Thread: Shavette vs straight razor

After selling my Feather Shavettes SS & DX, folding and non-folding I decided to get a Kai Captain folding razor for travel. I haven't used a shavette in a year so I had to relearn the pressure and angle to use. I noticed immediately how careful you need to hold the angle. A shavette unlike a straight doesn't want to assume the right angle. I assume the way the straight's spine and edge are engineered, it is made to lay against your face at the right angle and if done correctly, needs very little pressure. The other appreciable difference is the weight proportion. On a straight, the blade and scales form a balance that when held, just wants to shave with the right pressure and angle. The shavette is light and the scales offer very little to the overall balance of the razor. The spine on a straight takes on a much more important role then the shavette. I am wondering if anyone has changed the scales and what difference it makes. The shave itself is good with both even though shaving with my Mastro Livi is like a religious experience.

A straight assumes the "right" angle for honing not shaving. You are always adjusting the angle to meet your needs and the different areas of your face.

Changing scales does not affect the way the razor shaves...technically. It will however cause you to use the razor in a different fashion because of feel or balance or maybe bulk. often this means you hold it a tad different and slight differences can translate to big shaving differences in the shave.