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thinking about buying a shavet

well I was wanting to make the jump to the straight razor and thought the shavet would be my best bet. after doing my research and looking at them I realize now but that was a horrible choice on my part. so now I'm looking for any recommendations on an entry-level basic forgiving straight that's pretty cheap and I can learn on. it has to be shave ready I don't know how to sharpen, nor do I want the extra expense of buying a good hone.
 
Don't be so quick to write off the shavette. As one who only uses disposable blade straights, I find them to be excellent. Just take your time and get the basics down. No regular straight can match the sharpness of the disposable blade straight. Once you learn the right way to use one, and get your technique down, the shaves will be some of the best you'll get.
 
If you don't want to sharpen a razor and don't want the expense of a good hone then you likely won't enjoy the expense of a good strop ($50 to $100) to keep the edge sharp between honings nor will you enjoy paying for the honing service (about $25) to sharpen it every couple weeks. Sure you might get someone here to help you out but you'll need to have this done several times. At the very least you'll pay shipping several times and you'll likely incur some cost as well.
The edges will go dull fairly quickly especially while you are learning to shave with it and have bad form. It will also take you around 100 shaves with a straight to get good at it to the point where you can get a bbs shave. Some of the first shaves are pretty bad as well and it'll feel like you'll never get a decent shave.

Don't get me wrong, I do prefer using straights to a shavette but if you're not dedicated to it, and not willing to spend the money it takes to get started correctly then you likely won't stick with it long enough to get good at it. You will need at least two razors sharpened by someone who knows what they are doing as well as a good quality strop to keep them sharp for as long as you can. You'll have to send one out to be sharpened while you shave with the other and will likely have to send it out several times as you're getting started. Assume that anything you purchase off Ebay even if it says shave ready is not shave ready. You can check out the user buca here of find Larry at Whipped Dog as they both have properly sharpened straights and strops. This is what most people choose in getting started. To avoid the honing fees you can use lapping film (inexpensive) or just buy one high grit hone ($100) to keep them sharp once someone else has put a good edge on them. I spent a couple hundred to start with and quickly several hundred more to pick up some hones, a nice strop and more razors. Then several hundred more, and more, etc.

If you just want to give it a go to see if it's for you without spending a lot of money then I'd recommend a good quality shavette. For a good quality one at a very good price check out the CJB shavettes on Ebay for around $35. They take the Feather Pro style blades and do work quite well. They can be fairly hard to find so you can likely sell it for about 5 bucks less than you paid for it if you find it's not for you or want to go to straights down the road. I have one of these and it's quite nice. It's not as nice as the Feather or Kia brand ones in quality but it's very good and not anywhere near the cost.

The difference between the shavette and a traditional straight razor is sharpness and maintenance. The shavette will be sharper and as a result a bit less forgiving. The straights are more forgiving but more difficult to get a good shave with at first. Yes, you will cut yourself with both of them but they'll likely be small cuts and nicks that close right up and heal quickly. The shavette won't require a strop or any sharpening tools so it can be much less expensive. A Feather Pro style blade will likely last more than 10 shaves.
 
Interesting dfoulk. Many interesting facts. I have never tried a shavette or a straight but now I know what I have ahead of me. I should soon receive a feather shavette from the feather tour. Very excited and a bit scared tbo.
 
Interesting dfoulk. Many interesting facts. I have never tried a shavette or a straight but now I know what I have ahead of me. I should soon receive a feather shavette from the feather tour. Very excited and a bit scared tbo.

I think you'll enjoy the feather tour and there's really nothing to worry about at all. I was a bit nervous but by the end of the first shave realized that it wasn't a big deal. If there are some Kia blades in there they are not quite as sharp as the Feather ones, so maybe try those first. They're kind of like a Feather blade with a few shaves already on it. You can also run a cork over the blade (corking) to smooth it out a bit and make it a little more forgiving. This might help, especially with your first couple shaves. When I first started with the CJB shavette I noticed that from about the 5th shave on with the Feather blades I started to get more comfortable and much more forgiving shaves. I attribute this to using a duller blade. Some say to just do your cheeks when starting out if you've never tried it before but I went ahead with the whole thing myself. It takes quite a few shaves to get good at this so you likely won't have the razors long enough to get any really great shaves but it'll be enough to let you know if it's something you're interested in. Personally I enjoy the challenge and once you master it the shaves are extremely comfortable.

Just watch the angle and use no pressure, just like a de razor. Use a wetter lather as well to keep the razor from sticking to your face as well.

The cuts and nicks you will get will likely be minor and easily fixed. I've gotten cut much worse from a de razor than any shavette or straight I've used so far. You're first shave or two may be nervous ones but you'll get the hang of it quickly as long as you watch a couple videos first. The videos will show you the proper angle, how to stretch your skin, how to get under your nose and things like that. Cuts will result from doing something stupid while trying to get a difficult area or from just being careless.

Good luck.
 
There are several hobbyists on B&B who sell cheap shave ready straights - buy a couple and if it is not for you then you can sell them for close to what you bought them for. But you will need at least to get a strop. In the UK there are cheap but ok strops for £25, I would imagine that in the USA you can get something similar for $40 or so. Of course you can spend a lot more on a strop but you will be making a nick in it here and there so keep your pennies (cents!) to one side until you have the technique mastered. You need to strop after each time you use the straight.

I like shavettes too. The ones that use the feather blade are my favourites and the cheapest is the CJB followed by the Feather SS AC. Both are good fun, with the CJB 1/2 the price (or better) of the Feather. Again, buy second-hand and you will not lose much on either should it not be for you.

Good luck!
 
I think you'll enjoy the feather tour and there's really nothing to worry about at all. I was a bit nervous but by the end of the first shave realized that it wasn't a big deal. If there are some Kia blades in there they are not quite as sharp as the Feather ones, so maybe try those first. They're kind of like a Feather blade with a few shaves already on it. You can also run a cork over the blade (corking) to smooth it out a bit and make it a little more forgiving. This might help, especially with your first couple shaves. When I first started with the CJB shavette I noticed that from about the 5th shave on with the Feather blades I started to get more comfortable and much more forgiving shaves. I attribute this to using a duller blade. Some say to just do your cheeks when starting out if you've never tried it before but I went ahead with the whole thing myself. It takes quite a few shaves to get good at this so you likely won't have the razors long enough to get any really great shaves but it'll be enough to let you know if it's something you're interested in. Personally I enjoy the challenge and once you master it the shaves are extremely comfortable.

Just watch the angle and use no pressure, just like a de razor. Use a wetter lather as well to keep the razor from sticking to your face as well.

The cuts and nicks you will get will likely be minor and easily fixed. I've gotten cut much worse from a de razor than any shavette or straight I've used so far. You're first shave or two may be nervous ones but you'll get the hang of it quickly as long as you watch a couple videos first. The videos will show you the proper angle, how to stretch your skin, how to get under your nose and things like that. Cuts will result from doing something stupid while trying to get a difficult area or from just being careless.

Good luck.

Thanks for your advise and encouraging. Will have this in mind.
 
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