Thread: 5/8 or 6/8?

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Keep in mind this is just a personal opinion... Either will do fine IF they are truly shave ready

but

A 6/8 is a bit heavier and that sometimes helps with those first tentative shaving attempts
The 6/8 can also help with keep the blade flat while stropping when you are new, and later on a 6/8 can be easier on the hones for the same reason


Again this is JMHO and either will do fine...

I agree!!! Go for 6/8" or even 7/8" if you could!

Solus, I'm in Glen's camp.

If you're still on the fence - how big are your hands? If you take a glove size larger than 'large' and feel cramped trying to write w/ a slender pen - you pretty much have your roadsign.

Really you have to try them to see which you like better. Everyone will just tell you what THEY prefer. 5/8s is the classic size. it's what most barbers used. 6/8s is a little beefier. Personally, I like the 6/8s but what you gain in maneuverability in the 5/8s you have some extra heft and weight in the 6/8s. I would say just get what appeals to you and don't worry about the size. For your next razor get the other size.

I started about six weeks ago with a 5/8, have used a 6/8 and with very little information to go by, few comparisons, found the two both equally awkward and as easy to use.

Thinking a 4/8 might work "better," I found out, for me, it doesn't. Not enough mass or something.

Sticking with 5/8 for now until I get more shaves like I did this morning (smoother, no nicks or abrasions).

I can't figure out how people use the 11/16 and 8/8 spatulas to shave, getting under my nose with a 6/8 is a trick I'm going back online to some videos to review.

I prefer a 6/8 or 7/8 size. YMMV.

I have a fairly heavy beard, and the 6/8 works much better than the 5/8. Doesn't matter how sharp I get the 5/8, it just doesn't shave as well as the 6/8.

I have both 5/8 and 6/8 and really can't tell the difference in the shave.... Usually I buy the
5/8 because for some reason the cost is less.

I will echo what everyone else has pretty much said already. It doesn't matter. You'd see a marked difference in the beginning between a 4/8 and a 6/8, but not a 5/8 and a 6/8.

Now, not to throw everything at you at once, but you will see the most obvious difference as a newbie between an extra hollow and a near wedge/ 1/4 hollow. Both shave equally well once you learn a little more about shaving, but they do shave differently.

My advice? Don't look too hard. Buy a shave ready one from SRD or from the classifieds here and start learning to shave. Then try something different after a few months. You just have to experiment, but try not to get bogged down by too many details. We have a tendency to do that here.

There's not that much of a difference in 1/8th of an inch, but just to throw my opinion out there, I prefer a larger blade. But just starting out, it won't make that much of a difference.

For the record, I agree the difference of 1/8 in in blade height is not enough to notice. What IS noticable is the shank size. Not all makers, but most use a larger blade blank, which means a larger shank - easier for large hands to grip and articulate. Some of the Genco keep the tiny shanks on the 6/8 Here, its mostly hand size. If I could get the shank & spine size and weight in a 5/8, I probably wouldn't care at all.