Thread: Disposable Straight Razor

After I stumbled across this website I have done some research into straight razors and I have become facinated by them ! At first I didnt think much of them, however after going to the barbers 1 day and seeing it being used, I WANT 1 ! Since I dont like the idea of honing a blade or having to maintain, I wish to purchase a Straight Razor which takes Disposable blades,
Is their anything different to consider ?
Is the technique different ?
Would it help if I was to change the blade after relathering ?
Thanks

Shavettes (as they are called) are actually trickier to shave with than a real straight, the sharpness of the blade makes them very unforgiving. On the whole it is better to start with a real straight but many people do start out with them.

You should be able to complete an entire shave with one blade and the skills are basically transferable, but there will most likely be blood.

I thought Shavettes are the disposables made by DOVO ? If their sharper than their real counter parts 1 could argue they offer a better shave ? How long into a shave would the blade start to show signs of dullness (pulling the hair) although their sharper than a real straight razor their also alot thinner and quicker to become duller. Thanks

Shavette's are indeed the disposables made by Dovo, but it is pretty much the accepted term for a razor that takes a disposable blade. (Like many will refer to any copier as a Xerox even if it's not made by Xerox etc)

The problem with them IMHO is not that the blades are sharper or not, it's that they don't "yield" as much and as such really take a gentle hand to prevent blood from flowing or from giving yourself razor burn etc... as to how many shaves per blade, that's not something easily answered since technique and how your whiskers are play heavily into it, but generally I was getting 2 - 3 shaves (3 pass) out of my DE (the shavette uses DE blades snapped in half)

There is nothing wrong with wanting to use a Shavette style razor, and there are quite a few good ones out there (I am not a fan of the Dovo one, I have it an really don't like it) but to be honest, if stropping etc is something you want nothing to do with, perhaps you may want to consider a DE style safety razor, you can get just as good a shave out of one as you can from a Shavette (IMHO) and they have a WAY lower learning curve as well as a WAY lower risk of slicing yourself up. They are a good way to introduce you to wet shaving in general

As for all the "work" that is required for a real SR, oddly enough, I find that now that I am taking the time in the morning to do the ritual of stropping, shaving etc, it makes me slow down and I find myself in a much better frame of mind for the day....... Plus I get a great shave!

Thank You very much for the advice

I found out a while back from my friends is that they take up to 15 minutes shaving whilst I take up to 45 minutes which really goes to say how much time and care I take whilst shaving and this 1 was one of the deciding factors along with cartridge prices is why im considering straight razor shaving.

I've done literally a tonne load of research about Straight Razor shaving and I've come to the conclusion that whilst holding a 4 inch blade isn't the best idea in the world, aslong as you know what you are doing it doesnt matter, i've chosen a Shavette because I don't have enough money for a standard razor plus the upward costs of honing and stropping it, DE blades cost next to nothing and If I was to use 1 blade per shave it would still last me quite a while !

I like to take my time with shaving and learning the art of Straight Razor shaving seems to be the "professional" way of shaving and plus if it yields a much closer shave than modern shaving methods, IM ALL FOR IT !

In my opinion the weck shavette, with personna blades are about as close to a real straight as you going to get, but these blades vary in quality and sharpness and although can get a good shave from them. They're not as good as a vintage straight, also you don't need to change the blade after he shave. As a matter of fact they usually get a little better after the first shaver to in my experience. This is just my opinion and my experience. YMMV.

Hi there
I use a shavette qute a bit nowadays & also when I travel.
I highly recomend Derby single edge blades, as they have a rounded profile to the spike & they are alot more forgiving than most of the other blades Iv'e tried.
Use a very light touch & shallow angle.
Go slowly & you should be ok.
I found that using a shavette improved my technique because it made me slow down & go a lot lighter.
Cheers Paul

I started with a shavette and still use it if staying overnight somewhere, I'm not going to fret if I forget the thing when leaving, it's one of those cheap and cheerful ones with plastic scales, but the business end is OK and does the job with a decent blade.
SWMBO is buying me an Edwin Jagger DE89Bl for my birthday so I will probably use that when I'm too lazy for a real shave with a straight.

Originally Posted by Don164

Thank You very much for the advice

i've chosen a Shavette because I don't have enough money for a standard razor plus the upward costs of honing and stropping it, DE blades cost next to nothing and If I was to use 1 blade per shave it would still last me quite a while !

Actually, I wouldn't be so sure of that. You can get a sight unseen deal from whipped dog for 54 bucks shipped. It includes a shave ready straight razor, a poor mans strop kit and pasted balsa. it's all you really need to shave with a SR. You would probably need to get honed once a year IF that with proper maint (Strop before and after each shave, use the pasted balsa when it starts to "tug" etc) and a honing from Larry at WD is 13 bucks,

A GOOD shavette will be 45 - 50 bucks plus blades (figure .50 a blade) and a blade lasts 3 - 5 shaves (at least that is what I get YMMV) so figure 6 blades a month at .5 a blade is 3 dollars a month is 36 dollars a year... Compared to 13 - 20 bucks for honing once a year (IF that)


Juss saying ..

Originally Posted by mcgyver74

Actually, I wouldn't be so sure of that. You can get a sight unseen deal from whipped dog for 54 bucks shipped. It includes a shave ready straight razor, a poor mans strop kit and pasted balsa. it's all you really need to shave with a SR. You would probably need to get honed once a year IF that with proper maint (Strop before and after each shave, use the pasted balsa when it starts to "tug" etc) and a honing from Larry at WD is 13 bucks,

A GOOD shavette will be 45 - 50 bucks plus blades (figure .50 a blade) and a blade lasts 3 - 5 shaves (at least that is what I get YMMV) so figure 6 blades a month at .5 a blade is 3 dollars a month is 36 dollars a year... Compared to 13 - 20 bucks for honing once a year (IF that)


Juss saying ..

Sir you make a valid point, as well as money being an issue, I respect the tradition behind maintaining a straight razor although i must admit, its not me ! I prefer a shave ready Razor everyday, Money wise, im from UK so DE blades are considerably cheaper and the Shavette I have chosen only costs £21.41