DE-Vette Pass-a-round thread...

Discussion in 'Safety Razors' started by Primotenore, May 23, 2020.

  1. Primotenore

    Primotenore missed opera tunity

    Article Team
    Amazing alliteration.
     
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  2. GAW9576

    GAW9576 Well-Known Member

    Thank you for noticing.
    I have homeschooled my 3 kids the past 2 years. I frequently feel fully out of my element. Sometimes I think I'm learning as much as my kids are.
    I was actually in special ed in school.
    Anyway my 11 year old does writing assignments where she is required to use a lot of dress ups. Alliteration is our favorite.
    Sometimes stringing subtly silly sentences seems satisfying.
     
  3. Primotenore

    Primotenore missed opera tunity

    Article Team
    Actually, alliteration assuages and alleviates arbitrary anxiety.
     
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  4. richgem

    richgem suffering from chronic clicker hand cramps

    So also soothe scintillating shots of scotch. :p
     
    Last edited: Jul 24, 2020
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  5. Edison Carter

    Edison Carter Well-Known Member

    Is the scotch required to use the DE-vette?

    I'm not particularly fond of the charcoal flavor in my booze.
     
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  6. twhite

    twhite Peeping Tom

    Anyhow. It slowed down at work yesterday. It gave me enough time to make my own DEvette. I need to polish it still. I also need to purchase some brass to make the base. I am really looking forward to using this shiny beast.
    [​IMG]
     
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  7. richgem

    richgem suffering from chronic clicker hand cramps

    Did they like the stash at work?
     
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  8. twhite

    twhite Peeping Tom

    Yes. Several people have commented. In the positive. Actually one just this afternoon.

    I will keep it for a while. I also made some mustache wax to train it to stay in place. So that was fun. My daughter gave me some essential oils to add that have a calming effect.
     
  9. Jim99

    Jim99 Gold Water Shaver

    Very nice! Tom, is it an exact duplicate, or did you do any tweaking to the design?
     
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  10. twhite

    twhite Peeping Tom

    Same exact configuration as Primo’s
     
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  11. GAW9576

    GAW9576 Well-Known Member

    I made some stash wax with coconut oil and beeswax before. Worked pretty good.
     
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  12. twhite

    twhite Peeping Tom

    WAAAZUUUUUUUUP?

    How are the shaves going? Who has it now? Do you like it? Did you die trying it?
     
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  13. GAW9576

    GAW9576 Well-Known Member

    There was a hiccup in shipping but @Edisn Carter confirmed through PM that he now has it.
     
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  14. twhite

    twhite Peeping Tom

    Shipping has been a nightmare. I have a razor traveling the world right now. It was supposed to go to Italy. Took 3 weeks to get there. Sat there for 2 weeks then went missing for a week. Then turned up in Brazil. Sat in customs for a week or more. Got a notice it could not be delivered. So now it is sitting someplace in Brazil.

    I hope it picks up trinkets from all the places it is visiting. I am thinking of mailing myself someplace. They will be bound to loose me and I will see the world.
     
  15. Edison Carter

    Edison Carter Well-Known Member

    First shave with the non-safety DE-Vette Safety Razor. An elite edge forward shaving device.

    20200801_164253-2.jpeg

    While taking my shave photo it occurred to me that in a manufacturing environment, the safety committee would have no part of this tool. Extra precautions were observed.

    While I totally subscribed to the @Primotenore theory that the use of a safety bar is not required on most razors when attempting to achieve lowest shaving angle, I recall my first impression was that this tool is a stunt shaver. Later, I decided to jump in on the pass around to put some of my very own skills that I learned here at The Shave Den to the test.

    Proraso menthol pre-shave.

    I used Stirling Unscented Sheep soap, not because of the unglorious base animalistic stank it provided but because I've never found a better shave lube than this mutton tallow soap. In the past, I was successful at hiding the sheep funk with Piacenza EdT, but the Tuscany I used today fell short.

    Learning to wet shave I found cold water seemed to reduce irritation, less so after I took up straights, So I used hot.

    Gillette Silver Blue is my favorite shavette blade, so it got the call here. GSB's have more rounded corners than some and I did not think muting them was necessary. The blade is secured firmly in place with a small amount of fiddling, then held flat unlike most DE's which impart a blade curve.

    For sure this ain't no popsicle stick razor stunt shaver. True to Tom's @twhite nature the device is very well thought out and meticulously made. I don't think I have ever seen such a lean and secure blade holding setup.

    Using the 'ride the cap' method is a bit difficult due to the very low geometric shaving angle, which is lower than the shavettes I have and most of my straights. I'm gonna guess around 15 degrees, @twhite Tom? I also experienced some 'sticktion' riding a flat cap. The best approach for me was riding the edge, with an intense concentration on the shave angle. I'm sure some muscle memory can be acquired in time.

    There are a few areas that a DE vs. a straight handling design bring an advantage for me, due to limits of my dexterity. It is far more challenging to maintain a consistent angle since the handle needs to be almost 90 degrees from the shaving plane. Maneuvering the shave angle on a stroke downward over the jawline on a straight is a matter of rolling the fingers or tipping the wrist, here it is a more complex feat since punishment can be easily had.

    In the end.... Great satisfaction. Close. Zero alum alert (even though I thought I might've got myself. Great comfort. Great finish with the unisex Tuscany scent (Hint... Deliver a great shave with the DE-Vette and you can wear any glorious stank you want!).
     
  16. twhite

    twhite Peeping Tom

    You are good on your angulation (I know not a real word). 15 degrees. The sticksion I think is caused by the polished cap. Having some texture helps to keep that away I think.
     
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  17. Jim99

    Jim99 Gold Water Shaver

    Great review! Be sure to play around with the angles a bit, and definitely keep it shallow and maintain a light touch.
     
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  18. Edison Carter

    Edison Carter Well-Known Member

    DE-Vette Report 2

    A very good shave for sure, although more time consuming than most shaves as I figure out what techniques work best.

    I am more comfortable with a 'following' type of motion with the wrist and hand pulling rather than pushing because of the high handle angle required to keep a low blade angle. I will trying the same thing with other gear in the future.

    I start all strokes with the blade more parallel or flat to the skin like a straight with a tipping for edge feel.

    A tool such as this is easier for me to make the ATG move, under the jaw, side to center, that many find challenging with conventional open edge tools.

    [​IMG]
     
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  19. Edison Carter

    Edison Carter Well-Known Member

    DE-Vette Report 3

    Glad it was decided to allow a 2 week period to use this razor. The open edge at 90 degrees to the handle and perpendicular style demands a focused effort. I'll probably get 2 more shaves in before it moves on, probably 1 with a Feather.

    Today I decided to use a Personna Blue.... Matter of fact, 2 of them,.....stacked. Don't ever do this! After a rough WTG cheek pass, it was clear this was a stoooopid variation.

    Back down to 1 for a full normal 3.5 pass shave ending up with 2 small weepers and some ATG neck irritation that I'd like to live without. Not unusual for me with this blade though.

    If I were to pursue a new and improved open edge tool, with a blade holding mechanism at 90 degrees, I'd look for 3 things. 1) half DE blade format 2) shave surface to handle angle that is much lower when in ideal cutting position 3) a razor rest and store position hiding the edge.

    I'm not sure I can describe my handling other than the use of grips limiting a wrist action and requiring arm move strokes more similar to a straight shave.

    Can't really see it in this photo, but I hit it with some Brasso to clean off some of the patina that had started.

    Be well gang!

    Edison Carter reporting for Network 23, where they came after US for using Blipverts, yet somehow...... They let you guys post the DE-Vette thread under 'Safety Razors'.
    :rofl:

    20200809_182337-1.jpeg
     
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  20. Primotenore

    Primotenore missed opera tunity

    Article Team
    Good report, Bill. What was your reasoning attempting the shave with two stacked blades?
    I concur with your assessment vis-à-vis the 90˚ angle. It makes finding the proper shave angle very difficult. AND...the difference between slicing and scraping is miniscule.
     
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