Tried a shavette last night.

[LarryDarrell]

... and I won't be doing that again
The Sanguine Cool Cut lived up to it's name; possibly my worst shave ever. Nicks and weepers a plenty, but it was the gashes that wouldn't stop bleeding that convinced me this wasn't for me.
I shave with a straight regularly and I used my normal prep, but the angle was weird, I think due to the thickness of the blade holder sides, and the edge felt loose and wobbly. The corner would bite every so often making a nasty cut.
Fortunately I tried it at night so I have healed sufficiently to look presentable at work, last night I looked like I had lost a fight with a cat.

YMMV, but I'm sticking to my Cromix XX Tested.

 

[ladykate]

Shavettes are not nice. I have used them and gotten good shaves but they simply aren't for 'beginners' or for people like yourself who enjoy the ritual of a nice shave. I cringe when I hear a new person who wants to get into straight shaving buys a shavette. In my opinion, it is the worst possible move.

TheVez2 recently promoted using SextoBlades and those are much nicer to use and comparable in price to a shavette - and plenty sharp. I've been using them for a few weeks now and am getting great shaves. I also use blade-holders such as Feather AC, CJB, Kai, etc and love them but broken blade razors are evil.

 

[LarryDarrell]

I think it's largely due to it just being a badly designed and constructed device. The sides are too thick, forcing an steeper angle and it doesn't hold the blade rigidly enough. Other shavettes I've seen are more tapered and mimic the shape of straight blade more.

This is the one I have.

I agree there is an inherent problem with the half DE blade style; a DE blade is thin and flexible, a DE razor bends the blade to make it stiffer, a shavette can't to that. Kai and Feather SE blades have a spine to support the blade so I can see that would be much better .

I'm just glad I decided not to use a Feather DE, I could be missing an ear.
You live and learn, it's just the washing instruction label in life's rich tapestry.

 

[TheVez2]

Actually I have yet to meet a Disposable Blade Straight that I did not like and could not get a great shave from. The key I found is finding the right blade, it makes all the difference. Just like people search for the right blade for their DE, if you are using a DE straight, you need to find the right blade. I think people tend to use the blade that comes with it, then if they get cut, they blame it on the razor and give up. My Parker came with some sharks. Cut me up every time I used it. I switched to Personnas and get really easy comfortable shaves. I've used Personnas in my Parker, Dovo, Majestic, and Olympic razors with great success. I just need to get my hands on some Sanguine razors now and give them a spin. I plan to do an in depth review of all types of Disposable Blade Razors in a couple months.

 

[LarryDarrell]

Actually I have yet to meet a Disposable Blade Straight that I did not like and could not get a great shave from. The key I found is finding the right blade, it makes all the difference. Just like people search for the right blade for their DE, if you are using a DE straight, you need to find the right blade. I think people tend to use the blade that comes with it, then if they get cut, they blame it on the razor and give up. My Parker came with some sharks. Cut me up every time I used it. I switched to Personnas and get really easy comfortable shaves. I've used Personnas in my Parker, Dovo, Majestic, and Olympic razors with great success. I just need to get my hands on some Sanguine razors now and give them a spin. I plan to do an in depth review of all types of Disposable Blade Razors in a couple months.

I will be interested to read your take on the Cool Cut, in comparison to the better known; and I suspect better quality; shavettes you have used. I agree I could experiment with blade and technique to get a decent shave, but I would rather not donate any more blood to that cause.

 

[TheVez2]

The CoolCut razors are from the brand Sanguine. The first variant of the CoolCut, also called Sanguine X-D20, has been very highly reviewed on B&B. I want to get all the Sanguine/CoolCut variants to compare and see if the difference is just in the scales or also in the blade holder.

 

[PinoySteel]

I believe they are made in India/Pakistan by the same people who make the Parkers for export. Shaving with a shavette is definitely an acquired skill.

 

[sychodelix]

When I first started with shavettes, they mangled me pretty badly. Once you get the hang of them though they can shave great. Just keep a close eye on blade alignment.

 

[dpmtherrien]

I learned straight shaving on shavettes, and they are all I use now for straight shaving. So I get really good shaves from them.

 

[PinoySteel]

I too exclusively use Shavettes (Dovos specifically) and can get a BBS shave with no nicks or weepers if I focus. Yesterday I had a touch of irritation under my ear that passed in minutes. They just take more careful handling.

 

[tomjr]

i re-scaled my Parker in acrylic and found it became better balanced 4 me. i think it helps, but i am a traditional straight razor man at heart. i have recently tried a Weck Hair Shaper w/ al. handle and found them to be much more like a traditional straight razor.

 

[LarryDarrell]

I have a hair trimming razor, so I might give that a try, the blades are longer and more rigid, so that might work better.