Captains Choice Bay Rum soap
Silvertip badger in burl box elder
Crown King scuttle
Allegheny Instruments 5/8 near wedge
Captains Choice Cat o'Nine Tails splash
After such a great shave with a shavette last night, I wanted to compare it with my favorite straight. There is ever so slight a feeling of ATG stubble left after 3 passes +touchups, whereas the shavette left me truly BBS in 3 passes without touchups. BUT...the feeling of the edge on the straight was so much smoother and softer than the shavette. The edge-on-skin feel of the shavette is very harsh, like it wants to nick, and I have to control it throughout the shave. The edge-on-skin feel of the straight is very gentle, like it doesn't have any interest in cutting anything but hair. These diametrically opposed sensations both have positive and negative aspects.
The shavette forces me to focus more, which is a nice change of pace. It keeps me on my toes, and will hopefully train my handling skills to an even finer degree. The downside is even the slightest lapse feels like it will cut, and I've been enjoying the rarity of blood.
The straight is extremely comfortable and smooth, but the fact that it doesn't feel threatening at all against the skin can sometimes lull me into a lazy shave, which can lead to cuts and nicks. Make no mistake about it, regardless of how soft the edge, it will cut if you lose focus.
For me it is a good experience, and I am very glad I revisited the shavette last night. I am going to make it a routine, if not regular, part of my rotation, if for no other reason than the honing of my techniques, and the "on-your-toes" experience to keep me from getting lackadaisical.
But it can't replace my straights...