Collection: Straight Razors

Straight razors and shavettes represent the original approach to wet shaving, offering unmatched control and the potential for an exceptionally close shave. While both use an exposed blade held against the skin at a shallow angle, they differ fundamentally in blade design and maintenance requirements.

Traditional straight razors, also known as cut throat razors, feature a fixed blade permanently attached to the handle scales. These blades are ground from either carbon steel (which takes and holds a keener edge) or stainless steel (which resists corrosion and requires less maintenance). The blade width, measured in eighths of an inch, typically ranges from 4/8" for precision work to 6/8" for efficient coverage on larger areas. Grind type affects blade flexibility: full hollow ground blades flex slightly during the stroke, while wedge ground blades remain rigid.

Shavettes use replaceable blades, eliminating the need for stropping and honing. They accept either standard double edge blades snapped in half or purpose-made single edge blades such as the Feather Artist Club range. Professional barbers favour shavettes for hygiene reasons, as a fresh blade can be used for each client.

Our collection features straight razors and shavettes from manufacturers renowned for quality and craftsmanship. DOVO of Solingen, Germany produces an extensive range of traditional straight razors in carbon steel and stainless steel, with handle materials including ebony, olivewood, pakkawood and mother of pearl imitation. Their shavettes offer the same German engineering with the convenience of replaceable blades.

Feather of Japan brings precision engineering to the shavette format with their Artist Club system. The folding and non-folding handles accept a range of blade types, from the mild Pro Light for sensitive skin to the aggressive Pro Super for coarse beards. The stainless steel construction allows for autoclave sterilisation in professional settings.

Giesen & Forsthoff, also from Solingen, produces the Timor range of straight razors alongside their barber-focused shavettes. Parker offers accessible entry points to straight razor shaving with their stainless steel shavettes, designed to accept half of a standard double edge blade.

Traditional straight razors require regular maintenance to perform at their best. A leather strop realigns the blade edge before each shave, while honing stones restore the edge when stropping alone proves insufficient. Proper storage in a protective case prevents damage to the blade edge between uses.

Shavette users need only keep a supply of replacement blades on hand. DOVO shavettes accept standard double edge blades split in half, while Feather Artist Club razors require purpose-made blades available in several configurations for different skin types and beard densities.

A straight razor has a permanent blade that needs stropping and occasional honing. A shavette uses replaceable blades, so it is easier to keep sharp and is often chosen by barbers. Compare traditional DOVO straight razors with Feather Artist Club shavettes.

Most beginners find a shavette simpler because there is no stropping or honing. A mild replaceable blade and a slow shaving angle are more important than choosing the most aggressive option first.

Some shavettes use half of a standard double edge blade, while others use longer specialist blades such as Feather Artist Club. Check the blade format on the product page before buying replacements.

Yes, a fixed-blade straight razor should be stropped before shaving to keep the edge aligned. Shavettes do not need a strop because the blade is replaced when it loses sharpness.