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I'm in Las Vegas for a seminar and I noticed that there's a Art of Shaving store that offers straight razor shaves. I said what the hell and went for the Royal Shave since I'd like to move from DE to Str8 shaving but haven't done so yet.
The barber used a shavette and the blade seemed to pull way more on the hair than my DE does. Will a fixed-blade str8 pull like this as well, or is the experience smoother if the blade is properly honed and stropped?
Thanks!
nope!...straight razors can be smoothed out and can be just as sharp..sometimes sharper depending on what's used...AOS makes good creams and oils..hardware is waaay overpriced..but getting a straight shave is kinda 50/50 IMO..worth a shot...
Hello BKendall,
The straight is a different experience, but should not be "pulling",, it could be the edge (not honed properly or just needs refreshing), it could be the barber's lack of skill, the preshave prep.
It's hard to say. Just take the plunge if your really interested; get a shave ready straight from a professional.
I can't imagine a shavette which wasn't sharp enough. I would suspect the barber's technique. A real straight will shave differently(easier and smoother IME).Quote:
Originally Posted by bkendall
Did you witness him installing a new blade?
Today I learned what a Shavette was, interesting.
I guess that is what the kid uses on the back of my neck when I get a haircut.
Thanks jaswarb .
jaswarb, that's a good one. Your suggestion did not came into my mind. But like you say, maybe a new blade was not used.
I didn't see him insert a new blade because I had a steaming towel wrapped around my face, but I'm pretty certain I heard the sound of a new blade going in.
I asked him if they use shavettes or real straights and he said he uses a real one at home but state law requires a new blade be installed for every customer.
We talked about straights for a while during the shave. If I had to guess, I'd say he was about 60 years old, and he told me that he'd been using straights since he entered barber school at age 18. Maybe it was his technique, I don't know.
I saw that hardware prices were crazy. I bought a travel thing of the sandalwood aftershave balm because I really like its scent.
Thanks guys!
No intention of indicting the barber, his technique could be poor or just not suited to your beard. The guy who graduates at the bottom of his Med School class is still a doctor.Quote:
Originally Posted by bkendall
More to the point though, infinite variables concerning straight shaving is the most attractive element. He could have used a lather which just doesn't like your face. I have had more than one shave ruined trying new soaps.
Could be the technique (skin tension would be one to think of)
The blade du jour (If I recall correctly they are partial to the Merkur DE Blades, for me those are like working with a Camp Saw)
That said - no matter what blade/shavette combo I use the experience is always the lowest ranking of Straight razor shaves form me.
For the money they charge for a shave they should spring for a Feather (they could bulk buy Pro blades for $0.60 ea or less) and give you a dream like experience....IMHO...
Probably the guy who shaved you was selling refrigerators at Sears last week and you were his shave training dummy.:)
Straight razoring isn't all just honey and roses. Just like DE or SE you'll find that all razors; blades and soaps were not created equal. If you've had bad shaves in the past you're still going to have some with the open razor.
Just Life!
Followup but related...
I have been using a Shavette myself before making the plunge to the real deal. I have a Feather blade on it and it's crazy sharp - maybe too sharp. I nick myself all over the place but of course I'm still new to this game. I wonder if it's actually how light the razor is that causes this feeling. I mean I haven't used the real deal yet but the shavette is so light and to be honest, my hope is that the real razor (when I get it back from honing) will feel alot smoother and the weight of the razor will make a difference.
I was using a Parker SR1 shavette for over a month before I recently switched to a SR. The shavette was very light compared to my Dovo SR. I did get a lot of nicks from the shavette at first, but the # of nicks decreased as I got used to the razor. I also noticed that I don't have to push the SR down my face much to shave, since the razor's weight does some of the job for me; the lightness of the shavette forced me to push it along my face more. Overall, the SR is giving me a smoother shave than the shavette.Quote:
Originally Posted by EggSuckingLeech
I started (am starting) with a Parker SRW. Yes I nicked my face to pieces. I have finally started to not cut myself and am gaining some level of proficiency with the blade. I recently bought a SR and gave it a shot. This razor was probably on the very outside edge of shave ready. Sharp enough to remove hair but not HHT passable. The difference between the Parker and the SR was phenomenal. I cant wait for it to come back from the honemeister.
A Shavette shouldn't pull at all, in fact it really glides through your whiskers extremely easy with very little feedback, and it's very easy to end up with a shave that feels like a bath salt dude just had your face for lunch!
There's lots of things it could be. For one you're in Vegas, its the desert, so its, dry, you're staying in a hotel, which are usually very dry, then many in Vegas like to have some alcohol, which can dehydrate a person some. Dry skin and beard can be tough to shave, the pre shave prep is all the more important. Just like DE blades I've found some shavette blades work better for me than others too.
After I first tried to shave with straights, I decided to try shavettes. I have a DOVO with the red insert. I actually learned technique on that and applied it to regular straights. Should not pull but it does require a little more pressure.
Can someone list (again) the types of blades that fit Shavettes? I have a parker that came with shark blades. Everyone seems to love them but I find them somewhat harsh. I would like to try other brands to see how my face likes them.
Any DE blade will work. You just break it in half where the notches are on the sides.
I used sharks as well in my Parker..I had not complaints but not all razors are the same..try some different brands but a real straight is very different from a shavette. I know first hand what you mean..a shavette is not as forgiving. They are much quicker to Knick than a straight is and a real straight has more weight and you need less manipulation.
aespo- I would like to try other brands, I just dont know which ones to buy. I recall seeing a sample pack somewhere but I cant find it.
By best response to this is a text message I got from a friend of mine a couple days ago. It's unedited...here goes: Wow my first straight razor shave did all my face and even the neck...I need to work on my chin took the fusion over the parts I missed. Overall great shave better than the safety.
He used a Parker shavette for that shave. Two days prior to this he'd called me saying his razor wouldn't shave. After an evening of intensive straight razor shaving school at regularjoes, he sent the previous. So I'm just guessing, your barber was tired, or just failed you in some area of technique. I find SR shaves much smoother than DE's. But I've never used the shavette,and I learned on Straights. But judging from my friends experience of "NOT sharp followed by perfect two days later", it's not a question of sharpness.
I don't want to pimp a site at all so if this is admin please remove it. Straight razor designs might have a sample pack..or try shave nation.
I am assuming the barber used a new blade altogether?
Yes a straight is definitely smoother - at least that was in my experience. But others have said, it could be a million factors that made it 'pull' here: from prep, to type of software used and so on.
Another suggestion if you want to try a true straight at an unbelievable low price (I have no personal financial interest in this and don't know the seller): Rogers Straight Razor - Straight Razor Place Classifieds
Of course you'll need a strop and later down the road you will have to decide whether you want to maintain your own blades or hire an artisan to maintain it for you.
i'm guessing yes, a real straight would be smoother... because they sell oils for the shavette to help it glide better.. which tells me its not as smooth as a normal
but that's just my 2 cents... i'm a beginner myself
Went back to my Parker-like clone and Derby 1/2 blades . I really enjoy the shaves I've been getting. Yes, you can't be as reckless as you might be with the Feather and Proguards, but it's still really close to a 2pass BBS shave. And you can't beat the easy and cost.