Absolutely. I’ve not used a shavette, but I have some shorter straights and a 9/16 I love, I definitely recognize the maneuverability of a smaller blade. I bounce between so many different blades, I can make any of them work but the variety does make clear how they really do act differently.
That makes sense, there are old pre-1850s usually straight razors with extra short tails, called monkey tails, but since 1850 the tail has actually become quite standard shape and size, with occasional outliers for decoration. The tedalus definitely has a strangely long tail, but sounds like you found it useful
Generally rubbing alcohol is fine. If you want to go beyond that, get barbicide and soak the blade for a while in that. Just be certain in both cases you’re not subjecting the scales to such as the scale material may respond poorly to the aggressive nature of those solutions.
Blade anatomy - this seems the most complete and correct image I can find of it. Point is also called the tip, tang is also called tail, sometimes people confuse the tang and shank. Some razors are shoulderless (makes sharpening easier), and a shoulder is different from a stabilizer though they’re often mixed up because they’re next to each other. This image actually calls the stabilizer the shoulder - the shoulder is the boundary line between shank and stabilizer or blade, the stabilizer is the space between that second line above the heel and the shoulder. Often razors have no stabilizer, occasionally they’re shoulderless too, you can’t have a stabilizer without a shoulder though.
https://images.app.goo.gl/deR5RZJmfYoakpZu8
I think you’re referring to the shank.
My post here talks through what’s needed.
Presuming you picked something up that needs sharpening (unless you got a lot of luck and chose a particular rare ebay seller, it will need sharpening), that’s your first step, mail to a pro to sharpen it. Stropping will not make a straight razor sharper, it simply aligns the microscopic metal frill at the apex. Sharpening requires steel removal, not just alignment.
Post some pictures and more details!
YES BROTHER. I TOO AM MOT A BOT. BEEP BOOP.
Buddy… only one genco?? :D maybe it’s just me, we all have the brands we find we gravitate to, for me that’s Boker, Genco, and Imperial, I have 3+ of each because they’re all winners. Just got a new imperial today, my 3rd Chicago world’s fair distinct etch! (also like 7/8 which is wild for imperial)
What stones did you use?