Now that I’m back in wet shaving with a safety razor for a few years, I think I’m ready to take the next step. As a newbie to straights, am I better off starting with a shavette, or should I go right to the conventional straight razor? And if the conventional straight, what would be a good starting choice which (a) won’t break the bank and (b) won’t kil my face during the learning curve?
Deep subject. The traditional straight has some maintenance to it that you can avoid with a shavette. Not all shavettes are created equal.i do not have a ton of shavette experience, but I can tell you that a feather and a Sextoblade both shave well with a long sharpened edge and hold the blade very tight with manageable corners. As for the traditional straight you can still get very nice vintage blades shave ready at reasonable prices as well as several new produced blades at not bank breaking prices. I have avoided all of the truly cheap razors. As with most items in life, the truly cheap stuff is a false economy. I don’t drive a Lada either. Stick with 5/8 or 6/8 round point razors and half hollow if you can find it.
Good advice here! Shavettes are not as forgiving as a straight razor. With that said, the shavette doesn’t have any of the maintenance of stropping honing etc. To me the Weck sextoblade feels the closest to a traditional straight and they and the blades can be found cheaply. The Sextoblade also come with a blade guard, which will help you learn the correct angle. That’s how I started, but quickly moved to traditional straight razors.
I have always felt it should be Shavette -or- Straight Razor because Shavette -vs- Straight Razor implies there is a battle and a winner They are different tools and each has it' attributes Yeah I like that ps: Shavette - and- Straight razor is the best, however LOL
I will complicate it a bit A blade can be soft or agressive and sharp or dull. Sharpness is obtained by the average angle and roundness of the edge, it is the 2d image. Agressiveness is the result of serations in the edge. A diamond plate leaves deep, square serrations, synthetics wide spikey ones, natural stones soft wavy ones,... And a higher grit results in finer serations. Lapping and sanding are less agressive than honing,... An agressive edge looks like a sawblade under mignification, and the teeth cut hair easily, even if the edge is rather dull, but they also cut skincells easily. A soft edge looks like a knive, it needs to be sharp to cut hair but it will be less likely to cut skincells. Most DE blades tend to be rather agressive, some are verry sharp, some are plain dull. using a safety razor, you probably noticed that a DE blade requires push cutting under a small angle with no pressure at all. That is the same with a shavette, requiring a lot of patience and piece of mind. Slicing, pressure or a big angle results in blood. With a straigth you can go for any edge you want it the steel holds it. You can have it agressive, shaving like a shavette, but you can have it soft as well. You can have it just sharp enough to shave, or crazy sharp. For me, a comfortable razor is very soft, and sharp enough to shave but not sharper. My perfect razor requires aa bigger angle, a little pressure and some slicing to shave the chin without tugging. If i use a comfortable razor as a shavette, the straigth will tugg a bit. If i use a shavettz the way i use a comfortable singning razor i bleed to death,... I would go for a vintage/ used 5/8 or 6/8, with rounded point from a member in your area that is willing to hone the razor a few times. If you struggle with a bloodbath, he can hone it a bit softer, if you feel it tuggs he can hone it sharper,... A herold strop is a good strop and not to pricey. A pasted loomstrop is a good first stap into maintaining a razor.
As has been said above the question is a hard one to answer. Straight razors are a personalised tool, that gradually adapt - to @Arnout's point you can tailor the edge, but more than that you can choose different steels, sizes and grinds and the result can be way more personalised than any other type of razor. I would always recommend starting with a well honed straight razor and learn to strop and shave with that. But it is a difficult path to follow because you do have a number of variables and skills to master. Artist Club shavettes take a number of variables away. I'm a big fan of Artist Club Shavettes because the blade edge feels more like a straight razor than a DE shavette. I would suggest either the Kai Captain with a Feather pro blade or the Feather DX with the Pro guard blade. These combinations feel most authentic to me. I guess it's down to how you like to learn and how much you want to spend. If you prefer to break the skill down into steps then maybe try the shavette first. If you like to jump in the deep end go straight to straight. A good Artists Club shavette can cost as much as a straight razor. That means you will end up spending more all in all. If you are on a budget the best path is a vintage straight restored by someone good.
I would cast my vote toward getting a less expensive shaver from one of the forums. I saw this as you are more likely to cut yourself with a shavette. Several have mentioned that all shavettes aren't equal. I'm a big fan of the Dovo Shavette, with a black blade holder (sold separately) and Personna stainless hair shaper blades.
I started using the Dovo shavette. I chose the shavette because you had to be perfect with technique and angles to properly use this razor. I felt that if I can learn and master shaving with a shavette, then I could transfer to straights quite readily. There are some people who have said that learning on a shavette is more difficult than a straight and that one should immediately start with straights. I agree that shavettes are harder to use because they are unforgiving, but if you master it, then you have a good foundation to have a good experience using a straight. In fact, when I did my first traditional straight razor shave, I was amazed that it was easy for me. It probably would not be true, if I didn't have 16 shavette shaves prior. Ultimately, you have to decide what is best for you. Good luck on your journey, AWS!
I also started with a shavette, but i seriously regret it. I had about 10 shaves with it but i was on the verge off returning to a wilkinson 3 blade or growing a beard. Somehow i convinced myself to buy a dovo, honed on a coticule and that was my saving. If my first dovo had been sharpened on a synthetic hone i would have been playing santa claus,....
I think it went a little different for me. I did a 30 day focus with a shavette it was a luxor pro. I love my shavette, now I am attempting to learn straights only have 3 shaves so far with them. I believe I got a good base off of the shavette but the pressures and angles seem different for me and are giving me a hard time. I believe they are to different animals similar but different and each have there pros and cons, the shavette no sharpening just replace the blade it is also cheaper to dive into since you don't need hones or strops. with a straight once you have everything your set and the razor can last multiple lifetimes if cared for properly. these however are just my thoughts.
Straights are preferable and give a smoother shave. If cost and maintenance are so prohibitive a shavette works well and most of the techniques you pick up using one will transfer well to a straight if you decide to switch. A kit with strop, shave ready Dovo 5/8 round tip razor and Dovo red paste will cost you <$150 bucks from reputable vendors. That's all you need to go for a long while. You can get it all for <$100 if you go vintage from a reputable restorer on forum BSTs. Ask around via PM who's good on the forum you find it on. Considering a lot of modern stainless DE's go for that much or more and artisan soaps are $20+ a pop it does not seem that bad an investment - YMMV
I recommend either a Whipped Dog or Dovo Bismarck to newbies. I hone my Dovo razors on synthetic and get edges that suit me very well. I struggle with naturals and I prefer a very sharp crisp edge. I envy those have mastered naturals.
The Dovo has too much gold plate on the face and spine. My first straight was the 5/8 round point Dovo Special with faux tortoise scales. It's a great shaver and a nice looking razor for a newbie to take ownership pride for less money than the Bismarck.
The real benefit of the Bismarck, is the shoulderless blade with a thumbnotch. One of the most maneuverable blades available (IMO)
