Hmmm yes, I've had ten or so attempts with the cheapo Shavette now and got the furthest yet yesterday - thats both cheeks done, a bit of my neck and a bit of my chin - but thats all - I literally had to stop as it was just feeling REALLY dangerous to go any further. Like you know when you're doing something and some neanderthal impulse is in you warning that significant damage/bloodletting is possible if you go any further.
I've really found it near impossible to get any further as you can't cut the tougher hair around my chin etc without getting a 'moving' start with the shavette, but this means dragging it down and it really feels like with one PULL of a hair it could marginally change path and come IN more than I'd like and the result is a BIG cut.
Jawline is just impossible to master the angle on plus the hairs are tougher here too and under the nose, around lips also feels VERY uneasy.
I've been very careful and feel I have a good technique (zero cuts yet from all those starts) - but progressing any further feels VERY tricky - and almost too dangerous to make the risk vs reward portion of using it viable. My wife was freaking mystified as she asked me,"Does that give you a closer shave?" ....my response,"Ummm well not really"......."Her retort,"So what are you using it for?".....tough to counter this and I did say it was largely just to be able to SAY one can shave this way and also to experience it but it's tough to see the real feasibility of it.
The shavette is a simple dip your toes taste without any of the extra hassle but I have to say I really dunno......I was sold on DE shaving after a few goes but this is struggling to get by on the 'mystique' of it even after near a dozen uses.....haha and I hate to think what my confidence level in it will be when I eventually get a decent cut from it, which is surely inevitable at some point.
I find myself getting to where it's all too hard in the shave and then knocking the rest off including the ATG pass (haven't managed to try/do this yet even on the cheeks with the shavette) and thats SOOOOO fast and easy compared to the shavette. That said I used a Rapira Swedish SUper Steel last night (3rd use I think) and the bloody thing was nasty.....lil weepers from it all over. The shavette was smirking at me from it's corner!
I suspect whilst I really LIKE the IDEA of using a straight it'll end up being nothing more than that, with the idea a lot better than reality - especially when you factor in that you've got to get a shave ready one which kinda means either buying froma few folks or sending off after to a Honing expert - and then you've got to get a good strop etc and periodically get re-honed. Dunno it does seem to marry in with the feedback I've heard from DE folks which is that they went back to DE's as the straights were just a tad much trouble in comparison.
Don't get me wrong I can completely see why one would love them BUT it's kinda like hugging a cactus for most people.
