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Which shavette do you recommend?

I have a feather ss kamisori. And love it. The kamisori however takes a bit of learning after shaving with folding razor.
Interesting - I took to it like I was born with one in my hand lol!

Maybe that’s not true. But I can’t remember there being a large learning curve. I love mine too. Its just a beautiful clean shave.
 
Interesting - I took to it like I was born with one in my hand lol!

Maybe that’s not true. But I can’t remember there being a large learning curve. I love mine too. Its just a beautiful clean shave.
Back when I was a Feather user, I preferred the kami because you didnt have the scales blocking your vision. For me, as someone who is only a neck shaver, the scales being up arent a huge deal but if someone used it to shave their whole face, I could see the scales obstructing your vision.
Not to mention the kamisori style just looks cool.
 
I have bought bad shavettes. Most of them were in the under $2 category. One would almost expect that, right? But when all indications are that the product is good, maybe it is.
I'll chime in here. I have the $2 Spilo Magic clone from China, and the robustness is surprisingly good, and unlike the Parkers, I like the extra blade exposure. It's cheaply made, but it's actually pretty solid.

The morons who complain about it are probably not smart enough to figure out how to properly secure the blade, and my guess is the blade is straddling the tabs.
 

Slash McCoy

I freehand dog rockets
I'll chime in here. I have the $2 Spilo Magic clone from China, and the robustness is surprisingly good, and unlike the Parkers, I like the extra blade exposure. It's cheaply made, but it's actually pretty solid.

The morons who complain about it are probably not smart enough to figure out how to properly secure the blade, and my guess is the blade is straddling the tabs.

Well I wouldn't call them morons, no. We don't do that here. You may be right about not engaging the lugs properly. Most slide-out shavettes work just fine, every bit as good as a Dovo or whatever. Dare I say it? Even a Feather. I think one problem that many of us have, is we are happy with what we bought, but need to have the acquisition validated by popular opinion. It makes us feel good about ourselves and our actions. And so we sometimes get a little bent out of shape when someone else dares to suggest that another product costing a tenth as much is just as functional. For instance, $300 brushes vs $30 brushes. Razors? LOL I won't go there. Soap? Some guys spend $40 on a soap and then nothing else is even worth using, if you ask him while some other guy is still using the same old Williams or Colgate he has been using for 50 years and well, you get the idea. But I agree, some of the cheap ones are quite decent. Myself, I find myself going more for the Parker style swing-back than the slide-out type these days and most of them are over $3. I used to favor the (then) $7 slide-out type sold at Sallys, partly because I could just walk in and buy one. Some Feather DX guys just seethe with righteous anger and indignation when someone points out that they deliver a very good shave in knowing hands. I call this "possession disorder" somewhat related to acquisition disorder. I think my early flirtations with Frank Shaving silvertip brushes from China, Gold Dollar razors, VDH soap, and other bottom shelf products makes me immune to it but I will admit that when I shave with one of my Bismarcks I stand just a tiny bit taller and my chest puffs out just a little more, and maybe sometimes I sing the Bismarck's praises a bit more than what is polite. Well it is what it is.

Of course, sometimes that cheap product actually DOES suck. No getting around that.
 
Is

equivalent to this?

I'm thinking about buying 2 or more of equinox variants or its ebay counterpart for a bit of redundancy. Which equinox variants do you recommend? There are gun metal, plain stainless steel, polished steel, and matt black.
 
Well I wouldn't call them morons, no. We don't do that here. You may be right about not engaging the lugs properly. Most slide-out shavettes work just fine, every bit as good as a Dovo or whatever. Dare I say it? Even a Feather. I think one problem that many of us have, is we are happy with what we bought, but need to have the acquisition validated by popular opinion. It makes us feel good about ourselves and our actions. And so we sometimes get a little bent out of shape when someone else dares to suggest that another product costing a tenth as much is just as functional. For instance, $300 brushes vs $30 brushes. Razors? LOL I won't go there. Soap? Some guys spend $40 on a soap and then nothing else is even worth using, if you ask him while some other guy is still using the same old Williams or Colgate he has been using for 50 years and well, you get the idea. But I agree, some of the cheap ones are quite decent. Myself, I find myself going more for the Parker style swing-back than the slide-out type these days and most of them are over $3. I used to favor the (then) $7 slide-out type sold at Sallys, partly because I could just walk in and buy one. Some Feather DX guys just seethe with righteous anger and indignation when someone points out that they deliver a very good shave in knowing hands. I call this "possession disorder" somewhat related to acquisition disorder. I think my early flirtations with Frank Shaving silvertip brushes from China, Gold Dollar razors, VDH soap, and other bottom shelf products makes me immune to it but I will admit that when I shave with one of my Bismarcks I stand just a tiny bit taller and my chest puffs out just a little more, and maybe sometimes I sing the Bismarck's praises a bit more than what is polite. Well it is what it is.

Of course, sometimes that cheap product actually DOES suck. No getting around that.


Yep, you can get a decent shave from the slide out shavette. Its what my barber uses. However, they do not hold the blade near as well as the "clamshell" style with pivoting spine clip.

The biggest problem with them (Parker ect.) is the size of the damn thing. They are also pretty thin, soft flexible steel which is why I always recommend the Universal. They are full size, hold the blade well and feel much more solid.
I also don't care for the bump on the Parker shank, I'll never understand why they put that there.
 
Yep, you can get a decent shave from the slide out shavette. Its what my barber uses. However, they do not hold the blade near as well as the "clamshell" style with pivoting spine clip.
The only problem with most of pivoting spine clip razors is lack of blade exposure. I love my Universal (it's probably my desert island razor), but sometimes I just want the twang of a bare blade, and the slide out shavettes scratches that itch.
 
I have one of the first type from the exact same seller. Not bad. I also have a couple or the second type, bought from Sallys. The third type I have bought under other brands, and is pretty much just a clone of the Weck hair shaper. So personally vouching only for the first one. And gosh, I would hate for you to spend as much as a whole $3.75 on a razor that could possibly turn out to be not all that great. LOL the price is right, you must admit. The long blade one, (the third link) I have used that type both with the Weck brand and the knockoff from Sallys. The guard is removable, BTW. You can shave just fine without it.

If I had to pick just one of the three to recommend, it would be the first one. Only a buck more than the second one, and holds the blade more securely. The Weck style blades cost a lot more than DE blades and you only have one edge. Each DE blade makes two shavette blades.
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I have this one that Slash mentioned. They are available all over the internet. Amazon has them cheap. Of all the DE style shavettes it is my favorite. I like it better than the parker. Excellent value for your money. It is just a blade holder after all. I like it with GSB blades. Of course feather dx and kai captain are nicer but not really comparable.
 
Just buy the Feather SS. I've tried both the kamisori and the folding, and I much prefer the folding, largely because it's more like shaving with a typical straight razor. Also, you don't have to buy a cover to make it safe when it is not in use.

For those complaining about the price of the blades, remember that they last a long time. I'm getting almost a month out of each blade, shaving four times a week; so, typically 14-16 comfortable shaves. A 20-pack of blades will last me over a year and a half! When you look at it that way, they are not that expensive.

The AC blades, for me, shave SO much better than a half-DE blade. The Feather SS is easy to use, too. No worries about weepers or cuts, no exposed sharp edges.

Finally, the Feather SS is incredibly well designed and well built. It will last forever. It is a joy not only to shave with, but to own and admire.
 
The only problem with most of pivoting spine clip razors is lack of blade exposure. I love my Universal (it's probably my desert island razor), but sometimes I just want the twang of a bare blade, and the slide out shavettes scratches that itch.


I'll have to agree with that. MUCH more blade exposure with the slide version, however, the extra exposure and poor holding mechanism leads to a lot of vibration during the shave causing sketchy outcomes at best.
Its certainly doable - be on your game though!

The universal conversely holds the blade well with little expose, it is solid.
You won't hear it shaving, no vibration whatsoever, so much so when first using one I had to check to make sure I put a blade in. :)
 
DE safety razor gives me tactile feedback. Does a shavette give me feedback?
The Feather SS provides plenty of tactile feedback, more than a DE razor, but a lot less audible feedback, because the blade is firmly held and doesn't vibrate at all. Makes the shave quieter, but smoother.

Tactile feedback comes from the actual feel of the blade cutting stubble.
 
I am partial to Artist Club shavettes. The blades are considerably more expensive than DE blades, but the longevity easily justifies the cost IME.

The $60 Feather SS you mention is a great razor, but not everyone prefers the fixed handle. You can get a genuine Kai Captain razor for about $75. There are also many Feather/Kai clones available for as little as $9. There is also the Vincent VT1321, which is not a clone but take AC blades for ~$11. Bottom line is that you can try AC shavettes without making a large investment.

I'll only say this once, don't buy generic AC blades. Kai, Feather, or Schick Proline only. You can get a blade sampler pack from tryablade for about $18, shipped.

If you must insist on a DE blade shavette, the KureNai GF-35 (as mentioned by a previous poster) is one of the most forgiving half-DE shavettes I've used, when paired with the proper blade. It's about $15, shipped, and it comes with a pack of blades.
 
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