So when I first started moving to straight razors this time last year, I tried a shavette, with varied results due to inexperience. It was enough to have me move on to a cheap and cheerful £20 Gold Dollar straight, which I am well aware is pretty low on the quality scale, but thought it would be fine to get the hang of things.

About a year has passed and I'm enjoying my Dollar, I've gotten okay at a two pass shave, not BBS but good enough for government work. I'm on a work trip right now, and thought I'd take the shavette with me for simplicity, and got a smoother shave with a single pass than I do with my Dollar.

I'd thought up till now that my imperfections in smoothness were down to technique, but now I'm wondering whether the shavette is better generally than a straight, or is it time to upgrade my Dollar? Can you get a shavette level shave with a better quality straight?

I appreciate there's a lot of factors here, but generally how have others with the same experience trod? Thanks!