Been DE shaving for about 3 months now...GREAT EXPERIENCE!!!! NO CUTS!!!! I wouldnt mind using a "DE blade-straight" on weekends but I'm curious...is shaving with a Shavette-type straight razor (the type where you crack a DE blade in half) as safe as shaving with a DE? How much of the edge of the blade is exposed in one of these things? I'm worried about making a deep gash on my face if I use one of these and screw up. I figure that if the edge of the blade is barely exposed, I should be good...right?
Blade Exposure on Shavette/Parker type Straights
- Thread starter misternew
- Start date
there's not a lot of exposure on the parker. Just checked on mine and it's pretty much just the bevel on the blade that's exposed (with a 5x loupe I can tell there's a bit of material behind the bevel exposed but not enough to give a measurement).
If I recall correctly, the Dovo Shavette exposes even less blade than the Parker. However, both still expose enough of the blade to get very nice cuts that might scar.
While you can learn to successfully use a shavette, the learning curve is very steep. I would expect to draw blood frequently, and it will be months before you get anything approaching a great quality shave. Only using it two days a week will increase your learning time.
Most of the board would tell you not to bother with these, as it is much easier to get cuts with a Shavette than it is with a real straight.
The only disposable blade straight really worth owning is the Feather AC.
If you want to try a shavette for very little money, go to your local Sally Beauty, and buy a Fromm Hair Shaper. You can get the Fromm, and 5 blades for about $10. With the comb guard removed from the Hair Shaper, you effectively have a small straight.
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ive got a Parker shavette and mesaured it at less than 1mm. looks like maybe a half to 3/4 of a mm if i had to narrow it down.
Some people compalin that because the blade exposure on the shavette is so minimal they have to use too steep an angle in order to contact the cutting edge. Personally I don't find it a problem. I only use a shavette for travel but find it works perfectly well and gives a good shave. It is a little harsher than the Dovo I use at home and need a slightly more delicate touch but it's not a huge adjustment It certainly didn't take me months to adapt to the difference. I suspect most experience users of a "true" straight could adapt to a shavette in less than a week if they put their mind to it.
- Thread starter
- #6
So Can a Fromm Hair Shaper be used with the guard in place?
Perhaps. Can't say I have ever tried. It certainly wouldn't give anything approaching a close shave doing that. The guard is meant to guide fairly long hair into the blade.
As I understand it (and I could be way off base) a Hair Shaper is used to style hair in fancy ways that can't be accomplished with a pair of trimmers alone.
- Thread starter
- #8
Makes sense...I've been looking into the possibilities of how a Straight Razor can have a guard attached to it. Are there any guards that can be attached to regular straight razors? I know this is a very old idea that I suppose never really took off, however, I do like the idea of a transitional razor
I have a Parker SRB and the blade exposure is about half milimeter.
I've used the Parker for 2 months now coming from a Mach 3, shaving about 3 times a week and never have some major bleeding, I've cut 2 times my lip due to the blade angle but it only give me a small red line that vanished in the morning. And also some weepers (don't know if this is the right, it's not a cut, I just removed too much skin and it bleed a little) on the chin area when doing it sideways.
One thing I like about using the Parker is that you get more feedback when shaving than the Mach 3. When I did a small cut to my lip, I feel cutting right away and pulled the blade out, preventing from doing more damage.
I've used the Parker for 2 months now coming from a Mach 3, shaving about 3 times a week and never have some major bleeding, I've cut 2 times my lip due to the blade angle but it only give me a small red line that vanished in the morning. And also some weepers (don't know if this is the right, it's not a cut, I just removed too much skin and it bleed a little) on the chin area when doing it sideways.
One thing I like about using the Parker is that you get more feedback when shaving than the Mach 3. When I did a small cut to my lip, I feel cutting right away and pulled the blade out, preventing from doing more damage.
