In the past I have gotten some DE blades, the same type as the KAI blades. If I remember correctly, they were called Safe-T-Guard, and possibly made by Personna. Felt like I wasn't shaving, but they produced really nice shaves. Edit: maybe spelled Safe-T-Gard.................
The Personna folks developed and patented that technology in the late 60’s when owned by Phillip Morris. They still make a single edge, single blade cartridge type called Bump Fighter. Their target market is men of African descent who can be particularly aggravated by many modern cartridges.
Here is a bit more about the razors I have; Kai- weight-1.8 oz. length- 6.5” Feather- weight-1.6 oz, length- 6.25” CJB- weight-1.4 oz, length-6” The Kai & Feather have a more balanced feel than the CJB. I have gotten some good shaves from the Feather & Kai. Haven’t tried the CJB yet. I will probably get to it around the end of next week.
FYI, Both the Kai and Feather are stainless steel. The CJB is plated zinc. So far, I believe all of the many Kai/Feather replicas/clones are cast zinc.
My barber uses a shavette on the back of my neck at the end of a haircut. She's always quite smoothe. I asked her what blade she was using. Derby.
I did my second shave with the Feather. I had some irritation on my right thigh, but no nicks or cuts. I am still getting used to the technique. I am used the light touch a DE requires, but I see that these require an even-lighter touch. I am still mastering that. I like the weight & balance of this razor. I did find the handle a bit slippery- a little advice on managing this is welcome. This was the second shave with this blade, so the result is DFS. The one thing that I just can’t do with these is shave my underarms. Even in blade-free trials, it feels terribly awkward, so for that, I will stick to the DE.
Way to go, Sara! As for a slippery grip, keep an alum block at the ready. Every once in a while rub your damp fingers (the ones you use to hold the razor) over the block. Improves the grip 10-fold.
I use short strokes and buff with my straights and shavettes. Sharp edges and a very soft touch is key. Also knowing what types of passes your skin can tolerate is also important.
I used the CJB today. Not the best shave I’ve ever had- a couple of small cuts & some irritation. Not the worst neither, as it was close. Here is my review of it; The good stuff It was as easily loaded & unloaded as any of the others I have used. It has some grip ridges on the handle, which I liked. (BTW I did take advice from @swarden43 and used some alum, which helped) Not so good It’s a bit shorter & lighter than the Kai or Feather, which made it a little harder to control. Not impossible, but just a bit more difficult. Something I haven’t mentioned up to now is the cost of each razor. The Kai can cost from about $80 to $130. Best deal is from Amazon, which includes a nice leather case & a pack of blades. The Feather runs from about $100 to $130. I have seen the CJB on Maggard’s for $25. It’s easy to dismiss the much-cheaper CJB, when comparing it to the others. But it is in a different price range and everyone can’t necessarily spend the money for the more expensive ones. If the budget is modest, it could be the right choice for some folks.
I own a Dovo and a Parker Shavette and 99% of the time, I get great shaves from these low end razors and truly enjoy them. However, I have even a better experience using my straights that range from low end vintage to high end custom razors.
This sort of disturbs me. A nick or a cut is sort of a once a year, sometimes less, event for me and is usually a result of me trying something stupid. I wonder if shavettes are simply more prone to cut or nick than a straight razor?
