First time/Parker shavette

[Chocker]

Just got my new Parker shavette in the mail today. pretty stoked been wanting to try one of these out for awhile now. The only thing I was disappointed about was the actual razor itself. The razor looks like it had been used already. The metal was a little scuffed up and the plastic seemed to be a little dirty. I purchased it through amazon but it came from Super Safety razors. Huh? Oh well.

I got 120 half shark blades with it. I don't know if it was the blades, lather or my technique but the razor was just tugging on my hair in certain areas. Anyone? Well overall I was able to get a pretty good shave on the second pass, except for the 1 inch gash i gave myself near my jawbone. Thank god a had a styptic pencil.

Imma give it a few weeks and if things keep going good im gonna bite the bullet and get a real nice real straight. All for now. Good night B&B.

 

[Legion]

Well it sounds like you are off to a good start. I have not tried a shavette but I guess they could be a good introduction to straight shaving. Maintaining your razor is half the fun, though.

Good luck with it.

 

[Munxcub]

I considered going that route, but then I figured that if even the DE blades were too inconsistent, and irritating, I need to get all the way away from it. Glad I did, my straight shaves are way nicer feeling, even if not quite as close yet.

And congrats on your first straight shave! How did the chin area go? I found my chin to be fine but like you, wound up with many cuts at the corner of my jaw.

 

[michiganlover]

Congrats on a successful first shave.

I used to shave quite often with a Parker Shavette. It's one of the better built ones on the market, and vastly superior to the Dovo Shavette.

In regards to the scuff marks on it, it was likely like that from the factory. The finish on these is rather imperfect in my experience; mine had small pits in the finish.

It takes a little bit of time to get good with this razor, and you will probably suffer quite a bit of blood in the process. I would expect at least a month, or two before you are getting really good quality shaves.

 

[earl of St Andrews]

Congratulations!
It looks like you have done very well on your first go. I finished up like having fighten with the cat. I used a Sanguine Dx that has the same blade holding as Parker.Now I have a Filarmónica shavete in my rotation as is the one I take on travel.
So far I can tell that a lot depends on the blades,and obviously on technique:No presure at all,never ever press. It takes more time than a real straight and is less forgiving,but the results are as good as a straight.
And true....you are missing fun not doing the stropping and maintenance.

 

[Chocker]

Thanks guys. I gave it another go but this time with a feather blade. It was quite better. still ended up giving myself a little gash but not as bad as my first one. Only seems to happen when i try to get fancy. I'm glad I got this thing cause it sure is gonna take some practice getting my technique down. Just trying to figure out how to hold the thing in both hands and keeping it steady is a chore.

I figure i'll give it another month then move on to the real deal.

 

[dpmtherrien]

As with any open blade razor, its going to take some practice until your technique gets better. Just stay with it and things will get better and the shaves will improve.

I learned straight shaving on disposable blade straights, and they are all I use now. I do have the better quality Feather and Kai straights, but I also have 4 Parker straights, and all 4 give very nice shaves. The Parkers are good straights, and the price doesn't break the bank either.

Just go slow in learning to use them, and be sure to start with the blade flat on your face. Work on getting the right blade angle, and be satisfied with a so so shave until your technique gets better.

 

[uckocak]

hi, are these parker razors indian made?

 

[Luc]

Your prep and lather must be spot on to avoid tugging. The other element is the angle. With a shavette (or straight) it's some kind of challenge at first.