Razor for Precision Cutting Individual Hairs? (for styled beard, mustache)

Hello!

I've got a pencil mustache and a shaped goatee, but I just can't stand the frustration any longer of maintaining them with Japanese Feather Artist Series razor. It's just too big, and the head of the razor too rounded, for me to get in and shave away those individual hairs that must go if I'm to get the style I'm after.

I've found some very small straight razors for sale online, but what I was really hoping for is a razor designed for cutting only one or two hairs at a time. Is there anything out there like that? If not, what's the smallest and most precise sort of thing I can get?

I don't want to use a tweezer for one obvious reason, but also because I may grow a full beard again in the future and would hate for tweezing to have weakened my follicles.


Thanks, bye!

While I am not sure if there is a razor made specific to cut only one hair at a time you will be able to use a spike point or a square point to meet your needs. a square point is just that. The cutting edge is sharp to the toe of the blade and forms a 90 degree angle. A spike point is similar but the angle formed at the end of the blade is less than 90 degrees so it is a sharper angle. As for width of blade to use, a 4/8 (smaller is fine and larger is ok) wold be fine for the trimming since you will not have a lot of shave cream unless you are planning on shaving your whole face with the straight. Here is where you can find brand names that most agree are good quality straights: Good Straight Razor Brands - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Do note that you will need to strop the straight razor before each use and hone it when it gets dull. Also, the razor will not be shave ready (sharp enough for shaving) unless noted as such. :gl:

Check out classicshaving.com, they sell 2 models of pre-sharpened Dovo's that are designed for cutting around beards, a 3/8" model and a 2/8" model. These also have a special French point in place of Dovo's standard round point, which gives you additional precision. You might wanna get a bigger razor for the rest of your face since these aren't really meant for shaving more than an inch or so from a beard.

These razors are also as sharp as they get out of the box, so you don't have to invest in having them professionally honed. All you need is a strop and the tools for making lather!

Thanks for the replies guys!

DOVO Straight Razors

Is that the one you were talking about? It's the only 2/8's one I could find on the site, but it doesn't seem to be presharpened.

Looks like it. There's also this one:http: //www.classicshaving.com/catalog/item/522940/337191.htm
but they are both back ordered and not available. When ordering if it doesn't say pre-sarpened you will have to ask for it. Remember, some of the smaller blades are hard to hold especially if you have large hands. Larger blades will allow you the precision also but harder to get in tight places and the blade may hide some areas. Only you can tell if it would be OK.
You can also try the classifieds here: Straight Razors - Straight Razor Place Classifieds

You could save a fortune by buying a little razor on the bay & regrinding the point to suit. I picked up a mint Heljestrand 3/8 recently for just over £10 & a beautiful Bonsa 4/8 for around the same mark.

Straight razor Dovo 3/8 on eBay, also, Golenie i depilacja, Pozostałe, Kosmetyki i Perfumy (end time 20-Jan-09 00:37:26 GMT)


Snipe this one!

in my opinion the only way to have a precision of single hair is square or spike point as joed said. and it should be really really sharp.
narrow blades are good to get in tight spots, but that's a different thing than cutting single hairs.
if you're handy regrinding a point of a razor may not be too bad, however i think this is not for everybody, esp. on full holows as hardened steel is quite brittle,

I'd go spike point. Most of the square points I've seen are actually very slightly rounded where the edge meets the toe.

Ok, thanks again for the replies everyone!
Do you know where I can find a spike point razor that is 1/8. 2/8 or 3/8?

Thanks again bye! :)

:w

I'm not saying those french points at classicshaving are rounded. I just can't tell from the picture on their site. You might ask them. It's just that "square point" seems to be used a bit more ambiguously than "spike point". All the spike points I've seen come to a very distinct point where the toe meets the edge and the edge is sharp all the way to the point. It seems that the term "square point" is a little more generally used for razors that are basically square on the end; but often where the edge meets the toe the corner is just slightly rounded off.

The 2/8, 3/8 (narrower blades) will be more maneuverable around the detail parts but harder to maintain a good angle when shaving the rest of your face (might take a bit of practice and being deliberate). When trimiing around some places on your pencil mustache and goatee you'll find yourself coming in at basically a 90* angle to your face and scraping away from the beard edge before getting to a decent angle. Ugly, but it's the only way I can get precision results :)

My spike point is perfect for trimming along an edge at a normal angle when it's possible and you will easily be able to pick off a single hair when needed. The narrower blade would probably make it easier when trimming under your nose. Also gives you more visibility seeing around the blade. A 2 razor solution with one of them being the narrow blade might be easier, but not necessary. I do ok with a 5/8 spike. I think it would be nice to have a 2/8 or 3/8 spike that is also about half as long for detail work. Let me know if you find one of those :)

Have a razor modified by one of our resident restorers! maybe take a 4/8s razor and shorten it to about a 1 inch spike point! There are also corn razors that you might be able to sharpen to shave ready and use with no modification at all!

One of the nicest I have seen is actually the Fillarmonica 3/8 that Classic was selling for $49 I am not sure that they still have that razor....

Any of the smaller 4/8, 5/8's will do the job quite nicely, the only real trick is that they have to be wicked sharp, sorta sharp, or shaving sharp, just does not "cut" it so make sure the razor you get can handle .50 and .25 diamond paste and hold that edge... Most of the razors I have found that can do that are the vintage American razors.... Trimming around facial hair is why I started using a straight back in 1981 when I grew my first beard, it is really easy to get straight lines with a straight razor... The technique is a little different from normal straight razor shaving, as you don't use the nice smooth strokes that everyone else talks about, you will be using small short strokes and just tiny touches to clip single hairs, which is why the razor has to be so sharp... :gl:

I really like a Spanish point razor to trim around the edges of my mustache and sideburns...
but as gssixgun said it has to be wicked sharp.

:gl:

What I've understood is that a French point is the same as a spike only that the top corner at the spine is rounded off for some reason, probably just cosmetic. Dunno if it's sharpened to the very edge, but if you have classic sharpen it for you they can probably put a better edge on the end as well! :)

EDIT: Just noticed that it's Lynn (who is an Admin here) that does the sharpening for classic, so I think the above request won't be a problem.

i believe the french point is rounded at the edge.
and i don't think currently lynn is the only honemeister for classicshaving.
i think i saw an ivory heljestrand mk30 with chipped tip on ebay few days ago, that may be a good candidate for modification.

Yeah, you're right, it's quite obvious that it's rounded if you have a look at Dovo's catalog. If you wanted to grind down one of those you would probably have to use the 4/8" model and grind it down to 3/8" to get a sharp spike on it.

I was going to mention the chipped tip heljestrand too, but it'd already gone.
Did you see what it made? I was gobsmacked!

Shave Ready HELJESTRAND Straight Razor ORGANIC Scales! on eBay, also Straight Razors, Shaving, Vanity, Perfume Shaving, Collectibles (end time 18-Jan-09 02:00:00 GMT)

Way over what i was expecting & better deals are out there.

try this...its not a straight but maybe it will work for you. I have used it too good success.

http://www.classicshaving.com/catalo...941/195987.htm

in fact if you are interested I may be willing to sell mine...I no longer keep facial hair so no need for it...