Shavette And Barber Razor Enthusiast (SABRE) group

[gpjoe]

Really interesting. My clone is almost like your Kai visually.

Today I had the third shave with it a Kai Protouch (3) blade. This combo is working perfectly for me for several reasons :
- Kai Protouch blade is sharp enough and protects you from any error
- you get shaved with fewer passes which helps the post shave skin feeling.
- using the Shavette is the best gym exercise for your head in the morning

The only cons that hinders me to use as primarily system as probably all know themselves is the price of the blades compared to De razors. It is a bit scary to think to buy 200 or 300 Ac blades.

View attachment 1809852

That's a good combo (assuming your clone is close to the genuine razor) which works very well for me.

I agree with you regarding blades.

I can get at least eight shaves from an AC blade - primarily ProGuard and ProTouch - and six with a DE blade.

I don't buy my AC blades in large quantities, and I am generally a poor shopper, so my cost per blade approaches $1 for guarded blades, which is ten times the cost of my DE blades.

So, for me, using my barber razors is never about economy, and more about mixing things up...and because it requires more focus, it is also more satisfying than mindlessly dragging a DE razor around my face.

 

[Goblin]

My personal issue is that I have to pay 10 euros for any shipping order. I would love to have some quantity. Plus as much as I like Ac blades, paying 100 euros for 150 Feather proguard from Japan is too much. I could get 700 Bic blades for that amount.

This seems like a mental hurdle, rather than a financial one.

€100 for 150 proguards at 20 shaves per blade is €0.03 per shave and would last 8.2 years of daily shaving. Sure, you might be able to get the cost even lower with DE blades, but as someone who gets far fewer shaves to a blade these are numbers that I could only dream of hitting.

Don't deny yourself the blades you want for the sake of one or two cents a day. Buy once, cry once. It'll be 8 years before you have to think about buying blades again.

So, for me, using my barber razors is never about economy, and more about mixing things up...and because it requires more focus, it is also more satisfying than mindlessly dragging a DE razor around my face.

Agreed. I still have to concentrate with a DE, but I enjoy the challenge of getting a really great shave with a barber razor. It takes more skill, so it gives you a feeling of accomplishment. Also, I can do a hard ATG pass on my neck with a barber razor, which I simply can't do with other razor formats. When things go wrong with a barber razor, they can go really wrong. But when they go right, they give me the best shaves of all my razors.

 

[albsat]

4th shave in Kai clone razor with a Kai Protouch. I measured the shaving time today and it was in 14 minutes for an excellent two pass shave with clean ups. My De shaving goes about 6 to 10 minutes.

I can't express enough how well my face skin feels after shaving with this combo. Btw... today I was thinking that the blade is getting a bit dull and yet I got 2 tiny cuts. I think it came from the wire in the guards but who knows. I didn't feel anything. This combo is making me forget my de razors.

 

[Goblin]

So I was just looking at Kai razors for absolutely no reason at all *cough* and I came across this...

What do you guys think? I mean, it's the Woody style, scalloped blade arm on a non-folding handle.

I am saying nothing....

 

[albsat]

So I was just looking at Kai razors for absolutely no reason at all *cough* and I came across this...

View attachment 1811108
What do you guys think? I mean, it's the Woody style, scalloped blade arm on a non-folding handle.

I am saying nothing....

Yes, go for it! We approve your new incoming purchase.

 

[Goblin]

Yes, go for it! We approve your new incoming purchase.

Alas, I was thinking about getting the folding Captain, but the best price on it was from Gifts and Care and it seems like they don't ship to the UK. They ship everywhere else in the world but not here. Maybe they are put off us by the behaviour of ghastly British tourists and expats in Spain...not sure I blame them.

I did consider emailing them and asking why there was no option for Inglaterra or El Reino Unido in their checkout, but I thought I would spare them the inconvience of translating my terrible Spanish.

...So I ordered a folding DX from Japan.

That's it for now. Especially given that if I hadn't fallen off the wagon over blades I would be on sabbatical this year. But I rationalise it that I am still housebound and have relatively low expenses as a result of not actually being able to get out and do things, so I might has well indulge myself in the only hobby that is currently still available to me.

 

[albsat]

Alas, I was thinking about getting the folding Captain, but the best price on it was from Gifts and Care and it seems like they don't ship to the UK. They ship everywhere else in the world but not here. Maybe they are put off us by the behaviour of ghastly British tourists and expats in Spain...not sure I blame them.

I did consider emailing them and asking why there was no option for Inglaterra or El Reino Unido in their checkout, but I thought I would spare them the inconvience of translating my terrible Spanish.

...So I ordered a folding DX from Japan.

That's it for now. Especially given that if I hadn't fallen off the wagon over blades I would be on sabbatical this year. But I rationalise it that I am still housebound and have relatively low expenses as a result of not actually being able to get out and do things, so I might has well indulge myself in the only hobby that is currently still available to me.

Enjoy your Dx. It is in my list as long as I create the budget.

 

[Dave himself]

Razor= Type 77
Blade= Rhino #1
Brush= ANBBAS synthetic
Soap= B&M Lavender
Aftershave= B&M Lavender

Really enjoyed my shave tonight. The Type 77 is definitely my favourite. I think it maybe because the blade is longer than any of my other barber razors. Also it just happens to be the cheapest.

 

[albsat]

Razor= Type 77
Blade= Rhino #1
Brush= ANBBAS synthetic
Soap= B&M Lavender
Aftershave= B&M Lavender

Really enjoyed my shave tonight. The Type 77 is definitely my favourite. I think it maybe because the blade is longer than any of my other barber razors. Also it just happens to be the cheapest.

I have a A77 razor but I find very, very sharp. What razor do you have? I want to buy a strong leopard, which are very cheap but can't find a reliable link yet.

 

[Dave himself]

I have a A77 razor but I find very, very sharp. What razor do you have? I want to buy a strong leopard, which are very cheap but can't find a reliable link yet.

I got a cheapy off Ali Express. If I remember correctly the razor with blades was around £7. I'm sorry I don't know how to share links. The blades are sharp, but I find it easier with sharper blades. It's the same with the AC blades I found that I got a much better shaves with the unguarded ones.

 

[Dave himself]

Forgot to throw up a photo.

 

[albsat]

I really enjoyed the 5th shave with the Kai Protouch in my Kai Clone. The very best. I get better shaves with 2 days beard growth.

 

[albsat]

I really enjoyed the 5th shave with the Kai Protouch in my Kai Clone. The very best. I get better shaves with 2 days beard growth.

Just checked and that was the 6th shave with Kai Protouch.

Today I shaved with a chinese Shavette that used A77 blade format, the blade was from Cloud.

Man this Shavette is a very bad boy. I gave the maximum concentration with a very light touch and yet I got a tiny cut and a couple of weepers. Very sharp blade. This is the most aggressive razor and I really don't want to use it anymore. If someone is brave to try it, PM me.

 

[Doc Dan]

What is the best higher end replaceable blade straight razor that uses DE blades?

 

[albsat]

What is the best higher end replaceable blade straight razor that uses DE blades?

Tough question. Personally I like Unversal Shavette Lama Intera but it cost under 30 usd.
There are other versions that I have seen online but can't comment on them.

 

[Dave himself]

Just bought this beautiful Weck. Roll on the start of next month when it should arrive

 

[albsat]

Just bought this beautiful Weck. Roll on the start of next month when it should arrive

View attachment 1813570

Is it coming with the guard ?

 

[Goblin]

What is the best higher end replaceable blade straight razor that uses DE blades?

There's the Universal as already mentioned, and Boker also make some high end swingback style shavettes.

There's that Muhle Enthusiast you found, which I think someone on the forum does own and may be able to comment on. Not sure, but I think perhaps it was @Brutus?

Finally, there's the Focus Slim AL that quite a few of us have. That one only takes snapped blades though - it won't take pre-halved DE blades. I think it's like the Henson of shavettes: finely engineered, lightweight aluminum, has a head design that "pre-sets" the shave angle.

 

[Brutus]

There's the Universal as already mentioned, and Boker also make some high end swingback style shavettes.

There's that Muhle Enthusiast you found, which I think someone on the forum does own and may be able to comment on. Not sure, but I think perhaps it was @Brutus?

Finally, there's the Focus Slim AL that quite a few of us have. That one only takes snapped blades though - it won't take pre-halved DE blades. I think it's like the Henson of shavettes: finely engineered, lightweight aluminum, has a head design that "pre-sets" the shave angle.

Yes, I may have been the first one to mention and review the Mühle Enthusiast, but if someone asked me to recommend a good replaceable blade straight razor I would suggest the Feather AC SR.

This model handles more like a straight razor than the Feather AC SS and is more forgiving than the Feather AC DX.
To me, this razor seems to combine the best characteristics of both earlier Feather AC models.

The Mühle Enthusiast is a capable razor in its own right, but to me any DE half-blade razor is a compromise that sacrifices the length of a proper straight blade for the convenience of being able to use readily available razor blades.



B.

 

[Doc Dan]

I see Maggard's is selling the Enthusiast, but WOW! is it expensive! I personally like that it uses normal DE blades and the smaller length of blades does not bother me at all.

I will probably try a Focus Slim one of these days. I had forgotten about them. They are weird looking, and very industrial.