Beginner Shavette for Travel

Hello,
All the advice around here has been very valuable. I am enjoying the straight razor experience and getting a little better everyday. The shaves aren't always perfect, but they are acceptable and improving. It's very fun to learn and it is a great daily ritual that I would like to continue when i am out of town.

I have some travel coming up and this leads me to a few questions regarding shavettes:
1. As a beginner (about a month in) is using a shavette a terrible idea?

2. If not, what might be an inexpensive yet acceptable one to choose? I like the idea of the DOVO that uses the half DE blades. It would be easy for travel since those blades are easy to find.

3. I understand that there is a difference in angle. Am I correct in understanding that a shavette requires a bit more angle?

Thanks,
Andy

No, a shavette is not a terrible idea; but then again, I consider a shavette only a substitute for the real thing.

DE blades broken in half (red Dovo shavette holder) are for me an emergency measure if nothing else is available. Don't care much for the Personna hair shaper blades (green Dovo holder - discontinued, but still available) either and I got the best results with the proprietary Dovo shavette blades (black Dovo holder). The latter two are longer than DE blades and therefore mimic the edge of a straight razor better.
Other shavettes take only DE length blades and are for above reasons of limited interest to me.

I found the angle easy to get used to, not much of a learning process really, but what fundamentally distinguishes the shavette from a straight razor is the weight and balance.
I don't mean to offend any dyed-in-the-whool shavette lovers, but the shavette's weight and balance don't even come close to a real straight razor.

The Feather AC (DX in particular) resembles much more a straight razor, but the price point is about 6 x the one of a shavette; more than many straight razors really.
But if the idea is either carrying minimum gear on trips, or avoiding the straight razor's shave prep before a shave, then the Feather AC would be a candidate worth considering.


In a nutshell, a shavette is not a terrible idea, but unless you make an investment in a Feather AC (or similar Korean clone) the shave that you get will be quite different from a straight shave - not necessarily bad, but certainly different.



Hope this helps....



B.

I have 2 shavettes as I too use them when I travel. I have a Parker and a Feather - really no comparison. Spending $100 or so on a Feather SS vs a cheaper shavette will get you a FAR SUPERIOR razor.

My first razor was a Parker and I still use it once a week. I think it is a great travel razor. It will teach attention to detail as shavettes are not the most forgiving when it comes to poor technique. But I feel it has made me a better straight razor shaver.

I shave with most anything sharp and like the long blade shavettes when I want a change. That said, It is sometimes hard to get through airport security with a pack of blades or an injector pack of Feathers.
For any of them a bit of shaving skill is important!
Your comment of blades easy to find does make a difference in traveling by air.
YMMV
~Richard

For an affordable shavette that will work with half a DE blade, the best one I've found so far is the Sanguine R5. Like most shavettes it's considerably lighter than a traditional straight but otherwise feels very similar to a traditional straight. It's constructed solidly and the fit and finish far exceeds the really affordable price (I think I gave $10-12 for mine on the bay). I really like the blade retention system (blade exposure just right and very secure.) It looks something like this (in fact, exactly like this...this is mine)
http://i672.photobucket.com/albums/v...pse9bd2b8e.jpg

Thanks for the great replies, everyone. I am going to check all of those razors out. I originally skipped the safety razor phase, but purchased one for travel and like it very much. I enjoy the straight razor experience a little more, though, so these suggestions will be very helpful. I think I will use a shavette on personal travel, and the safety razor on business travel when I am more limited on time.

Here's an additional 2 cents from a DE and shavette user. When I travel there are differences in the water quality and my lather is sometimes not as good as what I typically get at home. So it pays to be "conservative" and not try anything too radically different than at home.

I would suggest the Parker for travel, rather than the Dovo, because the blade exposure is less,
so less chance of mistakes. (Agree that the Feather is best, if cost is not a factor.) I carry all my shaving stuff in checked bags to avoid TSA confrontations.

Best,
Alan

I asked the same thing a few weeks ago. I love my straight but needed something for traveling where I didn't have to carry everything. I ended up with the feather and haven't been disappointed. Only drawback was the cost but I believe less expensive options are out there

I would be very interested in the Feather but I would like something with readily available blades. I almost never check baggage and like the idea of something that takes half DE blades. They're available in a lot of regular places still.

I have been using the Dovo Shavette with DE blades (Merkur so far) for a few weeks now. I have come to really like the shave. Though I am now sold on a nice straight for my home use, I will travel with the shavette for sure. My only concern has also been getting the blades through security as I don't always check a bag. The handle by itself shouldn't be an issue for sure though.

On a note about the Dovo Shavette...it can be a little unforgiving. The less angle, the better, and ultimately the closer shave you will get with each pass. All I can say as far as advice goes is take your time. I often shave the night before so I am not rushed (as I am still learning). The blade lets you know when you are messing up...and when you feel it, definitely don't try and power through.

For travelling I found the dovo shavette an excellent razor. I started my straight razor exp with a dovo shavette and have been shaving with it for going on a year now before finally getting my first genuine straight razor. Like said I found the shavette to be excellent for travelling as you have no requirement for a strop, its just a new blade and off you go. I also found aswell as being great for travel it was also a good tool for teaching me the basic techniques required for shaving with a straight and ofcourse for finding out if the whole straight shaving exp is indeed for you in the first place, instead of buying everything blade and all and then deciding you dont fancy it so much. I have used my shavette working both abroad and offshore and like said found it to be great in that regard. For me I prefer the broken in half de baldes instead of the bigger dovo blades for the black sleeve, also you will find it much easier to procure the smaller de blades if say you were in a foreign country for example. Also as has been mentioned in a previous post I did to start with find the shavette to be quite unforgiving however stick with it and you will get used to it in no time, Im sure there will be nicks and cuts at the start and every now and again thereafter but par for the course matey. Definelty a gd way to get started tho. Just my 2 cents. Gd Luck and If you do need any help or tips this is the place to be.

cheers