Shavette

Discussion in 'Straight Razors' started by red436, Jun 6, 2012.

  1. lindyhopper66

    lindyhopper66 Well-Known Member

    Okay, I did a late night shave with the Weck and Parker after posting here and saying I'd start the shavette week with awake2shave. I had an almost 2 day growth. It started out okay, but not a close pass. I still can't use the Parker under the nose or chin, but I can shave a bit in those areas with the Weck. I like the more stable thicker blade of the Weck.

    I couldn't finish the shave without my Weber ARC and had lots of weepers controlled with cold water. I think I need a practice non cutting blade to learn this safely. So I give up trying a shavette week for now. I can't get the angle or hold on to my face to stretch well enough.
     
    Slipperyjoe likes this.
  2. oscar11

    oscar11 Well-Known Member

    Shavettes can come off as rather harsh, it's all on how you present the blade to your face and touch. Sorry, I just don't have the skills to put the technique it into words.
     
    lindyhopper66 likes this.
  3. skyfox12

    skyfox12 Active Member

    I'm currently using the Personna Magic Shavette made by Spilo. The design theory of the blade holder is sound but the manufacturing of them is not, so you have to mess around with the blade and sometimes alter the clamps a little bit. Once you get that down the blade will be stable. Oscar11 is right when he says the technique to properly use the shavette is very difficult to describe. The way I suggest to use it is to pick a time of day where you have nothing to do and have no pressing appointments or deadlines so you have plenty of time.

    Try to get a DE blade that has some sort of coating on it (platinum, chrome,etc..) so the blade will glide easier on your face. Use lots and lot of water in conjunction with whatever soap or cream you use to shave with. Use the back hand method that you see many straight razor people use, putting your index and middle finger on top of the shank, having your thumb on the underside on the shank, and having your ring finger on the tang. This will stabilize your grip. Try to stretch your skin a little with your other hand so as to reduce the risk of cuts, especially crucial while using a shavette.

    When you start to shave, use a feather light touch, and to start off with go very very slowly (at first). While you are shaving (very very slowly with a light touch), feel your 3 fingers and thumb holding the shavette cutting your whiskers. You will hear and actually get a feel of your shavette shaving. This is an important thing to learn because when you can feel the shavette while you shave, you then can use innate intuition to sense and anticipate the feel of the cutting of your whiskers and adjust your angle accordingly if it isn't feeling right to you.

    All of this is very important in so far as to if/when you hit a hard spot you will know to STOP immediately, withdraw the shavette from your face, and start over very very carefully in that area. Because if you don't you will get cut, and sometimes badly. I'm speaking from experience. A shavette is a tool not to be used if you're running 15 minutes late in the morning and you are in a hurry to get to work or whatever. It is a very static unchanging instrument that will not flex to your wants and needs but rather you have to be the one to conform to its unchanging and unforgiving ways.

    In short, you have to respect it, not the other way around. But the reward is, if you go slow and carefully, you will get one of the closest and most satisfying shaves you will have ever had. You will actually feel a sense of achievement when you can shave with this and not get any major cuts or nicks. I personally go strictly with the grain with this piece of equipment, doing about 2 full passes with some touching up (very carefully so) afterwards, again only going with the grain, and if need be, very, very carefully going sideways just a very little bit.


    The best way to really get the hang of a shavette is to keep using it. Kinda like driving. The more experience you get under your belt, the better driver you will be. Just never forget the basics. The very first time I used one of these, it took me 45 minutes for the shave alone. I got to the point that I could do it in about 15-20 minutes, but then I went be to DE's for a while. Now that I've started using these again I'm back at the 45 minute mark again, sometimes even longer when I do touchups and really want to smooth everything out. I find that the shavette works best if you wait a day or two, so then it can get all of your facial hair. But then I feel this way about any razor personally.

    Sorry about the length of this entry, but I felt that in this case it was warranted simply because the shavette is one of the hardest shaving tools to learn in terms of the risk involved and the learning curve is rather steep, even more so than the use of actual straight razors. However, I'm sure that there are some straight razors out there (full ground hollow and extra full ground "singing" straights) would be hard indeed to learn to use. I hope this helps ;).
     
  4. lindyhopper66

    lindyhopper66 Well-Known Member

    Thank you so much. I think next time I attempt a shavette shave I will use alum on my hands to be able to hold on and stretch the skin better. I know you are right about stopping immediately when you hit a hard spot. I seem to get stuck on the chin every time and just freeze and start scraping at 90 degrees, ineffectively. You're right about taking time and being attentive at all times.

    I was debating buying a cheaper Korean version of the Feather AC non-folding and read posts on various forums about how hard it was to shave with and the learning curve and such. I PM'ed a guy who sells them and when I mentioned the Feather being a shavette, he flipped and said it was very different from a shavette. I don't understand that, other than different shavettes use different blades. On thinking about it this morning, I'm wondering if the difference is the long thin blade is held more firmly and less of the width of the blade is exposed. So it ends up being more like a real straight and might be safer or easier to learn than the Parker or Weck? It seems people have as much trouble with irritation and nicks as regular shavettes.

    Do you have any experience with the Feather or Kai or C J B straights with disposeable blades? Would I get along better with one of those?
     
  5. lindyhopper66

    lindyhopper66 Well-Known Member

    Skyfox12, I just copied and saved your post to remind myself how to approach the shavette. Thank you again.
     
  6. johnus

    johnus Well-Known Member

    Korean version? Might version missed the brand name? Does it use the same blades as the feather? And where can it be found?
    I have the folding version of the Feather and think that it is a fantastic razor. Use it with the proguard blades. Great shave. Easy to use and I feel work/shave like a 'normal' straight edge only better. Looking for a non folding version to see how that would be, that why the interest in the Korean one.
    Thanks
     
  7. lindyhopper66

    lindyhopper66 Well-Known Member

    It is just called C J B Blade Handle. Looks like the Japanese handle or nonfolding Feather Straight. Same blades. A Paco on B & B sells them. He's on a motorcyle trip for a couple of weeks, but might still check his PMs.
     
  8. skyfox12

    skyfox12 Active Member

    Sorry lindyhopper66, I've only used the Magic Shavette.
     
  9. johnus

    johnus Well-Known Member

    Found photos but not the vendor. Does seem to be what I want!! Will keep looking.
    Thanks
     
  10. skyfox12

    skyfox12 Active Member

    I'd guess I had better start practicing what I'm preaching because yesterday I got a little too "cocky" with my Magic and was doing some touching up on my neck while using an overhand technique with no lather and got "caught". Twice. So now there are two nice horizontal red lines on my neck that I will have to let heal up a little before I shave again. I'm thinking next Monday (6/18) will be my next shave. I'm what they refer to these days as plus sized if you know what I mean and consequently (although not always necessarily) I don't have much of a neck.

    I mention this because in this particular instance I'm thankful for the half inch of cellulite between the razor and my carotid artery because I do believe without it those two considerably sized nicks could have been something quite worse. Please know that it is not my intention to scare anyone away from using this type of razor. Rather, to please be very mindful when using these because they do not have one ounce of forgiveness. Straight razors are called cutthroats for a reason, and the disposable blade variety of straights (especially ones that use half a DE) are also very much in line with that particular moniker.
     
  11. johnus

    johnus Well-Known Member

    CJB in the post! Hopefully here today. Will do a short review when it arrives.:)-)
     
  12. johnus

    johnus Well-Known Member

    Well gentlemen and ladies... TheCJB Model WH100B just came in. After a quick look over and a soak in alcohol I unlocked and loaded. Used a proguard blade as that's what I use in the folder.
    I had to take the Feather out just to compare! Identical , if you didn't have the two next to each other you might say yes... But together the only difference is the quality of the finish. The finish on the CJB isn't all that bad, as a matter of fact it's good. It's that the feathers finish is just better. Both have exactly the same mechanism. The feather blade fits both. Will they both last as long? ?
    Now how does it shave?? It uses the same blade! The head is really close to being identical. So... The Shave is really the Same!
    Money wise. The CJB is really a value.
    Photos: ImageUploadedByTapatalk1339875610.578544.jpg ImageUploadedByTapatalk1339875633.776890.jpg ImageUploadedByTapatalk1339875707.258832.jpg ImageUploadedByTapatalk1339875737.924613.jpg
     
    oscar11 likes this.
  13. oscar11

    oscar11 Well-Known Member

    johnus, does this come in a folding model? I don't know why but I'm hot to get something like a Feather. Do you have a website?
     
  14. johnus

    johnus Well-Known Member

    Hi just received a message from paco664 on badger and blade. The person that I just bought the CJB Razor from. Sadly he states that there are only 3 razors left and then no restock. As far as I know it comes only in the non folding version and I haven't found anyone else who sells them. Best if you contact paco and ask him. How sad find a good thing and it's gone!:)-(

    (Go to badger and blade and do a pm to him.)
     
    lindyhopper66 likes this.
  15. skyfox12

    skyfox12 Active Member

    That looks like it would give an exemplary shave and is a beautiful looking instrument.:D
     
  16. johnus

    johnus Well-Known Member

    It is a nice shave. The Feather Proguard is a nice blade. I've yet to use the Feather Profession blade that is said to even be sharper.
     
  17. red436

    red436 Member

    If you are still having trouble with that SR1 I was wondering if I could borrow it to try. I'm super excited to try one but I dont have the money right now.
     
    lindyhopper66 likes this.
  18. red436

    red436 Member

    BTW, does anyone know what the difference is between the SR1 and the SR2 is?
     
  19. awake2shave

    awake2shave Crazy Sharp Melon Baller

    I think the difference is just the handle but maybe one is SS and the other aluminium
     
  20. awake2shave

    awake2shave Crazy Sharp Melon Baller

    a quick google shows the blade arm on a sr2 is ss but the handel is plastic the sr1 is all steel
     

Share This Page