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05-04-2011, 09:13 PM #1Junior Member
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Straight Vs smiling edge
I've seen some of the razors have a true flat edge and others have a smiling edge.
Is there much of a difference between the two in terms of how you actually use them (angle and position?) Or are they identical in terms of how to use?
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05-04-2011, 09:18 PM #2illegitimum non carborundum
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Unless the smile is drastic, the use of the razor is the same. The cutting angle is just slightly altered.
Lots of people used to deliberately hone a smile into their blades, as described in the oft quoted 1961 barber's manual.
If you're not familiar with it, ask JimmyHAD.
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05-04-2011, 10:02 PM #3Senior Member
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Smile and the world smiles with you. Here is the barber manual with a bit of an explanation. A straight edge profile is fine too. The thing you want to avoid in a razor's edge, as in life, is a frown.
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Last edited by JimmyHAD; 05-04-2011 at 10:20 PM.
Be careful how you treat people on your way up, you may meet them again on your way back down.
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05-04-2011, 10:16 PM #4Junior Member
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Thank you both, good to know.
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05-04-2011, 10:29 PM #5Senior Member
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I prefer a smiling edge and find it easier to use various parts of the blade in shaving. I have no problem at all with straight blade edges but just find the smiles easier to work with. They are a little more complex to hone, but that is not a problem unless the smile is severe.
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05-05-2011, 01:40 AM #6Excited Member
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Smiles are great for people with more angles in their faces. Like skinny people. Instead of being fat slobs we have to scurry about in search of the perfect smiling open razor. I like a slightly smiling blade. Even a part of the face that seems fairly flat, like the skin just above the jaw line, actually benefits from a convex blade profile.
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05-05-2011, 05:28 PM #7Junior Member
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Another thought is stropping, the razor I have has a very slight smile, do I just strop it as normal or does the technique vary?
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05-05-2011, 05:52 PM #8Senior Member
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As normal. Once you strat stropping it, whatever the profile, you'll adapt to it .... IME.
Originally Posted by BruceB
Be careful how you treat people on your way up, you may meet them again on your way back down.
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09-21-2015, 02:30 AM #9Senior Member
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I like to shave with a smiling blade, it is especially helpful on my neck. However, stropping is a little different and took some adjustment on my part. I use the same shaving angle with no issues.
Edit to add: I just saw the age of this thread... I followed a link from another thread
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