My new Parker came in the mail today. It looks fine, but no blades were shipped with it. Since I am currently cartridge shaving, I have no blades to use in it, and I suppose that I might as well get the best for it. So could you help me out a little here? I have been wet shaving for just a couple of months, but learned on a Gillete DE many years ago and used them for 8 or 9 years. I am looking forward to the straight, but will take it slow, as I have read that the learning curve can be a little long. Anyway, if you have used a shavette and found one blade preferable to the others, I would really appreciate your sharing your experience.
Best Blade for Parker Shavette?
- Thread starter Ackwired
- Start date
I'll share what I've learned from all my mistakes with the shavette:
First--
+I don't buy the hype that shavettes are death-wishes on a stick. That said--PAY WAY MORE ATTENTION THAN NECESSARY WHEN INSTALLING/CHANGING THE BLADE. I sliced my thumb nicely once, right though the fingernail, because I was a COMPLETE idiot for 2 seconds trying to budge my blade holder. Pay attention to your grips and never use motions/forces that could wind up implanting a blade in your hand (or worse). The solution is simple--respect it at all times and that will never happen to you! (I kind of like this about shavettes--it induces a sort of shaving zen; very relaxing believe it or not).
Now, for the good stuff--
+If you're new to shavettes and have never used a straight, do yourself a favor and get a mild blade. I would highly recommend starting with Dorco ST300s until you get the feel of the proper angle/pressure. That blade can still draw blood, obviously, but it's known for being forgiving; if you mess up, it will probably be less of a bloodletting, and a lot less irritating.
+Don't worry about closeness of the shave when you first start, just worry about technique, blade angle, and practicing razor positioning and hand motions.
+If you have proraso pre/post (or another slick preshave) USE IT. If you have a nice slick soap like Tabac of MWF, use that too.
+I would recommend no more than 2 passes for your first 8-10 shaves. You WILL unwittingly use too much pressure and you WILL unwittingly use too steep of an angle at first. Keeping it to two passes will keep the initial "learning irritation" to minimal/moderate levels.
+As your technique improves (and it will take a while--probably a couple of months at least-- to get really proficient and comfortable with it) you can step up to sharp blades/your favorite blade. You might want to even try a sampler---blades will behave differently in the shavette versus the DE. Personally, I've found Astra SP's to be the perfect balance of smoothness, sharpness, and comfort. The fact that they're dirt cheap and I can get 400 shaves out of a 100 pack doesn't hurt.
+When you get real good with your touch, you can use an almighty feather, but you'll get the some minor weepers about half the time, and it's easier to induce some irritation. The things are so damn sharp...you're bound to catch a little pimple here or skin bump there, and that blade wins.
Good luck with it--I love my Dovo stainless.
Have fun, and don't rush it; I bet you'll enjoy it!
First--
+I don't buy the hype that shavettes are death-wishes on a stick. That said--PAY WAY MORE ATTENTION THAN NECESSARY WHEN INSTALLING/CHANGING THE BLADE. I sliced my thumb nicely once, right though the fingernail, because I was a COMPLETE idiot for 2 seconds trying to budge my blade holder. Pay attention to your grips and never use motions/forces that could wind up implanting a blade in your hand (or worse). The solution is simple--respect it at all times and that will never happen to you! (I kind of like this about shavettes--it induces a sort of shaving zen; very relaxing believe it or not).
Now, for the good stuff--
+If you're new to shavettes and have never used a straight, do yourself a favor and get a mild blade. I would highly recommend starting with Dorco ST300s until you get the feel of the proper angle/pressure. That blade can still draw blood, obviously, but it's known for being forgiving; if you mess up, it will probably be less of a bloodletting, and a lot less irritating.
+Don't worry about closeness of the shave when you first start, just worry about technique, blade angle, and practicing razor positioning and hand motions.
+If you have proraso pre/post (or another slick preshave) USE IT. If you have a nice slick soap like Tabac of MWF, use that too.
+I would recommend no more than 2 passes for your first 8-10 shaves. You WILL unwittingly use too much pressure and you WILL unwittingly use too steep of an angle at first. Keeping it to two passes will keep the initial "learning irritation" to minimal/moderate levels.
+As your technique improves (and it will take a while--probably a couple of months at least-- to get really proficient and comfortable with it) you can step up to sharp blades/your favorite blade. You might want to even try a sampler---blades will behave differently in the shavette versus the DE. Personally, I've found Astra SP's to be the perfect balance of smoothness, sharpness, and comfort. The fact that they're dirt cheap and I can get 400 shaves out of a 100 pack doesn't hurt.
+When you get real good with your touch, you can use an almighty feather, but you'll get the some minor weepers about half the time, and it's easier to induce some irritation. The things are so damn sharp...you're bound to catch a little pimple here or skin bump there, and that blade wins.
Good luck with it--I love my Dovo stainless.
Have fun, and don't rush it; I bet you'll enjoy it!
The Parker is a fine disposable blade straight. As for the best blade, its the same as a DE. You have to try many to find your own best one(s).
If you want half-blades, the Lord or Shark 100-120 packs, both made in Egypt, are pretty good IMO. Beyond this, any Saint-Petersburg Russian DE blade cut in half should be fine as well, just be sure to keep them in the paper/waxed-paper packaging as you break them along the long axis. Maintain a flat blade angle and do not use any lateral motion while shaving for starters.
Edit: welcome to B&B, btw.
Edit: welcome to B&B, btw.
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