My First Shavette Shave

[Mark Szorady]

I purchased some DE blads and received a Classic Samurai Shavette with them. Not the most expensive or ornate shavette, but decent enough to give this form of wet shaving a try.

Two passes and only one teeny,tiny nick that closed up with cold water.

The biggest challenge is seeing the blade on that first downward shave motion. I've tried a single finger grasp rather than two (one in front three behind the back versus two and two) to get a better view. Not much improvement.

So, are some shavettes longer than others thus giving you a better view? Or are they all the same length?

I'm considering a Parker SRX. Wondering if it'll be longer than this starter shavette.

 

[GearNoir]

Congratulations on a great start!

It all in getting used to the tool you have on hand. Just keep practicing and it’ll be just fine!

 

[Dzaw]

Whether it is longer or not, you will very likely stop caring in another half dozen shaves. Maybe it’s longer, but if so, then it comes with its own challenges.

Mostly, the hardest part is taking the step to hold a bare blade to your skin and seriously commit to shaving with it. Now that you’ve gotten past that hurdle, it’s all downhill from here.

For real, don’t sweat seeing that spot too much. Focus on angle and no pressure. You’ll figure out the approach that lets you see enough to stay comfortable with some experience, and the things that are bugging you now will fall by the wayside as less important as you grow more immediate concerns and learn to compensate for prior ones.

Welcome aboard - and well done, that first shave is very promising. Better, in fact, than most of us manage on our first outing with a naked edge.

 

[rudyt]

So, are some shavettes longer than others thus giving you a better view? Or are they all the same length?

There are slight variations in length, but most DE blade shavettes are all about the same length. Most of mine are between 4 1/4 and 4 1/2 inches from pivot to toe, but I have one oddball, the Turkish Sedef at 4".

 

[Mark Szorady]

Mostly, the hardest part is taking the step to hold a bare blade to your skin and seriously commit to shaving with it. Now that you’ve gotten past that hurdle, it’s all downhill from here.

Thank you! Very reassuring.
And thanks for everyone's input. I think I'l continue to shave with this Classic Samurai for some time until I get my sea legs. THEN, I may upgrade.

However, using the shavette is something I'm unable to do each day. The shave, obviously when first starting out, takes more time. My schedule is a bit pressed during the week. So the Shavette shave is something I look forward to do on weekends.

I agree, the first shave was a big hurdle.

 

[Dzaw]

Yeah, you really do need to take your time with this sort of equipment. Welcome aboard, and don’t worry, it won’t be all that long before you can reasonably shave with the shavette in a similar amount of time as with your DE razor. Once you get a rhythm going and some familiarity with how to approach your own beard map, you won’t have to be in a hurry to shave on a reasonable amount of time.

 

[Mark Szorady]

Yeah, you really do need to take your time with this sort of equipment. Welcome aboard, and don’t worry, it won’t be all that long before you can reasonably shave with the shavette in a similar amount of time as with your DE razor. Once you get a rhythm going and some familiarity with how to approach your own beard map, you won’t have to be in a hurry to shave on a reasonable amount of time.

The real challenge is holding the razor. I use my left hand tpo do the left side WTG, but then find I'm using my right hand to do the left side XTG. Same with ATG passes. Right hand to do left side, left hand to do right side.

Shaving the upper lip is a bit of a challenge.

I look forward to when it all becomes automatic.

 

[Mark Szorady]

Shaved just a bit with the shavette this evening after a workout and shower. I figured i'd just do the cheeks and continue to get the feel of proper angle, light touch, etc.

I was thinking that perhaps I should investigate another Shavette. I looked at the Parker SRX. It's advertised as having a bit more weight.

When checking specs, it turns out the Classic Samurai CS-102 Stainless Steel Shavette I'm using is 4.8 ounces whereas the SRX is 2.4 ounces. Both specs come from each Amazon product page respectively.

It appears I don't need to buy anything else. Or do I? Perhaps specs are wrong? Is anyone familiar with both?

 

[Dzaw]

I can’t say I am familiar with either, so take this with a grain of salt, but at this point it seems like you’ve come down with a case of R.A.D. which will not be cured unless you get that SRX. First it was length, now it’s weight. Tomorrow or the next day it’ll be scale material, or clamping mechanism, or pin tightness, etc. At this point, just buy the darnded thing and consider yourself a full member of the club. Welcome aboard!

Which is to say no, you don’t need to buy anything else, the shavette you already own will do a perfectly adequate job. That is no reason not to buy a new one you think you might prefer. Worst thing that could realistically interrupt that would be you get the new one, discover you hate it, and have to sell or PIF a new shavette. Meaning you still learned something from the ordeal, and aren’t you trying to learn?

 

[Mark Szorady]

I can’t say I am familiar with either, so take this with a grain of salt, but at this point it seems like you’ve come down with a case of R.A.D. which will not be cured unless you get that SRX. First it was length, now it’s weight. Tomorrow or the next day it’ll be scale material, or clamping mechanism, or pin tightness, etc. At this point, just buy the darnded thing and consider yourself a full member of the club. Welcome aboard!

Which is to say no, you don’t need to buy anything else, the shavette you already own will do a perfectly adequate job. That is no reason not to buy a new one you think you might prefer. Worst thing that could realistically interrupt that would be you get the new one, discover you hate it, and have to sell or PIF a new shavette. Meaning you still learned something from the ordeal, and aren’t you trying to learn?

Exactly!

 

[rudyt]

Which is to say no, you don’t need to buy anything else, the shavette you already own will do a perfectly adequate job.

Who let this guy in here ;-) Banned!

That is no reason not to buy a new one you think you might prefer.

OK, nice save there. Keeping the B&B tradition alive, which is:

Q: Should I buy Razor A or B?
A: Buy both of them of course

 

[Clay S]

Who let this guy in here ;-) Banned!OK, nice save there. Keeping the B&B tradition alive, which is:

Q: Should I buy Razor A or B?
A: Buy both of them of course

You forgot about Razor C! You'll need it to complete the comparisons

 

[Mark Szorady]

Who let this guy in here ;-) Banned!OK, nice save there. Keeping the B&B tradition alive, which is:

Q: Should I buy Razor A or B?
A: Buy both of them of course

Now that's funny, right there!