hi folks

Someone sent me a Dovo razor which he bought new some months ago, and which he kept up-to-date using only green Puma paste, with the question to render it really shave-ready. I did a quick test and indeed it barely past the HHT, not enough to give a good shave.

So I started like I always do with a new razor, pre-dull and then basic bevel setting on a naniwa 1,000 K. After about 30-40 passes I noticed this :

and on the other side:


So it looks like the blade is bent in the middle. I put the blade flat on a hone, and indeed, this is visible with the eye.
Have any of you experienced this with (new) razors ?
How would you proceed with a razor like this ?
I've been thinking of either a very small hone or .... _pastes ...


Thanks,
Wim

maybe contacting dovo because that looks like a production error to me

kind regards
Stijn

I though about that, but I'm not sure that would stick
Maybe if it had been noticed immediately ...

qui ne risque rien n'a rien

I have seen minor problems with new razors some worse than this. Few razors are perfect. If the razor comes sharp it should be ok. If you make a big deal out of it your customer will never be satisfied with the razor our possibly your workmanship.

geruchtemoaker:

maybe contacting dovo because that looks like a production error to me
kind regards
Stijn

+1
In my oppinion it does not matter that you did not notice that at first.
I will try to contact Dovo or the seller and try to resolve the problem if it is possible to resolve it.
If it is not possible to resolve it I will stick with some kind of adepted honing stroke (maybe some kind of adepted rolling X stroke).

I agree with the priors. First try sending it back. You didn't contract for a razor in that condition.

I have a very beautiful green lizard (razor) that looks exactly, and I mean exactly, like this.

Honing it was a real challenge. I tried all sorts of contortions but I could only really hone one side (the side where the toe and heel would be lifted off the hone). I tried attacking the other side with just the very edge of my hones, but the results were unsatisfying.

Finally I just got really angry and went to town with it on my DMT. The bevel looks like a party streamer as it goes up and down the blade, but the entire edge did finally achieve contact with the hone when laid flat. It doesn't seem to affect performance.

Good luck!

There is a lovely thread over at legshaving headquarters, started by the egregious Joel himself, about the same problem. I think it's called "Are all new B&B product reviews POS???" or something along those lines. Either way, Dovo has nothing to do with this. The contract is between you and the vendor, not you and the manufacturer. It really is that simple, and anyone claiming otherwise is either obnoxious, obtuse, or trying to shift the blame for other reasons.

Regards,
Robin

Robin:

Either way, Dovo has nothing to do with this. The contract is between you and the vendor, not you and the manufacturer. It really is that simple, and anyone claiming otherwise is either obnoxious, obtuse, or trying to shift the blame for other reasons.
Regards,
Robin

Exactly, you are correct, Dovo does not have anything with this. Contract is between buyer and seller but I belive that Dovo as a reputable maker will honestly answer to his claim and offer to change the razor with big smile. Obviously that change have to go through seller.

Okay, so let's go back to the original question i.e. how to tackle this razor?

Options are:

1. Work on a really narrow, finger-like stone, something preferably not exceeding 2cm in width - a narrower one won't hurt as long as you keep your stroke steady. I found out that a lighter grip on such a hone helps, it lets it rock sideways, so the hone follows if you inadvertently do any tilts with the razor.
2. Induce a smile on that razor, at some point the blade width difference between the middle and both ends will overrun the warp. Everything clearly explained by Bart here.

A narrow stone approach is less aggressive than inducing a smile on other person's razor, so I'd opt for that solution, or you can just contact the owner first and ask about his opinion. Anyway, I guess it will be less work(?), too...

regards,
Matt

Matt:

A narrow stone approach is less aggressive than inducing a smile on other person's razor, so I'd opt for that solution, or you can just contact the owner first and ask about his opinion. Anyway, I guess it will be less work(?), too...

However nice it is to have a debate, thanks for getting us back on track Matt. Basically you confirm what I thought ... and feared. No miracle solutions ahead.

But I'll indeed first talk it over with the owner, see what we can do.

Just for the record:
(1) Jay, even though you may have seen worse with new razors (I have as well actually, but not a lot) I do think this kind of razor should not have escaped Dovo QA. We're not talking a loose blade or bad pinning here, rather a situation that makes it really hard to hone a razor (at least for me), so it touches upon it's basic function.

(2) Robin/King: I agree that in the first place this is something between vendor and customer. However, in my view this does not change the ultimate responsibility of Dovo in this case

I have many new dovo's, this is a common problem. infact i have a dovo special with the exact same bevel. identical to yours, i'm not sure how this happens. I just honed mine, used marker to make sure the bevel was fully contacting the hone. I just dilucoted, i get a good shave . then i just finished it on cr.ox and the razor shaved realy well. Its just cosmetic to me , we all would love a nice thin bevel, but its not always the case. the worst bevels i have come across is the ti's, they can be uneven. but ah they still shave mint. so just hone it, it would'nt bother me, it did at one time , but now i just except it.

gary

I have a standard checklist for every razor that comes into my possession. This checklist determines weather I keep the razor or return it to the seller. One entry on that checklist is:

Warp:
In the absents of a flat surface (such as a hone) or I am too just lazy to go get one, I open the razor to the 90 degree look down the spine from tail to point (sighting down the barrel). The spine should be straight, if the spine is bent to one side or the other then chances are the edge is also bent (warped). Either way I will also open the razor to the 270, flip the up side down and sight down the edge from tail to point… a bad warp is usually clearly visible (and if you slightly tilt the blade to one side you may spot other inconsistencies in the edge profile… as mentioned in an almost forgotten post here: http://www.coticule.be/the-cafeteria/message/6219.html)
If edge is warped but only barely perceptible when sighting down the edge, then I may consider it normal, and live with it.

Incidentally, other symptoms to look for: Frown, Cracks, Ground Off-Center edge and Forged Off-Center tang.

A warped blade edge is not all that bad (of course depending on severity) but it’s good to know beforehand what you are dealing with. Solutions to getting it comfortably shaving sharp are various…
Here is another link you may find very interesting… today Sept 14th makes the thread 2 years and 25 days old, but still valuable after all these years .
http://straightrazorplace.com/honing/40575-xs-rolling-xs.html

Matt:

Okay, so let's go back to the original question i.e. how to tackle this razor?

Options are:

1. Work on a really narrow, finger-like stone, something preferably not exceeding 2cm in width - a narrower one won't hurt as long as you keep your stroke steady. I found out that a lighter grip on such a hone helps, it lets it rock sideways, so the hone follows if you inadvertently do any tilts with the razor.
2. Induce a smile on that razor, at some point the blade width difference between the middle and both ends will overrun the warp. Everything clearly explained by Bart here.

A narrow stone approach is less aggressive than inducing a smile on other person's razor, so I'd opt for that solution, or you can just contact the owner first and ask about his opinion. Anyway, I guess it will be less work(?), too...

regards,
Matt

Now... why is that link not in the Coticule Sharpening Academy?

I should contact the owner, and explaine what you noticed.
Say to the owner you can give it a try on the coticule but the wisest decison should be to contact Dovo and see what they come up with. Maybe nothing, but at least give it a try, even if it is a discount on a next purchase
You can always go back to the coticule if they don't reply.

The owner can contact Dovo do it, or you can do it.

You explain you're a member of a forum where they discus this matter and it would be great if they could solve it for you, showing what a great company Dovo is to deal with.

Let us know how it went. I think they will come up with something.