Shavette blade question

[davidansley]

Hey all, I'm a new member so first of all, hello. I have a multiple part question.

I am currently going back and forth between a DE safety razor and a shavette. The blades I have at the moment are Derby professional single edge blades that came with the shavette I bought on Amazon. I noticed today when I put in a brand new blade that I nicked myself a lot more than the previous shave where I had a blade that was on its' second shave. It literally felt like the new blade was digging into my face more, as if it was too sharp. I noticed this too on the previous blade when it was brand new.

My question(s), is there something I can do to a brand new blade to slightly dull it, without ruining the edge? Is there maybe a blade I should try that isn't quite as sharp off the bat as the derby blade? Is it maybe possible that the blade is just too thin for my hair/face and perhaps I would be better off just going to a real straight razor with a thicker edge profile? If so, what would you all recommend, that would hopefully be under $100? Thanks in advance for any info.

 

[ajkel64]

You could try “corking “ the blade. Just draw it through a piece of cork or a wine bottle cork. This may take the sharpness out of the blade. Many use this method and swear that it works and many swear that it does not work. Look up corking the blade in the search box or google it.

 

[davidansley]

You could try “corking “ the blade. Just draw it through a piece of cork or a wine bottle cork. This may take the sharpness out of the blade. Many use this method and swear that it works and many swear that it does not work. Look up corking the blade in the search box or google it.

I'll give that a try, thanks!

 

[RumpleBearskin]

I'm relatively new to shavettes, but I have heard some talk about "muting" the corners by running them along glass. Supposedly it's the corners that "bite".

Of course that would only apply if it's the corners that are causing you problems. And, in the sense of full disclosure, I haven't experienced a problem myself to date.

 

[stone and strop]

I would try a Wilkinson (German) or Astra SP
Both of these are very smooth out of the gate and will give a great shave in a shavette.
Wilkinson will last a tad more shaves IMO

 

[BigJ]

You could try “corking “ the blade. Just draw it through a piece of cork or a wine bottle cork. This may take the sharpness out of the blade. Many use this method and swear that it works and many swear that it does not work. Look up corking the blade in the search box or google it.

+1! Hope that ‘corking’ works for you!

 

[NickCutlip]

Welcome to the forum !!

 

[davidansley]

Welcome to the forum !!

Thanks!

 

[steveclarkus]

Hey all, I'm a new member so first of all, hello. I have a multiple part question.

I am currently going back and forth between a DE safety razor and a shavette. The blades I have at the moment are Derby professional single edge blades that came with the shavette I bought on Amazon. I noticed today when I put in a brand new blade that I nicked myself a lot more than the previous shave where I had a blade that was on its' second shave. It literally felt like the new blade was digging into my face more, as if it was too sharp. I noticed this too on the previous blade when it was brand new.

My question(s), is there something I can do to a brand new blade to slightly dull it, without ruining the edge? Is there maybe a blade I should try that isn't quite as sharp off the bat as the derby blade? Is it maybe possible that the blade is just too thin for my hair/face and perhaps I would be better off just going to a real straight razor with a thicker edge profile? If so, what would you all recommend, that would hopefully be under $100? Thanks in advance for any info.

Corking is a very good and effective way achieve what you want. Another important thing is to mute the corners by touching on glass. Those corners are responsible for more cuts by shavettes than any other thing so be sure to dull them. When using a shavette, you absolutely must use very light pressure due to the extreme sharpness of the blades - lighter than you think. Another important consideration is to keep a narrow angle - top of the razor close to your face. If you do these three things 1. Mute the corners 2. use very light pressure and 3. Keep the angle tight, you will have success with less blood shed. If you shave daily for a couple of weeks, you will get the hang of it. A shavette, properly used, will give you closer and more comfortable shaves than a DE and should you ever decide to go with a traditional straight razor, the transition will be a piece of cake. The benefit of starting with a shavette rather than a traditional straight is maintenance is not a necessity. The downside is that you have to be even more careful. So don’t despair just keep at it and you will figure it out. Personally, I only use straight razors but I still love my shavettes. Regardless of what anyone says, a shavette is a real straight razor - just a modern iteration. Same technique applies to both. Go for it and don’t get discouraged, you can do it.

 

[ShaverAZ]

I bought a shavette for GOK what reason, since I already have more straight razors than I normally use in a month. I save my used Voskhod and BIC blades from double edge shaving for use in the shavette. I shave several times with a blade, but no marathons to see how many shaves I can get, so the used blades are still in decent shape - they respond well to stropping.
After snapping blades, I've accumulated more than I can use in a lifetime - I've even stropped several sets for use in my Russkie 2-blade razors...