Thread: Grind type

New to straight razors. I was wandering what the best grind on a razor blade for a beginner if everything was equal in honing.. Are there pros and cons for each or just preference... Thanks
-Jok3rr

I would recommend a full grind for first razor. Basically it boils down to feedback for the most part. If someone has a very thick, very coarse beard a full or extra full hollow grind wouldn't work very well, but a quarter or wedge may provide just the right amount of feedback & be easier to handle. On an average beard or a slightly thin one like mine the extra feedback of a full hollow allows you to feel what the razor is doing very easily. Whether it's hanging up on some whiskers or plowing through like there's no tomorrow. For me personally, a full hollow feels just right. I have a 7/8 quarter hollow and a 7/8 wedge. When I try shaving with either of them I can't tell what the razor is doing. Just too much mass being moved around to feel anything.

Whatever type of grind you settle on, make sure the razor you buy has been professionally honed, not factory sharpened. There's a huge difference in the two and you want to make things as easy as possible your first few shaves, so make sure it's been professionally honed. All the razors at srd are honed before they ship out.

^^^ What he said

I hope that explanation made sense, if you're a fisherman then the difference between crappie and bass fishing is a good analogy. The ultralight rig is a full hollow blade & your average bass rig is the wedge or quarter hollow. You need the sensitivity of the ultralight to catch crappie and you need the strength of that bass rig to catch bass. You can use that big, heavy bass rig to catch crappie, but it won't work very well. That ultralight rig won't work too well worming for bass in a stump field either.

But using that bass rig worming in the stump field, you get the strength you need and just enough sensitivity (feedback) to set the hook on a big one. That ultralight rig is plenty sensitive (feedback) to tell you what's going on with your jig, but still just strong enough to reel up a decent size crappie.

I like analogies, and have a bad habit of using them to justify beating a dead horse. Hope that wasn't the case here.

Originally Posted by Jok3rr

New to straight razors. I was wandering what the best grind on a razor blade for a beginner if everything was equal in honing.. Are there pros and cons for each or just preference... Thanks
-Jok3rr

The myth is that stiffer razors are better for beginners. The reality is that there are full hollows marketed as being for tough beards as well.
Buy a quality razor properly honed. Vintage may be better than new.

I've never heard that myth before

A well made, properly honed razor of any grind will work for any beard. Different grinds feel and sound differen though. I used to like the thinner grinds but lately I really like my 1/4 hollows. I think the audible feedback of a full hollow can be helpful for a beginner though, especially while stropping.