In 2006 DOVO celebrated 100 years of continuous operation. DOVO began as a small shop specializing in straight razors, and now more than a century later still turns out this specialty knife daily. Catering to the needs of the beauty industry and the man who still prefers the close shave of a real blade, DOVO produces 40 different styles of straight razors with blade modifications to handle any type of beard.
In Wald, Germany, in 1906, Carl Dorp established the straight razor manufacturing business that quickly became DOVO. The company truly began when Dorp hired a local businessman for his marketing expertise. The partnership between Dorp and Carl Arthur Voos inspired the company name, DOVO Steelware. First products made by DOVO were simple fixed blade straight razors, but the company expanded by hot forging many different styles of scissors, manicurist’s tools, and safety razors. Merkur Solingen, a branch of DOVO, currently produces many of the company’s shaving products. Company records show that in 2001 this family-owned business produced 1200 scissors daily, in addition to 900 nippers and 150 DOVO razors.
DOVO’s mainstay, the scissors in its many forms, remains a hot forged item, tempered to exacting standards. Ninety percent of DOVO’s scissors production is through hand work and hot forging of high carbon steel, although the company does make a few inexpensive types from stamped steel. Merkur Solingen — a division of DOVO — offers a full line of modern safety razors and accessories, which includes stands for a full shaving kit comprised of bowl, razor and brush. DOVO’s folding straight razors come in specialized styles with blades in flat, hollow or half-hollow grind and shapes meant for the expert or the beginning razor user. For the toughest beard and the most precision choose the square point 7/8″ wide blade with 1/1 hollow grind.
