DOVO Solingen

DOVO Solingen, or DOVO Steelware, or DOVO, is an independent German company based in Solingen that manufactures high-quality hair and thinning scissors, straight razors and wet shavers, shaving equipment, household and professional scissors, skin and nail scissors, cuticle and nail nippers, and manicure sets. Shaving equipment and razors are produced by Merkur Solingen, a subsidiary of DOVO, although this brand name is no longer used, as modern straight razors are produced under the DOVO brand.

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.

History
According to the documents held by the magistrate's court of the then independent local authority of Wald, near Solingen, the company DOVO Steelware was founded in 1906. At the beginning, DOVO was purely a factory producing straight razors, with a forge and hollow grinding shop. The founders, Mr. Dorp and Mr. Voos, employed 13 staff.

By 1930, Solingen had become bigger through the incorporation of outlying villages, (including Wald), and the law passed in 1938 to protect the name of Solingen gave it greater pride and security as well as a still greater sense of local identity. As Mr. Dorp and Mr. Voos wanted to retire, Fritz Bracht took over the DOVO company shortly before the second World War. A good move, as the small knight with sword and hammer had meanwhile made inroads into the markets in Western Europe and North America. Even during the war, the symbol of the knight managed to find its way abroad and to become established there. Because of the introduction of the electric razor, Fritz Bracht had to create a second source of income by producing hair scissors. By talking shop with users in the salons in his own town and elsewhere, he found out everything he needed and wanted to know about hair scissors. EUREKA, a model of hair and thinning scissors with a curved cutting edge, put life back into the business after the war.

In 1951, the young technician Mertens joined the company. Along with other "old hands", he is a motivating force behind the production of scissors. Ernst Kirschbaum, who had completed his law studies and obtained a doctorate, joined the company in 1953 as a son-in-law of the family. The need for recovery after years of ruin and the employment of additional young staff meant that business was able to increase in style. The motto was "New names for new markets".