Dovo Shavette / Feather blade - first shave

Well I just had my first shave with a Dovo Shavette (thanks bpatton :) ), and for my first shave I decided to use half of a Feather DE blade.

Everything I'd heard before is true. The Feather blade is insanely sharp, and redefines the word 'unforgiving'. Having said that, things didn't go too badly.

I managed two passes, basically using the same stroke pattern/direction that I use with a normal straight. I used much less pressure than normal, it was pretty hard to judge as the razor was either off my skin completely or pressing too hard - it was very tricky to get it just right. Also I think I was using more blade angle then I should have been, I feel with the sharpness of the blade you need a much less agressive angle of attack - and the blade will still cut just fine.

I did 2 passes (1 less than usual) and I was BBS, it gave me a really close shave. However I had quite a bit of razor burn on my neck, and managed to open up quite a few weepers all over. The weepers mostly stopped after a cold water splash, and I got the last few with a pass using the alum block.

I felt it wasn't a bad result, I'm going to keep using it in my rotation but I think it's going to need a markedly different technique to using traditional straights. I also think the lather requirements are going to be different. With a traditional straight I use a thicker drier lather, but with the Shavette I feel a thinner slicker lather is probably going to work better.

I'm looking forward to trying out the Feather Artist Club when it arrives, I think it'll need similar technique to the Shavette.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Steelforge

I also think the lather requirements are going to be different. With a traditional straight I use a thicker drier lather, but with the Shavette I feel a thinner slicker lather is probably going to work better.

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I am new to straights and wet shaving, but let me say, I believe a drier lather would be very risky with a feather blade. My soap dries out fast and as I said in my thread, the feather sticks to it. I even added glycerin so I think the slicker the lather the better.
As a newbie I blame the lather and not my technique only because I had the blade almost flat against my skin and came out with only a bit of razor burn. It was awkward coz the blade kept sticking and I thought I was going to end up with a crevasse in my face.

Definitely slick is the way.