Thread: Razor Grinds

Here's a question I've meant to ask for a while... What do different razor grinds mean?

I know full hollow grind means both sides swoop from spine to bevel. But what are 1/4 hollow, half hollow, and any other grinds on razors...

What are the appearances on each, what are the pros and cons, what's your favorite? Thanks for the help

This might help from the wiki here http://straightrazorpalace.com/srpwi...traight_razor:


The smith can subtract a varying amount of steel to produce a hollow blade. The chart show various levels of hollow blades, from "extra hollow" to "true wedge". An hollow blade produce a crystalline sound while cutting an hair. The main objective of hollow ground blades is to make honing much easier. On a true wedge blade, the honer has to remove steel on the whole flank. By contrast, on a hollow ground, only the very edge of the blade and the flank of the spine are to be thinned, which requires much less effort. The spine must be applied on the stone (or the leather), it ensures that a constant honing angle is applied. During the lifetime of the razor, the blade is somewhat narrowed by successive honing cycles, but the spine is also thinned, thus the honing angle remains the same.

The main difference is the amount of flex in the blade. Some, primarily with a heavy beard, prefer a stiffer blade such as a half hollow to wedge. The heavier grinds (less to no flex) are also a little more forgiving of poor technique than a full hollow. Once technique is mastered most folks find the full hollows to give a closer shave. The heavier grinds are also quieter in use, and some prefer that.

Thank you very much, but.. ah... What is a half hollow grind? Like, is it just a thinner/thicker hollow?

Do full hollow grind, half hollow grind, quarter hollow, etc, all indicate how thick the blade is/how shallow the grind is?

A full hollow razor is one that has been fully hollowed out so that it is very thin. Like the XIV on that chart above
A half hollow is one that has been hollowed out halfway
A quarter hollow was hollowed out a quarter of the way to full hollow

A wedge only sports a very slight hollowing, or none at all - like a I on the chart above

Here's another from the Wiki that might help. The terms are not absolute, and sometimes different names are used for these kinds of grinds, but it is a general guide:

hoglahoo - that is a great visual, much better then the one I posted. Can you provide a link to it for me. I cannot seem find it in the SRP wiki.

Form:Straight Razor Database Submission Form - Straight Razor Place Wiki - here you go. The other images are quite good, too. All part of the SRP Straight Razor Database©.

That clears it all up! Thanks.. I kept mistaking a half hollow for one that was hollow ground on one side, and a true wedge on the other (Like a chisel, only hollowed)... Now I feel like an idiot :P

Don't...we all wonder about something or another!