Blade size

Good evening and happy new year.

A thought just occurred to me and I wanted to know what kinds of shaves the different sized blades give you. I understand that a wedge is for really tough beards, or so I think I read and that 5/8" is a good starter size to get used to the shaving process.

I encountered a 4/8" blade today. Up till now I never even heard of one.

Does anyone know what the sizes of the blades have to do with the type of shave you get? Or is it all just relative and size means nothing and it is just a comfort thing?

Thank you for reading. Stay Warm.
Paul

Hi Pauly,

Razor sizes really are 100% personal preference. Some prefer smaller widths, some prefer larger - it's what is comfortable in your hands. Any razor regardless of width (or grind for that matter) will give your a good shave so long as your have the right technique and a sharp razor.

Doesn't much matter. Just remember to maintain a proper angle (30 degrees for WTG, 15 degrees for XTG) and to stretch the skin tight.

+1 to MaritimeFanatic's reply. I've used everything from 4/8 to 7/8 and personally, I prefer the 5/8 best. I feel like the 4/8 is just a little bit too small to allow me to judge & feel the blade angle as well as a 5/8. The 6/8 & 7/8, for me, seem to be a little more difficult to hone. I'm sure there are plenty of others who like 4/8, 6/8, 7/8 and even larger but, I've had the best all around success with 5/8.

Another reason RAD is hard to resist.

Indeed personal preference is it.

Larger having more surface area, can collect more soap, needing less trips to rinse. Wider area may be easier to strop also. Everyday, morning shave , I like the wider blade.

Mornings/evenings when a maybe little more alert, patient and procedural, I enjoy my thinner ones. Much lighter, and for me, I feel a little more civilized with the smaller width.

Hi Pauly,

5/8 is the commonest size, and full hollow the commonest grind. Why that is, only the market knows. Twenty decades of consumers can't be too far wrong.

Wedges or partial wedges (also called half-hollow, quarter-hollow, etc.) are a little more forgiving to beginning shavers--a little less likely to nick.

A full wedge is much more work to hone than a partial wedge, because you have to hone away a lot more metal to achieve the same edge.

A full hollow gives you a nice auditory feedback of whiskers being severed; a wedge is relatively silent.

I used a 6/8 for the first time this morning (the rest of mine are 5/8), and enjoyed watching that much more lather pile up on it. However, because I'm used to the smaller blade, I lost track of the point and it gave me a good bite under the ear.

Check out the Wiki on razors for more on widths, grinds, etc.

Happy choosing and good shaving!

Don't fall for the old barbers tale you need to match your beard to the razor. Just buy what you like and if you have good technique and a proper sharp razor you'll do fine. For someone starting out we usually recommend something middle of the road as far as size and grind goes. Once you have some experience you will gravitate towards certain sizes and grinds simply because you prefer them.