Newbie WTB Shavette

So I have wanted to try straight razors for a long time (or skip this and jump to questions below :D). After regularly growing and cutting my goatee I decided to keep it long term so gave some good grow out and went and got a professional shave. Of course for hygiene reasons/laws they use a shavette. I was planning on buying a traditional straight but I think I have decided to go for a shavette instead.

For one the shave was fantastic, I am sure a lot of that is the three passes they do with fourteen products and warmed lather... But for a good week or two after my cartridge razor was giving me a much more comfortable shave (I have quite sensitive skin). So I already had a fantastic experience with it, sink $40 for something I know gave a good shave, or $150 for something I have never used before... seems like a no brainer.

Also I have read they are easier to get around corners of a goatee etc, so that is good. More importantly I am not sure I have the patience for the maintenance of a straight right now. Assuming I love the shavette also I would have no problem getting a straight as then I have the shavette for my "quick shaves".

Cost is also a concern, and while I'd love to get away from buying blades I calculated it out and at six years a shavette is still cheaper than some of the cheaper straights.




So, a few questions...

1) It seems like the Parker Shavettes are much more popular, but I see a lot of references to blade sizes, but nothing concrete. I want to make sure blades are easy to get, and some people mention they prefer the dovo over the parker because of an additional blade size it accepts?

2) I did a lot of searching and I see lots of other shavettes out there, however all have issues. Is there anything similar to a dovo or parker (more expensive is ok) easily obtainable in the US and can accept common blades? I found a few that had good reviews but all were from EU/Asia or required some funky blade.

3) In general anyone have comments on The Art of Shaving, this is where I got my shave and unfortunately the only shavette they sell is the dovo but I got really good service. I am surprised I do not see any mentions of them in the forums (that I have seen), but maybe they are new or not in that many places?

4) Is there any reason to treat prep/post-shave different with a disposable compared to straight razor? What do people recommend? They have most the same stuff they used on my face @ Art of Shaving for about $70 I think it was, they said it should last 8-10 months. It included a pre-shave, cream, and after-shave balm.

P.S. I know there are cheaper straight razors out there but I don't want to go with something cheap that is lower quality and results in an unfair bias AGAINST straight razors :D.

To answer some of your questions,

1. I have a Parker SR1. I have never shaved with a Dovo Shavette

Pros- It takes standard DE blades that can be found anywhere. Its cheap. It has a decent weight to it. Mine is all rust resistant metal so all I do is wipe it off. The blades are pretty secure once you get them in three right. It's great to travel with. No stropping or sharpening issues

Cons- It's not a straight razor. The blade edge is small compared to a SR and so is the shave. I find I have to use very little pressure or it irritates the hell out of me.

I learned to shave with a real straight so the Parker is not and will never be the same for me IMMO. From what I have read Shavettes and the like have a higher learning curve. I just think they shave different.

2. See Above.

3. Never messed with AOS stuff before.

4. After wet shaving I will never go back. I usually just use a hot shower as my preshave and then a decent cream or soap, Followed up with the aftershave/lotion of choice for the day. I now do this no matter what I shave with be it SR, DE or cartridge. I think $70 is high but price is relative in this game. Its your face not mine. Use what you like. Don't be afraid to experiment.

For 40-60 bucks you should be able to get a decent deal on a shave ready straight. Whipped dog has a great deal for a razor, stop and balsa/paste. Whatever you decide remember there is a learning curve. Stick with it and you will get better. Don't be discouraged if you get a couple lousy first shaves.

Good Luck.

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...

Quote:

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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.

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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

* disclaimer - I have been shaving with a straight razor since Dec 2011

From my experience, I would offer to get a nice $30 Safety Razor and a sample pack of blades (so you can find which ones you like). The shave is superior to the Mach3/Fusion, you get some exposure to the wet shaving process, and you can move into straight razors when you feel so inclined. I tried a shavette once, and based on what I know now...the Safety razor was much better in all respects.

Art of Shaving is a good company - owned by Procter & Gamble. They have some pretty nice products, but their shave hardware is rebranded - Dovo Straights and such. The shave cream, balms, after shaves all work well. I have found them to be rather expensive. You can get better products for less online - with a better variety.

Someone mentioned "Whipped Dog." Although I have not used that site (yet), I plan on it - looks like a great value and service.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Vova

I am not, looking for a hobby.

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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.

Nice review. I was very informative.

Hullo!

2. I've recently started shaving using a Feather replaceable blade straight (I believe it qualifies as a shavette, but I'm a bit new at this) and personally I couldn't be happier. The Feather uses specific blades, but the packs of 20 are $16.00 on Amazon.com, pretty cheap all things considered (I've been getting about 7-10 shaves per blade, though my beard is only moderately heavy). The Feather isn't the cheapest option available, but I've always felt you get what you pay for.

3. The Art of Shaving disappointed me to be honest. For what they charge I expected a bit more. therealjohnkeel kinda nailed it in his review (I visited the Chicago store and got the same feeling has him), so I won't beat the dead horse.

4. Coming from another new shaver, I'm 50-50 on the pre/post shave products. Hot shower, mix some good lather (about $15 for a cake of soap and about $40 for a brush), hot towel on the face for a few mins, lather up and shave. After, splash on cold water, use an alum block (~$5) and Nivea unscented aftershave (~$7). I tried the pre-shave oil (~$5), but when I've skipped it I honestly haven't noticed that much of a difference. I'd say start with the basics, and then buy the extras if you feel it's needed.

So are all the paste and stuff a honing thing? I can get by with the blade and strop and then the consumables (soap etc.)? I still really like the idea of the disposables for speed and convenience but also like the idea of getting away from disposable in general.

What is the difference between a $70 Dovo and a $140 Dovo? Is it just the scales? Or am I missing out on blade quality by buying a cheaper Dovo razor?

I'd suggest the $70 Dovo - "Best Quality" Black - and get it honed by a professional. I have the same, and it is a quality piece of equipment. Once you have that, you should be well on your way. Start sharp. Stay Sharp.

A decent strop will help carry the edge for a while. All the strop pastes and such are ways to extend the time between honings.