Is a shavette/cut-throat razor really THAT much better than a safety razor?

[rbscebu]

@ctr let me try and correct your axioms

• most men who don't SR shave find the daily shave unsatisfactory
• companies spend large sums of money on research, development and marketing, but mainly marketing.
• most men wish to spend as little time as possible on a daily chore but once it becomes enjoyable, it is no longer a chore
• B&B community members are a narrow segment devoted to a love of ritual and hobby
• B&B community members cannot even agree on what is a singular best shave because every face is different and everyone has their own developed technique
• everyone is different and might be tempted to argue method xftg is better than ohgyg

 

[Straight up]

JasonJT,

In short the answer is yes, absolutely. But there are a few caveats.

• It takes time to build proficiency, it isn't something that happens with one shave.
• You need a good blade (shavettes with a new blade should be good to go, but never used one).
• You need to embrace the journey, then you'll reach a zen place where shaving is a joy.

Today marks 23 years of straight shaving for me, which means around 6,000 shaves. I can't recommend it enough.

 

[rbscebu]

You were right. Like a missionary out to save as many souls as possible!

And many have thanked me for introducing them to the gentlemanly art.

 

[Galaktus]

Indeed, more people are more willing to shave themselves because of these inventions.

Yes and no. Current trends for men to grow beards have been taken into consideration by P&G, who now are marketing Gillette beard care products. Today, it's about corporations making money.

 

[stone and strop]

Good afternoon all.

Today when I was in my local chemist (I am from UK, we call the said shops chemists, not drug stores) I saw this for sale:

WILKINSON Vintage Edition Cut Throat + 5 Blades - Straight Razor | Alzashop.com

Straight Razor WILKINSON Vintage Edition Cut Throat + 5 Blades on www.alzashop.com. ✅ Safe Shopping. ✅ See all the product information. ✅ Suitable...

www.alzashop.com

Wikinson Sword's own shavette razor.

I was tempted to buy it but I want to know if a cut-throat razor (or shavette) is really THAT much better than a safety razor in terms of closeness; given the extra effort and precautions that are involved. Or is it just the 'ritual' that cut-throat razor enthusiasts enjoy?

My safety razor gives a very good shave so the whole point of this question is to see if its worth upgrading to a shavette/cut-throat as my skills improve.

Jason.

A shavette that takes DE blades will not shave any closer than a DE with the same blade. It will be a lot more fun though without the hassle of honing and stropping. Its not overly hard either if you want to learn.
A true straight razor can and does give a closer shave. Its no myth.
It takes time to be able to hone a razor yourself that will bring those results but they are certainly attainable.

 

[Tomo]

And many have thanked me for introducing them to the gentlemanly art.

Great. More competition for the dwindling supply of vintage straight razors…

We want to keep this a secret. People have spent years trying to convince people that it’s difficult and dangerous to use a straight razor. That has been a very effective deterrent. Don’t spoil it now.

At least you steer them away from the natural hones. We can at least thank you for that.

 

[Lightcs1776]

Great. More competition for the dwindling supply of vintage straight razors…

We want to keep this a secret. People have spent years trying to convince people that it’s difficult and dangerous to use a straight razor. That has been a very effective deterrent. Don’t spoil it now.

At least you steer them away from the natural hones. We can at least thank you for that. [emoji6]

[emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

But so true. I love cheap straights.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[Timeclo]

I spent about 4-5 months on and off with a Feather Kamisori shavette and about a month of just using the shavette. I got to a decent result towards the end but I was not able to get a BBS without irritations. So I decided to go with DEs instead since I already have a slew of safety razors and blades.

I'll probably revisit my kamisori and try some straights later on. But as of right now, Safety razors are still the comfort pick for me as they give me closer result with less irritations, most of the time.

 

[steveclarkus]

I spent about 4-5 months on and off with a Feather Kamisori shavette and about a month of just using the shavette. I got to a decent result towards the end but I was not able to get a BBS without irritations. So I decided to go with DEs instead since I already have a slew of safety razors and blades.

I'll probably revisit my kamisori and try some straights later on. But as of right now, Safety razors are still the comfort pick for me as they give me closer result with less irritations, most of the time.

If you are getting irritation, chances are your shave angle is too wide and you are scraping your face. The lack of irritation is the beauty of a straight razor and the reason so many get addicted to it - nick free and irritation free shaving.

 

[Brutus]

THANK YOU to all of your replies! To conclude; I would like to give using a cut-throat razor a go but I don't want to look like a Dracula's meal if I was to attempt using the said razor! However I do appreciate all of your replies! For now I will continue to use my DE razor and enjoy the quality shaves it provides. I am a married man and while my wife appreciates a close shave; I'm sure she doesn't want to see my face with (you know what) on it! (That sentence was censored for the sake of dignity).

I really enjoy using my DE razor a hell of a lot so I think I'll stick with that for now.

All the best to everybody on this thread.

Jason.

The safety razor was named so for a reason (beyond Gillette marketing), it is a fast, effective and easy to learn tool capable of safely producing results that come close to what an experienced shaver can achieve with perfect technique and perfectly maintained straight razor.
In fact, if a safety razor has positive blade exposure and sufficient blade gap, results can be indistinguishable from well executed straight shaves.

By comparison, a straight razor needs considerable more time to reach a level of proficiency that can be achieved with a safety razor within little more than two months. The sometimes mentioned 100 straight shaves are IMO on the low side and should be replaced by 200-300 shaves, but that of course depends on what one expects from a shave.
After years of almost daily straight shaving I can consistently get what I consider perfect (some call it BBS) shaves that are superior to anything a barber shop has ever achieved with my stubble so far.
But even at this stage; to get equal results a shave with a straight razor will take me around 23 minutes while I get a comparable shave with my safety razor in 10 minutes less.

In summary, there is really no valid reason to embark on the arduous journey to learn to hone, strop and learn to shave with a straight razor except if you either get a kick of doing things that are not easy to master or you like to do things the old-fashioned way.


Mentioning shavettes last; to me they are just not a very appealing tool, as they lack the 19th century charm of a straight razor and do not even come close to the ease of use of a safety razor. With the exception of Feather AC and similar designs, shavettes are to me what a camping stove is to a fully equipped chef’s kitchen, but some people do just love them - and I am happy for them.



B.

 

[ERS4]

I am sure that B&B is a place where many people develop their hobbies. Everyone has different skins and loves different products.

There is really no need to claim that "____ is the best" while deliberately depreciating the other, just to promote one's own preferences.

I find that occasionally I see this phenomenon.

 

[Mr. Shavington]

I’ve decided it’s time to give straight razor shaving a go. Seems like a good thing to apply myself to in these pandemic days, and learn an interesting and uncommon skill. It will be death or glory - or I’ll be quite happy with something in-between.

 

[Guest2023]

The safety razor was named so for a reason (beyond Gillette marketing), it is a fast, effective and easy to learn tool capable of safely producing results that come close to what an experienced shaver can achieve with perfect technique and perfectly maintained straight razor.
In fact, if a safety razor has positive blade exposure and sufficient blade gap, results can be indistinguishable from well executed straight shaves.

By comparison, a straight razor needs considerable more time to reach a level of proficiency that can be achieved with a safety razor within little more than two months. The sometimes mentioned 100 straight shaves are IMO on the low side and should be replaced by 200-300 shaves, but that of course depends on what one expects from a shave.
After years of almost daily straight shaving I can consistently get what I consider perfect (some call it BBS) shaves that are superior to anything a barber shop has ever achieved with my stubble so far.
But even at this stage; to get equal results a shave with a straight razor will take me around 23 minutes while I get a comparable shave with my safety razor in 10 minutes less.

In summary, there is really no valid reason to embark on the arduous journey to learn to hone, strop and learn to shave with a straight razor except if you either get a kick of doing things that are not easy to master or you like to do things the old-fashioned way.


Mentioning shavettes last; to me they are just not a very appealing tool, as they lack the 19th century charm of a straight razor and do not even come close to the ease of use of a safety razor. With the exception of Feather AC and similar designs, shavettes are to me what a camping stove is to a fully equipped chef’s kitchen, but some people do just love them - and I am happy for them.



B.

I agree. I coud achieve a satisfying SR shave comparable to other methods after more than 200 shaves.

 

[TMacpherson]

^Agree with above, especially that shavette with half DE blade is rough!

Except my experience is that nothing...nothing beats my Feather-style shavettes with a Feather ProGuard blade!
Just my own experience!!!

PS...Welcome to B&B, Sir JasonJT!!

View attachment 1320341

^^ This. I completely agree. Because of my illness, I have very sensitive skin. My Feather AC Teak and ProGuard blades give me the closest shave with the least irritation than any safety out there. Just my $.02 worth. Obviously, YMMV. Welcome to the B&B board mate!

 

[thombrogan]

The lack of irritation is the beauty of a straight razor and the reason so many get addicted to it - nick free and irritation free shaving.

Wondering how much of that is from being extra careful versus being able to reduce edge-to-skin contact with very shallow angles. And I need to use my SR and barber razor more…

There is really no need to claim that "____ is the best" while deliberately depreciating the other, just to promote one's own preferences.

We’re all primates and have an innate albeit fightable* urge to make us/them comparisons. My favorite advice came from a cartoon character which is:

There are two types of people in the world. Avoid them both!

* = Never winnable, but fightable

 

[DaveHStone]

Fellows, fellows. PLEASE!

Some here get carried away in their zeal.

Not everyone is blessed with prefect health and some people may struggle and find it very hard to use a SR.

Some folks have arthritis and so can't make that firm grip necessary to hold a SR, as it yields pain. Some have Parkinson's and their hands are too shaky to utilize a SR without casing harm. Some people have lost their hand (say a combat veteran) and can't stretch their skin, as they only have one hand left. For them it's nearly impossible to operate a SR, which calls for constant skin-stretching (let alone one-hand stropping).

I get it's all OH SO easy when we are strong and healthy, but let us not forget about the less fortunate fellow shavers.

A little more compassion and a little more understanding wouldn't hurt, before you try to "convince" everyone how and why YOUR point of view is the only truth. Some things are subjective, others are not; and a lot of it is circumstantial.

 

[Mathieu76]

Two years ago i went from cardridge razors to DE. Started with a feather DE, and the moved to the excellent Rockwell 6s. Half a year ago i tried my first SR a gold dollar (honed by a fellow shaver) and straight away got decent shaves. Ofcourse some small nicks and sometimes a cut. But not too bad. The big problem for me was maintenance. Stropping was not my thing. And my think hairs caused the razor to get dull pretty fast to i did some research and bought a Feather artist club ss. I love it. In technique not that different from a straight razor but a nice sharp smooth edge. My advice don't buy too cheap but quality. The single edge Artist club bades are twice as expensive than most DE blades but last pretty long. In the end they can be cheaper than DE blades.

Is it better than my DE shaves -> NO
Do i get more BBS shaves-> No
Do i get less irritation -> Absolutely
Do i cut myself more often than DE? -> No not at all.
But.... the shaves take 1,5x more time at least.
So when i have time i use my Feather AS, otherwise i use the DE.
And this way its fun and more exciting!
And i think that is what it is about enjoying yourself!
What i like does not mean what you will like. But if you never try........you don't know what you miss.

It's the same with soaps..... i really like to rotate them and try new ones.

 

[FarmerTan]

^Agree with above, especially that shavette with half DE blade is rough!

Except my experience is that nothing...nothing beats my Feather-style shavettes with a Feather ProGuard blade!
Just my own experience!!!

PS...Welcome to B&B, Sir JasonJT!!

View attachment 1320341

NOW you've done it! I have thus far a avoided this system..... But it CALLS to me!

@JasonJT : I just last night shaved with my Great Grandpappy's straight razor. I'm still learning, but it requires MUCH more concentration than a DE shave. A one pass shave DEFINITELY feels closer than a DE one pass shave.

I plan on being more "committed" to the use of straight razor shaving once the cold weather hits here, and other things slow down that steal my time.

But if all you are looking for is a close shave, you can get that perfectly with a Gillette New Long Comb and two passes.

 

[never-stop-learning]

Need I say it?

Less filling.....

.....Tastes Great

 

[JCinPA]

The safety razor was named so for a reason (beyond Gillette marketing), it is a fast, effective and easy to learn tool capable of safely producing results that come close to what an experienced shaver can achieve with perfect technique and perfectly maintained straight razor. In fact, if a safety razor has positive blade exposure and sufficient blade gap, results can be indistinguishable from well-executed straight shaves.

...

In summary, there is really no valid reason to embark on the arduous journey to learn to hone, strop and learn to shave with a straight razor except if you either get a kick of doing things that are not easy to master or you like to do things the old-fashioned way.

B.

Now there is some unvarnished truth interjected into a rather overblown (at times) discussion. Not being a SR user, I will refrain from strongly disputing their claim that they can get better results than they can with a DE because I can't (although many who use both SR and DE do). However, I am highly suspect. I think this gets to the heart of the matter.

Analogy: I'm an avid shooter, and I reload my own ammunition for virtually everything I shoot. I enjoy the ballistic research, the measuring with chronographs, the tedious development of a particular recipe for a round, especially for a particular firearm. It's a love for that part of the process that led me to make all my own ammo. I don't criticize those who shoot and do not reload their own ammo. They may not get the enjoyment I get from all this. I consider reloading a rewarding activity in and of itself. Many of them are very superior shooters who compete and would rather spend their time honing their technique using off-the-shelf match ammo. Not better or worse. They are still great shooters. Likewise, experienced DE shavers are still great shavers.

That experienced SR shavers can get close shaves is indisputable. That they get closer or longer-lasting shaves than an experienced DE user is highly suspect in my mind. Enjoy your activity! Just don't make over-hyped claims for it.