The eternal debate a lot of new straight razor users ask before buying an expensive new straight razor is: “Should I buy a shavette instead?” This article aims to help you decide which is better for you.

I will begin this article with a preamble about my personal thoughts on shavettes v. real straight razors. A shavette is NOT a straight razor. It is not even a real straight razor alternative. It was designed for the hair styling industry as a styling tool. In recent years, after straight razors were banned in many states, barbers turned to disposable shavettes to continue offering real barber shaves. New straight razor users are lured towards the shavette because of its seeming simplicity, cost, and low upkeep. The thinking is that a shavette is a stepping stone or alternative to a real straight razor. While the first may be true, the second is not. A shavette is no more an a straight razor than a Rolls Razor or DE. In fact, a Rolls Razor is closer to a straight razor than a shavette is.

The reason I say all that is because a shavette relies upon DE blades. DE blades do not perform the same as true hardened and sharpened steel. DE blades rely on teflon to cut through your beard. A straight razor relies upon the sharpening process to cut down your hairs. In addition, the shavette suffers from lack of weight. Its not something new straight razor users think about when buying a razor, but a shavette is extremely light weight. While too much straight razor makes it unwieldy, weight behind the razor helps power through hairs, making the shaving process easier. My final argument against shavettes is that they are just cheap plastic. If you buy a truly nice one, you might as well spend the money on a real straight razor.

The shavette was originally designed and marketed as a barber’s tool for shaving the back of people’s necks and other hair styling applications. Yet, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t work as an alternative to a straight razor. More or less a “DE on a stick”, the shavette can and is used much like a straight razor is. The shavette truly is a DE razor. It uses the same blades, and you are limited to the same exact manufacturers and blade types. Except the shavette is used in the same style as a straight razor.

The real difference between the straight razor and the shavette comes down to style. The straight razor is the “real deal” while the shavette is an imitation. The straight razor has many more options in terms of scales, point styles, grinds, steel, etc. The shavette is always going to look more or less the same and come with very similar handles. This also plays out in terms of initial investment. A shavette’s initial cost is much less than a straight razor. While the straight razor may pay for itself in the long term, the upfront investment is pretty steep in comparison. However, the straight razor tends to hold its value much better.

In terms of performance, the shavette performs more or less exactly like a DE does. The difference being that you are in control of the angle. However, other than that, your using exactly the same blades, from exactly the same manufacturers. The straight razor’s cutting performance is different according to each manufacturer, blade grind, weight, honing method, sharpener’s skill level, and steel. The straight razor also has a larger blade. Unlike a straight razor, the DE blade is limited to the manufacturer’s edge. A straight razor can be sharpened on many different types of stones, imparting slightly different edge types. You can have the straight razor sharpened on a coarser stone, a finer stone, a synthetic stone, or a natural stone. You can even use pastes or diamond sprays to finish a straight razor.

In terms of maintenance, the shavette takes the cake. All you do is replace the blade. While a straight razor doesn’t have to be stropped, it certainly cuts down the life expectancy of the edge by a lot. A strop is another added cost, but if you read our selecting a strop guide, you don’t need to splurge at all. But it is another skill set to learn; but a skill set that pays dividends in the long term.

So, in conclusion, if you want a DE which shaves similar to a straight razor, buy the shavette. If you want to shave with a straight razor, buy a straight razor. You don’t have to buy a strop initially. You don’t even have to strop it initially. Try it out, see if you like it, and if you do, invest. Otherwise, you can get most of your money back.

Unless you want your razor to look like this, read on

I get asked this question often and have come across many poorly maintained straights. So this post is to show you how to keep your well honed razor sharper longer, and prevent rust.

Rust is the enemy. Corrosion eats away at the edge and turns your well honed razor into a not so well honed piece of steel. Unfortunately, there is no escaping the fact that a straight razor requires more care to keep the edge well honed and rust free. But if you follow these steps it shouldn’t be too difficult or time consuming.

• Dry your razor off thoroughly after each use. Water both causes and accelerates rusting. Water is the enemy of steel. To make sure your razor is thoroughly dried, you have a number of options: dip the blade in alcohol (the most severe), wipe it off thoroughly on a dry towel (emphasis on dry), or you can strop it on the canvas portion after the shave and drying it on a towel. If you choose to use the towel method use your thumb and forefinger to “sandwich” the razor in between two sides of the towel, then strop backwards a couple of time on a dry area to get the last of the water droplets off the edge. It is important that you remove any water that got in between the scales and in the pivot area.
• Keep your razor away from moisture. Bathrooms are an inhospitable environment for steel. A well-honed razor isn’t going to stay well-honed for very long if left exposed to the humidity of a bathroom. Ideally you would store your straight razor away from the moisture, but this is not always possible.
• Keep the straight in a waterproof container. If you must store your straight in the bathroom, make sure you store it in a waterproof container. Travel toothbrush holders work well for this task. A less effective method is to just wrap the razor in wax paper; while it works, it isn’t ideal. Use dessicant packs as an extra precaution against humidity.
• Oil the blade. This is a necessary step if you live near salt water (salt water corrodes steel extremely quickly). This is an optional step for everyone else. If you don’t have a waterproof container, the layer of oil will protect your blade from rust. But it does dry out so it does need to be re-applied if your putting your straight into long term storage. It is not foolproof, nor is it waterproof, so you should check your razor if storing it for any lengthy period of time. Any oil works, but should consider the fact that you’ll be wiping it off before each shave. I prefer light mineral oil (you have to request it from the pharmacy sometimes) but regular mineral oil also works. Camellia oil is another popular choice.
• Strop! While you absolutely, positively, don’t need to own a strop or strop your razor. Stropping sure helps keep the rust off your well honed razor.

This topic comes up a lot in wetshaving discussions. Which is better, the straight razor shave or the double edge? We like to think of the comparison as between a manual v. automatic car. The manual has more control, you choose when to shift, and better mpg; whereas the automatic is simple, easy, and makes your decisions for you. Obviously, the analogy isn’t perfect, but let’s look at the differences in depth.

Examining the DE first, we can see many features of standardization from the DE head to the blades themselves. While some very complex DE’s do allow you to control the razor angle, for the most part, the blade angle is chosen for you. There’s nothing wrong with this, but it does reduce some of your options. Yet, it is easier.

The real disadvantage of the DE is the lack of control over the razor blades. While there are different blade manufacturers and some blades are better than others, for the most part all DE blades are manufactured in the same manner, with the same double bevel, and the same blade angle. You can see how they are made in the video at the end.

The straight razor comes in a dizzying array of options, and each option affects the shave in unique ways. First of all, the straight razor has no guide. You, the user, get to choose how steep or shallow an angle you want. You get to control every aspect of the stroke. You can get a completely different shave from a heavy wedge than from a nimble hollow ground razor. The scale material and balance affects how the razor feels when stropping. Each razor has its own honing characteristics, has its own favorite honing methods, responds differently to different hones. Even the bevel angle is unique to each razor. In fact, the person sharpening your razor can even increase the natural bevel angle. Add to that all the different ways in which the edge can be finished, and you have a very customizable experience.

Unfortunately, when you take away the thing that does all of the tasks for you, you have to learn a whole new set of skills. But just like you gain MPG when you switch to a stick shift, you get a better shave if you master the straight razor. And if you decide you want to take the plunge, we are here to help.