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Hey guys, I was thinking about purchasing one of the DOVO Shavettes offered on e-Bay. I think they're around $30.00. I already use a Merkur safety razor, but have a very nice old Wade & Butcher I'm going to send to Lynn for honing and before I do that, I was wanting to sort of learn the straight razor method. Thought I'd try a shavette. Opinions?
I have mixed thoughts about this.
The reason is because I'd helped a young man in India get started using a 'true' straight razor as he'd used his grandfather's DE and a Shavette. When he got the two straight razors that I'd sent him he had a hard time adjusting as the Shavette was about 1/2 as long.
He finally got the hang of using the longer razor.
I've Never Used a Shavette so I'm not qualified to comment further.
Just my two bits ($0.25) worth :shrug:
If you have a good razor to use, use it. There are a few in the classifies right now for 50-55 spend it there, have a second blade and go with it.
You already took the bite and have a blade, the shavette seems like you are making the same middle step twice.
p.s. I started on a shavette and have nothing against them.
I would be inclined to wait until the Wade and Butcher has been honed since you seem to be heading down that route. IMHO, just buy one of the cheap shavettes from ebay if you want to buy one - shavettes are just a holder for the razor blades which do the cutting and they're so much cheaper. Of course, unless you wish to use the shavette as your preferred means of shaving, the DOVO may be worth the extra money.
If it were me I would consider another option
Another option: For the price of a DOVO shavette and blades, you could head over to Larry @ Whipped Dog and get a Sight Unseen razor or two.
Hmmm... so the general consensus on the shavette forum is not to use a shavette? OK
I wouldn't say 'The General Consensus' is not to use a Shavette. I 'think' what you are hearing is that there's nothing 'Wrong' with using one, it's just that they are 'different' than a True Straight Razor.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ferrarimondial
I've found that 99.9% of EVERYTHING to do with shaving with a straight razor is 'Personal Preference'!!!!
As my friend pfries said:
"If you have a good razor to use, use it. There are a few in the classifies right now for 50-55 spend it there, have a second blade and go with it.
You already took the bite and have a blade, the shavette seems like you are making the same middle step twice.
p.s. I started on a shavette and have nothing against them".
If you wish to start with a Shavette, then do so! :tu If you wish to go further in the journey and use a true straight razor, please do!
No matter which path you take at the fork in the road, its a long strange journey but well worth the trip:tu
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ferrarimondial
As noted by Roy I started on a shavette and have nothing against them.Quote:
Originally Posted by cudarunner
the reason my .02 came out like that is you stated " but have a very nice old Wade & Butcher I'm going to send to Lynn for honing"
So I made the suggestion to help limit the variables.
They are a bit different, learn one at a time, I personally don't think throwing both in the mix at once is a great idea.
If you are stepping toward a traditional straight do it, or set it aside and head the route of the shavette for a bit.
Dovo, parker, feather, sally beauty supply all have them.
Get the W & B honed,
realize much of the advice given to those starting out is to help limit the variables, this can make troubleshooting easier and the learning curve shorter.
As I have stated before on SRP, some of us like the longer hard road, whichever you choose we will offer what we can.
Regards
Pat
Yes, have the Wade & Butcher honed, and use it. If you want a straight razor with replaceable blades, also referred to in general terms as the shavette, then opt for the Feather Artist Club DX. It is more expensive, far more, but it is a great razor. The Dovo Shavette is a light and thin razor using half of the standard double edge razor blade. The Feather uses its own Feather blades, which I think are the sharpest objects on earth. I find the Dovo Shavette flimsy and the balance far from ideal, whereas the Feather has heft and ideal balance.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ferrarimondial
Obie, Thank you for adding some solid 'facts' about the 'shavettes' as I originally posted:
(I've Never Used a Shavette so I'm not qualified to comment further. Just my two bits ($0.25) worth )
It is always so refreshing to hear from a voice of 'Experience' instead of one of 'Opinion' AND from a member who can be trusted to give good counsel :bow:
Thank you :tu
I started my straight journey by using a Dovo Shavette for a very short time using half DE blades. Then I upgraded to a Feather Artist Club SS using the Feather Pro injector blades, which I used almost 100% for 6 months. I learned to straight shave using the super sharp Feather Pro blades. When I converted to regular straights after those 6 months, there was almost no adjustment because regular straights I found to be more forgiving than the surgically sharp Feather blades.
Looking back at my own experience, if you already have a regular straight, then I see no point to getting a shavette. You can learn using a regular straight.
The main reason for using shavettes is mostly the convenience/cost factor just like Gillette's old safety razor slogan used to say "No stropping, No honing", just replace a blade and shave. No strop, no hone, no nothing. Oh also, almost no joy of the mystique of old fashioned shaving with a real knife blade, no pride of ownership and care of fine equipment, no Zen joy experiencing a new lifelong hobby. Straight shaving is a passionate romance whereas shavette shaving is more like "Wham bam, Thank you sir, Next!!".
Wait for your straight to be honed, then start shaving. Like already commented, you could get a Whipped Dog razor as a 2nd razor, as I did and which I still use and enjoy. Get a strop and some chromium oxide paste. Learn to do careful stropping with occasional blade refreshing with the paste. This will take you a long way down your journey. Enjoy your trip.
My thoughts exactly.Quote:
Originally Posted by Obie
The starting point should be a straight razor.
Once you have that mastered, you can go the disposable route, if you still want.
The Feather Artist Club offerings are a great way to get a disposable straight razor that will serve you well, when traveling or if you don't have the time for the straight razor maintenance.
Using a shavette type razor as "stepping stone" on the path to straight shaving is a mistake IMO, as a true straight is for more forgiving and a better learning tool.
Either way, the learning curve may be steep, but you don't have to make it any steeper by starting off with a shavette.
Shavettes are nice and give very close shaves. I would not discourage anyone from trying both.
If, however, your goal is to use the WB and could care less about the shavette: why waste your $?
if you want to try the shavette and you have already a DE (and supply of blades) and spending $30 to try it out: do it. Why not?