Thread: Which is sharper?

So I'm a newbie who just had my barber give me a straight razor shave, my first. We talked afterwards about the best starter blade. He says the shavettes, with their high tech egdes, are sharper than traditional solid blades, no matter how fine you sharpen them. He says solids are "rougher" in feel on the face.
Now he's used solids to shave himself for years, and he's been a barber 21 years, so there may be something to it. Or is there?
So with so many of you out there with the experience of both disposable straight razors and the best of traditional blades, I humbly ask for your thouhgts.
Thanks in advance!

A traditional razor shaves with a little more pull and a little more smoothness. A shavette is sharper with a little less forgiveness. If I were to shave others I think I might just go with a shavette style. But to shave myself I prefer the traditional. Its greater forgiveness allows me to shave myself without nicking me with every tiny little error. To me smoothness is very important. The whisker can be there all day and its ok, but life is too short to live with a day of irritation.

You'll probably nick yourself more often with a Shavette than with a traditional.

The sensation you prefer is something only you can decide. You'll get worse shaves with a traditional until you know how to use it. Its not for the casually interested.

When we speak of Shavettes you have to remember that there is more than one blade that goes into a Shavette style razor.

Originally Posted by 9Barrett9

So I'm a newbie who just had my barber give me a straight razor shave, my first. We talked afterwards about the best starter blade. He says the shavettes, with their high tech egdes, are sharper than traditional solid blades, no matter how fine you sharpen them. He says solids are "rougher" in feel on the face.
Now he's used solids to shave himself for years, and he's been a barber 21 years, so there may be something to it. Or is there?
So with so many of you out there with the experience of both disposable straight razors and the best of traditional blades, I humbly ask for your thouhgts.
Thanks in advance!

Mi fahter 80 years old opined equal and prefer gillete.
I still can not judge because I have sharpened my straights myself.

Greetings

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

A traditional razor shaves with a little more pull and a little more smoothness. A shavette is sharper with a little less forgiveness. If I were to shave others I think I might just go with a shavette style. But to shave myself I prefer the traditional. Its greater forgiveness allows me to shave myself without nicking me with every tiny little error. To me smoothness is very important. The whisker can be there all day and its ok, but life is too short to live with a day of irritation.

You'll probably nick yourself more often with a Shavette than with a traditional.

The sensation you prefer is something only you can decide. You'll get worse shaves with a traditional until you know how to use it. Its not for the casually interested.

When we speak of Shavettes you have to remember that there is more than one blade that goes into a Shavette style razor.

I Totaly agree with Alan, I shave my face with straight approx 30 years and I dont change the feeling and smoothness of a real straight with anything else inclunding Shavette style razors!

When I am feeling lazy I use my shavette and usually pay for my laziness with a little blood. It cuts effortlessly, using a Gillette brand blade at that, with no sensation as it wipes the stubble off of my face but it always leaves behind more irritation and should my concentration slip it often nicks the skin.

When I use my traditional straights on the other hand I feel every whisker cut. Not as a pull or with any pain but just the ting ting ting of hairs popping off the edge and a slight amount of resistance. When my concentration is all it should be my face comes smooth with no irritation and nothing but a cooling sensation as I splash on alcohol afterwards.

Shavettes are nice in that they're convenient and sharp as heck, but I can't seem to get away without a weeper or irritation. My face is sensitive, and after getting used to the traditional straight, it's the only thing I can use to be sure my chin's not going to wind up with red spots.
A pasted strop can make my straight cut effortlessly as a shavette and I still don't get te weepers.

I've heard of people 'corking' DE blades...would that maybe help with the Shavette or Feather AC blades?

my belief in corking is, if you feel like you have to "dull" a blade to get a better shave then that blade is certainly not for you.