I think that's what Bill @Edison Carter uses? They are inexpensive and seem to be well built. If you decide to try a Focus shavette come on by The 30 Day Rule / Focus Group and do a Shavette Focus! If it's your first time using one there are many TSD Members in The 30 Day crew with experience to coach & cheer you along.
$14 at The Superior Shave, Focus R21 Corner guards, recessed blade, if one could say milder/safer it would apply. I was timid at first, even after my open blade training on straights. I do recommend to go slow and easy at first. Heavier than the Focus Al, which I haven't used. Still much lighter than a straight. Makes for a gentle touch with a good feel. If I have time for open an blade shave but not stropping, it is what I use. I like it.
I started with a Dovo (the only real shavette by the way). After teaching myself to use it I got great shaves. I have several different disposable blade razors now. One is the Japanese style. Love them all. The Parker SRX is probably a favorite. Not worried about the protected blade corners or anything with Focus on it. ( I also do not pee sitting down ) A blade in a holder gives a great shave.
For those older generation shavettes without corner guards (the kind I learned on and still use) I suggest new users "mute" the corners. Easy as a couple 90 degree passes of the corners of the DE blade on an abrasive surface like a kitchen knife sharpening stone. It'll help you avoid that heel or toe dip. Straight razors give a little warning feeling that you're about to cut your face. Shavettes aren't so kind. As to that second issue, I'm one of two males in a household of five people. The other guy is almost four years old. We've both figured out we don't like cleaning toilets, developed our aim, and understand the whole outdoors is our urinal, privacy permitting. The 4 year old is still working on the idea of finding an appropriate place to do his emergency urination.
I was thinking the same. Even if you hit the hole, splatter is inevitable especially at night.......our friend @wchnu might have someone that cleans his mis-hits....LOL!! Just one shavette for me and I can't find any reason to buy another. The Feather is actually the best....LOL!!!!
Ok. I am a 30DC member who sings the praises of the Dovo Shavette. I started using this razor as an intro to straight shaving last October. From my first shave, I was liking it. Only one end of the blade insert guards the blade, but it is highly unlikely you will poke yourself at the exposed blade corner. I have cut myself once, but the rest have been weepers. Although the bladeholder is plastic, it holds the blade in place. The shavette is versatile because you can use 1/2 blades and long blades. The long blades give you a sense of what a real straight feels like. You need a light touch to really get great shaves. If you can shave with this razor, then graduating with traditional straights will be a piece of cake.
Chuck, I believe it is due to the bad rep that shavettes have gotten in the straight razor community. I didn't want to pay for a $100 straight razor if I wasn't good at it, etc. So, I went the shavette route. After 16 shavette shaves, I knew that I could shave with a straight so I bought a Dovo Special. In 10 months, I have 100 traditional straight shaves and 95 Dovo shavette shaves and I am glad that I am primarily a SR shaver. Presently, I own 11 straight razors, 1 shavette and 7 safeties. I have also honed 3 of my razors. I guess that makes me a straight razor shaving lifer.
What the shavette did for me was to establish what I want out of an edge. Some can use a 8k or 12k and be happy as a pig in mud. Others prefer more.
Has anyone ever noticed that the vintage injector and window scraper razors have 'blade stops' and 'corner protectors' in their design? Hmm. Anyhow, I heard that The One Soap Thingydinger's shave forum is having a "Sit down to P September" where the owner will be 'watching you' to make sure that you are not playing with your thingies.
I have noticed. While some of us don’t get bothered much by a half hour shave, there are times, like Sunday, where I didn’t want to be bothered . Out came the 85 year old Schick Type E. Blade corner protectors is the reason for the fast shave potential.
Stirling Single Edge Shavette September..... Blue version Stirling Blu was at bat with the 'decked out in blue' Jayaruh 367 (yup, the stub end of my brush got to be a Louisville Slugger). The Blue Ming would never miss out on his namesake shave. No harm, no foul. My first use of the Focus R28 Slim Al, decked out in blue. The ingenious blade holding mechanism is the forerunner for the design of the Focus Dynamic razor. Inside I used my shavette fav, the Gillette Silver Blue. The machined angle serves to provide the optimum blade angle as well as a slight skin stretching action. I loved the R21 Evolution shavette and how you can get to a lower angle, but I must admit that, so far, I find this tool to be a bit more efficient. The slight drawback is because a steeper angle is required it is easier to get a blade binkie. Not a problemo if you got your game on. This is a tool manufactured for professional barbers and no doubt used for countless shaves. One barber commenting on his love for the durability and loading design has done thousands of professional shaves himself. A 'light' splash of the matching aftershave was unable to draw the same comment from a coworker that the happy splashing did once upon a time. Something about smelling like a female service employee from the French brothel. Hah! Good thing I said that one 'after' getting a CT nailed on. Really a great shaving device. The very low weight took some getting used to, but not a deal breaker for me. One does need a little more attention than with a thinner tool that works at lower angles. Be well!
Glad you got a Focus Al and appreciate its excellent qualities. I really like mine and use it regularly. Someone somewhere put a lot of thought into this one. Worth every penny.
