Shavette turns nasty!

[oscarbowman]

I have been getting used to the shavette over the last couple of weeks. Taking it easy. The first two days were a nightmare but then things started to come together. This morning I changed from IP to Derby (vertical) and boyo boy! A very different story! No major slices but lots of little bleeders. Sitting here now, a lot of styptic pen and good rub with my Alum Block later, my face hurts. Did I say "Hurts"? It feels like its been chewed by a shark!! Hey I'm hoping it was the blade but then again I know how us noobes like to blame the tools and not ourselves.

Tomorrow I think I'll go back to the IPs and see what happens.

I was on the verge of buying a proper straight too and now I don't know. I can achieve BBS most of the time with my Merkur.

Advise please.

 

[kyo_clone]

Shavettes will never be as good as a real Straight . I tried both and now i can say i like my Real straight more then my shavette . Paid about 50 for a straight and a strop . You will get a better shave out of a real Straight.

 

[SRock]

I've never tried a Shavette, but I'm about a dozen shaves in to real straight razors. I've never (not even my first) had a true straight shave turn out as rough as you are describing.

 

[ShaveAddict]

I guess it's all about technique,
there's a lot of barbers who use shavette and gets some fantastic results.
If your technique is wrong and you blame it on the tool of course that's another thing.

 

[krawlx]

I'd keep giving it a try with the Shavette, but not every day. Try every other day, with your Merkur in between. I used a shavette for about a couple months, and got fairly decent results. But, I didn't enjoy it enough to continue. When you do start getting good results from the Shavette it is certainly satisfying.

 

[dpmtherrien]

I tried the shavette a few times and didn't care for it at all. However I did get a Parker SRW, and I get good results from that one, it was cheaper than the shavette too.

I also use the Feather AC, and that is one nice razor. I really learned using the Feather, and now after a couple of months using it my shaves are really nice.

 

[oscarbowman]

Hey thanks everybody for the advice. I am going to stick with it. Deffo going to change back to IPs. Going to take my time and try to get myself hooked up with a real straight in the very near future.

Today may have been the blades or simply a bad day but tomorrows a new one.

I will keep you posted.

Ta.

 

[markb]

Shavettes will never be as good as a real Straight . I tried both and now i can say i like my Real straight more then my shavette . You will get a better shave out of a real Straight.

This!! Ditch the Shavette and get a traditional straight razor.

 

[oscarbowman]

This!! Ditch the Shavette and get a traditional straight razor.

Yeah and I believe a real straight would be more forgiving.

 

[Unknownsoldier]

Yeah and I believe a real straight would be more forgiving.

It certainly is, I think blade length has a bit to do with it, and angle of blade edge as it were.

Tom

 

[trewornan]

Blades can make just as much of a difference in a shavette as in a safety razor, maybe even more. When I first started using my shavette I had a very similar experience when I tried a feather for the first time. Go back to the blades which work best for you, perhaps some time in the future you might try varying your blade but wait until you're 100% comfortable with what you're most used to.

A shavette is a bit less forgiving than most "real" straights so you really need your best game every time and any faults with your technique tend to get punished.

The comments about how shavettes aren't as good, give a bad shave, etc, are reflecting minor flaws in technique which the posters can get away with using a "real" straight. As you say, a case of "blaming the tool". Learn to use a shavette well and you can get a shave every bit as good as any other razor.

Don't let one bad shave spoil the whole thing for you.

 

[oscarbowman]

Don't let one bad shave spoil the whole thing for you.

Thanks I will soldier on. As my father reminded me. He didn't raise any quitters!

 

[oscarbowman]

Thanks everyone for your wise words. I switched back to IPs today and a very different story. I was really wondering what was going on? I can't even remember doing so much damage to my face as a teenager 30+ years ago! I would have occasionally used my fathers straight back then with only the odd nick.

Now everythings back on track I must see if Martin at Rasurpur.de has any LE Grelots left!!