Thread: Dovo Shavette vs. Straight Razor

I keep getting contradictory advise when I speak to the local barbers. Some tell me there's nothing that beats a properly honed and stropped straight razor, and others tell me why bother? You can get a disposable stainless steel blade just as sharp and use a Shavette.

I've had a couple of barber shaves, both of which they used a Shavette, and I must admit, I was very pleased with the outcome. Much better than I have achieved myself with my properly sharpened razor. I know i know... the barber needs work! I do need practice, but the problem is, I can't yet tell how to really determine if my razor is sharp enough.

I own one real Dovo straight razor purchased off of Ray at classicshaving, which was professionally sharpened by a local cutlery business - and it is slowly losing it's edge.

I NEED something to keep the shaves as good and SHARP as can be, while i'm learning how to maintain my own straight razor AND shave my face properly, so my question is this:

Is the Dovo Shavette the item to purchase? If so, what size blades (they have the red, black, and yellow holder for different size razors)?

How do those disposable Personna (i think that's the brand), or Fromm throw-away blades compare to a keen straight razor? What kind of disposable blade is the best to purchase?

Thanks for all the help guys!

Very much a personal choice, but I find the disposable straight razors very unforgiving when shaving. They do a fine job though. I really do prefer the real thing. I have about 300 shavers and 1 Feather disposable. Once you get the honing down, you'll really enjoy it. Like tying your own flies.....lol. How long between the time you had it honed and now? Let us know if we can help you. Lynn

I had a batch of Personna rigid back blades that fit into a very cheap Fromm look-alike disposable. Man, talk about nasty. The blades had little burrs that stuck out. As if learning to shave with a straight wasn't bad enough, now there are extra burrs on the blade to really slice me up good.

I prefer a regular straight razor anyday. For keeping one sharp, you might check out HandAmerican.com and look at their flatbed hones and chromium oxide & boron carbide pastes. If you have a razor that's slightly dulled from use, pastes tend to do a good job bringing the edge back. Some of the guys like the diamond pastes Ray sells at ClassicShaving.com. You can't go wrong buying from Keith or Ray. I think that Tony Miller here on the board also sells paddle strops with pastes too.

I always assumed that nothing beat a properly sharpened straight razor... but the problem is, I have NO clue how to detect a properly sharpened straight razor. The reason I'm interested in a disposable blade/shavette is if it'll be able to give me a SHARP shave everytime until I learn how to sharpen my razor on my own.

I know that I feel pull when shaving now, and I didn't feel pull when in the barbers chair with a disposable. That may be because it wasn't my hand doing the pulling though.

I know to look for a very fine, thin, mirror-like edge on a straight razor, and test to see if the hairs on my arm pop off prior to shaving... but I have no clue how to do the thumb/thumbnail test even after reading the tutorials. I just can't feel the difference. Could anyone show me any pictures/images of these tests being performed?

I have a pasted strop, and have carefully given my slightly-dulling razor 15 laps on the .25 diamond paste, but the shave wasn't great - I can't tell if the shave wasn't great because the blade wasn't sharp, or because I'm still a crappy barber! The problem for me, is that I can't seem to knock down one possibility before the other. I very well could have over-stropped it on the paddle strop for all I know.

It's just like 'Zen and the Art of Motorcyle Maintenance'... you just gotta narrow it down and find out what one of the problems is before you strip that last screw.

So no one recommends the Shavette? If only to use while practicing sharpening my real straight razor?

Suggestions?

Well, the shavette might help you get used to the strange angles your arms, hands, and elbows with have to get into when using the straight. Also, you can practice pulling your skin tight with your off hand. I think it would help you continue to learn the motions.

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If you're dealing with trying to get your regular straight back into shape, then use the shavette. If you want to get that straight back into nasty sharp shape, see about sending it to Lynn, David Uthe, or any of the other honemeisters here to get it scary wicked sharp.

As for how many laps, I dunno. For me, it's a sound and feel deal. I take a razor that's a little off and begin on the boron carbide, and go with that until it just feels right. I then wipe the razor and repeat on the chromium oxide, again, sound and feel. I then wipe the razor, hit the linen for 20-30 laps, then hit the plain strop for 25-50 laps. I try to go much slower when hitting the pasted strop, mainly for the extra tactile feedback. The sound changes from a little gritty sound at the beginning to a very smooth sound at the end. It's usually somewhere in the 30-50 lap range. Make sure you're just using enough pressure to keep the edge on the strop, nothing more.