Bluebeards Revenge shavette - once again, stand aside Gillette Mach3! ....and it´s getting crowded.

As you might have read here, I opted out of the pay-lotsa-bucks-for-lotsa-blades-camp some time ago. My bucks, actually "kronor" since I´m Swedish, end up in shaving stuff to some extent anyway. I still buy soap, new brushes (The Body Shop one is good) and now also a shavette:

It´s getting crowded - iPhone 5s, cable release, flash

I have a large interest in sharpening things. Of course I´ve tried to sharpen a straight "cut throat" razor   too, and I´ve gotten it so sharp it kind of passes the "hanging hair test". But I wanted to try a shavette  so I can just change the blade when it´s getting dull instead of having to maintain the straight.

My theory is that the DE blade cuts the hair more easy because it is so thin. The safety razor blade still needs less force than the straight razor blade to cut a hair even if the edges are as sharp simply because it´s thinner. I like to think it´s pure physics - a thin wedge needs less force than a thick wedge, even if the tips are as sharp.  Of course a dull edge needs more force which brings us to the next point:

With a shavette for safety razor blades you get very, very sharp blades for little money. When the blade is getting duller you simply insert a new one. No sharpening, no hones, no strops, no stropping or messing around. Just pick up the shavette and start shaving. I know that many guys enjoy the straight razor routine and as I enjoy sharpening stuff I can understand that. And if you want the "old days" or "self sufficient" feeling the shavette is out.


Lets look at it from a "money spent" - perspective. I´d say a straight razor is about even with the Bluebeards Revenge shavette if you buy an old used one on ebay. If you buy a new, finer, straight razor you can spend some insane amounts of cash, so for this comparison we choose the used one.
The strop you need runs about $40-80 for a basic one and a waterstone around $90 depending on what you buy, both bought new from amazon. (These are just examples and you can certainly find both cheaper and more expensive alternatives.)

For about the same $150 you can buy 1200 Astra Superior Platinum blades here, that's 2400 blade changes for the shavette as it uses a blade snapped in half. That means you´re set for 23 years if you change blade two times every week. I doubt the strop will last that long...

Keep in mind when you read this that my hands are rather clumsy, I have limited sensory function so I find it difficult to apply just a little pressure which of course affects how my shave turned out:
The first shave with the Bluebeards Revenge shavette went quite ok. The Astra blade sliced through my beard effortlessly going along the grain. All you have to do is kiss the face with the edge, no pressure needed. I did cut myself a little on my upper lip. Lesson learned: don´t try going against the grain on the upper lip on the first pass. Actually you´re never supposed to go against the grain. The first pass should be along the growth direction and the second pass across it, if your skin can take it. Some people do go against the grain on the third pass. I do that with my



A few things about the Bluebeards shavette: The packaging is quite funny! "Not for girls" heh heh. You´ve gotta smile when you read that! Also quite funny website at Bluebeards Revenge.
The quality? I´d say you get what you pay for. Tiny cracks around the rivets in the scales, a little rough edges on the blade holder as its a stamping, a little crooked grind around the exposed edge. But it´s perfectly useable and the price is very fair so I don´t complain. I actually like that the scales are plastic as they feel warm to the touch.


Even though I like the shavette and the idea of shaving with it, the british aluminium Gillette Tech still is the best razor I´ve ever used. It´s very good, cheap and mild. It´s kind of a shavette but with built in protection so its much harder to cut the skin. The razor holds the blade and guides it and you simply drag it around your face. You can actually just view both as razor blade holders, one with guards and guides and one without.

The shavette has the advantage that it doesn´t care if you have one days growth or a full beard. It simply can´t clog since it´s an open razor. That´s why it´s also good for the neckline, more so than the safety razors.



Colclusion: The Bluebeards Revenge shavette with Astra Superior blades is an economical way to shave if you are willing to learn the skills it takes. The Bluebeards Revenge website has good how-to videos. The shavette is also just the tool to shave the neckline or a long beard.

UPDATE: I've gotten several ingrowns after using the shavette several times, of course I just had to go against the grain. Told you that was a bad idea. Changing the blade to a Derby helped some, the Astra SP in a shavette seems too sharp for my clumsy hands. Since the Gillette aluminum Tech gives me great shaves I think I'll stick to that, at least until I'm patient enough to use the shavette.
But I will still have the wife shave my neckline with the Bluebeards Revenge Shavette, so it's not a wasted purchase. Actually, if all you intend to do is trim your neckline I'd say the shavette is a perfect buy!