Thread: hollow ground..? what is it & why?

Hi All

Sorry for newbie questions here. Just decided to have a go at straight razor shaving..... I am waiting for a few razors arriving.

But I am not sure what this hollow ground blades are for, and how does it compare with solid straight blades? Which ones are better?

Thanks in advance.

sb.

This link will explain the differences in the various grinds.

grinds

As far as which is better, like so many things in this art of ours, that's a matter of personal taste.

It depends how you define better. Back in the old days like mid 1800s or so the only way they knew to make an edge was a chunk of steel that was ground in a wedge shape. They were big and heavy and could be hard to maneuver. Then they learned they could put a concave into the blade as they ground it and they could make a smaller lighter more maneuverable blade. I'm sure someone will come along with a more technical explanation.

Once they started with hollow ground they worked on it to go from part hollow to full and double hollow. For the most part the full hollows are what are sold these days and probably since the 1920s or so however there is still a following by many for part hollow razors and they are certainly still made and easy to find new and on Eboy.

True wedge razors are really very rare and hard to find. What most call a wedge really has some small hollow to it.

I think when I started I liked wedges better, but as my technique improved I shifted toward hollows. Now I usually reach for hollows, they give me a kind of feedback I really like. Every now and then though, I like to bust the wedge out.

But, as said before... I don't know if "better" really applies. Some people say that they love wedges, others say that they don't like them at all... guess it comes down to trying out a few styles.

And THAT my friend is how RAD creeps up on you!
before you know it, you have to create a razor fund on your budget and the classifieds become part of your daily struggle

The nice thing about a hollow (any hollow), is that you can sharpen it by lying it flat on the hone. The spine sits on the hone on one side, and only the bevel of the blade sits on the hone on the other side (due to the concave middle part). Without that, you'd need to "lift" the spine up in order to sharpen it, and that introduces variablity during honing...

Regarding what grind to get-- you just have to experiment with different grinds to see what you like. I have a full hollow, a half hollow, and a quarter hollow, and they all feel different. Unfortunately, I like them all...

-Chief