Great shave today but... with the Shavette

So I've been shaving with my Dovo for about a week now still not having the best success with the feeling or closeness. I often have to touch up my rough spots with my DE. So this weekend I decided to put my favourite DE blade in my Shavette.... It felt wonderful, clean, sharp and little to no irritation. I was able to pull off a shave that rivaled my best DE shave.

What does this all mean.

1. I can shave with a straight. ya me. technique is getting better.
2. I've truly mucked up my edge on my Dovo... stropping harder than shaving. :mad:

When I get my blade rehoned, can I expect it to be as sharp as my shavette, because this truly is the comfort I would expect.

Should I try to hone it myself, I have no honing eqiupment, or send it out. Preferably to someone in Canada?

Thanks
Jason

I've never used a shavette, but I don't doubt that you could get a close of a shave with the dovo if it were to be re-honed.

It took me a loooong time to get a close as good with my straight as with a DE. But it only got better with time. :D

It may not need to be honed though, it may just be an issue of experience. How did you get it honed the first time? Since you've only had it for a week, assuming it was shave-ready when you got it, it should still be fine. How's your stropping been?


When I sent my razors out to get honed the first time, I sent them to floppyshoes, because he's in Quebec. I don't think he's doing honing right now...so I suppose you'd have to resort to sending them to someone in the US. But I would definitely send it out as opposed to trying yourself for the first time. You can always pick up a cheap razor and some stones so you can practice honing. But keep the professionally honed razor as a back-up!

I bought my razor from SRD, Lynns company.. so I know when it came in it was shave ready. I blame myself for poor stropping, the razor will still cut the hair on my arm (above the skin), but with the shavette the hairs just pop off (which I believe is the goal)

If it's still cutting hair on your arm above the skin, I don't think it's a lost cause yet. I would definitely try a good stropping on it to try to bring it up to snuff. Just take the stropping slow if you're not confident about it yet. Strop nice and taught (don't try to pull it off the wall though!), and just nice slow strokes with the razor making sure it's flat. Don't worry about speed yet, that will come with more practice.

Ok I'll try that and get back to you.
Thanks

I shave with both a shavette and a real straight..

At first whenI switched from the shavette to the real straight I thought that the straght wasnt sharp.. (even before ever stropping it when I got it from Don) The feeling of the real straight is different from that of a DE blade but as long as it cuts hair and doesnt pull or tug and you can do an ATG without bloodshed or pressure.. it is good to go..

Your razor might benefit from a little touchup... maybe some CrO or a Newspaper...or just stropping on linnen (I use some athletics tape on the back of my Dovo strop)

If a real straight will be just as sharp as a DE blade... it probably can be but that means it has a very sharp edge that will probably not last as long as you would like.

I think sharpness is not the holy grail in shaving comfort.... the razor should be sharp enough to effortlessly cut the whiskers. but if its too sharp it will not feel comfortable anymore...

I consider myself a newb still but I get great shave from both the shavette and the real straights.. but sometimes I dont:thinking:..

Maarten