The Goodfellas’ Smile Shibumi Kamisori Shavette is a Japanese-style non-folding straight razor that requires users to change its blades. This product review will delve into its design, performance, ease of use, and overall value, drawing from the provided sources.
Overview and Design
The Goodfellas’ Smile is an emerging brand from Northern Italy, known for its innovative scents in shaving soaps, pre-shaves, and aftershaves, and has recently ventured into “hardware” like this Shavette.
- Aesthetics: The Shibumi Kamisori Shavette is praised for its sleek appearance, featuring elegant curves and teflon-coated metal, embodying traditional Japanese design. It is noted to look cool and slick.
- Size and Handle: The Shavette is described as being smaller than expected, though it fits the hand adequately. A significant design concern is the handle, which appears to be wrapped in a hard plastic that resembles “twist ties.” This material is very smooth and slick, making the razor feel like it could slip out of your hands when wet.
Blade Loading Mechanism
Loading a razor blade into the Shibumi Kamisori is considered “pretty easy”.
- Users slide out a metallic insert.
- A standard razor blade is broken in half while still in its paper wrapping.
- The half razor is then dropped into a pair of hooks on the metal insert.
- Finally, the insert is slid back into the hollow blade housing.
- While this process is described as easy, it may require some trial and error, during which there’s a risk of cutting oneself.
Performance
The Goodfellas’ Smile Shibumi Kamisori Shavette performs “adequately,” cutting hair on the face, but it’s important to note that it can also cut other things.
- Blade Quality: Disposable razors, even high-quality ones used in a shavette, will dull quicker and are not as sharp as a true straight razor blade due to the steel they are made from. They do not “stand a candle” to the sharpness and aggressiveness of a real straight razor blade.
- Design Flaw (Exposed Points): A major design flaw highlighted is that the points of the disposable blade are exposed during shaving, unlike safety razors which have a guard. These sharp points can easily “carve the hell out of your skin” if they catch on a wrinkle or bump. The author experienced significant cuts and irritation during initial uses due to this. The blade also remains exposed when done, posing a cutting risk if not carefully stored.
Ease of Use
The Shavette has a “massive learning curve” for those not practiced with straight razor use.
- Smaller Shaving Area: The actual shaving area is much smaller than a typical straight razor (a disposable blade is about 43mm long compared to 7-9 cm for a straight razor blade). This significant difference in size requires serious getting used to to avoid injury.
- Even for Experienced Users: Even those practiced with straight razors may face “hiccups” due to the exposed point issue and the smaller shaving space.
Redemption Factor and Best Use
Despite its challenges, the Shibumi Kamisori Shavette has a “really good redeeming factor”.
- Excellent for Touch-Ups: Its small blade size is “REALLY good at getting into places you might miss with a safety razor or a cartridge razor”. This includes areas like cleft chins, the mustache area, goatee edges, and sideburns.
- It excels primarily in simple touch-ups after a full shave rather than serving as a full replacement for a main razor.
Price Point
The price is considered a strong point for this Shavette.
- The Shibumi Kamisori typically sells for around $20 USD plus shipping and handling, which is considered a “steal” compared to most other shavettes on the market, some of which can cost as much as $270 USD.
- It is often on sale, making it an attractive option for those curious to try a shavette without a significant investment. However, it is advised not to skimp on the quality of disposable razors used with it.
Consumer Complaints
Beyond the reviewer’s own observations, common consumer complaints include:
- Difficulty in finding the right razor blade, as variations exist, especially in Europe.
- Challenges with the blade insertion process, which involves trial and error and a risk of cuts.
- The problem of the blade being left exposed when not in use, as it doesn’t fold away or have a guard like other razors, posing a safety risk.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the Goodfellas’ Smile Shibumi Kamisori Shavette is described as stylish and cool-looking but “lacks in the function department”. While it can cut hair, its effectiveness as a primary razor is limited due to the significant learning curve, the exposed blade points, and the challenges of using disposable blades for a straight razor experience.
- Recommendation: This Shavette is best suited for individuals who are “semi-interested in the brand or style” or want to “demo” a shavette at a great price. If you are seriously looking to invest in a shavette for regular, full shaves, the advice is to “save your money”. It primarily excels at “simple touch ups after a full on shave”. While it’s possible to get used to it over time as a main razor, a simple safety razor could often do the same job in less time.
Summary Scores:
- Quality/Design: 6 out of 10
- Ease of Use: 4 out of 10
- Performance: 5 out of 10
- Price: 7 out of 10
- Overall: 5.5 out of 10
