DOVOStraight Razor Horn Handle

The razor is beautiful, I had to hone it as I have all my Dovo razors. This is not a bad thing for I wanted them extra sharp. I own several Dovo razors from carbon to stainless steal, there is a difference. Carbon steal is easier to hone and stainless takes a little more effort. Suffice to say, this razor is the fanciest razor I own! The Bergischer Lowe in my opinion is the in a class all by itself!

The Dovo Bergisher Lowe is one of Dovo’s higher end razors. For the beginner to intermediate straight razor user this is an excellent choice both in workmanship and functionality.One con is the size, 5/8 is the most common razor size today but it just isn’t great for really coarse facial hair. I prefer a 7/8 or bigger. Another is that stainless steel does not provide as smooth a shave as high carbon blades.Pros: beautiful, low maintenance, great overall razor.And NO factory blade comes truly shave ready.. it will be very sharp, but will need to be honed by a professional before your first shave unless it specifies that it was professionally honed before shipping.

Excellent Razor!!! I was hesitant at first and was worried that I made a mistake because I’ve heard both good and bad reviews. My first shave removed all doubt. This razor just wipes the hair off your face. I’m thinking about buying a second one just for decoration. The razor is beautiful and shaves like a dream.

Dovo doesn't send their razors shave ready it's a German thing, you must sharpen and then use whatever leather you have before you shave. But they do come sharp so be careful!

Shaves as good as it looks.

1 Star is the least I can give the glorified FRAUD company Dovo, and it isn't low enough! This is the third Dovo which I purchased in 10 years, and it will be my last for certain. To begin with, the Dovo claim "shave ready" is complete and utter fraud, so don't be fooled. Such a claim is peculiar industry-wide to Dovo as it is fraudulent, and for this they should be prosecuted in international courts. For reasons unbeknownst to me, a truly shavable factory edge on a straight razor is virtually non-existent throughout the industry, and practical reasons do not abound.....shipping can't be an issue, since most professional sharpening jobs have to be done and returned through the mail. If you aren't equipped and skilled to set the bevel and sharpen it yourself, you will need to find such a guy to do it for you aftermarket with most straight razors that you can buy. Dovo is no exception to this, and the only exception with Dovo, besides the fact that they lie about this, is the ridiculously high price. Also, exceptionally flimsy pinning job with the scales (handle material) - you should not have to tighten these, at risk of smashing the scales on your anvil when your hammer eventually slips! This has been my only consistent experience with Dovo, it's a special low in their workmanship, and at this point in my consumer experience with straight-razor use, I think I'm qualified to judge.Finally, be aware that you will not be able to hone Bergisher Lowe without scratching away the thin gold plating on the spine - I suppose a more sensible person than I would have treated mine as the collectors item which it is, but I was much too practical minded, and decided that losing that cheesy, corrosion-prone layer for the original mirror-finish was more sensible.Other straight razors I own:1 THIERS-ISSARD (French) - arrives tomorrow, thought it worth mentioning sight-unseen, not just because it's the other dominant European make. This make prints the more honest statement "pre-honed". I even read somewhere that Thiers ships closer to shavable than "shave-ready" Dodo, which required the 1000 grit stone to set a bevel, the 4000 grit waterstone to sharpen it, and the 8000 grit finishing side of that stone + chromium oxide stropping before it was acceptable on my face (and I have alligator skin).1 AP Donovan (Shirogami) - just received it today, and very happy now that ive set and sharpened the bevel. The monster of a 7/8 Shirogami carbon steel blade is perfectly balanced with scales (handle) of beautiful, and gorgeously metal-accented red hardwood. Complete with decorative box for 1/3 typical Dovo price, and after shaving with it I can tell I won't be getting any grief from the pin job! I have been wary of the cheap unknowns which break the "You get what you pay for" rule, and I'm really glad I went with the consumer list which it showed up on - it's a rare and exceptional bargain.PUMA 3/8PUMA Special 7/8 (Solignen)Both are Solignen carbon steel, both are fabulous shavers which have held up far better than my first blade (you guessed it, a Dovo) and unfortunately this make is no longer in production. Check Ebay if interested, and good luck! Because straight razors tend to sit around for years before they end up on Ebay, I had to scrub away some corrosion on mine (which meant losing the PUMA Special engraving, *tears*) before getting it honed. Still, both are fine examples of how a fully well-produced blade can perform excellently, with minimal care, generations later.SPIKE (Olean, NY) - No longer produced, but I love it. More of a wedge-style than the hollow variants which are produced today, but amaxzngly, still I find it the easiest blade I own to take care of. Perhaps it's that the wedge style does not necessitate the extra bulk and weight at the spine, also a better balance to ordinary, cheap and otherwise much-too-light plastic scales. Probably a basic, low-priced item back in the day, but the guy in that Olean factory who pinned the scales on was no slouch! Still a favorite of mine after 8 years.WEDGE, by Kinsfolk (no mfg. location stamp) - another fine example of wedge. As with my SPIKE, nothing fancy and light of weight at 5/8, but easy care and feels amazing on the face.

I've owned and used the Dovo 5/8 Bergischer Lowe straight razor for several years, purchased from another source.I own 6 other Dovo straight razors and 1 Boker, a 4/8 extra hollow ground.The Bergischer Lowe is, by far, the finest razor I own.In my experience, no razor comes from the factory "shave ready", as others have mentioned. Even those retailers offering after factory sharpening don't quite get a razor "shave ready" for me. I have invested in strops, rouges, diamond honing solutions and water stones. I've found the latter (waterstones) with time, patience and proper technique will bring any straight razor made of quality carbon steel or stainless steel to an extremely fine edge resulting in an excellent shave.Dovo's carbon steel will not rust if cared for properly. I've used Japanese camellia oil which didn't provide lasting protection and resulted in some "tainting" of one razor. I finally switched to Ballistol applying to the razor after each use and, even with long term storage, the blades are protected.The pins on the Bergischer Lowe are fine and adequate. There is some natural play in the blade. It's not meant to be used like a bulldozer.If you carefully examine the spine of the Bergischer Lowe, you will note there is no gold plating on the sides of the spine where the blade is laid for sharpening or honing. Use this surface to maintain the proper blade angle. Anyone scraping off or wearing off the gold on the spine doesn't know how to properly sharpen or hone a blade, or is being very sloppy in the process.The scales are natural horn which can vary in color from solid black to solid cream color with a multitude of variations in between. What you get may not be your preferred aesthetics but, in no way detracts from the light weight and fineness of the razor. With proper preparation they all feel and shave the same. The delicate scales provide a light weight razor. But, the beauty of this razor is the quality of the shave provided by its extremely fine blade.In summary, the Dovo Bergisher Lowe is one of the finest straight razors on the market. With proper sharpening, honing, stropping and care, it will provide you with the finest shave you will experience with a straight razor,... and will become a treasured family heirloom for generations.