Thread: Problem unique to shavettes?

Howdy,

So i have been shaving with a straight razor for maybe two months now, using a dovo shavette with a variety of blades, and I find I seem to cut myself alot more with a new blade, then after a shave or two I either get alot better or its because of the blade being dulled down a bit. Is this a problem I will have when I finally buy an actual straight razor? Or will the stropping help prevent this. I just worry that since every time I seem to barely touch my skin with the razor at not quite the right angle I get a deep cut, that maybe straight razors arnt for me

Thanks

Dan

I was having the same problem, I was finding myself not wanting to switch to a new blade because I knew it was going to leave me cut to pieces. So I went back and watched some videos again and found I was using to much pressure after a little more practice I am now having little to no issues with my shavette and really great results. Pressure was my key. It really is about whisker reduction. Not shaving.
Hope that helps

I don't think this problem is specific to Shavettes. I think it is a matter of knowing how sharp the blade you are shaving with is, respecting that sharpness, and allowing it to do the work for you. With a really sharp blade, any additional effort applied is unnecessary and will cause nothing more than problems.

The two gentlemen above have some great advice.

The only thing I will through in is that shavettes are a lot less forgiving then a real straight so most likely you will not have this issue.

Also the edge of a real straight is not as thin as that of a shavette blade giving the blade more stability.

Originally Posted by Castel33

The two gentlemen above have some great advice.

The only thing I will through in is that shavettes are a lot less forgiving then a real straight so most likely you will not have this issue.

Also the edge of a real straight is not as thin as that of a shavette blade giving the blade more stability.

I think you nailed the difficulties with a shavette.

Every once in a blue moon I shave with one just because I want to know how to do it, but a true straight is so much better for the reasons you stated.

The length of a straight is also longer. I find that with a shorter blade you need to stretch the skin more so you have a smoother smaller area to shave. A longer blade seems to demand less stretch. Or it could be just that I have more folds(:-)

The shaving part i dont seem to be having as much of a problem with, i think its just more clumsiness with the razor, suck as when I set the razor to my skin under my nose for example, I seem to set the razor down with the edge at a 90 degree angle and just that light pressure seems to cut me. Good to know that things will get easier!

Originally Posted by Quakefire

The shaving part i dont seem to be having as much of a problem with, i think its just more clumsiness with the razor, suck as when I set the razor to my skin under my nose for example, I seem to set the razor down with the edge at a 90 degree angle and just that light pressure seems to cut me. Good to know that things will get easier!

Granted, I'm not the most experienced, but it seems to me that starting at a 90 degree angle under the nose would be the cause there. Doing so, as you rotate the blade, you begin to add unnecessary pressure, which will attribute to being cut. Also, unless you happen to be a robot, I would imagine that as you rotate the blade you are slightly pulling or pushing it horizontally in a slight slicing motion, which when combined with the extra pressure will definitely cut you.

Try more of a sweeping motion wherein the blade , starting from a 90 degree angle to get it under your nose, begins rotating before it touches your skin and gets to about a 30 degree angle as it touches your skin, making sort of a "C" with the tip of the blade. See my crude drawing below.



Like I said, I'm not the most experienced member/str8 shaver, but that would be my guess as to a possible solution (at least under your nose).

From my personal experience I think straights are more forgiving than shavettes. I think I nick myself less with straights than shavettes.

With that being said the incorrect the incorrect angle will cut you no matter what.

For shaving directly below your nose I would recommend turning the shavette vertical, makes it a little easier shaving there.

Pressure! Use no more than it takes to remove the lather. Maybe tape over a blade and just experiment, see how light you can go and still move lather off your skin. That should be your shaving pressure.

Good luck with it, let us know how it works out for you.

And, of course, Welcome to SRP!