Thread: Are these any good?

Amazon.com: Dovo Silver Shavette Satin Finish Straight Razor with Red Holder-Matt Look: Health & Personal Care

Apparently thats a Dovo straight razor with removable blades and was wondering if this a good way to start out shaving instead of buying a straight razor for like hundreds of dollars.

Hello Mathew,
I don't know about disposible/removable blade straights, the reviews indicate that some people do enjoy them.
I would not start with them, but buying a good straight does not require hundreds of dollars. If you look in our classified section above, there are several great shavers under $100.00 , some under $50.00.

Enjoy your journey & don't forget to read the Library section above.

I have personally never used a shavette type razor, but lots of guys who have do say they are a good intro to straight shaving. But bear in mind they're not quite the same and a straight will behave differently to a shavette.

I saw your other post and was going to suggest either a shavette or a DE (i.e. double edge or safety razor) to begin your journey of escape from cartridges. Another alternative is to get a vintage blade from the classifieds here on SRP, or a sight unseen razor from Larry at Whippeddog.com. Just bear in mind that the sight unseen will shave well but may be less than pretty.

One other thing: remember that the razor itself is only part of the equation. A BIG part of the advantages of wet shaving is properly preparing your face/beard with a brush and soap or cream. I.e. no canned goop. You can find an entry-level brush at most drug stores, and soaps or creams like those made by Proraso (which is also quite widely available) or Body Shop's maca root cream are affordable and excellent choices for starting out.

But before you buy anything, take some time to do some reading in the forum here as well as the Wiki (the "Library" link near the top left of the page) There is a TON of info on the site here, and the search box at the top right can also be your best friend.

And when you have questions, continue to ask away!

EDIT: you beat me to it John!

My personal experience has been that those shavettes are harder to use than a real straight. I can grab any straight in my collection, regardless of grind, size, or shape, and get a great shave with no blood loss. I use a shavette, and I am lucky not to cut myself. I can't say I've put a whole lot of effort into shaving with them, a handful of times was enough for me really.

In the end though, it's only money. A good razor can outlast it's owner, and they hold their value well if you decide it isn't for you.

I would suggest the Feather SS folder over the Dovo- I have this model and it shaves very similar to a regular straight and the weight/feel is similar, the blade length is a little shorter which is nice around the neck area. If you don't want to deal with strops, and honing. You might invest $120, and then the continued cost of blades. A real straight will most likely out last you and can be had for less, like I said just depends on what you want to deal with, nothing wrong with a single blade disposable.

I have the money to buy a rather decent straight razor but my only concern about buying on the marketplace is the sanitation aspect.

Originally Posted by Mathew

I have the money to buy a rather decent straight razor but my only concern about buying on the marketplace is the sanitation aspect.

They're steel (much like surgical instruments)...if you buy from SRD or other vendors who professionally hone they have been honed, sanitized and very much prepared for you before you get them, and you can sanitize them yourselves if you wish. I've never heard of anyone having a problem related to cleanliness and/or lack thereof with a SR.

I started with a shavette and even though it did give me an idea on how to shave with a straight razor I think the two are totally different animals. I found that the shavette was alot less forgiving than a straight is. I thought that I was going to save money using a straight, but kind of turned out to be addictive. If you can control impulse buying it is pretty cheap. Good luck.

If you can stand cutting yourself almost every shave for several weeks you can start with a Shavette. Don't worry, cuts are minor if you are careful and heal almost over night. Like its been said already, a Shavette is less forgiving because it is sharper than the average Str8. If you are very very careful and learn little by little, you will soon master the Shavette and not have invested in all the equipment for and the Str8 itself.

The DOVO is a good Shavette. I would get one with the red insert for half a standard blade. What to do is up to you! To me a Shavette is ideal because I don't need the time, the equipment, the trouble and the money to maintain a sharp edge on a Str8, but still use the same technique with my Shavette. If you like the challenge, a Str8 is for you and should be the better choice in the long run.

If you want to start and invest very little Dollars you can get a Sedef Shavette. It is my favorite and resembles a Str8 best, but is much lighter, which is why not everyone likes it. The DOVO is not much heavier by the way....

Best wishes,
OldSalt

Many say that a shavette is a good start into straight shaving, I don't agree, at all.

If you want to learn how to shave with a straight, get one and learn.

After I'd been straight shaving for awhile, I saw one of those Parker shavettes and got it to try...while it certainly gave a close shave, it was very harsh, and if your skill level isn't up there, a shavette will bite you quicker than a straight any day in my opinion.

Now the nicer Feather shavettes, with nice blades, much different story, very nice I'm told. But the cheap one's are exactly that, cheap. You get what you pay for.

Now if you don't want all the maintenance that goes with a real straight, invest in a nice shavette and enjoy - I'd advise a Feather shavette, do a forum search and you'll see some real beauties.