Thread: Could use a bit of advice

The Rockwell looks OK for the price.
Wasn't a fan of the astra blades.
Like Bob suggested, a se is an option.

If you are not in a hurry I would go the vintage route with a DE or SE

Have you looked at the Rolls Razor?

Sharpen similar to a straight etc.

I will say for myself it was the largest learning curve for an SE that I have experienced though.
Blade angle is very important!

They were made during a transition time and maybe that is what you need or want in your situation?

Originally Posted by STF

Thanks for the advice guys but, I don't know where my head was at.

It was only the other day on a different thread that recounted how Outback had generously sent me 4 razors when he discovered that I only had one straight when I started and a shavette as my backup while it was out being honed.

I never did use that shavette but I still have it and it occurs to me that I could use it just as well as a DE Razor if I found a real straight inconvenient at a motel or couldn't strop because of an injury.

It wasn't expensive or great quality probably but it does have a cheapo case to keep it in as well as 100 Derby single edge blades.

I think I might go for a shave with it in a minte and see how I get on.

Attachment 335852

I just shaved with that shavette.

I cut myself twice on the first pass and very very cautious after that. I am used to weilding my straights reaonably quickly now but that was a huge mistake with the shavette.

I use the toe and heel when I shave, obviously that is another thing i can't do with a shavette, shaving with the end of a razorblade didn't work well for me, ouch.

I won't say it was a bad shave because I think with practice i will get almost bbs at least but this time I felt just like I did the first time i tried to touch a straight blade against my face, terrifiying.

Two things I have noticed also, loading the blade into it is very awkward, I'm convinced I'm going to have a nasty accident pushing a new razor blade into the thing and pushing it down to seat it, and I need to figure out someway of disposing with the blades so I don't end up hurting the garbage guys. I will probabably have to get one of those blade bank things.

If those Derby blades are not up to much, I imagine feather blades would fillet me cause Derbies will do for me, to learn with at least.

I'm so happy that Outback sent those 4 razors because if I had had to use that shavette in the first month of shaving I would propably be back to my Gillettes and can of lazy shave.

Shavette's are great too in a pinch!

No need for a blade bank. Use an empty tin can. The whole thing can go in the recycling bin.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

DE's come in all flavors. Try an original R 41 with a feather blade and just shave away with wild abandon and you'll be headed for the emergency room..

Damn, ya trying kill the guy? Ha. Talk about a bloody mess.

Different Shavettes work differently. The Feather Shavette is the best made.in my opinion.

As said, a tin can or Sucrets container or something like it (altoids) is an easy way to contain old blades safely.

But remember the reason for all of this. You find yourself with damaged hands or fingers. A DE or SE is a much better way to go. Edwin Jagar makes a good basic DE. Along with a lot of other makers.

While i mostly use a straight, there are times when a safety DE/SE is handy. I have collected quite a few and they are all different (and fun to try IMO). If you're into antique stores that's where i would start looking. Usually a nice gillette can be had for very cheap , just to get you started.

On shavettes:

Some cheap ones work pretty good. Some not so cheap ones, pretty bad. The types that use a slide-in holder are usually not very secure. You want the most solid mechanical joining of blade and razor you can get. The type with the swinging clasp on the spine that holds the two side together usually works pretty good. The cheap ones of that type with the teardrop shaped cutouts in the scales that are all over Amazon, fleabay, and aliexpress work okay. On aliexpress there are also a lot of Feather AC knockoffs, including some that take half DE blades but have the same general design and styling as a Feather. I have several different shavettes and my half DE blade phony pheather is my go-to, with half of a genuine Feather DE blade in it. I really like the Feather DE blades in a shavette. If it seems too sharp to you, try corking the blade, one pass. And keep your shave angle dead low and skin stretched very tight. Make sure you have the blade positioned properly or you will have a very regrettable shave.

On DE:

Personally I favor the adjustable Gillettes. I have a gold plated Adjustable Aristocrat and a gold plated Executive. I seldom use them, but that's only because I seldom use a DE. Vintage Gillettes rock, and adjustables even more so. Try a range of settings with your favorite blade, set it and forget it. Cheaper than trying a half dozen different razors to find the level of aggressiveness that works best for you.

On other types:

I also have a few hoe handle wedge blade sets. If you are looking for convenience, these really aren't the way to go. They still need honing and stropping, and getting good results can be a bit more challenging than with a straight razor. They are interesting and cool, though. My favorite is my Henckels set but I am partial to my Kampfe Bros. lathercatchers, too. More modern GEM style razors just don't do it for me. What I do like and use occasionally is the E or G type Schick Injector. Nice shave, blades about double the price of DE blades but not so expensive that it will take food off the table. Just remember that the first blade you inject into an empty razor is sacrificial. Loading a blade into an empty razor will often ruin the edge. The system is meant to work by pushing the old blade out with the new blade, and so a second blade must be injected into the razor when you start with an empty one. The Chinese Schick blades ("Chicks") are pretty good, and that's what I use. Yellow pack. The injectors overall are a very hassle free shave and the single blade format resists clogging but you still get the comfortable hoe-handle form factor. Vintage razors are cheap on fleabay. Cool, but also practical.

Thanks for that, a lot of very useful information to think about.

I just got pretty fair with a straight over the past 2 years so you can imagine how happy I wasn't to discover that a DE or even Shavette is a whole other complicated world with different razors mixed in with different blades.

A person could spend years and a fortune trying to get the perfect combination of razor and blade I reckon, just as well those things don't need honing or I would probably blow a fuse if I had to consider that as well eh.

Originally Posted by STF

Thanks for that, a lot of very useful information to think about.

I just got pretty fair with a straight over the past 2 years so you can imagine how happy I wasn't to discover that a DE or even Shavette is a whole other complicated world with different razors mixed in with different blades.

A person could spend years and a fortune trying to get the perfect combination of razor and blade I reckon, just as well those things don't need honing or I would probably blow a fuse if I had to consider that as well eh.

You are making things more complicated than they are as far as a DE and some blades goes. You will only be using for travel the odd time so you won't really have seriously good technique with a DE in the first place and also because of that even a really good blade may feel like crap to you. When I started using DE razors people just bought what was available locally, usually a Gillette of some description, and some blades. That was all they used till they possibly broke or lost the razor. It still is really that simple but not if you are a "hobby" shaver.

Bob

Originally Posted by BobH

You are making things more complicated than they are as far as a DE and some blades goes. You will only be using for travel the odd time so you won't really have seriously good technique with a DE in the first place and also because of that even a really good blade may feel like crap to you. When I started using DE razors people just bought what was available locally, usually a Gillette of some description, and some blades. That was all they used till they possibly broke or lost the razor. It still is really that simple but not if you are a "hobby" shaver.

Bob

Actually, their are three DE razors that I am considering.

Rockwell R1, Rockwell 6c & Muhle R41