Help! My shavette is killing me!

Generally, yes. While most shavettes fall between 4/8 & 7/8 - wider is better for knowing angle of attack. But that's only up to a point where it's too wide and makes for difficulty seeing where you're shaving. Round point is a good idea for a first straight. Hollowness of grind is a personal choice with half being middle ground. Full hollow will have more blade flex and wedge is so thick it just plows on through.

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Welcome to TSD. 7/8 round point, half hollow.... that is my favorite blade profile.

 

SR is more forgiving. Like Bama said, you need to do skin stretching. Also, the positions that you hold the razor can be awkward if you are used to cart/DE/SE. I think that hardest part for most people is learning how to shave with their non dominant hand and shaving with a backhanded grip. I know that I struggled with it at first but now that Im about 6 weeks in to shaving with a straight, its pretty natural for me.

 

I have the LORD disposables and a Crowk King shavette - collecting dust - I do want to bust them out and it may be soon - starting to get a little bored with my giant pile of stuff.... Safe to say its NOT impossible to shave with just your Dominate hand with a shavette? I think me trying to get my left hand hand up to speed will just tick me off - I am NOT ambidextrous & don't care to be.... I am righty for life

 

I have seen guys that SR shave all right handed.. Shaving with your left hand is great and of interest to me, but it truly isn’t required. Personally, In learning a shavette, I’ve learned a way thats a combo right hand dominant and pseudo kamisori style- I straighten the razor and scales vertically for side tot side and south to north passes. Additionally, for me, when I stopped trying to see what I was doing and focused more on feeling it , my technique and results improved drastically.

 

The only problem with shaving only with your dominant hand is that when you do one side of your face, you cant skin stretch. When you shave your cheek, you kind of reach the hand that isnt holding the razor over the top of your head and pull your cheek up.
I suppose that you could just learn how to stretch in a different way but that seems to be the traditional method.
I'll be honest, I dont really skin stretch much with my Feather AC SS. Im just a neck shaver and while I do kind of stretch my skin by tilting my head up, I feel like its more giving me straighter lines than it is stretching my skin. Part of why Im able to get away with that could be the design of the SS though. Its got kind of a beveled edge thats supposed to act like a safety bar and push the skin back.
So, is it an absolute must that you learn to shave with both hands? No, not really but it does make it easier and better, IMO.

 

Been just lurking
That metaphor is crystal clear to a non-SR shaver. Love it.

 

Wrong, and please don't teach something as an expert that you don't actually do yourself.

This is why shavettes get a bad wrap.

 

Learning to use both hands made a quantum leap in my straight razor shaves. Many people use their dominant hands only, I tried but I could not get the angles right. If you can use just your dominant hand good on you. I could not imagine learning to use both hands with a shavette, lots of blood, easier to learn this with traditional straight. I did use an empty CJB shavette to figure out angles, grips and train my off hand.

I use both hands for shavettes and straights now.

 

Yeah, I really think, where there’s a will there’s a way- if you wanna learn both hands or learn to do it all one handed, you can. In my experience it’s what you practice. I can do it both ways. If I use only my right hand I rely more on feel.

 

I fell for this trick before....

No thanks.

 

I like this comment. I shave with my SR only dominant hand and get a great stretch on both sides. I decided to shave only dominant hand until I was really comfortable because I found myself hesitating with my left hand when making my long soft stroke and getting cat scratches on my face. My guess is, having never used a shavette yet, that doing what makes you most comfortable and able to control angle/pressure is what is most important with shavette shaving I guess I’ll see during March Madness


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This is a great idea! Thanks! I’m going to give this a shot as I start shavette shaving. Having only ever does SR, at first dominant hand only and now both, I didn’t think of utilizing the shavette with now blade in it.
Very convenient learning tool!


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I love my full hollow SR. Something about getting the angle JUST right, sliding the lather off in a smooth straight pull, and hearing what I can only describe as Velcro as it cuts the hairs
And it feels so nice afterwards.
You are getting wonderful descriptions of what to do.
The one thing I would add that I may have missed quickly perusing this thread is
1) Don’t hesitate. Don’t hesitate at the top, bring it down nice and easy and right when you start to get nervous come off the face. I found my best shaving happens when I go from the top to the jawline. But if I feel nervous I come off nice and smooth, relather, and start again.
2. Don’t rush, this is when I cut myself. In the ear, along the cheek, on my thumb. I have learned to thinkof SR shaving as an art or meditation. Takes time at first.
3. Relather I got my razor burn when I thought, “one more quick little pass right here.

Any Dark Side master Jedi’s who feel I have misspoke, correct me I have recently re-entered myself into padowan status until I can master the Shavette.


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500+ on DublDuck Spike equals Jedi master. Advice is quite sound. You're just conquering shavette because it's next!

 

But, you've tried. That means something.

 

Hahaha I’m honored! Thank you @Bama Samurai. But I can’t help but drop back down to Padowan until I can say I can shave my full face with no cuts and no razor burn!


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The sound is very important feedback, though in an SRX or Luxor configuration, it won't be as audible as with a FH SR. In a Magic type, it rings out due to the hollow blade carrier. For you, it's gonna be about angle and keeping even pressure across the bevel, but I suspect you do this without trying due to your razor's blade style. It will be interesting to see, and you'll find out, if your natural pressure is right on. It's probably close. When you find the angle (it's similar, maybe a bit lower) you'll know it, and the razor will glide like an SR. Too low it becomes ineffective, too high of attack angle equals nasty razor burn. Get the angle and the pressure correct, and you'll get SR results.

 

It will be fun to watch your sword skills transfer. Won't take long.

 

@Drygulch - another SR expert is taking the shavette dive in March also. He'll be using the Leopard, it's an SRX style mount, with sharks.