Thread: It's a size thing ...

Originally Posted by JLStorm

And so it begins....lol Anyone want to make wagers on how long it will be before he is asking about an 8/8???

I assure you it will be a while - i bought a TI LE yeserday (5/8), and have sent an email to Mastro Livi for a Maestro/Takeda AS Damascus steel razor (6/8), so can't afford to buy any more.

Well that's my Christman money spent !!!

Northpole

Originally Posted by northpole

I assure you it will be a while - i bought a TI LE yeserday (5/8), and have sent an email to Mastro Livi for a Maestro/Takeda AS Damascus steel razor (6/8), so can't afford to buy any more.

Well that's my Christman money spent !!!

Northpole

well at least you will know you have quality razors!

well JL if he takes a leaf outta your book who knows...lol. BTW kick ass razor,quite the razor.....to go with your tree cutting statement...lol

Personally speaking I like to try them all as I have from 4/8th upward to almost 8/8th i say almost as im not sure if its 15/16th. However I would go with 6/8th or 7/8th I like the feel of them in my hand, not too small or fiddley for my mitts but ultimately the feel of the shave is the goal, it wouldnt do if we all liked the same razors as Im sure there are a few of us who do...lol.

my tuppence worth....

regards,simon....

I dont know if anyone has asked you JL why do you favour the larger blades, im curious thats all, i dont mean to be nosy or rude, its cool to hear why we like the things we do....

Well, I'll be the odd man out here. I think that when you progress from a 3/8s to a 4/8s to a 5/8s there is little difference. When you jump to a 6/8s the weight of the blade is considerably higher. Nothing drastic but I would put a 6/8s in a different class. Of course when you go to a 7/8s and higher the heft of the razor increases dramatically.

From a users point I think a 6/8s is the ideal size for a razor IMHO of course. I find the larger razors to just be harder to manipulate those big scales always seem to get in the way! But like I always say, try em all and use what suits you best.

Yes, you were all correct - shaving with a 6/8 is fine.

I shaved with one today, and got the best shave i've had with a straight- no cuts, or burn and it was very close. I think it is just the right size for me, and seemed to cut through my stubble a little easier than the 5/8.


What is particulary pleasing is that I shaved with a 6/8 Kropp that I picked up on ebay to practice honing with, and for only £3 ($6). It is an excellent shaver - even if I say so myself.

Northpole

Originally Posted by suzuki

Not a big deal at all - I find length more of a factor than width.

I was interested by your comment. As one who is new to straight-razor shaving, I feel very uncomfortable with the 2-3/4" or 3" blade length. I imagine that I would much prefer shaving with a blade that was the length of the disposable razors to which I am accustomed.

Also, the !@#$ razor handle keeps getting in my way as I look in the mirror, when I cross my arm over to shave the left side of my face; how I wish that I could take these scales from my eyes!

Are there known solutions/alternatives to either of these issues (other than becoming ambidextrous)?

Originally Posted by JBHoren

I was interested by your comment. As one who is new to straight-razor shaving, I feel very uncomfortable with the 2-3/4" or 3" blade length. I imagine that I would much prefer shaving with a blade that was the length of the disposable razors to which I am accustomed.

I've got razors with little bitty blades and they aren't much fun to shave with.

you might want to try a feather, they've got a 1.5" blade.

Originally Posted by JBHoren

Are there known solutions/alternatives to either of these issues (other than becoming ambidextrous)?

Nope - the sooner you learn to use your non-dominant hand, the better off you'll be.

Sorry to be so blunt, but the truth hurts

Originally Posted by JBHoren

Are there known solutions/alternatives to either of these issues (other than becoming ambidextrous)?

Whups, missed this bit earlier. You need to learn to shave with both hands. It's not as difficult as you'd think, because "handedness" affects more the fine finger control, while shaving uses mostly wrist and elbow movements. It's pretty common for guys to get better shaves (less irritation/nicks) with their off hand than with their dominant hand. Wierd but true.

Originally Posted by mparker762

It's pretty common for guys to get better shaves (less irritation/nicks) with their off hand than with their dominant hand. Wierd but true.

This is because you're often more careful and use pressure when shaving with your non-dominant hand.

Its much less difficult to learn to use your non-dominant hand than you might think.

If you're really bad with your non-dominant hand, you can try shaving with a butter knife to practice.