First I would like to thank everyone here for the great insights and tons of help over the last few months. I purchased a Dovo 5/8 spike point a few months ago and have really enjoyed getting into straight razor shaving. I've only had a few problems that i can't seem to find a simple answer for and this is why I'm posting my questions.

I absolutely love shaving with my straight, however if i don't shave for a few days it's more difficult due to my thick beard. Now i know of many people's opinions saying that larger blades are easier to handle thick beards, or that wedges are better for thick beards. Is there a guideline to which blade is better suited for a beard-type? or is it a trial and error scenario where everyone needs to find out which blade is best suited for them? I hope its not the latter because i'm a college kid who's not financially capable of purchasing multiple razors just to see which one i would like.

Regarding the issue with blade size, is it the size of the blade that would make the difference, or the weight of the blade?

Thanks for the help,
-Mike