”May 27--In the Mix-it-Up-of-Mystery May”
Shavette Shave #78 ”Shaving on a Dime”
Gear
- Razor: Utopia Care shavette--just under $9.00 w/100 blades included
- Blade: Derby Premium (1)--included in price of the shavette
- Shave Oil: Shave Secret--$3.75
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The Shave
So, I took up Joe’s
@Trigger budget shave challenge. I spent a hefty amount of time searching for it, but eventually unearthed the Shave Secret that I purchased at Walmart for about $3.75 four or five years ago. It has its pros and cons, and I used it fairly regularly for a few months up until the cons started to outweigh the pros.
Pros
- Inexpensive
- Very small footprint--great for a travel kit (which is where I finally found it, btw)
- No prep time for lather
- Light cooling effect
- Great face feel and no need for balm or AS afterwards
Cons
- Have to shave with slippery hands; with a DE, no biggie--just apply and re-wet with left, and shave with the right. But if you shave with both hands like I do with a shavette, it can be a problem. For me, it was only an annoyance.
- No “lather trail” to help you track where you’ve shaved
- Does not glide as well as lather
- Wiping the gunk off the blade every few strokes. The oil, skin and hair don't simply rinse off; it needs to be wiped away. I found this to be a significant hassle--and kind of gross
3 passes today (WTG, XTG, ATG). Because I was in a bit of a hurry, I didn’t really touch up spots that got missed (easy to miss spots without lather), so I’m on the higher side of DFS/CCS. No blood or irritation, but the experience is pretty much how I remember it--decent, but not luxurious (except for the post shave face feel, which is admittedly pretty nice).
My thoughts: I still think Shave Secret makes an admirable get-the-job-done 1 or 2 day travel option where keeping things small and light are important. But if I’m on a trip longer than that, I’d want the comforts of a brush, lather, and balm. For home use? I don’t see a repeat anytime soon.
As for the Utopia Care shavette, it’s fiddly to load, and its slim profile can be tricky to manage, but it shaves quite well, and allows a really shallow shave angle if you want it. The Derby Premiums that came with it are decent blades. All in all, a solid performer and a great bargain.
Off to work I go--happy Hump Day!
78 down, 22 to go!
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