Thread: Best shavette

What is the best shavette razor and the best blade to go with it.I have a Parker srx at the moment and have been using it for 2 months now still getting the odd Nik with it but enjoying the shave none the less

My only experience with one is an L&A Razor Co. shavette. It takes Schick injector blades with the clipped corners. I bought the thing new from my barber and it was a total disaster. Until I mastered the different shave angle my face was a bloody mess that looked like it was shaved with a hedge trimmer. Once I mastered the shave angle I quickly found out that the blades didn't last more than 4 shaves on my tough beard until they got dull. To sum my experience up..............I went back to real straights and never looked back.

I occasionally use a vintage Weck Sextoblade. It seems to handle quite a bit like a straight and I have medical prep blades in it. I have been tempted to buy one of the new ones like the feather or Kai but they are a little pricey and my Sextoblade sees such little use it is hard to justify it.

If you want a cross between a shavette and a straight stay on the lookout for a Sextoblade seven day set. It has seven blades that can be honed while in the shavette. Found one several years ago and it's my go to every now and then.

When I started straight razor shaving, I thought I knew how to hone from many years of honing woodworking hand tools to "scary sharp." So I got a couple of nice vintage razors, one of which I still shave with regularly. And I tried to shave with them, with results everyone on this forum will be able to predict. (Turns out I didn't know how to hone.)

Being a stubborn person, I didn't give up, and I wanted to disentangle my inability to hone from my inability to shave with a straight. So I did something people do not advise -- I got a cheap shavette from a beauty supply store, one that takes half-DE blades, and I shaved with that for a couple of months. It was pretty rough at first, lots of cuts, but I knew that was my technique because I knew the blades were sharp. When I could get good shaves from that shavette without cutting myself, I took my straights to Howard Schechter and got an in-person honing lesson from him, which was revelatory. Also upgraded my hones to higher grits.

After that I found shaving nirvana. The sweet spot for me was hollow-ground round point 6/8" razors initially, like the Bokers that SRD sells (but I always went vintage because I like restoring them). Afterwards I branched out into other types, big Spanish 14s, old wedges, etc. -- a whole world of different experiences, histories, lots of fun!

I think your Parker SRX is basically a nicer version of that $10 shavette I got at a beauty supply store. So, the good news is it only gets better from there. I've tried other shavettes and the best one I tried was a Feather Artist Club, but for me none of them really get to shaving nirvana like a good straight does. I think you have a lot of nice experiences in store for you as you upgrade your gear.

Thank you so much for your encouraging words mate I will keep going with the Parker srx and order a feather artist club ss and try that all the best

The best I've ever used is a Leopard shavette from the Bay.
I have a Parker just like yours, the lock up is better on the Leopard and there is less blade exposure. For me, the overall geometry and the small blade exposure makes it much less likely to give me a nick. It feels good in the hand and cost far less than a Parker.
If you move on to straights, there is no reason the shavettes can't stay in your rotation, mine gets chosen frequently for my morning shaves.

Thank you for your advice joamo I might try one of those at that price you can't go wrong

I found a Feather AC on sale a couple years ago for $69. I still thought it was pricey but I had just gotten a bonus at work and bought it. It's a great razor and a massive step up from the $10 Parker shavettte. It doesn't give the same satisfaction as a traditional straight, but I can't complain about the results.

Thanks AZbronco I have a feather artist club ordered I am hoping for better things from it because it doesn't have the sharp edges that Nik you