Thread: New to straightrazor and got a question

i'm a big fan of the cheese grater.. i grate all my soaps.. just grate and press into your container.. after a couple latherings it'll look like it was made for the bowl.

I'd been asking my wife for a straight razor and been doing some research and managed to talk her in to getting me the Dovo Shavette for Christmas after showing her a review that likened it to a straight razor on training wheels. I've only used the Dovo blades, Personna blades, and just now am trying the Wilkinson Sword blades. It's amazing the difference it makes.
I picked up a nice big 7/8th's wedge a month or so ago after using the Shavette exclusively since Christmas. The piece of advice I can give you for purchasing a "real" straight razor is to try and find something similar to the size of the blade holder you are currently using. I'm still not too confident with the huge wedge. I've gotten used to the weight, shape, and size of the Shavette and thus been thrown off greatly with the razor and find myself regularly slicing up my neck or upper lip. I've also had to learn a lot about stropping. Never bothered with that till I got the wedge and it is CRITICAL when you get a straight razor.

Originally Posted by tekbow

Good idea actually, never thought of it. Melt it to fit the bowl so theres is no gap for it to slide down?

Only problem is that my shaving bowl is metal and i like my microwaves firmly in the non exploding category..

But i'm sure a ceramic bowl or some such would sort the problem, wanted to have another bowl for some different soap anyway

or you can melt it in microwave safe measuring cup with a spout and pour it in your metal bowl.... and it doesn't take long to melt i do it in 10-15 second intervals

Originally Posted by bharner

I'd been asking my wife for a straight razor and been doing some research and managed to talk her in to getting me the Dovo Shavette for Christmas after showing her a review that likened it to a straight razor on training wheels. I've only used the Dovo blades, Personna blades, and just now am trying the Wilkinson Sword blades. It's amazing the difference it makes.
I picked up a nice big 7/8th's wedge a month or so ago after using the Shavette exclusively since Christmas. The piece of advice I can give you for purchasing a "real" straight razor is to try and find something similar to the size of the blade holder you are currently using. I'm still not too confident with the huge wedge. I've gotten used to the weight, shape, and size of the Shavette and thus been thrown off greatly with the razor and find myself regularly slicing up my neck or upper lip. I've also had to learn a lot about stropping. Never bothered with that till I got the wedge and it is CRITICAL when you get a straight razor.

I love my Shavette I have tried many blades and found the Dovo blades to be my fav..

Well.. i went with the microwave thing, at the present time i have a mush in the bottom of the cup, it's gone soft and lumpy but not melting much more.. have turned up the heat a bit so hopefully will get there. But seeing as i'm doing it i thought i'd experiment a little. When i bought my cheap brush from the local chain chemist i got a little free thing of shave cream in it. so that's gone in the cup to mix in with the soap. if i can get it all liquid and poured into a the bowl which is sitting in cold water right now, I'm going to move it to the fridge.

If anyone's interested i can keep you posted

Originally Posted by tekbow

Well.. i went with the microwave thing, at the present time i have a mush in the bottom of the cup, it's gone soft and lumpy but not melting much more.. have turned up the heat a bit so hopefully will get there. But seeing as i'm doing it i thought i'd experiment a little. When i bought my cheap brush from the local chain chemist i got a little free thing of shave cream in it. so that's gone in the cup to mix in with the soap. if i can get it all liquid and poured into a the bowl which is sitting in cold water right now, I'm going to move it to the fridge.

If anyone's interested i can keep you posted

did it work for ya????..... I had no probs at all with the soap melting i used col. conks amber glycerine soap and it acted just like butter fast smooth melt and fast firm like maybe an hour and i could use it.... but i have since switched to creams, i love the creams now

Originally Posted by coldcut

did it work for ya????..... I had no probs at all with the soap melting i used col. conks amber glycerine soap and it acted just like butter fast smooth melt and fast firm like maybe an hour and i could use it.... but i have since switched to creams, i love the creams now

Yeah er.. kinda. I'm using Osma labs soap, but it didn't really melt so much as go really really soft and explode sporadically? after a while heating it i was just drying it out so i stopped scooped it out and squidged it into a cold bowl (with the shaving cream mixed in) then threw that in the freezer for 20 mins. It seemed to harden up ok was shaped to the bottom of the bowl. but i don't think this soap is liking the mircowave..

Think the next task is the lather now. I've adopted the "brush in hot water and hot water in the bowl while i have a shower" method of starting out. then i empty the bowl and squeeze the brush out gently, the start dripping in water a little at a time as i whisk and get a nice "whipped cream with peaks" style lather. now i experimented and i think i got the hang of putting water in up to the point of no return, but when i put it on, by the time i've done one side, the lather on the other side has dried out. am looking at all the tips on the forum i can find. guess i need more practice