Are DE shavettes as blade brand sensitive as DE's?
- Thread starter WalterK
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I'd say you'd want a very smooth blade in a shavette. Treets work great in my half-DE shavette, but only ok in my Merkur.
I believe it depends more on you than any other thing.
It depends on how much effort you have put into learning each of your razors. I am talking angle.
It also depends on how much time you've invested in each brand of blade. They all cut hair. You can search a particular blade brand in these, or any shaving forums, and find just as many people loving or hating the same blade. So my opinion is that some people will try different pieces of equipment but use the motion and base their opinion on whether it performs like the last setup.
Every time you change something up treat it like it's your first time. Different angles, pressure, and even direction.
It depends on how much effort you have put into learning each of your razors. I am talking angle.
It also depends on how much time you've invested in each brand of blade. They all cut hair. You can search a particular blade brand in these, or any shaving forums, and find just as many people loving or hating the same blade. So my opinion is that some people will try different pieces of equipment but use the motion and base their opinion on whether it performs like the last setup.
Every time you change something up treat it like it's your first time. Different angles, pressure, and even direction.
10+ on that
My personal opinion is yes. I only use Personna blades one way or the other. Others have their favorites as well. Some blades I've tried were torturous to use.
Thanks for this thread! Was literally just looking at these things online and until this moment had no idea that they had a DE blade in them! Now to buy one..... Any thoughts on which one to buy?
I have one called the Master Barber Magic Razor. I got it from the large beauty supply company who's name may or may not start with an S. The shavette and blades was $15 out the door.
- Thread starter
- #9
Thanks for the replies guys.
HAHAHA, me too until a few days ago!
I remember looking a shavettes a few years ago but assumed they all used the expensive Feather long-type blades, so just dismissed them. When I discovered there where DE models---it was on
From what I've read the hinge-type Parker is a solid performer but not very refined, I'll probably start with that one. The Universal from Italy looks neat too as it uses a full blade instead of a half blade.
Ok, I still have a few different blades left over from DE testing, but will buy a few more when I get the shavette.
HAHAHA, me too until a few days ago!
I remember looking a shavettes a few years ago but assumed they all used the expensive Feather long-type blades, so just dismissed them. When I discovered there where DE models---it was on
From what I've read the hinge-type Parker is a solid performer but not very refined, I'll probably start with that one. The Universal from Italy looks neat too as it uses a full blade instead of a half blade.
I don't have a lot of experience with DE shavettes, but I found the blade mattered very, very little. Derby or a Feather, with good technique, they all cut just fine. so I used up my more "inferior" blades in the shavette, that I had no desire to use in my DEs.
I started with the Magic and have moved on to the Universal. The Uni is nice because I takes full DE blades and has a nice heft to it. The Uni cost me $40 but if you just want to test the waters then the $10 Magic will work just fine. On the blade thing: yes, they perform differently in a shavette. Astra, Persona and Polsilver all work great for me. Good luck and remember that shavettes are extremely unforgiving of mistakes. I learned on them and I can't get a good shave from a real straight to save my life. I get great results from shavettes, though.
I'll join the consensus here: blade matters. I notice a substantial difference between blades. From feather to Astra to Lord to bluebird all feel and perform differently.
But you matter more.
But you matter more.
I've used derby's, sharks, and been messing with injectors off and on.
The sharks felt cheap to me.. not very smooth and it is the first blade I've felt the need to pitch after two shaves.
Derby's work very well and are quite smooth.
I'm still not sure how I feel about the injector blades (off-brand b-x blades, I'm assuming persona)
The sharks felt cheap to me.. not very smooth and it is the first blade I've felt the need to pitch after two shaves.
Derby's work very well and are quite smooth.
I'm still not sure how I feel about the injector blades (off-brand b-x blades, I'm assuming persona)
Just for clarification, some shavettes use 1/2 of a DE blade, while others use a purpose made single edge shavette blade (such as the Feather Artist club).
When I got back into DEs in 2014, I did not spend a lot of time searching for blades that worked. I tried Astra SP and Feather, and they both worked very well for me. My search was over. Soon after I got into using straight razors. Now I have two different shavettes, both from Italy, that use DE blades. My first was a full DE blade Universal, and I now also have a Focus Slim Al half blade shavette. Both work exceptionally well with either Astra SP and Feather blades. I bought these so that I had a method of utilizing the now 220 Astra SP and Feather DE blades that I got prior to getting hooked on straights. My sense is that with the shavette, you control all aspects of the angle, so it is just a matter of sharpness and smoothness of the grind when it comes to the blade. But here again I have only tried two.
Thanks. You've probably saved me MUCH aggravation!
You may have only tried two, but I think your hypothesis sounds good.
