Thread: shavette questions..

should i get one? what type? from where? long blade/ short blade? soooooo confused !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You can purchase shavettes that cost as little as $10. You can purchase Feather Artist Club DX shavettes that cost close to $300. There are also a variety of products with prices in between the two extremes.

The lower priced shavettes generally use 1/2 of a DE blade. You can purchase blades that come cut in half, or you can purchase a pack of DE blades and cut them in half with scissors. The issue with the less expensive shavettes is that they are often quite lite, poorly constructed, and may not have proper balance. I tried a cheap one from Sally Beauty Supply and hated it. I now shave with real straight razors along with DE razors and a newly acquired SE razor.

There are some mid-priced shavettes that still use the 1/2 blades. Dovo is one such shavette. It is going to be better made and better balanced than the cheapest ones. My barber uses a Dovo for shaving the necks of customers. Parker is another alternative in the mid-range.

The best and most expensive shavettes are the Feather Artist Club SS and DX series razors. These are the ones most likely to perform like a real straight razor. These razors use Feather Artist Club style blades that look like SE injector blades, but they are slightly longer than the old Schick injector blades. These blades are made by Feather, Kai and even by Schick Proline. You can adjust the aggressiveness of your shavette by your choice of blade. Feather products are made in Japan and are known for their quality. If you are interested in these razors, be sure to research the difference between the SS and DX series razors.

Although I have never used one of the Artist Club shavettes, I recently acquired a Above the Tie SE1 single edge razor that uses Artist Club style blades. I shaved yesterday with the SE1 using a Feather Artist Club Professional blade (mid-range aggression) and got a superb shave: very close, no nicks, no irritation.

Shavettes are used by many professional barbers as many states do not allow the use of a traditional straight razor. For home use, the advantage to using a shavette is that it can give you a shave similar to a straight razor without having to worry about having to maintain the edge using hones and strops. However, many forum members love the experience of shaving with a real straight razor.

I purchased a shavette as a step into straight razors. Now that I have a few SRs, the shavette doesn't get used.

If I have to shave with a razor with a disposable blade instead of a straight razor I use a DE/SE. I see no reason to buy a shavette other than to try one out if you are already using a straight razor.

Bob

what kind did you use?

thank you for the in depth reply

Originally Posted by jaro1069

what kind did you use?

If you are asking me, I have not used any just gave you my pov on shavettes for what it is worth. In other words why bother if you have a straight razor already, as I have. If I want to use a disposable blade razor I'll use a DE/SE which I already have.

RayClem in post #2 gave you as good an answer as any. You just have figure out what price point you want to buy in at.

Bob

After shaving with a DE for a while, and being curious about straights, I bought a Parker shavette. It was cheap (around $15 CAD if I remember correctly), and I already had DE blades around, so it was a low risk investment. But it almost immediately convinced me that I wanted to get into straights. I think I bought a straight razor and strop about 2 weeks later, and never used the shavette again. I ended up giving it to a friend who was interested but not willing to take the plunge into the SR world.

So if you are interested in a shavette as an entry into SRs, I would recommend just jumping in, and forget the shavette step.

If you're already a straight shaver and just want a shavette for traveling or whatever, I'd say the Parker would be a great way to go, because it's not a big deal if you lose or break it.

If you're looking for a shavette because you just want to use a shavette, then go with your gut.

Originally Posted by jaro1069

should i get one? what type? from where? long blade/ short blade? soooooo confused !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As I sit here at the gym, I realized it's been a while since using my cheap fixed shavette. If you pm me your address, I can send it to you, as long with a couple blades that are still in the wrapper.

i started with the dovo shavette it came with 1 long blade. i used it a few times thinking of it as a trainer for straight razor. soon abandoned that idea realizing the best trainer for straight razor is a straight razor. i broke my teeth on it, it is like my first girlfriend. i still pick it up every now and again for touch ups, or to try something different. my local barber uses a dovo shavette for shaving, and razor fades.

i recently bought a focus R21 i got it for about $15. at first i didn't like it. turns out it was user error i ended up liking it after a few uses. i realized that it is not a dovo shavette, nor does it handle like a straight. the head , if you will, is much wider than dovo shavette, but didn't have an issue getting under nose. this is also 1/2 DE blade only, which was another issue for me. A 1/2 DE blade shavette does not perform like a long blade shavette. i put a 1/2 DE blade in dovo to compare, mine came with long blade holder, DE holder, and a third which i have lost. i was able to learn proper technique with both. and get decent shave with both. but as in above post i prefer a good SR. i have also read that technically a DE blade is sharper than a straight.

at approx $15 for a shavette you cant go wrong with the Focus R21. But i still prefer the Dovo which cost a bit more form an auction site. i feel like it gets the detail work done more efficiently, and i get better blade to face input. i still like them enough that i wont be selling of either of them.

since SR is my top choice for shaving, i personally can not justify spending any more on a fancier higher end shavette, might reconsider if i had to use one professionally.