Shavette users, I need your help.

So few months ago I've bought this shavette and shaved about 30 times lets say with it,maybe more, got some burn, few cuts, but also managed to get few nice, CCS shaves in 2 passes, without irritation .
But I have problem when shaving on my chin, and under it, I feel a lot of tugging and it won't cut, I have a feel like I am peeling a potato.
I have tried few different soaps and creams, including Proraso Green and Red, TOBS Sandalwood, Viking Active cream,Palmolive cream, etc. also tried with Palmira soap which is ubersoftening (half tallow, half soap) and it seems to help a bit, but there is also a lot of tugging even on WTG. On ATG under my chin it won't glide, really need to push for it anf go for slicing movements, and it feels just like peeling a potato..

I've tried to use more water in my lather and it helps a bit, but not enough. Since I am shaving slow with it, I relather my face when lather dry a little bit.

Blades I tried are red Personna, Astra SP, Polsilver SI and all tugged, not really a big difference so thinking blades aren't issue.

Shavette I am using is Italian Kiepe 120, which is probably just a generic chinese with slide in mechanism, rebranded.

Also using shallow angle, almost flat on skin... if I remmeber from previous tries, using bigger angle left me with an irritation.


Also looking those videos from youtube, those guys seems to get much cleaner shave in first pass.

Of course, I shower before shaving with it, and use hot towel, as pre shave olive oil or Nivea cream. Also don't think my beard is so coarse.

ALSO, I haven't shaved with real sstraight razor, just catridges and DE, started wth shaving with DE about 10 months ago.


What am I doing wrong? Do I need different angle, different lather? What lather should be for shavette? Or my shavette is bad? Or it is just supposed to be like that?


Thank you very much, and sorry for mistakes, ENglish is not my native.


Pic of shavette(blade is misplaced):

If your face is not getting irritated by the blades you are using, try a Feather Hi-stainless. It's among the sharpest blades you will find. If you can't get them where you are, send me a PM with your address and I will mail you a few to try.

Thank you very much for your generous offer, I still have 2 Feather blades (had a 10, but that is left), will try them. I didn't for now, cause tried Polsilver which I find just a little bit less sharp, but well this is not a DE...

I have this same problem with my shavette, and any straight I have used so far. It's a very difficult area to shave.

I have a Van Dyke, so I don't shave my chin or upper lip, but I have this problem with my jaw line and neck area.

I wasn't enjoying my shavette overly much until I switched to Shark blades and the difference was massive. No more nicks or cuts, just a super-close shave.

I have the same shavette near enough and my only skin routine is mixing some shave cream up and applying it to my face. Despite the tugging, does it give a close shave?

try quick, short back and forth movements - called blade buffing. I have the best success with the spine against my skin.

Christel said:

I wasn't enjoying my shavette overly much until I switched to Shark blades and the difference was massive. No more nicks or cuts, just a super-close shave.

I have the same shavette near enough and my only skin routine is mixing some shave cream up and applying it to my face. Despite the tugging, does it give a close shave?

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Haven't tried shark blades, how would you describe them, like super sharp or more on the smooth side?

Yes, it gives quite close shave with two pases, not like with DE, but close enough to look presentable. It just tugs on some places, won't glide at all, feels like I will cut piece of chin.

coachschaller said:

try quick, short back and forth movements - called blade buffing. I have the best success with the spine against my skin.

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What means spine against skin? Laid flat on the the skin? Will try with buffing, thanks, I'll report on my next shave which is in a few hours.
I will make some superlather to be sure about that, use the feather blade and try to buff.

Instead of ATG, try just 2 WTG passes. Except at the point of your chin. There, start near the middle and stroke sideways, even though that will probably be XTG. The curve is easier to follow in that plane. Be sure to stretch the skin well as you shave. Tight skin resists cuts and irritation. Keep your angle low. With a shavette, the spine should be nearly dragging on the face.

ATG is almost always unneccesary and causes problems. If you insist on punishing your face like that, then be sure to do 2 WTG passes first. If the second one is XTG or nearly so, thats okay but better to keep it as WTG as possible. And with ATG with a shavette, the spine should actually be touching the skin. Stretching is extra important. Light pressure and dont force the blade. A gentle brushing motion works good. Light blade buffing works. Trying to snowplow the whiskers off your face, using the shavette like a bulldozer, will pull and irritate, especially if you have a heavy beard. Dont force the blade to cut... just allow it to do so.

Dont worry, your English is better than some Americans.

Sometimes I'll have a shavette stall while going ATG on the area below my lower lip, above my Evil Spock beard. I will go back for another XTG pass, then try again with more speed. Seems to work well, but that spot isn't very sensitive for me...might be disaster if I tried it on my lower neck areas.

I get the same feeling on the chin. It scared the heck out of me the first time I did it with a CJB and a Feather Professional. I learned to go sideways on my chin, instead of downward. The upper lip, right under my chin is also the same. After one shave my feather blades tug and come to a standstill on these areas. It is very disconcerting. I just repeat to myself, "no pressure.." while I slightly buff these areas. Most of the time it's easier for me to just go XTG. ATG was not an option for me until recently.

If I'm in a rush, I'll just use my milder 2011 R41... Don't be in a rush to do a "Shavette only" shave. Use another razor to finish if you have to. I did this a few times when starting with my CJB. I shaved my cheeks and neck WTG just fine, but when I felt the razor stall and I could feel the blade standin on my upper lip or chin, knowing that just the slightest pressure would start a cut, I put down the Shavette and grabbed my 1912 GEM or I2 Hydro magic. Soon enough you'll be shaving with the shavette only, but why punish yourself if you don't feel the confidence yet?

I ended up watching a lot of "The Nomad Barber" videos on Youtube and saw some real skill with the shavette. Those gave me the confidence to perform "light, confident" strokes.

Good luck to you.

alden said:

I have this same problem with my shavette, and any straight I have used so far. It's a very difficult area to shave.

I have a Van Dyke, so I don't shave my chin or upper lip, but I have this problem with my jaw line and neck area.

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For the jawline, have you tried opening your mouth as wide as possible when shaving WTG? It helped a huge amount with my problem jawline area 👍

duki92 said:

Haven't tried shark blades, how would you describe them, like super sharp or more on the smooth side?

Yes, it gives quite close shave with two pases, not like with DE, but close enough to look presentable. It just tugs on some places, won't glide at all, feels like I will cut piece of chin.

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They're sharp, no doubt about it and they feel very smooth.

I have very thick hair around my chin and unless I allow it to grow for a few days first, it comes down to lots of short strokes made gently.

Don't do a ATG until the WTG no longer cuts hair. I would make all kinds of funny faces to stretch the chin skin and keep doing WTGs until it the blade no longer grabs hair. Then try a XTG, then go ATG if you really want it smooth. If the whisker is long it is very hard to go ATG IMO.

Thanks to everybody for input! I have read all posts and every single one has helped me last night a little bit!

I've made superlather, just to eliminate one factor, shower, lather , hot towel x2, lather and done 2 WTG, except on my chin where I was going sideways, buffing, and it was much smoother! Also I did found that I was using big angle (wide?), when kept the spine pressed on the skin, it is much smoother. Instinctively hand turns shavette to wider angle, and I need to work on that.
Skin stretching and making funny faces is part of my routine from DE shaving, but it seems like now it should be taken to next level
Since I haven't changed the blade (Personna platinum 3rd) tried S-N pass and finished with just a little bit of irritation which is OK for me,two little nicks with my almost useless left hand, HoB Lavender burned just a little, almost none, so it seems like I am close to the right way.

I hope tonight shave with new blade will be great, again thanks to everybody for great advices!