Thread: Smiling razors. Does it matter?

Either one works as well as the other, I like smiling blades. Gets in the hollows of my face a bit better. But as stated they work just fine straight or smiling.

You rarely if ever use the entire cutting surface offered by a straight razor, be it straight or smiling. That is especially evident when doing your chin where even the much smaller DE blade is not in full contact with your chin. Like all have said straight or smiling makes no difference except possibly in the hollows where a smiler may be a tad better.

Bob

More often than not you're using an inch or less of a straight bladed razor. On your cheeks and portion of your neck you might just get away with 2-2.5 inches, but I often find that to be more likely to end in a cut or razor burn because you're shaving round flesh with one of the sharpest things known to mankind.

The art of wet shaving will teach you thoroughly that patience is a virtue, and less is more. You rush a shave, you get cuts and razor burn. Use too much pressure? Cuts and razor burn. Too much blade? Cuts and razor burn.

At any rate a smiling blade takes no more time than a straight edge. In fact I find it beneficial to have a smiling edge to get into the hollows. YMMV.