Thread: Shavette Issues

I have several very well sharpened straight razors, and one Dovo Shavette. Sharpness is not the issue - my poor technique maybe - but not the razor. The other day, with about 5 days of beard stubble, I went into the bathroom for a shave.

The shave-ready straight razor (which I didn't even ruin yet with poor stropping) pulled my hair, and all I felt was drag. In the exact same manner and stroke, I then used the Dovo Shavette had no drag whatsoever, and it cut almost all of the hair.

Why is this?

As Lynn mentioned in another post, the shavette is quite unforgiving... it's a very flimsy blade, and it's quite easy to cut yourself with. Yet those cheap Personna laser-cut blades sliced that hair off with next to no friction; while my Dovo just sat there and hurt.

I don't want to give up on traditional straight razors - but even when sharpened by the masters, I can't get it to slide like the Shavette.

Let me know what you guys think. Thanks

Hi guy!

Your str8 razor MUST! be stropped before shaving with it. This was drilled home to me by Lynn and from personal experience. 30-40 round trips on a plain leather strop, held taut, using slow and easy strokes with only the amount of pressure needed to keep the razor flat on the strop. If the razor was honed using the X pattern then use the X pattern to strop with, edge trailing of course.

Hope this helps,

Hello,

First post here is a question on Shavette. Doesn't the shaving behaviour and feel of a Shavette depend on the materials purchased, e.g. aluminium or steel, and the type of blade holder and blade (3 types available) chosen?

Greetings,

lux

Shavette don't shave. The half of DE razor does. So, the shavette can be as sharp as DE blade, and is. Straight razor always has some pull compared with DE blade, but this doesen't mean that is less sharp. That is just the way it feels.

But, the weight of the shavette does make the diference. Ussualy, the heavier the better. You might consider Feather blade. classicshaving.com has them. It's a heavier than Shavette.

Have you used a Shavette with the other 2 longer types of blades than the halved standard DE? One of them is supposed to have a stiff back and is used also by the Fromm equivalent of a Shavette.

Is your Shavette steel or aluminium? What difference does this make in shaving?

Greetings,

lux

I learned to shave with the stainless shavette. Using the longer blades. After a few weeks I got it down and switched to a regular st8. The shavette is much less forgiving, and feels too light to shave with. I borrowed a feather and shaved with it for a week, much better IMO, still less forgiving then a real st8, but the weight and feel was more like a st8.

I found exactly the same thing to be true with a Feather str8. It's smoother and doesn't pull. It's just a feature of the super sharp machine made razor blades as compared to a man sharpened str8. I currently shave with an assortment of keen str8s. After a number of months my str8 shaving has reached a real comfort level, but the Feather is still smoother and doesn't pull. I might be inclined to consider it my still limited str8 experience, but my impression is shared entirely by a very accomplished str8 shaver.

I know Lynn says that a Feather is less forgiving, but I'm not sure what that means. It migh mean that if you're an accomplished str8 shaver the Feather is not as easy to use. I have heard atr8 shavers complain that they can't use a DE because it nicks them!

But I come from another direction. I have decades of experience with DE shaving. Although I shaved with str8s first, I took to the Feather the first time I used it. It's smooth feel and lack of pull are much more like a DE that is being used with no pressure. For me, the Feather is much more forgiving because of my experience. When I'm applying pressue to shave (even the small amount needed for a str8) I feel like I have less control. In a similar way, you may find the Shavette more forgiving. At the same time, I find str8s to be a lot of fun to use and I enjoy collecting them.

I keep the Feather in my rotation. I feel about it the way a guy feels about his best shaving str8. I would reach for it if I wanted my guaranteed best shave and the most comfort. I have a few str8s (like the SRP club razor) which are close behind.

I have a Shavette and I find the Feather to be smoother and sharper yet. It may be the weight of the Feather. It feels like a hefty str8. The Feather might also be a good choice for you in addition to the str8s.

One word of caution. As you get into maintaining your str8s, don't use the Shavette as a standard. I delayed my development in str8 maintenance quite a bit by trying to make the razors shave like a Feather and concluding I had not done a good job because I couldn't meet that standard.

Originally Posted by Incurve

I have several very well sharpened straight razors, and one Dovo Shavette. Sharpness is not the issue - my poor technique maybe - but not the razor. The other day, with about 5 days of beard stubble, I went into the bathroom for a shave.

The shave-ready straight razor (which I didn't even ruin yet with poor stropping) pulled my hair, and all I felt was drag. In the exact same manner and stroke, I then used the Dovo Shavette had no drag whatsoever, and it cut almost all of the hair.

Why is this?

As Lynn mentioned in another post, the shavette is quite unforgiving... it's a very flimsy blade, and it's quite easy to cut yourself with. Yet those cheap Personna laser-cut blades sliced that hair off with next to no friction; while my Dovo just sat there and hurt.

I don't want to give up on traditional straight razors - but even when sharpened by the masters, I can't get it to slide like the Shavette.

Let me know what you guys think. Thanks

Hello,

Received a stainless steel Shavette from Germany with all three types of blades and blade holders. Have been testing them. Here are some impressions.

The stainless steel Shavette is light but not flimsy. With all 3 types of blades it is stiff enough to shave with a feeling similar to a str8 but not as heavy. The Fromm type blades are stiffer than the other two but, once inserted with the blade holder into the Shavette, this difference does not translate into a greatly different shaving feel.

The length of the blades varies from a DE to about str8, with the Fromm type in between but closer to the str8. Each of the lengths has + and -. One can shave very precisely with the half DE, lopping off individual whiskers if desired. The DE is "managable" but, obviously, cuts a narrower swath. The other two blades are only 5 mm different from each other in length. The thinner blades seem sharper to me than the somewhat thicker Fromm type blade.

All three blade types are really sharp, sharper than a normal str8. Have not cut myself while actually shaving, but did so once when setting the blade onto the face. So concentration and attention are vital. The shaving angle is noticeably flatter than with a str8, about 20 degrees instead of 30. There is no singing, little or no resistance. The blades just cut the whiskers. No str8 romanticism involved.

Blade and blade holder changing is simple, no hassle. The blades and blade holders are stable in the Shavette.

Summary: effective, efficient shaves with considerable choices and control. Not as thrilling as a str8 but no honing and stropping either.

Greetings,

lux

Thanks for the info, Lux! So the DE blade isn't too flimsy when it's in place on the razor to shave confidently?

The DE blade is definitely not too flimsy in the stainless steel Shavette. The Shavette is rigid enough. However, do not know if the aluminium model is as stiff as the steel. The only issue is that the DE blade is much shorter than the Shavette. That takes a bit of getting used to, especially if one is accustomed to the length of a str8 razor. Safety razor users, on the other hand, have exactly the same swath they are familiar with.

Although the DE blade is only exposed by about 1.5 mm, that should not lull anyone into complacency. 1.5 mm is enough to cut through one's facial skin. So the care involved is definitely comparable to a str8 razor rather than a safety razor, especially since there is no curve and no guard on a Shavette.

Greetings,

lux