First shave using shavette

[jrmhng]

Hi All,

I had my first shave with a shavette (with DE blade broken in half) and it was a horrible experience. A few painful cuts and razor burn.

Even with great lather, the blade just skipped all over the place like it was on non-lubricated skin. I could also feel the small blade vibrate and just generally flimsy.

I know my technique was probably rubbish but could the shavette just be a crap tool to shave as well?

Cheers
Jeremy

 

[sffone]

I've never shaved with one and have no intentions of trying. I know that many people like them, but I don't see the appeal, but I can see some drawbacks -- one of which you mention. Most of the people I know of who used them eventually moved on to something else, which suggests to me that your experience isn't all that uncommon.

 

[Ru4scuba?]

I know my technique was probably rubbish but could the shavette just be a crap tool to shave as well?

Of course!

But...before you run out and buy that shiny new Dovo for $150 (or more) I'd really...really suggest you watch all the shave vids etc and read Joel's tutorial.

I have been on this thread long enough to see a TON of guys lament their first str8 (or shavette) experience. Put plainly..your first str8 shave sucks. And it takes time to figure out technique.

That...is likely more the culprit than the blade. Not always...and not to say that the blade can't be a factor...it certainly can. But more likely than not your first few shaves will be really rough.

Best of luck, keep posting and fire away any questions!

 

[Wid]

I wouldn't shave with one of those things if it were given to me. My barber uses one on my neck and around my ears and there are times I come out of his chair bleeding, he's a good barber too. If he can't get it right I know I couldn't.

If possible get yourself a real, shave ready, str8 and try again.

 

[michiganlover]

I know my technique was probably rubbish but could the shavette just be a crap tool to shave as well?

Cheers
Jeremy

Who made the Shavette you are using? Not all of these are created equal. I despise the actual Dovo Shavette (too light weight, and overall chintz build), but the Parker Shavette is actually quite good.

That said a 1/2 DE blade shavette is a lot less forgiving than an actual straight. You can learn to shave with it, but you need to have realistic expectations: expect less than perfect blood filled shaves for at least a few months.

The Feather Artist Club/Kai Captain disposable blade straight is an entirely different beast though, and vastly superior to any of the 1/2 DE blade Shavettes.

 

[johnmrson]

I've got one of the half DE blade shavettes but I don't like it and I'll never use it again. I think that if you want to shave with a straight, you should shave with a straight. If you have to use a replaceable blade straight then I think you should use one of the good ones like the Kai Catain Excelia.

 

[jrmhng]

Thanks all for the responses

But...before you run out and buy that shiny new Dovo for $150 (or more) I'd really...really suggest you watch all the shave vids etc and read Joel's tutorial.

Which videos are you referring to?

Who made the Shavette you are using? Not all of these are created equal. I despise the actual Dovo Shavette (too light weight, and overall chintz build), but the Parker Shavette is actually quite good.

Some $15 AUD shavette so not really high end.

The Feather Artist Club/Kai Captain disposable blade straight is an entirely different beast though, and vastly superior to any of the 1/2 DE blade Shavettes.

Hmmm well it may be a lot cheaper for me to just get a vintage shave ready straight then.

If you have to use a replaceable blade straight then I think you should use one of the good ones like the Kai Catain Excelia.

MONTHS??

 

[Ru4scuba?]

This one at the top of our General Straight Razor Discussion Forum is a good start...

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=136249

 

[dpmtherrien]

Who made the Shavette you are using? Not all of these are created equal. I despise the actual Dovo Shavette (too light weight, and overall chintz build), but the Parker Shavette is actually quite good.

That said a 1/2 DE blade shavette is a lot less forgiving than an actual straight. You can learn to shave with it, but you need to have realistic expectations: expect less than perfect blood filled shaves for at least a few months.

The Feather Artist Club/Kai Captain disposable blade straight is an entirely different beast though, and vastly superior to any of the 1/2 DE blade Shavettes.

+1 here. The Feather/Kai are excellent open blade razors, which is what any straight razor is. The Parker straight, at only around $15.00 is also a very good razor.

Learning to use any straight is going to take some time, much more than any DE, but really good shaves from any of these mentioned straights is very possible. I, like a good many other members, use only these disposable blade straight razors, and am very satisfied with them. As good a shave with a disposable blade straight, compared to the traditional straight, is very easy to obtain once the technique of using the razor is learned.

Just chose what type of straight you'd like to use, sharpen your skills, and enjoy your shaves.

 

[Luc]

Hi All,

I had my first shave with a shavette (with DE blade broken in half) and it was a horrible experience. A few painful cuts and razor burn.

Even with great lather, the blade just skipped all over the place like it was on non-lubricated skin. I could also feel the small blade vibrate and just generally flimsy.

I know my technique was probably rubbish but could the shavette just be a crap tool to shave as well?

Cheers
Jeremy

You mentioned a $15 shavette and the only one that I know at that price in Oz is the Wahl disposable blades straight razor. I didn't try that one, I did try the Dovo shavette.

With those, you need to be really careful of your angle, you can't play too much with it like a real straight. Also, the blade that you are using might not be for you. With disposable straight, you can always switch to another brand and get a better/worse shave.

The Wahl would be as light if not lighter than the Dovo. When you hold it, you need to make sure that you have a very firm grip. When you shave, make sure that you are not applying any pressure or a very light pressure. If you press too much, you will dig in the skin or get razor burn/irritation.

Give your face a few days to heal.

 

[wazazzle]

I've got a magic shavette that i use regularly. You have to realize that even with a SR you're not going to get a smooth or irritation shave for awhile... until you learn the proper technique for the individual razor. Each razor has it's own personality and some manufactures are higher quality than others. The Parker shavette has gotten good reviews (about $12 on fleebay), but with every product not everyone will always be satisfied. What works with one, might not necessarily work the same on another. That being said... It took me a good 2wks before i got bbs with the shavette. Whenever i use a SR or shavette i always use preshave oil (olive oil, etc). It will help glide easier and always rinse after each swipe. Keep in mind shavettes have a higher learning curve than a SR. Don't be discouraged. Imo on the go they make good travel razors. Just keep at it!

 

[PedroNavaja]

The instrument is not the problem . . .

 

[BurkDarkpatches]

<snip> But...before you run out and buy that shiny new Dovo for $150 (or more) I'd really...really suggest you watch all the shave vids etc and read Joel's tutorial.

And don't forget Joel said this, "the shavette provides a wonderful shave."

I was getting pretty amazing shaves from my Dovo shavette from the git-go, except anywhere on my chin. Tiring of the carnage, I've put it aside for another day.

About the only thing I don't like about it is that the blade holder extends even to the blade. This results in the holder touching your face and scraping lather. Other shavettes and, of course, real straights, only allow blade to touch your face.

Steve

 

[earl of St Andrews]

I've got one of the half DE blade shavettes but I don't like it and I'll never use it again. I think that if you want to shave with a straight, you should shave with a straight. If you have to use a replaceable blade straight then I think you should use one of the good ones like the Kai Catain Excelia.

I completely agree with that.The scars I made myself with the shavette are still visible. Shaving with a true straight is so different...I hardly cut myself and although I´m not a month doing it I am getting pretty good shaves.

 

[Big.Dave]

I'm learning with a shavette at the moment while the vintage razors I aquired are being sharpened some rescaled.

It is a good way to learn how to move the blade around your face and using a good DE blade helps I'm using red pack personnas and I now shave without any burn.

The down side of a shavette is it has corners on the blade a bit like a spike point blade which if you have read the 1905 book shaving made easy, you will know spike point blades are not reccomended for learning to shave with. This is true. Because I did cut myself a few times with the corner of the blade always in the same place untill I worked out what I was doing wrong.

You should be able to get a good shave with a shavette with 2 passes WTG & XTC plus touch up this is what all the Turkish barber do.

 

[Ru4scuba?]

No doubt about it...a shavette provides good motions for sure...but its a different shave than a true str8...not bad...and yes, you can master a shavette the same way you can master anything...its just different thats all!

 

[steveclarkus]

I guess I bought the cheapest shavette on the planet and 100 Derby half blades. I used to shave with a straight years ago but don't want to have to bother with maintenance even though I'm retired and really have nothing better to do.

I ordered the kit before reading posts on shavettes and got pretty scared by what I was reading and wondered if I had just blown a whopping $12.

My shaving experience: Nothing remarkable. Not BBS but DFS and no cuts. It did take a long time, at least twenty to thirty minutes, because I don't remember the patterns I used to use with a straight. It's like moving to a new house and having to mow the lawn a couple of seasons before you get the most efficient mowing patterns figured out. Also, I'll need to re-train my stupid hand. I'm very very left handed and I'll just have to be patient and accept less than BBS until my right had can participate more.

By the end of the week, I'll know if I want to continue with shavettes. At this point, it looks positive. If I do continue, I'll probably want a heavier blade - Parker or Sanguine - probably both and likely others as well. They are cheap enough to afford one of every brand. I'll probably skip the Dovo because I can't see any shavette worth $30+ (Feather and KAI excepted).

My thoughts on the experience:

-I had no problems with the exposed blade points - this surprised me.

-You have to maintain almost no pressure on the blade to prevent razor burn. This is where a heavier blade would be a benefit. A nearly weightless blade begs for pressure - chromed brass or stainless steel would be a good thing.

-If there is a place on your face or neck where you cannot work the blade confidently and competently, give it a light touch and move on. If you push beyond your comfort zone you're going to nick yourself and loose confidence. I won't be long before you can shave every part of your face closely and just as easily as you can your cheek.

-Short Blade - I actually liked this; it's like driving a sports razor and is simpler for me than handling the length of a straight and a longer blade isn't going to save you a significant amount of shaving time anyway.

-You will always have a perfectly sharp blade cheaply and effortlessly.

-I wiped my razor on a towel rather than rinsing it. My razor would get dangerously slippery when wet. Maybe other brands are better at this.

-These razors are not as hazardous as many of these posts would have you to believe. Accept that it is going to take some time and experience to get the shave you want from the get go. These horror posts are the result of one thing only - the lack of patience. Without patience, you'll never get to the experienced part.

-I think the Derby blades are a good place to start. I wouldn't have wanted to deal with one of the super blades. The Derby has a reputation as being one of the best all around blades. Maybe Feathers or the like are in the future and maybe not.

-Someone on this thread mentioned practicing taking lather off your face without a blade. I believe this is an excellent idea. I think I'll use it to get that useless right hand in the game and work out good patterns and skin stretches.

-I believe this can be a very good way to shave - not just a learning step on the way to straight razors but a completely different way. Straights really are very different animals than shavettes but that shouldn't imply that the shavette is anything other than a different way to get to the same end. Safety razors are wonderful but I don't they can ever beat a free blade.

-Straights are beautiful and continue a long tradition of skills that could have been lost. Shavettes are strictly utility items (function without a whole lot of form)l

-If you intend to use a straight, you should probably just jump into it. It is the coolest way to shave ever but it takes commitment.

-If you just want the experience of an open blade, get a shavette. If it doesn't do anything for you, just pitch it - nothing lost. If it gives you a better shaving experience than a DE, you can just keep using shavettes.

 

[sffone]

Thanks, steveclarkus, for sharing your experience and observations. It offers a great deal of food for thought.

 

[StillShaving]

Good post. There is something to be said for the simplicity of using a shavette along with a fresh blade each time. But has you point out they are so much like a utility item it is hard to get as excited about them in comparison.

 

[DenSpec]

I bought a cheap $1 Stainless Steel Shavette from a local manufacturer called Asbah, that local Saloons swear by.
Uses a stainless steel sliding mechanism with 2 hooks to hold half a DE blade.
Placed a brand new Indian Wilkinson Sword and was off.
First tentative pass. Ok. 2nd pass. A large nick on the skin over the left cheekbone.
The Shavette was quickly washed, sheathed and locked.

I spoke to a friend whose senior Paediatrician dad (85 + years old) still uses a shavette.
He always passes a brand new blade placed in the Shavette over a sharpening stone one or two strokes either way before touching it to his face. Yes.

Light dawned on me. A new blade has a slightly rough edge due to the grinding of the edge (barring Feather, Dorco and maybe a few others that come smooth straight out of the pack.

I had read somewhere that making a couple of "stropping" strokes on a denim would take off that roughness and make the blade a bit smoother and kinder.

Did that on a towel and wow.
The blade was smooth. Did the face and neck without a single nick. Frankly I did not do the chin and lip as my hands were beginning to get shaky and what with two women darting about around me unknowingly distracting me no end. (I did not need another discouraging "bloody" incident, did I?)

Shave was smooth (Almost BBS) on the cheeks with a WTG and ATG. The neck had some leftover above the Adam's apple but that is my trouble-spot even with DEs.

Personally this newbie would recommend other newbies to use a blade for at least one shave in a DE before breaking it and placing it in the shavette. You could "strop" it on a denim or your shaving cloth. It will be a safer and surer beginning.

Initially,try using blades that are known to be smoother but not necessarily very sharp. Dorco blades are recommended by many to individuals new to DE and the same can be safely recommended here.

This is my personal observation and I may be quite likely to be wrongly notioned. If so, I shall be happy to be corrected.

As usual YMMV.

These are pictures of my Asbah Magic Shavette. The blade edge is not parallel to the plate in these images because it has been displaced while cleaning.