Thread: Newbie WTB Shavette

I've tried a few of those. The first one was cheap and flimsy, not sure if it's parker or some other brand, but cheap and flimsy is perfect description. Then there's the Dovo, it's made much, much better, but the plastic inserts still make it look a bit cheap, though it's not flimsy. Then there are the feather razors, which are excellently made and look like the high quality tool they are (they need specialized blades though).
Neither of these shave like a straight razor, but rather like a DE razor. I like best the way the feather shaves, it feels like a well made tool that does the job done well and efficiently, but lacks the 'soul' of a real razor. Much more expensive than the others too.

As you guessed the shave preparation has a pretty big effect.

Hi and welcome

I have recently started myself with a shavette and although i know a lot of my issues are down to my technique i do find the shavette
very harsh and am looking forward to getting my first straight next month and being able to compare the different shaves.

Good luck whatever you decide.

Thanks everyone, I think my main concern is the maintenance. It sounds like a good hone can last a year but how long does stropping take, and thats of course assuming you get it down good.

I am not, looking for a hobby. I am looking for a way to get a better/more comfortable shave than I currently get with a cartridge razor.

I am sure someday, perhaps even soon, I would move to a true straight. But then I have the shavette to fall back on instead of a cartridge when I am in a rush etc.

I cannot really find definitive information regarding blades and sizes. It looks like the parkers are much better liked, but the dovo has an upper hand regarding the inserts allowing it to take any blades. The dovo is what my professional shave was done with and it obviously worked so I know it is not complete junk...

Originally Posted by Vova

Thanks everyone, I think my main concern is the maintenance. It sounds like a good hone can last a year but how long does stropping take, and thats of course assuming you get it down good.

I am not, looking for a hobby. I am looking for a way to get a better/more comfortable shave than I currently get with a cartridge razor.

Remember, this forum is populated by people who _do_ make a hobby out of shaving, caring for razors, collecting razors, restoring razors, making razors, etc. Life doesn't have to be as complicated for you, as it is for some of us.

Stropping slowly takes 2 seconds per lap (one second up, one second down). Say you do 20 laps on fabric, 50 laps on leather (enough for most of us), your daily stropping time will be:

. . . . 140 seconds, roughly 2.5 minutes.

You'll also have to dry the razor, and possibly oil the blade -- maybe another 2 minutes.

Charles

Originally Posted by Vova

I am not, looking for a hobby.

Funny, I said the same thing.

I strarted with a Parker SR1 just this month and was absolutely hooked after my third shave. I went into it planning on going to a true straight. I picked-up a good deal on a straight from whipped dog about a week later. Since then my shaving routine has been to do my WTG pass with the straight and finish XTG/ATG with the Parker. Just last night I had my first, all-straight shave. It was excellent and very smooth with very little irritation. But I'm still very glad I have the Parker. The Parker gives me a close shave with less effort. The disposable Shark blades are sharper than my straight and allow me to approximate straight razor technique while I'm still learning optimal stropping. If I were in a rush, I would use my Parker. I was thinking of picking-up an Edwin Jagger safety razor for when I'm really on the run. But, after using the Parker only a few times, I'm really not much slower with it than I was with my old Mach 3.

All that said, here are my answers:

1) The Parker blades are standard double-edge (DE) blades that fit safety razors. You can by single-edge (SE) versions or break the DE blades in half. The DE blades can be found at most grocery stores and any drug stores. They can also be had relatively cheaply online. Within that standard size, there is a lot of variation in blade sharpness, feel, etc., between brands. You could pick-up a multipack for $10 and see which brand suits you. There are much more expensive disposable straights out there as well that take a larger blade. Take a look at the Feather Artist Club for an idea. These are a much higher quality build than the Parker. The idea is to give a more straight razor-like size and feel. Feather also makes standard-sized DE blades so that can add to the confusion a bit. Personally, if you're just looking for a super shave with maximum convenience, I would say go with the Parker. You could even move over to a DE safety razor and share the blades between the two. The Parker is less than $18 on Amazon, with some blades. Almost a no-brainer.

2) I looked briefly and really only found different models of Parkers and the Dovo. I'd also be interested in finding something like an upscale Parker as well. It shaves great but the build quality is so-so. I would love something with the craftsmanship of the nicer DE safety razors from Merkur, EJ, etc...

3) I work across the street from an Art of Shaving. I don't like that they rebrand everything as it makes it a little tricky to ask for things. The sales staff didn't seem particularly knowledgeable in the world outside of their product catalog (e.g., I asked if they had a Parker SR1 and they didn't even know what it was). That said, it's really becoming a luxury to be able to actually see and touch things before you buy so if you know what you are looking for, look-up the Art of Shaving name for the product and take a look in-person. I'm not sure how their prices compare.

4) I prep exactly the same with the Parker as I do with my straight. I really love the prep and I think if I were to go back to dragging a Mach whatever disposable down my face again I would still prep the same way.

If you do decide to give a straight razor a try, I highly recommend you hit-up whippeddog.com. I emailed the owner, Larry, with questions before I bought and he was extremely helpful. He seems to cater to newbies. It's a great way to try things out without dropping a ton of dough.