Inquiry: Western Vs. Japanese Kamisori style Shavette?

[lore sun]

Hi Fellas,

Long time lurker and forum enjoyer, thought I'd throw out a question to any and all.

Been DE Safety razor shaving for a couple years now and am comfortable technique and tool wise. As I have fairly reactive/sensitive skin I tend to just do one meticulous pass (generally with the grain). I figured perhaps adopting a Single-edged blade would in theory allow me to make the absolute most out of one pristine pass. So I've bought both the Parker SR1 & the Dovo Stainless Shavette and am only a shave or two in. Naturally finding the weight & moment arm of the shavette's coupled with the sheer sharpness of the blade to be awkward.

So I'm wondering as the title suggests: Are the Japanese Kamisori style Shavette's most user friendly? and or what is their merits?

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My general goal is to have gorgeously smooth shaves that are as close and clean as possible, with the emphasis being on the former if anything.

Hopefully I've posted this in the right space, look forward to your thoughts,

Cheers

 

[lore sun]

For reference:

I use Proraso White and their Cypress & Vetiver cream. Favoured blades are Gillette Nacet, Permasharp, Personna Lab Blue's and Gillette 7'Oclock Blacks.

 

[silverlifter]

Welcome aboard!

Shavettes that use DE blades are less forgiving than those that use AC blades, which are less forgiving than the ultimate comfort shave: a straight razor.

I use Cypress & Vetyver and it is terrific: great slickness and superb scent.

 

[thombrogan]

Welcome and thank you for joining!

You might get some opinions in this thread and there’s a club for users of shavettes and barber razors you’ll be able to access when you have enough posts.

Kamisoris and kamisori-style barber razors are very cool, but I have no experience with them yet.

 

[@ngel]

The biggest difference for me is just getting used to the grip, kamisoris are straight forward, just a stick with a blade in it, true kamisori razors (not shavettes) have a one side beveled edge, meaning they are designed to be used specifically by a barber since they are only used with the right hand, or left depending the side of the bevel, shavettes dont have that problem so you can train both your hands to shave.

Western style razors/shavettes tend to have a little more of a learning curve because of the grip of the scales, but once you get the hang of it it can be of great advantage since by changing the angle of the scales you can change how heavy/light the blade “falls” on the whiskers, hence some people preferring heavier or lighter scales or lighter or heavier blades.

Shavettes are trickier in that sense since the majority tend to be too light so you rely more on hand pressure. Kamisoris are always bound to the pressure you apply.

Hope all this makes sense

 

[lore sun]

The biggest difference for me is just getting used to the grip, kamisoris are straight forward, just a stick with a blade in it, true kamisori razors (not shavettes) have a one side beveled edge, meaning they are designed to be used specifically by a barber since they are only used with the right hand, or left depending the side of the bevel, shavettes dont have that problem so you can train both your hands to shave.

Western style razors/shavettes tend to have a little more of a learning curve because of the grip of the scales, but once you get the hang of it it can be of great advantage since by changing the angle of the scales you can change how heavy/light the blade “falls” on the whiskers, hence some people preferring heavier or lighter scales or lighter or heavier blades.

Shavettes are trickier in that sense since the majority tend to be too light so you rely more on hand pressure. Kamisoris are always bound to the pressure you apply.

Hope all this makes sense

Brilliant response mate, much appreciated!

Haha making sense of it; What you've said is more or less what I imagined. I specifically bought both the Parker and the Dovo Shavette's because one is beefier and the other lighter in weight. I must admit I'm finding the grip of the scales, particularly in conjunction with the lightness and un-ergonomic pressure application it demands to be pretty complex (I'm yet to train up my left hand for anything as well!).

I couldn't help but imagine that the more straight forward and ergonomic grip on the Kamisori would be a smoother entry point, especially while training up a non-dominant hand with pressure control.

Thanks for the insights man!

 

[DougK]

I don't have a lot of experience with shavettes, but I have used a Feather RG AC folding and a CJB AC-blade non-folding/kamisori in the past. While both delivered excellent shaves, I found the kamisori style much easier to use.

 

[tjsgarden]

Welcome @lore sun to the forums.

 

[Chard52142]

I bought these 2 last year for no more than USD27 delivered...my favorite is obviously the Japanese Kamisori type, so easy to use and quite forgiving. I started my straight razor journey with half DE blade shavette and that's very difficult...hahaha
AC blades like the Feather Pro-Guard or KAI Protouch are just amazing for me...safe, silky smooth, and very efficient...
I tend to bring these 2 for travels...the orange one to keep the used blade...

 

[lore sun]

I bought these 2 last year for no more than USD27 delivered...my favorite is obviously the Japanese Kamisori type, so easy to use and quite forgiving. I started my straight razor journey with half DE blade shavette and that's very difficult...hahaha
AC blades like the Feather Pro-Guard or KAI Protouch are just amazing for me...safe, silky smooth, and very efficient...
I tend to bring these 2 for travels...the orange one to keep the used blade...
View attachment 1573413View attachment 1573410

Thanks for the tips mate!

It seems my suspicions are generally vindicated; that the Kamisori style shavette's are a more natural learning curve. I am now super tempted to pick up a Feather Artist Club SR and try that out, particulary with one of their more smooth/forgiving blade pairings. If I do I'll be sure to post my feedback in this thread for anyone who is making the same transition.

Cheers!

 

[@ngel]

Thanks for the tips mate!

It seems my suspicions are generally vindicated; that the Kamisori style shavette's are a more natural learning curve. I am now super tempted to pick up a Feather Artist Club SR and try that out, particulary with one of their more smooth/forgiving blade pairings. If I do I'll be sure to post my feedback in this thread for anyone who is making the same transition.

Cheers!

My bet is that you’ll love it, weather is kamisori or western style. I love my Feather SS, it has all the properties of a true straight, very sharp but yet ultra smooth blades. And they last a lot longer than DE blades so the upfront cost of AC blades is totally worth it.

Sorry, my enabler self just showed up a bit there

 

[@ngel]

@Chard52142 those are nice razors, did you swapped the handle on the kamisori or did you buy it like that? Looks a lot more ergonomic than the original handle and seems hefty!

 

[lore sun]

My bet is that you’ll love it, weather is kamisori or western style. I love my Feather SS, it has all the properties of a true straight, very sharp but yet ultra smooth blades. And they last a lot longer than DE blades so the upfront cost of AC blades is totally worth it.

Sorry, my enabler self just showed up a bit there

I reckon you're onto something! (Enabled exuberance)

Haha! Cool I'm glad to hear that the Feather Artist Club seems to be super highly regarded by all. Quick question man... What's your thoughts on the SS vs. the SR? The SS seems to be considered the most user friendly entry point; but with that said I've read lots of folks say it had a rounded head that though protective can be limiting to blade exposure etc.

I would go the SS but considering the AC Feathers are costly! I'd trying to decide whether longer term the SR mightn't be more valuable. Let me know if you have any thoughts!

 

[Mr. Shavington]

Thanks for the tips mate!

It seems my suspicions are generally vindicated; that the Kamisori style shavette's are a more natural learning curve. I am now super tempted to pick up a Feather Artist Club SR and try that out, particulary with one of their more smooth/forgiving blade pairings. If I do I'll be sure to post my feedback in this thread for anyone who is making the same transition.

Cheers!

Keep in mind that the downside to kamisori style razors is they are less easy to store or transport, since the blade isn’t covered. You can take the blade out, or, for the Feather kamisoris, you can buy a plastic cover. The folding type razors have scales to fold away and protect the blade.

Otherwise, yes, Artist Club blade straight razors are excellent and much easier to use than half-DE razors. The longer blade makes it easier to keep it straight to the face. You can also get guarded AC blades (Feather Proguard or Kai Protouch MG) which prevent accidental slicing or digging in to the skin, and they are great blades. I recommend using guarded AC blades at least to start, and then move to the regular blades when you are proficient, if you prefer.

 

[lore sun]

Keep in mind that the downside to kamisori style razors is they are less easy to store or transport, since the blade isn’t covered. You can take the blade out, or, for the Feather kamisoris, you can buy a plastic cover. The folding type razors have scales to fold away and protect the blade.

Otherwise, yes, Artist Club blade straight razors are excellent and much easier to use than half-DE razors. The longer blade makes it easier to keep it straight to the face. You can also get guarded AC blades (Feather Proguard or Kai Protouch MG) which prevent accidental slicing or digging in to the skin, and they are great blades. I recommend using guarded AC blades at least to start, and then move to the regular blades when you are proficient, if you prefer.

Awesome appreciate the insights man,

Travel isn't really a concern at the moment thankfully so that's all cool. So when I wrote the Feather Artist Club SR, I did actually mean the SR Shavette... Feather's model names aren't clear and concise haha. Sweet! That's exactly what I was planning to do; pickup some Proguards or a smooth Kai blade then go from there. Cheers Sir ⚔

 

[Chef455]

Welcome to B&B! I picked up a Feather Artist Club SS kamisori a few months ago. I've not used my shavettes since. I find holding the kamisori to be more intuitive and the handle is A LOT easier to grip.

 

[Chard52142]

@Chard52142 those are nice razors, did you swapped the handle on the kamisori or did you buy it like that? Looks a lot more ergonomic than the original handle and seems hefty!

Hey, thanks! I bought it just as it is. It's a wooden handle and is quite light as opposed to hefty looking. Yup, the handle feels really good in the hand and between fingers. I would love the original Feather SS but it's just too expensive and these affordable pair satisfy my cravings...

 

[kingfisher]

I have been using AC shavettes almost exclusively for over three years now. I agree with the others that the AC shavers are much better than DE shavettes. Blade cost difference is minimal because the AC blades last so much longer than DE blades.

I personally prefer the Western style to the kamisori, but that's a personal preference. Storage is definitely easier, whether you travel or not.

As far as the SS versus the SR, I have and use them both. They are quite a bit different. The SS is probably easier for beginners because the little lip makes it much less likely to bite. The SR is favored by those with straight razor experience because it is closer to a real straight in terms of the shaving angle. They are both fantastic razors. I don't think you could go wrong with either of them.

On the other hand there are other razors that are halfway between the SS and the SR. The SR essentially has no lip, and some people think the lip on the SS is too big. Well, the Kai Kasho has a lip, but it is much smaller than the one on the SS. The Kai Kasho may me the best, smoothest shaving razor I have ever used.

Not trying to confuse things even more... there are so many options.

 

[Ckmaui]

Good thread for me as this is something I want to test out in the near future so I know what its like

Was going to start with the Kai Kasho Captain as my boys name is Kai

figure if I like it will end up trying the other feather just to know what they are like and never be curious

for the handle just prefer the looks and idea of the Kamisori handles

cant say never on a actual straight but do not want to hassle with getting stones and strops and maintaining a blade these days might have in the past so the artisan blades fit where I am now

 

[Old Hippie]

It seems my suspicions are generally vindicated; that the Kamisori style shavette's are a more natural learning curve. I am now super tempted to pick up a Feather Artist Club SR and try that out...

As a head shaver I find Western style shavettes get in the way more than they help. I bought one of the Feather SRs in kamisori style and it's much easier to use for head shaving.

O.H.