Anyone having experience with this shavette?

[engblom]

I have a long time been curious to try shaving with a straight. I decided to take the most cheap way in order to get a little foretaste of how it could be. I ordered this shavette: http://dx.com/p/stainless-steel-replaceable-blade-folding-straight-razor-shelf-frame-silver-147764

Anyone having any experience with it?

 

[wherndon]

not that particular model, but it looks identical to a Parker, Bluebeard's Revenge, and several other brands.
I say, go for it.
I started with a Parker, only diff was that it has plastic scales. Once I got the hang of shaving I moved to traditional straights, but I still use a variety of shavettes, too.
Just hold on to your wallet.
regards,
Bil

 

[dpmtherrien]

Not that pictured model, but all I use are disposable blade straights, and I really like them.

 

[Slash McCoy]

You could have walked into Sally's and bought one of similar quality for just a couple of bucks more, and picked up some Personna Blues while you were there.

A shavette is a poor introduction to straights, IMHO. You will probably make a lot of pink lather. But you can limit the damage with careful technique.

1. Always stretch the skin tight that is to be shaved. Loose skin invites cuts. Tight skin resists them, and abrasion, and the whiskers pop out for a closer shave.
2. Keep the shave angle low. With a shavette, start with the razor flat against the face. Now rotate the spine of the razor out so that it JUST BARELY does not touch the skin. That is a good shave angle for a shavette. Much lower than you would use for a straight razor.
3. Try to have the blade in motion already, when it touches the skin. Sort of like brushing the lather from the face, or think of it as a touch and go landing. No pressure.
4. Go only WTG for the first couple of weeks. DO NOT try to go ATG right away or you will be sorry. Two WTG passes will give you a decent shave and it is the ideal newbie shave. Fewer cuts, less irritation, but with two passes you still get a very close shave.
5. Prep well! Soft whiskers are easier to cut. Shave right after shower, and don't dry the face. Keep it warm and wet. A hot towel or washcloth is a good idea but not really needed if you have your gear all ready to go, and commence lathering immediately after shower. Lather needs to be really slick. It is a good idea to practice lathering while still using your disposables or cartridges or whatever. Get your prep and lathering down pat, then go for the shavette shave. As a bonus, proper prep, lather, and face mapping will even make your cartridge shave more enjoyable.
6. Stick with one blade while learning. It is a good idea to get a sampler at some point so you can try different blades and find your favorite, but while you are learning, you don't need the extra variable. Just go with a respected brand and stay with it for the first 3 or 4 weeks.
7. Some blades are harsh on the first shave. For shavette use, I like to cork a blade before the first shave with it. I simply slice into a wine cork, not deeply just so the bevel is in the cork, and draw it through once. Seems to really help Feather blades in particular. YMMV and most shavette shavers do not do this. You might find it doesn't make a difference for you.

When you upgrade to a straight razor, you will find the shave much gentler. But it is difficult to reliably and consistently hone a straight to the level of sharpness found with most DE blades. So it's not all bad. Happy Shaves.

 

[engblom]

Thank you!

Most of the advice given also applies to DE, which is familiar to me. I am not much afraid of pink lather. I used for about 6 months only a R41 razor which is as aggressive DE as you get almost. I also used some time a Wilkinson Classic. It is a plastic DE. I cut away the safety bar, so the blade was fully exposed. With both I were able to go ATG. The latest time I have been using mild DE razors though.

Now I got curious enough, that I could not keep myself from getting a shavette. I do not have any store with shavettes near, that is why I ordered from DX. Honestly I do not even know if there are any shaving stores at all in my country.

Advice for someone coming from DE background are welcome.

 

[GreekGuy]

Slash gave a ton of great tips already. My greatest recommendation is to use a light touch. The DE blades are very sharp and unforgiving. Let the edge do the work, you can't use too much pressure as with a traditional straight, or even a safety razor for that matter

 

[hillbilly pick]

Yep! What they said!

I have the CoolCut 4 and looks very similar. I used it a few times to see how it compared to str8s. It looks similar that's about it. It has good weight but will not hesitate to remind you it's sharp. The balance is strange, just... As always be mindful, go slow, and you'll be fine.

 

[Jc50]

I have the bluebeards revenge one which looks very similar. I bought it (my 1st shavette) after having shaved for 2 years with a straight and really like it, but if I would have started with the shavette I probably would have done some damage. They are extra sharp and the blade is shorter which can get you into trouble if not careful. Great advice above. Definitely stretch the skin and a feather light touch and you should be ok as long as you take it slow.