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Question - Using shavettes when shaky?

Hello, and well wishes to you all! I am very new to traditional wet shaving, having just started DE shaving. @rbscebu brought up consideration of SR/shavette shaving in response to a post I made for troubleshooting some DE difficulties (thank you!).

Bottom line question:

What might I be missing in my understanding of shavette shaving that could address safety concerns for someone with tremors / neuromuscular symptoms?

Details (if it could be helpful):

Intro

When I first started considering transitioning away from disposables, I discounted SRs and shavettes as starters because *usual reasons*, though planned to revisit it after an extended time DE shaving, per another's recommendation. However, looking at the shavette methods, it seems it could be more comfortable for me, if it can be done 'safely' (relatively, of course, haha) 🧐 I know that YMMV but am hopeful that the community's expertise and experience could help me evaluate this from a more informed perspective.

Note about traditional SRs

Though traditional SRs are touted as safer than shavettes, they are definitely not an option for my own foreseeable future. The maintenance involves more steps than I have capacity for and/or more overhead than I'm able to commit to.

Safety advantages and disadvantages

As a baseline, I can see how shavettes can be considered just as safe/dangerous as DE razors. My questions, though, involve the safety nets for confounding factors.

The safety of any shaving tool is qualified with "as long as you do xyz," or "executing the technique correctly." I can learn/do those, but the tremors and other neuromuscular obstacles may not always allow me to comply with the 'proper' way to do things. That can get me into trouble without additional measures. For reference, I don't even use kitchen knives without a great deal more attentiveness and deliberation than the standard level of caution, so I'm not applying double standards about sharp edge dangers.

With a safety razor, from what I've read, and so far personally experienced, there have been, for me, a few impactful safety advantages with the DE design (there might be some others that I'm just not thinking of right now):
  • Readily accessible, relatively safer 'blade-free' contact positions to train resting and reaction reflexes into (made possible by the cap and guard)
  • Limiting positions of blade contact that could cut the skin (also made possible by the cap and guard)
  • Spatially predictable symmetrical grip that blocks the holding hand from the blade (how the handle is fixed centrally perpendicular to the head and blade)
  • End game razor(s) to be heavier weight, which for most things notably improves my coordination and control. The Henson “AL13 Medium” is my starter because I wanted to get a less compensated sense of my technique, to learn it more precisely. I figured its reputation for user-friendliness would help mitigate the light weight. It will then serve its turn as a travel razor, or for the one-off situations when I do need something lighter.
One of the safety risks I've had to mitigate with the DE design is that murkier spatial awareness of where the blade is/what the blade is doing. However, I'm slowly learning ways to compensate for that. I really like how shavettes eliminate this. Not needing that compensation also could make the shave less tiring on that front (which is also safer, because the more tired, the worse my ability to follow through on good technique).

There is a trade-off as well, with less bulk of a shavette meaning less tricky coordination in several areas for scalp and body...except that same DE bulk provides different safety measures. Similar trade-off regarding angles -- more customization can offer safer shaves as well as more angles to cut myself.

Specific questions

Searches for these situtations didn't show as many results for shavettes as for DEs/SEs, but there were some very helpful posts, thank you all!

Structurally, I wonder if there are designs with any sort of guard in the razor itself? And, I haven't yet figured out from descriptions the full potential advantages of guarded AC blades.

Additionally, are there heavy-weight shavettes?

Technique-wise, I see so much about what not to do with the blade, that I can't tell if there are significant equivalent mitigation and defensive maneuvers possible with the shavette design that there are with the DE design. Though, I did see a post from @Scarry Knight providing some encouraging information on this, thank you! It seems like there might be, but I'm not yet grasping some aspects of how that would work.

Those are my current thoughts and questions as someone dealing with physical limitations who is considering trying out a shavette. It would be after I pass through my initial DE learning curve (want to keep variables controlled). I'd be very interested in the community's feedback.

Thank you so much! Best regards your way
 

rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
I don't have much experience with DE razors - too scared. My experience with shavettes is limited to the half-blade type. From what I have read by others, an AC style shavette with a guarded blade may be best for you. I'll let others explain better than I can.
 
Let me tell you about my journey to open blade shaving as quickly as I can. I knew I wanted to try it, but I have been prone to random muscle twitches that I can't control that usually result in me dropping something. I acquired a nice half DE shavette to try out a little at a time. Fairly soon after, I knew I wanted something closer to a real straight razor and eventually I bought a Feather DX. It is, other than the Tadalus, the closest thing to a real straight razor. As I have progressed, I haven't had a single incident strangely. I don't know what got rewired in my brain, but I am sure it's not the same for everybody.

I will say without question, skip half DE shavettes. They are hard to control and the consequences of a twitch are going to be real bad. I am going to also go against my normal recommendation of getting a cheap starter shavette also due to safety. You really should consider the Feather SS in either traditional or possibly Kamisori style. I chose Kamisori because I believe it is easier to maintain stability without the folding part(scales) penduluming off the end. There is one cheap Kamisori available if you decide to go that route. The Feather SS is an interesting razor due to the shape of the tip; it frustrates more experienced users, but it provides a margin of safety. The biggest risk as usual is a slice cut, but here is something to think about: a safety razor shaves at a blade angle with the edge more directly aimed at your skin whereas an open blade razor puts the blade almost parallel. This not only allows a jerk to happen without consequences, it will reduce the severity of a slice cut. I am not going to go test it, but I am pretty sure with my normal minimal pressure that I could make a slicing motion without getting cut. The Feather takes Artist Club blades and there are two guarded blades available, one from Feather and one from Kai. Those should completely eliminate slice cuts as long as you are keeping the pressure off. They still shave very well and are a unique product in the wet shaving world.

I hope this is helpful.
 
I will let others help you here, as I see you did catch my comments on shaving with ataxia.

I want you to know how grateful I am, to God, for this forum, for what I went through, if even at the tiny least bit, my sharing it serves to help a brother or sister in their plight.

Thanks for the kind acknowledgement. I hope you find ALL the answers you need. This is a great place to get answers.

To the rest of you, thanks for the help you all have provided me. I hope to continue “passing it on”.
 
All this feedback is incredible, and incredibly motivating 😄 I would not have guessed when starting to shave my head five years ago (to the day!) that I'd be seriously looking into a shavette, but here we are, and exciting it is. And perhaps not as scary as I thought, for my own situation potentially, haha, thank you for prompting me to further investigate, @rbscebu.

I hope this is helpful.

This is EXTREMELY helpful, thank you so much! I've been doing some research based off the awesome information you provided and had a few questions, if you're up for it (regarding the Feather "Artist Club SS Japanese-Style Straight Razor", which I think is the model you mentioned?).
  1. Do the Feather and/or Kai guarded blades contain glue/wax directly on the blade?
  2. What is your experience loading the Feather SS compared to loading a 3-piece DE?
  3. Is the handle 'grippy'?
If anything else comes to mind that you think might be helpful, I am very interested, thank you!

Shave&Butcher, on YouTube, uses straights and shavettes. Iirc, he has Parkinson's Disease - and he does head shaves.

Ahhh, wow, really appreciate you sharing 😃

He told me it helps if both hands are touching each other.

That is really good to know, thank you! If it's alright to ask, are both hands touching each other on the handle (almost like shaving two handed), or is one hand supporting/guiding the other? And, how does he handle stretching the skin for tricky spots, with his hand positions?

Also, super fun user name 😁

I want you to know how grateful I am, to God, for this forum, for what I went through, if even at the tiny least bit, my sharing it serves to help a brother or sister in their plight.

Thanks for the kind acknowledgement. I hope you find ALL the answers you need. This is a great place to get answers.

This community has been amazingly supportive. And, your insights have already certainly helped me, both in encouraging me that it would be worth asking these questions, and also with DE shaving. I have your tips in a note to refer to -- just now tried out a version of the choked up pinch grip you recommended, on my Henson. Between that and the added stability from the handle length, my shave hand was way more sure. So very grateful for your sharing, and that God puts things in their place! And definitely open to if there is anything else you'd like to share.
 
  1. Do the Feather and/or Kai guarded blades contain glue/wax directly on the blade?
  2. What is your experience loading the Feather SS compared to loading a 3-piece DE?
  3. Is the handle 'grippy'?
No, the blades are contained within a cartridge. With some fumbling, you pull a lever back and then forward to push the blade out of the cartridge. The fumbling part is getting the blade to align with the slot in the razor while it comes out. The best I have come up with is to push it out the tiniest bit then insert the end and the alignment bin into the razor and continue pushing the lever. There is no spring, it is easy to control. It took me longer to type this than it takes to load. No touching of blades necessary unless you push one out and miss completely, then you can drop it into the razor manually if you feel comfortable doing so. I think this also makes it clear that it is actually easier and safer to load than a DE. You can grab the spent blade with tweezers and put it into the disposal slot in the cartridge also.

As for grippy, I don't have the SS and this does depend on whether you get a Kamisori or folding type. The wooden ones are very nice. The SS has that bump that gives you some extra margin, but outside of that are more options. I had and returned the Feather SR and that handle is amazing! The Kai Kasho available a few places including ebay has a similar shape to the SR and I believe there are models with good grips. My DX has good grip, but it is very tactile. No give to the material like the SR.

If I missed anything, just ask!
 
If it's alright to ask, are both hands touching each other on the handle (almost like shaving two handed), or is one hand supporting/guiding the other? And, how does he handle stretching the skin for tricky spots, with his hand positions?
I believe it can be as little as one finger making contact with his razor hand, so imagine if he was shaving his cheek, he could be stretching from above with his off hand and maybe his pinky or ring finger would be touching his dominant hand. Also I believe it's most critical as he starts the stroke, once he gets going it's okay if they lose touch.

Another trick you might explore is using your offhand to steady the razor and actually moving your head to create the stroke; this works great on the chin where you can stretch the skin through facial contortions.
 
Let me tell you about my journey to open blade shaving as quickly as I can. I knew I wanted to try it, but I have been prone to random muscle twitches that I can't control that usually result in me dropping something. I acquired a nice half DE shavette to try out a little at a time. Fairly soon after, I knew I wanted something closer to a real straight razor and eventually I bought a Feather DX. It is, other than the Tadalus, the closest thing to a real straight razor. As I have progressed, I haven't had a single incident strangely. I don't know what got rewired in my brain, but I am sure it's not the same for everybody.

I will say without question, skip half DE shavettes. They are hard to control and the consequences of a twitch are going to be real bad. I am going to also go against my normal recommendation of getting a cheap starter shavette also due to safety. You really should consider the Feather SS in either traditional or possibly Kamisori style. I chose Kamisori because I believe it is easier to maintain stability without the folding part(scales) penduluming off the end. There is one cheap Kamisori available if you decide to go that route. The Feather SS is an interesting razor due to the shape of the tip; it frustrates more experienced users, but it provides a margin of safety. The biggest risk as usual is a slice cut, but here is something to think about: a safety razor shaves at a blade angle with the edge more directly aimed at your skin whereas an open blade razor puts the blade almost parallel. This not only allows a jerk to happen without consequences, it will reduce the severity of a slice cut. I am not going to go test it, but I am pretty sure with my normal minimal pressure that I could make a slicing motion without getting cut. The Feather takes Artist Club blades and there are two guarded blades available, one from Feather and one from Kai. Those should completely eliminate slice cuts as long as you are keeping the pressure off. They still shave very well and are a unique product in the wet shaving world.

I hope this is helpful.

This is an excellent post.

OP I can only comment on my experience. I don't suffer with a neuromuscular tremor so I'm not sure how SR shaving will go for you - I hope that you find a way to enjoy this remarkable hobby without too much blood loss!

I usually head shave with an AC shavette. I think the steer toward a kamisori is good - they are more ergonomic, allowing easier control of angle and pressure. Storage is a bit more of a pain but you can find holders readily enough.

If you decide on an AC shavette (regardless of folding or kamisori) you have two main choices in style - the AC SS on the one hand, or the AC SR or DX. And I think for you the difference may be important: the AC SS requires a slight degree of inward pressure against the skin, whereas the SR and DX benefit from a very light touch. The AC SS has a unique design which APB refers to - the slight pressure is required to allow the lip on the edge of the blade holder to bring a moving ridge of skin up cleanly to meet the blade edge. In general this is safer and easier to learn on than a more traditional style shavette. See pic:

1651233041145.png


The characteristics of your tremor may mean one is more suitable than the other. If you find your tremor is worsened by pressing gently inward to your skin (think of 'mashing' the lather slightly against the skin with the flat of the razor as opposed to trying to dig the edge in!), you may prefer the latter type.

The AC SR and DX (and probably many of the AC clones out there) reward a very light touch. Having started out with an AC SS I still try and use this slight inward pressure sometimes with my AC SR, and it usually gives me a weeper. I need to stay mindful and focus on just allowing the razor to float over the skin. This results in very close, clean and comfortable shaves. Cuts are pretty rare nowadays (three years in!).

Other stuff:

Lather is critical for SR shaving, so have a read around on here (generally rich but runny works for most people).

Some blood loss is inevitable, even with the guarded blades. So don't be disheartened, we've all been there.

Be patient and set aside time to really relax and enjoy your shaves.

If you find you're really struggling, do a shave with your normal system (the one you've used for years) and then shave over again / touch up with the shavette. Sounds daft, but it really helps key in the muscle memory.

With regard to SR head shaving in particular you might find this thread useful:


What's your location? I ask because I seldom use my AC SS kami these days, and would happily loan it to you for a few weeks if you wish. I'm in the UK.
 
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  1. Is the handle 'grippy'?
For me, the answer is 'kind of' hahaha.

My AC SS kamisori has a soft, smooth silicone handle. With some soaps / creams it grips just fine, but these aren't generally as good for SR shaving in my experience anyway. So I have to be diligent in rinsing. I used to use a bit of alum on my fingertips, which really helped with grip. Unfortunately I found it to be death to a good slick lather - as soon as the offending fingers touched scalp the blade would stutter and dig in and generally be uncomfortable.

TL;DR: AC SS kami grips fine when soap is rinsed off handle and fingers.

The AC SR kami has a better design. The handle actually has cut-outs to increase grip.
 
I’m can get pretty shaky, some days more than others, and I have used half DE blade shavettes, Feather DX and SS, and traditional straights for the past few years. The ends of the DE blade are what worried me the most, so I now use a Focus Slim Al on the rare occasion I use that style razor. I like the way it covers the ends of the blade. I much prefer a traditional, but I get great shaves with the Feathers too.

I will lean my elbow against something on days I’m particularly shaky, which really seems to help. For me not rushing is VERY important. I bought a safety razor in case I needed a quicker shave, and maybe a little RAD was involved in that decision, but I’ve used it less than 10 times. I just prefer the straights. I cut my thumb pretty good loading the safety razor because of shakiness, but I’ve yet to get more than the occasional tiny nick on my face from the straights.
 
Truly, thank you all so much for these continuing insights. I look forward to seeing even more if you think of anything else to share. This is very relevant. I am grateful you have taken time to guide others with your experiences, both with and without added physical plot twists. Wishing you all shaves as steady as possible!

I've been reading up as follow-through on your feedback, and writing down notes based on all your posts, hence the slight delay in response (plus life, the universe, and everything, haha).

If I missed anything, just ask!

You've not only covered all my questions, but also answered ones I would have had, if I'd known to ask, thank you 😃 I really like how the AC razor loads. And the rundown on handle grips is awesome!

Another trick you might explore

Your various tips and tricks have gone into my reference notes, really appreciate it!!

I would be interested to hear in a few months time if your new shaving adventure helps in controlling your shaky hand(s).

Although not related to your condition, I found SR shave of great benefit emotionally during this pandemic. I started SR shaving in early December 2019.

That is wonderful it has provided such benefit for you 🎉 And you've given back with so many learning resources for the community!

Really hoping the tools and techniques in these shaving adventures land more navigably than my current routine 😄

What's your location? I ask because I seldom use my AC SS kami these days, and would happily loan it to you for a few weeks if you wish. I'm in the UK.

I'm in North America, and also not quite ready to make the plunge (yet!), but thank you so much for the generous loan offer!! And the wealth of these resources you've provided for SR head shavers is amazing 🤩

Practices training muscle memory are paramount for me, so it makes perfect sense, thank you!

This might be something that should obvious, my apologies, but what are the additional storage considerations for a Kamisori style?

That difference you described between the Feather SS versus the SR and DX is absolutely important. The technique for the SS sounds better suited for my usual neuro symptoms. But, once I grip the handle, adjustments required if it slides in my hand are very difficult. It's looking like I'd have to weigh the pros and cons of their handle and technique differences 🤔

One can always modify the handle.

Ohhh, that's a really cool idea! I've modified disposables, but didn't think to do that with non-disposable equipment. Do you find it tricky to modify while still keeping the tool balanced? And, are the modifications permanent as well, or do you have to change those out?

Give it a go, you’ll get instant feedback.

Thanks! With the variations in my shaves, I suspect my endgame set-up will include a few different active-use tools, each best matched to situations I frequently encounter. So, after I'm done with my initial DE learning curve, it's looking more and more likely that I will give it a go 😆

I’m can get pretty shaky, some days more than others, and I have used half DE blade shavettes, Feather DX and SS, and traditional straights for the past few years.

Your perspective on the half-DE shavettes is very helpful, thank you!! How would you compare the Focus Slim Al style with the guarded AC styles?

Also, what is loading the Focus Slim Al like compared to loading a 3-piece DE?

Blade loading was a concern going into DE shaving, haha. Somehow the hardest part, for me, is turning out to be removing the blade from the wrapper!? I have cut myself during that part. Thankfully, only shallow bloodless so far 😂😅
 
When I first came to this forum for advice I frequently saw the expression YMMV. It bugged me because I couldn’t figure out how cutting hair with a sharp blade could be so subjective.

The Focus is my favorite “shavette”, but I’m not sure it would be the best choice for head shaving. I’ve also never shaved my head, so… A DE blade in a shavette just flat out cuts, and it does so with little feedback. If I was limited to one pass I’d use the Focus, but my face couldn’t take a daily 3 pass shave with it. Loading it isn’t terrible since the blade is only sharp on one side, but you have to break/cut the blade in half and then still take it out of the wrapper. The Focus also costs almost as much as a Feather AC.

The Feather AC would be my suggestion. Probably not a kamisori, though they are available with a rubber handle that provides good traction. The balance and grip provided by the scales on a folding style is my preference. A mild blade like a Kai is nice, but even a Feather Pro isn’t nearly as scary as some make it out to be. That’s after I learned on a cheap shavette though. I’ve never used a guarded blade, but I don’t believe they’d offer enough protection to count on. The traditional straight seems to be the most forgiving.

I just used a traditional straight to shave a 5 day beard, and after three passes the alum felt nice and cool, didn’t sting anywhere. Maintaining a straight is a pain when you don’t have a steady hand, but I’m stubborn.

Depending on my mood I will use any of these razors, and I’m sure I’ll even break out the safety razor again. Unfortunately, YMMV.
 
Some good suggestions have been given. I am also inclined to suggest a Feather SS, as the pronounced lip acts somewhat like the top cap or safety bar on a DE razor, providing a place for the operator to make initial skin contact and ride across the face, or at least make wider point of contact (both the lip and razor's edge) making it easier to control the pressure. In my experience it is the gentlest and most forgiving shavette, helping to avoid the occasional weeper.

But I also second guess that comment since the DX (or Feather SR, Kai, CJB, various clones) can sit flatter on the face and may be easier to control when shaky for that reason. Where one can virtually hold them flat and do a north-to-south shave without fear of cutting themselves. Since the boarder flat face is against the skin, any uncontrolled twitch should not cause injury. But then again one does raise the razor a little during the shave, and areas around the mouth and jawline are not wide flat spaces so those areas do require finesse. So I think it really depends.
 
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