Thread: Shavette

I'm sure you guys have been asked this question a lot, but for sake of searching 100's of posts;

Just for purposes of traveling, what do you guys think of a Shavette. They priced reasonably and I won't have to carry a strop nor worry about damage or loss to one of my collection.

I understand they're not quite like the "real thing" but how bad (or good) are they?

Opinions...

Pelkey

I would say go for it .The main thing with a shavette is to try a few different blades & find a blade that you can get on with .
I have a few examples of shavettes & I found my own personal favorite of these is the X - D20 by Sanguine Coolcut.
I got mine from Hairdressing Scissors - Xperia Scissors - Sanguine, Hair Scissors
The more I use this the more Ilike it, the heft & handling seems more like the wieght of a straight .
I prefere this to the shavette by Dovo but like most things this is a personal thing .
But it's cheep & easy to replace should it ever get lost when I'm travelling abroad .
I hope this helps .
Cheers Paul

Might be a quite a good idea mate. Iv also been thinking about this too as im supposed to be going on holiday.
The other option is a DE (double edge/ safety razor). I was thinking it would be a good move as you get a good shave and the blades last about 10 shaves.
You can get a Wilkinson Sword DE that shaves well and gives a good shave for very little money.

It depends what you want of it. If your thinking of a cheap substitute for a straight its not the way to go. It really isn't a straight by feel or the way it shaves however if you adjust to it's unforgivenness and light flimsy feel you can get a very good shave from it and of course the price is right though the replacement blades add up over time. If you want the straight experience get the real deal if you can afford one and there are plenty of vintage models on the sales forum.

If you'll read my original post you'll notice that I was asking about a razor to use while traveling. I can in fact afford the "real deal" and have a fair collection. It is for the purpose of my own personal convenience and the protection of that collection that I was asking.

Pelkey

I own and use vintage, new and disposable straights. I think the disposable would make a good travel shaver. I might even recommend one of the very inexpensive ones. If you lose it, no problem.

As a tour musician for any years I used and traveled with a shavette. It made things very easy, just bought a pack of blades where ever I was. The Derby Professional pre-cut single edge are great. Feathers are ultra aggressive. As previously stated, is best to try a different blades & find a blade that works for you.

If the str8s you own are expensive ones or if there is a sentimental attachment to them then you might want to think about traveling with a cheaper shavette. No sense in losing an expensive razor.

I have used shavettes both on myself and customers with good results. It's true they are lighter, but with the proper preparation you can get some nice shaves using one.

Hi Scott,

That's exactly what I'm trying to achieve, i.e., protecting my expensive and irreplaceable razors. Also I really don't want to lug a strop along. Can you give me an idea what shaving with a Shavette vs. "the real thing" is like.

Thanks,
Pelkey

Originally Posted by bobpell

I'm sure you guys have been asked this question a lot, but for sake of searching 100's of posts;

Just for purposes of traveling, what do you guys think of a Shavette. They priced reasonably and I won't have to carry a strop nor worry about damage or loss to one of my collection.

I understand they're not quite like the "real thing" but how bad (or good) are they?

Opinions...

Pelkey

Check out the Feather as well.

You can remove the blade same as a
Shavette so even if you cannot get
the sharp bits past TSA you can get
the rest...

I like mine a lot. To me it is as close
to an open blade str8 as any. They now
have three different blades (OK 4) so
it may be possible to get close to your
favorite str8.

To me they are a relentless challenge. Did
I hone and strop well. So far never as sharp
as the feather.....