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Hello Everybody;
So I just got my new Dovo Best Quality 6/8 professionally honed and I must say that I am desapointed about my first shave with it. I have been shaving for 30 days with a shavette with great results and I find the the Dovo gives a much worst shave.
Is this normal? Will the shave be comparable to the one of the shavette as my technique improves?
Thanks
did you strop it before shaving?
Actually not. The person that honed the razor told me not to do it since I am not skilled.
Of course, I ll have to strop it next shave.
What are you having problems with? The sharpness? The length of the edge? The angle? Weight? Of course you will have to adjust and it will take time.
The ¨problem¨ that I am having is that the straight razor is not shaving as well as the Shavette. Of course my technique is off so I was asking if with the proper technique I can expect the same shaving ¨quality¨ as with the shavette.
Should I put more pressure in the shave. Change the angle (I use the Dove Best Quality 6/8)?
Thanks for the feed back, I appreciate it.
I hesitate to give an answer never having used a shavette. From what I have read here the shaving angle on the blade is slightly different with a straight razor compared to a shavette. there should be about 2 spine widths gap between your face and the spine and adjust from there to suit. I would not apply more pressure as that usually leads to razor burn. It may just be a matter of acquiring the right technique for using a straight razor.
Stropping is a double edged sword for a beginner. You can improve the edge a bit with good stropping technique or damage it with poor stropping. If you have not stropped a razor before you might want to try another shave without doing so. I am sure you will get some better answers shortly from those who have used shavettes.
Bob
Having a good lather that provides cushion and glide is critical too.
thank you for the repalys
More pressure is never the answer, and if the person who honed it knows what they're doing, it's not the razor. That leaves your parts in the process in question: face prep, lather, angle from the face, grip and angle/direction of stroke. Not stropping a newly honed blade was correct, because that takes your stropping out of the mix.
Try again in a day or two with more attention to the lather and your technique. Watch and listen to the videos of Lynn and others shaving. You'll find the answer.
Great, Thanks!Quote:
Originally Posted by Haroldg48
Next time I shave do you recommend that I strop the razor?
What angle should i try for a 6/8
I ll watch again Lynn´s videos
Again thanks
With practice you will be able to match your Shavette results with your straight razor. As straight razors are not as sharp as shavettes, you will need to learn how to finesse the most out of your straight. It takes time. I think it is worth the effort, you're less likely to cut yourself with a straight, the straight is gentler on the skin (for me), giving a more comfortable overall shave - and let's face it - a straight razor just looks cooler.
But, you'll need patience, these benefits will not come overnight. There's lots of good information here to help you find techniques that will work for you in trying to get the most from your straight razor. Try to enjoy the journey.
I haven't used a shavette but know you can get away with a much greater variable in angle without issues. For a straight about 1 spine width between the skin and inside edge of the razors spine is about right. Angle, stroke direction and stretching will play a huge part of successful straight use.
I use both. Shavette mainly for travel but also for my head because shaving my head dulls the SR too fast for me. You can get away with a wider range of angle with the shavette so you may not have really learned the correct angle yet. I prefer the SR over the shavette and can get just as close of a shave with the SR and the SR is more comfortable. If you have been getting good results with the shavette, work on the angle of the SR. Eventually you will be able to feel and hear the angle on the SR.
Today I shaved again with the SR, second time.
I stropped, 20 time linen side and 50 times leather side. Nice and easy.
I can notice that the SR is much less aggressive to my skin than the Shavette. I was careful with my angle.
The shave was not as close as the one with the Shavette but better than the first time. As a matter of fact I did a fourth pass with the shavett in order to get a smooth shave.
Maybe the SR is not sharp enough and my technique is certainly not there.
I am reassured to read that with proper technique I can expect SR shave as closed as the ones with the shavette.
Thanks again for the replays.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Icarusflies
Every razor shaves differently. I have eleven and each one behaves differently. One is full hollow, another quarter hollow, another is 5/8, another 8/8, one square point, another round. I can't hold each razor to the same standard in shave quality, because I don't fully appreciate a full hollow blade, I prefer a quarter hollow. The reason, I've spent more time learning the traits and technique of a quarter hollow. Square points require me to slow down or look like Edward Scissorhands got ahold of me. But, when I slow down and pay attention I still get a close shave.
So, it's probably more technique than it is the razor. You have to learn each razor.
The shavette just felt wrong when I used it for the first three months of wet shaving. The blade was always sharp and the angle was not as critical but a straight just feels solid. Technique comes into play a lot more and you need to take it easy at the start. I enjoyed having a larger edge to play with than the shavette when I made the change. It is just technique, your primary concern is to keep the edge shave ready (go slowly and precisely), worry about the angles a bit and relax on the rest as it will become natural very soon. I am asuming that you can build a decent lather by now. The fun part at the beginning is experimenting and finding out what works for you.
If a straight razor is not as sharp as a shavette it is not properly honed, stropped or used. It may also have subpar, steel or heat treat.Quote:
Originally Posted by TaipeiJake
Only reasons I can think of.
Hello Everybody;
Right now I am stropping 100 passes and doing the hanging hair test (thin hair). I have done it 3 times and it now cut the hair 1 time out of 3 in the air. I will probably use chrome oxide on balsa wood to get the blade close to the shavette.
Tomorrow I ll shave again and lets see.
Do you think that I am overdoing it or this is the right way to do it?
Thanks
So here is an update about my shaving. Just did my third SR saving and the results are promising. I must say that I am not far from the results I had with the shavette.
I am paying close attention to my angle and now I do short but decisive movements. That seems to do the trick. With the shavette I don´t need to do this, I can do slower movements.
I can see how the technique if different as you all said.
Thanks.
you never said who honed the razor ? but I use a feather disposable for travel so they are sharp ,, but more so than my straights? not so , if they are honed right they will be as sharp and much smoother. so technique is more than likely the issue ,, your expecting to much from a beginners standpoint ,, relax , slow down and take it slow,, good luck tc
I used a shavette for more than 7 months before purchasing my first shave ready straight razor. My experience was the opposite of yours and the first time I use a straight razor I found it to be all around superior to the shavette. There are a multitude of variables.....so many that they can support a Forum with a trillion members and a zillion answers to the same question asked a gazillion times......it is fun otherwise we would not be here. A door just opened with the purchase of a straight razor......good luck!
Good thread getting lots of good info
Did you say this was your experience:
- 30 shaves with a shavette?
- 1 (now 2) shaves with regular straight?
Before we start theorizing about stropping, heat treatment of the steel etc., let me point out the obvious: Your experience has not developed yet.
Firstly, I do not believe that a shavette is a good training tool for a straight shaver.
The lightweight shavette may have its uses, but does feel and handle differently from regular straight.
It may take up to 100 shaves to become proficient with a regular straight razor and expecting the first straight shave to be nearly as good as your last shavette shave is just not realistic.
You have not developed the muscle memory yet and you are unlikely to have found the best way to shave your problem areas (chin, yawline). This all takes time and patience (and the willingness to accept that some shaves in the beginning will fall far short of what you had hoped to achieve).
You also chose a 6/8 razor as your first straight.
While one can learn to shave with a 6/8 straight, this size is less maneuverable than the more customary 5/8 beginner's straight, and considerably less maneuverable than a lightweight shavette.
If you keep using the straight, you may eventually expect a shave that is smoother, closer, more comfortable and certainly more satisfying than a shavette shave.
While doing that expect to dull your blade, nick your strop, struggle with your first honing attempts and get frustrated by the lack of progress. It's all part of the learning experience.
So there are no surprises here, and what it takes most in your case is continued practice.
Consider straight shaving a journey and your train has barely left the platform - a platform BTW that we all left from at one time or another.
B.
Thank you feed back;
Actually my experience is even smaller than you state since I just got 10 shavette shaves before I went to the SR.
I realise that its a learning experience and that is one of the things I like about this.
I ll keep practicing and I am very thankful for all your advises.
Hi Icarus,
I haven't read each and every comment to this thread, but some advice is absolutly correct to my opinion: Practice, practice and more practice. If a good shave with a SR or shavette were easy, you wouldn't have your problems with it.
Don't ruin the sharpness by overstropping. I assume the razor was sharp when you got it. Not to strop the first time was right. Stropping a razor for 50+ times is far too much. Noone in our european forums recommends it. Maybe say 20 - 30 times is enough. You don't even have to strop on linen everytime.
The probs I've had between using my shavette and my SR are the same as yours. The unclean shaves do not result from a duller SR when it proves to be sharp enough otherwise. Honing and maintaining a razor is an art. Learning to strop it right is a must.
Just keep at it. Should you dull your razor, 10 passes on a chromiumoxid strop can bring the sharpness back. I do that about once a week and strop 25 passes on leather every day before shaving.
Don't forget: Practice, practice, practice and think about what you could do to improve.
Best wishes,
Joe
Thanks for the comment.
This raises a question. When you say passes are you talking one round trip on the strop or one pass is going up and another is going down?
I do 20 round trips on the linen and 50 round trips on the leather.
Thanks to all of you and you guys have a great week end
Sorry, I probably expressed myself wrong. What I meant are "laps". That is once up and down on the strop. So do 20 - 30 times up and down. I believe 20 on linen and another 50 on leather is just too much. You dull the razor prematurely doing that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Icarusflies
Good Luck! :-)
No offense intended Old Salt, but that's only true if one is stropping incorrectly, in which case one lap will dull a razor. Most people on here routinely do the number of laps that Icarus is or many more on leather.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OldSalt
I've been SR shaving for about 8 months. I recently picked up a shavette that uses half a DE blade. I too find it gives a closer shave with less effort. The shave is not as comfortable. It a little harsh. I'm more likely to cut my self. It takes 1-2 passes with the shavette and 3-4 with the SR to get that close shave and some SRs work better for me fewer passes needed)
This morning I shaved again after doing 10 passes on a chromium oxide treated balsa wood and the usual linen / leather strop. I am happy to say that after 3 passes my shave is as close as the one I got with my Shavette.
Thank you all for the great advise I got.
I have been dealing with sort of the opposite experience. I'm reasonably skilled at shaving and honing a straight. I bought a shavette a few weeks ago for travel, after a very pleasant shave from a barber using a shavette. With the long Dovo shavette blade, I immediately got a better shave than my straights. I realized it had been many months since I had any of them on the stone, so I refreshed their edges and was able to match the shavette - for a little while. With the shavette I found I could use a very steep angle to get a super close shave. I have a thick, challenging beard. Transferring that technique to my straights dulled the edges quickly. Now I'm looking for a practice which will keep the edges on the straights, even with that steep angle. I haven't added chromium oxide to my stropping routine yet, but I may try it. I'd like to avoid using an abrasive daily, as that wears on the blade.
Btw, I do have one razor that was professionally honed by someone well respected here. It simply wasn't as sharp as the ones I hone myself, and I had to put it back on a stone. With the shavette as your standard, it is possible that your straight is not as sharp. Perhaps one spends a little more time on a razor one will use oneself.