I've recently gone from a Merkur HD to the Shavette in anticipation of moving on to genuine straights, but have hit a bit of a roadblock. After learning to use the HD and applying no pressure, the Shavette was a surprise because it is so darn light. It doesn't have enough weight to allow a really "no pressure" pass. Using just its own weight results in skipping. I'm not sure that learning to apply pressure with it is going to be helpful when I eventually get a proper, heavier straight.