DOVODovo Straight Razor '

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: 5/19/17I'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.

First off, not the one I ordered so know that before you decide to order on Amazon. I ordered a gold Solingen with a white handle and got an Astrale with a black handle. I was brimming with anticipation as I opened the box ready to see a beautiful razor but what I got... meh.I'm not going to take a star off the product for Amazon's mistake. 5 star craftsmanship, 3 stars to Amazon for almost getting me what I ordered. The price difference is only $10 and which one is worth more depends on whether you're looking on Amazon or the Dovo website. Yes, they're flipped around, don't know why. Now I could get an exchange for the one I really wanted but it's another hassle (out of the many in life) and it's another thing I don't need to add to my to do list.As for the function of the razor itself, I tested it straight out of the box and the edge is superb, for the most part. I cleaned up around my beard with minimal pulling. Out of the three I now own this is by far the best with the Gold Dollar from Razor Emporium being a distant second (it works) and a generic cheapo I got for $25 being a paperweight. I got this because I wanted a razor that could shave as well as a shavette without having to buy disposable blade. Based on my trial run this razor can do that with the same level of comfort. I have used a shavette for a few years with more than a dozen brands of blades because it worked better than any straight edge I owned until now. This Dovo is every bit as sharp as a shavette with a brand new blade.One minor flaw I would like to point out is that there was one part of the blade that wasn't cutting out of the box. I went over the same spot several times and it just would not cut. So I took my new razor to a ceramic stone and in less than a minute the whole edge was sharp. If you have any issues with the sharpness out of the box I would recommend running it over a ceramic sharpener (make sure you know how first) because this razor will take an edge very quickly and easily.In conclusion, while not the model I purchased I am overall pleased with this razor. The craftsmanship of the blade itself is top notch and everything I hoped for when I first started trying shavettes and straight blades. Unfortunately I am not completely done with the shavette. I still have over 1,000 blades from when I was buying boxes of 100 during my experimental stage.Final word, thank you Dovo for making a superior product that meets and exceeds all expectations. Keep up the good work and you will have a lifelong customer should I ever need, or want, a new razor.

Craftsmanship is amazing. Definitely would recommend buying a safety razor first to practice with, as these are rather intimidating to use. They are also a little tricky to keep sharp. I'm giving a 5 star because it's a great item, and it's just my lack of knowledge and skill making this difficult to use.