About once a month, someone asks a question about Shavettes. Upon reflection, this does not really surprise me. There is not a lot of information out there on shavettes. Reviews and how to's are sporadic at best and mostly limited to you tube. Often, the overwhelming response is just "get a real straight razor." The wikipedia entry for disposable blade straight razors has this to say (inaccurately):

"Razors which are similar in use and appearance to straight razors but which use either a standard double edged blade or specially made blades are available.
Disposable bladed straights have many of the advantages of straight razors without needing the stropping and honing of ordinary straight razors.
Disposable blade straight razors can be resharpened."

What is a shavette? A shavette, also known as a disposable blade straight razor, is either a fixed or folding blade razor, similar in appearance to a straight razor, that uses disposable blades. The blades are not resharpened. When used by a barber, they are not even reused. Like Band-Aid, Shavette is actually a brand name that became a general term. In this case, shavette refers to any disposable blade straight razor. (Dovo makes the original Shavette). For ease of use, I will refer to disposable blade straight razors as shavettes for the rest of the article.

What were they used for? The first shavettes were developed for barbers. They were used by the barber for giving a razor cut haircut. The shavette was used in place of scissors or clippers for trimming hair, and for shaping sideburns, hairlines and the nape of the neck. In the past, the most popular was the Durham Duplex. The brand and blades still survive today in the dog grooming industry.

What are they used for today? Shavettes are still used by barbers and wet shavers. As people became more aware of the dangers posed by blood borne pathogens, stringent laws were passed that regulated the use of straight razors in the barber shops. Barbers began to look for other options to the traditional straight razor. Shavettes experienced a resurgence in popularity as the demand for a disposable alternative to the straight razor grew.

There can be only one. There are many different brands of shavettes and also just as many blades that can be used in them. Most people are aware of the Feather Artist Club razors, which take special blades manufactured especially for the feather razors and the various shavettes that take snapped in half DE blades. There are also the few razors that take Personna shaper blades. The shaper blades are better known to us as injector blades. More about the different shavettes and blades later.

The differences between a straight and a shavette razor. Shavettes are not entry level straights. They feel different, they shave differently, and aside from appearance, have almost nothing in common with a straight razor. Someone who wants to try straight razor shaving would be best advised to purchase a professionally honed used straight razor and an entry level strop. Does that mean shavettes don’t have any place in wet shaving? Of course they have a place, just not as a starter straight razor. Many people use shavettes to shave with, they just don’t kid themselves about what they are using. Straight razor shavers who choose not to take a regular safety razor with them when they travel often take a shavette along. Shavettes are lighter, have more rigid blades, shorter blade length and are more unforgiving of mistakes than a real straight razor. On the other hand, with a shavette, you do not have to spend time honing or stropping the blade.

The differences between shavettes. There is a vast difference between the low end and the high end of the disposable blade straight razor market. There really is not much of a middle ground when it comes to shavettes. The high end shavettes are made by Kai and Feather. The low end razors are made by everyone else. The few razors that fall in the middle ground are mostly vintage shavettes and IBC (Irving Barber Company) and perhaps Sanguine and Dovo. Six names dominate the shavette world. Feather, Dovo, Weck, Sanguine, Fromm and Parker.

A seventh is on the rise as well. Irving Barber Company is the new kid on the block, but their first entry, a razor that takes DE, Injector, and Feather Artist Club blades, is a solid performer and is as versatile as the original Dovo Shavette, while offering much more value for the money.

The DE blade. Most shavettes use the DE blade...

...or rather, half of a DE blade. The spike points on either end of the edge make these blades the most unforgiving of the shavettes. I cannot, in good conscience,...

This is the sixteenth in a series about the "Life Stories" of two Gillette razors.
If you are new to this you can start the series from the very beginning at the first article and save this for last.
The articles that preceded this one can be seen in the following links:

First Article: http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/two-brothers-part-1.25935/
Second Article: http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/two-brothers-part-2.26027/
Third Article: http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/two-brothers-part-3.26285/
Fourth Article: http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/two-brothers-part-4.26457/
Fifth Article: http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/two-brothers-part-5.26468/
Sixth Article: http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/two-brothers-part-6.26595/
Seventh Article: http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/two-brothers-part-7.27329/
Eighth Article: http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/two-brothers-part-8.27434/
Ninth Article: http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/two-brothers-part-9.27555/
Tenth Article: http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/two-brothers-part-10.27709/
Eleventh Article: http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/two-brothers-part-11.27924/
Twelfth Article: http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/two-brothers-part-12.28118/
Thirteenth Article: http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/two-brothers-part-13.28299/
Fourteenth Article: http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/two-brothers-part-14.28603/
Fifteenth Article: http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/two-brothers-part-15.28874/

Now we continue with Two Brothers...











This concludes the series Two Brothers. Thank you for viewing!