DOVO Solingen, DOVO Steelware, or simply DOVO, is an independent German company, based in
Solingen
Solingen (; li, Solich) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located some 25 km east of Düsseldorf along the northern edge of the region called Bergisches Land, south of the Ruhr area, and, with a 2009 population of 161,366 ...
. They are a manufacturer of
scissors, shaving equipment such as
straight razors and
safety razor
A safety razor is a shaving implement with a protective device positioned between the edge of the blade and the skin. The initial purpose of these protective devices was to reduce the level of skill needed for injury-free shaving, thereby reduc ...
s, as well as
manicure
A manicure is a mostly cosmetic beauty treatment for the fingernails and hands performed at home or in a nail salon. A manicure usually consists of filing and shaping the ''free edge'' of nails, pushing and clipping (with a cuticle pusher ...
tools. Shaving equipment and razors are produced by Merkur Solingen, a
subsidiary of DOVO.
DOVO was founded in 1906. The name derives from the last names of the original founders Carl Dorp + Carl Arthur Voos.
Starting from 1950s onwards DOVO has acquired multiple companies like Tennis (1952), Bismarck (1957), "Ankerflagge" (1957), "Teufelskerle" (1968). "Kronpunkt" (1969), Fontana (1970), Heups & Hermes company (1973) and Merkur company (1996).
As of 31 December 2001, the company employed 86 staff, who produced a daily output of 1200 scissors, 900 nippers, and 150 open razors and shavers. 75% of these products were exported to other countries, while the remaining 25% were sold in Germany.
Since the early 2000s, the company has seen an increase in demand and as of 2016 produced tens of thousands of razors a year, with 20 employees working exclusively on razors.
Since 2013 DOVO moved towards focusing mainly on their shaving products and introducing new range of straight razors.
Gallery
File:Merkur 38c.jpg, Merkur 38C & Double Edge Blades. An example of current Merkur DE safety razor design and double edge blade packaging.
File:Straight Razor.jpg, A DOVO straight razor.
File:Dovo Solingen poster.jpg, Poster of the DOVO Meisterwerke in Solingen. This shows the names of the original owners (as the DOVO brand name was not yet used) and the original location of the factory.
See also
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Rolls Razor
Rolls Razor Limited was a British company known first for its manufacture of a sophisticated safety-razor and later, under new ownership, an "affordable" twin-tub washing machine.
Origins: razor
The eponymous product was a sophisticated safety- ...
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Safety razor
A safety razor is a shaving implement with a protective device positioned between the edge of the blade and the skin. The initial purpose of these protective devices was to reduce the level of skill needed for injury-free shaving, thereby reduc ...
*
Timeline of historic inventions
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Thiers Issard
Thiers Issard or Thiers Issard Sabatier () is a French cutlery manufacturer; they are one of a number of companies using the Sabatier name. It exports a wide range of knives and straight razor
A straight razor is a razor with a blade that ca ...
*
Straight razor
*
Solingen
Solingen (; li, Solich) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located some 25 km east of Düsseldorf along the northern edge of the region called Bergisches Land, south of the Ruhr area, and, with a 2009 population of 161,366 ...
References
External links
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{{Authority control
Companies based in North Rhine-Westphalia
Knife manufacturing companies
Razor brands
Solingen
Manufacturing companies of Germany
Manufacturing companies established in 1906
German brands
1906 establishments in Germany