Shavette as Sharpness Reference

Hi Folks,

I've own couple of straight razors for few months, shaved with some success, but still the shave is not as smooth (but is closer) as I get with DE.

I suspect that can't get them sharp enough, when I hone it (few very light strokes in DMT-E then BBW with light slurry, then Coticule, and no pressure other than the steel weight) it gets sharp.

My stropping is good enough, I could maintain the original edge, I feel it could be sharper, because I have to make some effort and thus get some bumps.

My last idea is to get a Shavette as a reference for sharpness? or is it a whole different animal?

Thanks in advance,
D.

You can get a straight razor blade up to the same level of sharpness as a shavette if you know what you are doing, but they are slightly different.

A well honed straight will have the same edge profile as a shavette, but the shavette blade is coated in teflon as well which gives increased glide and that slightly "over-sharp" feeling that some people dont like.

I follow a bit of advice from JimmyHAD about sharpness testing and that is to get hold of a DE blade and use that as a benchmark. That works great for me and I use this as a benchmark for my own honing efforts.

A straight razor shave should be smooth, close and comfortable and if it isnt then it'll be an issue with technique, prep, stropping or the edge itself. Dont automatically assume that a shaving issue is a problem with the razor, as its more likely to be an issue with one of the other points..!

You need a good lather, good stropping and the proper angles and skin stretching (as well as a good edge) to get the best possible shaves.

In terms of the hones you are using I am unfortunately unable to comment, at least until I get a BBW and coti myself! I use Shaptons and I know what the grits are for each stone and I dont have any naturals. JimmyHAD, Lynn, Glen and Bart, amonget others, are all experienced BBW/Coti users and would be able to give more advice about how to use these stones.

Good luck!

I'd say your money would be better spent just sending one of your razors out to one of the professional honers. That'll give you an apples for apples comparison.

I don't own a coti... yet.. but its my understanding that its usual for there to be some gentle tugging from an edge honed with one. Nothing unpleasant, though.

I agree to send it out. Afterall your going to be using a straight now. Comparing it to a DE or a Shavette is apples and oranges because they are so different. Once you get your straight done by a master you will know true sharpness.

I have both and using the disposable straights to learn how to straight shave has greatly helped me in maintaining my fixed straight razors. Lets just say, I truly know how they should perform and this knowledge helped me work out the details of maintaining fixed straight razors.

Let the professionals hone your razor as they know the finer details of how to sharpen a straight razor and they have all the tools. Then you can do your part in maintaining the edge as long as possible and it sound like you have the tools to do it.

Good Luck,

Pabster

Hey all - I'm having a similar issue myself and would really appreciate some help. I have a Dovo straight that a friend gave me (after getting frustrated with straight shaving) and a Dovo Shavette. I've been using the Shavette for a week or two now (while the real Dovo was away getting professionally honed), and I'm getting pretty good with it - but of course slow and still learning. I was all excited when I got the real Dovo SE back today, but it just wasnt nearly as sharp, especially after a few strokes. I'm testing sharpness both on body hair and in shaving. And though I'm not 100% confident in my stropping method, I'm pretty confident I'm doing it right, as I got some good instruction from a shop - and after stropping the Dovo SE just doesnt compare to the Shavette, which has been used 3-5 times. FYI I am using a regular Dovo leather strop with the black Dovo sharpening paste. . I would prefer to use the real SE, I like the feel of it more, and I dont mind the stropping, but it seems like it cant be as sharp as the disposables. (FYI, I'm using the Dovo brand little blades with the red holder - I've ordered other disposable blades which are on the way. I've also ordered the green and black Dovo Shavette blade holders and blades to go in them.). It was done by a cutlery shop that I trust.

Is it just that the disposable blades are much sharper and the real SEs cant compete head to head? Does one just have to use a different technique with the SE, and it doesnt need to be as sharp? From some of the answers here the Dovo straight should be as sharp as the Shavette, but I'm not sure how that can be given my experience, or what it is I need to do differently.

I also wonder, if I decide the disposable straight edge is the way to go, if it's worth investing in one of those Feather replaceable straight edge blades. Really appreciate your help - running a bit blind here. The guy at the cutlery shop I'm dealing with doesnt really know that much about razors (which I think is why he actually sends the razors out to get honed). Really appreciate any help anyone can give.

The best de blades i have used and we use them daily ,for shaving clients is perma sharp. They are used by turkish barbers and trust me they are super smooth. Compared to straights /shavettes are to be fair sharper , but can cause more iritation, only if you use to much pressure. You need ultra light touch with any shavette. Straights are more forgiving, when honed well , you will be surprised how smooth and comfortable the shave can be. You can achieve just that of the coticule alone, by following the dilucot method, plus paste if you need. Practice is what it takes.

Having 3 types of disposable straight razors and some very nice fixed straight razors I have been though a similiar process. My $20 disposable SR version shaves just as well as the $100 version. It is just not as fancy looking. The blades are both stainless steel and made in Japan which leads me to believe they could be made by the same manufacturer or similiar competitors.

It was good to have disposable straight blades to insure my shaving progress moved forward when learning. After ordering my first Dovo Tortoise (honed), I felt it shaved smoother after I gave is some laps on my pasted strop. Then I had to figure out how to maintain this to my comfort zone. I went through this process with my other fixed staight razors and each one is a little different - how many shaves before using the pasted strop was the biggest difference.

At first, I loved the disposables, but after some time and getting to understand the caring process of my fixed straight razors, I started to prefer them and appreciated their refinement for straight shaving.

Disposables always come in handy for traveling, loaning out to friends, or when you just want to skip the stropping business or don't want to lay out alot of money to get into Straight Shaving. I get about 5 good shaves out of each blade, so they last a while.

I get finer edges on the fixed staights when stropping than disposables. But disposables are thicker at the bevel creating a different pitch to the point. Also, they don't flex like my full hollows.

You are on the right track, just don't rush it or be too hard on yourself. I was not an overnight success. In fact, I had to use my Mach 3 several times to clean up the shave when I was learning then I started to use it less and less and the day came when I retired it. (about 15-20 shaves)

Pabster