Quote Originally Posted by English View Post
Russell,

It does matter.

Many shavers don't understand or want to understand these issues. They want a shave..

They know that a 5/8" hollow ground round point razor is a good starting point and gives a good shave.

The razor they buy is advertised as such.

Actually its an old razor which measured a full 7/8" when new but had a 6/8" blade the rest being the dome on the spine. The advertised razor actually has only 4/8" of true blade left.

The razor does not shave like a 5/8" full hollow ground but more like a 4/8" wedge. The blade is stiff and in need of a regrind.

They give up shaving with a straight because the blade was uncomfortable.

Yes, it does matter very much. There is too much con in the world already. Selling mutton as lamb is not the way forward in my opinion.
To me, this is hugely overstated. A hollow grind hones a bit quicker and gives a different shaving experience, because of lesser weight and because of different sound feedback. Other than that, flexibility has nothing to do with how it shaves. I don't think anyone pushes a razor hard enough against his face, to bring that kind of flexibility into play. At least I don't.
My small collection of razors is completely aimed to find out what kind of razor I like best. I've purchased from 4/8 full hollows to big lumpy wedges, and most anything in between. Some are brand new and others are over a century old.
I still haven't made my mind up about what suits me best, and I 'm starting to think that I never will. If I manage to get them nicely honed, something that's continuously improving, I like them all. I have not met one single experience that would support the thesis that flexibility has any direct effect on shaveability.

I agree with Russel that as long as the steel is good and the bevel angle falls within limits, any razor can be honed to provide a superior shave. I might add that not every razor seems to respond equally well to a given honing method. But that's a honer's problem, not a razor's.

With respect,
Bart.