Dovo Spike Point Bismarck, White Bone Handle, Full Hollow Carbon Steel, 5/8"

I purchased this item with high expectations and the manufacturer has fulfilled them.

This is one of the few razors I've purchased that has a sturdy handle. The bone is high quality, and, thick. It can stand up to my meaty paws.

The blade is beautifully etched and gold trimmed. I expect this blade to last a long time. The edge was perfectly straight when I got it. I had to put an edge on the back side, but, it honed nicely on an old Nox-all stone from the 1940's, and, with the thick, good quality handle, it strops very nicely.

If you are buying a straight razor for the first time, here are some general guidelines to get you started:

First, DO NOT BUY STAINLESS STEEL. Stainless steel has many advantages in terms of hardness, durability, low maintenance and the ability of the steel to take an edge. However, if you are using a razor with a stainless steel blade, you will find that you have to strop it every few strokes. Most...Read more

Ordered this last week and got it last night, what a beautiful razor. It is packaged in this neat little tin and sealed with a paper seal. It came honed and sharpened right out of the tin, but I still took it to the strop to ensure a fine edge. Now I am new to straight edge razor shaving and my shave Friday night showed, as my wife asked me where was the cat that tore up my face? Admittedly, there were numerous cuts as it is hard to get used to holding the blade and stretching the skin when needed. Regardless, I will be as proficient as my Grandfather was in the future with plenty of practice. As such, can't wait until next weekend to try again, but between now and then, I will use my DE razor. Having said that, the quality of the razor is not in question, my shaving skills on the other hand are, so I would highly recommend this if you are looking for a quality razor that is almost ready to go right out of the box.