Thread: shavette type vs. true staight razor type

Okay folks here goes - its opinion time....So my first (as some of you now know) purchase of a true straight razor did not work out so well in the big picture - so upon further research I decided to order (cannot wait for it to arrive) a shavette type straight razor. Now I know once I'm far enough down the road to compare a shavette shave and true straight razor shave that there will be no comparison with the straight razor shave winning hands over fists above the shavette version. However it is what it is and I will soon be starting with the shavette version. So outside of the obvious - looks different, is different, different type of blade, no honing or stropping required and things of this nature what are some of the advantages or disadvantages of starting with a shavette type of straight razor?

Thanks folks - and heres hoping the oil filter is tight enough of my car from the earlier oil change I did.

just dont over tighten because after it heats and cools alot of times its even harder to remove hope you used one with the grippy material on the end!

Good luck with your shavette. I hope you have plenty of styptic pencils on hand before you start. If you wanted disposable blades I think a DE would have been a better choice.

bj

You should be fine . Just take your time & try to keep alight touch .
After a while you should be getting good shaves .
Then it my betime to try a straight so you can see for youself the difference that a straight brings .
Cheers Paul

I use a shavette quite often. The big difference between a shavette and a traditional straight is that you will cut yourself a heck of a lot more with the shavette. If your looking to a shavette for an easier shave you might be looking in the wrong place, they are much less forgiving than a traditional straight IMO.

The bonus to using a shavette is that you will learn what a sharp razor should feel like.

Good luck to you, and remember just go really slow and use a very very light touch.

When I travel (which is extensive sometimes) I use a shavette because its easier to deal with TSA rules not to mention that a str8 in a checked bag will 9 out of 10 times get stolen.

The biggest difference for me is the aggressiveness of the shavette. Whichever blade you use will be coated with something to aid with glide making it ultra sharp. Any loss of concentration, rushing the shave, or too much pressure can be painful in many ways.

IMO, the recovery time between shaves is longer with shavettes. Both have their uses but the experience and quality of shave with the srt8 is much better than with a shavette.

"The big difference between a shavette and a traditional straight is that you will cut yourself a heck of a lot more with the shavette." I've read this will make for a very sharp learning curve for me and easier with the true straight razor once I get there
"If your looking to a shavette for an easier shave you might be looking in the wrong place, they are much less forgiving than a traditional straight IMO."' I have read many things that agree with this.

"The bonus to using a shavette is that you will learn what a sharp razor should feel like." I like this alot!!!

"IMO, the recovery time between shaves is longer with shavettes." I read that a shavette will cut you easily but it is usually a very clean cut and heals fairly fast and easy - could have been bad info I suppose.

"Both have their uses but the experience and quality of shave with the srt8 is much better than with a shavette." I feel I should have to work up to that experience though....kinda pay my dues to the whole equation you know?

I can't really say, since I've never used a shavette, but may I ask, what happened with the traditional straight? I must have missed the post somehow

i'm a shavette user (college budget), and i'm not having too many problems shaving with the shavette. I've learned to shave with it right from the start, and can confirm the steep learning curve, it didn't take too long to achieve BBS + comfort. If you stay focussed when shaving, you shouldn't cut yourself up that often, maybe a few times in the beginning. The cuts are indeed clean, however i can't confirm these are cleaner than using a real straight. My feelings are that shaving with a real straight is more comfortable, I will be getting my first one in about 2 weeks and taste the difference!

edit: myself i find that using one blade (one half, that is) only last for 2 shaves. When using the same blades (Merkur & Gilette equally) in a DE, i last about 6 or 8 shaves. Somehow the blade seems to dull quicker when using it 'straight-style', where a 3rd shave from the same blade would become considerately less comfortable.

but may I ask, what happened with the traditional straight? I must have missed the post somehow...well I looked around on the classifieds on here a while...and being the first purchase in this arena I was not looking to drop too much money - so I found that was 30 or 31 dollars and in good condition certainly not shave ready...so upon receiving it I talked to a local barber about it and getting it honed and he looked at it and said that wasnt possible because it had three cracks in it one large one (3/16 of an inch) everyone on here suggests that I send it back to the seller and demand a refund - which Im sure I could obtain - but my style just chalks it up to a rookie mistake...it wont happen again though...so thats the scoop