Thread: The great experiment

Sounds like it is a tad blade-heavy. I always prefer that, but some are opposite. I have balanced razors on a SE blade, but one thing I have discovered is a loose pivot kills balance. Make sense?
I have scale-heavy and blade-heavy razors, but as long as the pivot is tight, it is easy to adjust the scales for the right feel.
IF they will stay there, of course. Scales bouncing around does not lend it'self to anything at all.

Sadly, so many scales are broken while attempts to tighten them has got to be happening regularly.
I find lots need repinning to accomplish safely.
JMO

Yesterday's mail delivered an 8/8 Filarmonica 14 full hollow from an anonymous lender (Tom, you know who I mean, his name starts with an S). This morning's shave was a delight and eye opener. Being a full hollow I expected some "singing". Add to that it being an 8/8 there was more surface to vibrate and as a result I will go looking for some ear plugs since it was a very loud "singer." Which I don't mind at all. A long time ago I likened various voices to the different razor grinds, progressing from high soprano on a ultra thin bellied blade to basso profundo on a near or pure wedge. Needless to say, the extra weight of being a large razor meant that a swift adjustment needed to be made on inward pressure used. Recalling the old adage, shave the lather not the beard, and increasing my conscious needed to do so, I felt I shaved with an additional 20% lighter pressure than normal. The result was the best, best, best first shave off of a freshly honed razor I've ever gotten. Under normal circumstances, regardless of who honed the razor (mine have been honed by four known masters and myself) I have found that I could not really appreciate the edge until the second or third shave with that particular razor. Not so in this case. I have to put it down to make of the razor (I normally don't care about the make as long as it's a good shave), quality of edge, quality of pre-shave and lather and attention to pressure. I am looking forward to do the unusual for me, that of shaving for the next week or so with only one razor (I have about 45 razors and I try to rotate them over a two month period.) Might not make daily reports but will provide periodical updates.

I tried a Filarmonica like that and it was an amazing shaver. I was surprised by how good the shave was since I'm usually less than successful with a full hollow blade and have never shaved with one that big before. It left my face as nice as it has been after any shave, and wasn't nearly as scary as I thought to use. Hope you get a great week of shaves.

Yes, those big ones are a bit intimidating, but paying attention, they are quite friendly. Especially in the thinner grinds, FME.

Blade angle is sometimes a bit awkward as the width of the blade makes for some interesting passes in spots.
BTW, it has been about 4 years since that razor was honed...Just well-stropped, that's all!
Watch those ears, Richard!

I was going to wait a few days before posting again, but this mornings shave, number 2, held a revelation for me. I normally start out ATG, south to north on my neck. The mind inside of my mind said, "Hey, lets try something different. DO your neck north to south and see what happens." Trusting to the fact that the weight of an 8/8 needs to be taken into account at all times I did as requested and had a perfect result. Cut out maybe one minute of shaving time (big deal, it's no race.) The point being that a weightier razor, proper pressure and skin stretching has changed how I shave once again. I doubt I will have the same results with a 5/8, 6/8 and maybe a 7/8 (critically thinking, it is minute but a factor.) Later shaves will tell the story. Somewhere in the next week I need to hone/refresh a 5/8 I'm loaning to a newbie and need to test shave with it so I'll have a comparison sooner than later.

Great variation: I'm glad you were successful.

I discovered the same things during my initial run through the 7 day rotation. Some of the razors worked better with techniques I had never tried. For example, I went cross-handed (left on right side and right on left side) with two of the heavier wedges that had smile and found the blade size, shape and weight worked to get me closer faster doing that. To be fair I first tried that because I cut my left hand thumb on the heel of one of the first I tried so I had to crossover with my right hand to finish.

Funny (and useful) to know we can discover different razors on the same face do differently with different approaches.

Oh hell, folks. My inner adolescence (quite a gap between then and current age. Makes you think I might be in my second <third> childhood) took hold of me this morning and said, "Stop this mature, quasi scientific investigation and do something out of character (as if that was new)", lets play with contrasts. Sooo, I looked in my big cigar box of rarely used, vary rarely used, razors and pulled out, not a plum, but a 4/8 Shumate, slight smile, Tungsteel labeled and, if I remember correctly, honed by pinklather (I think he swore off of honing small razors after that one.) Decided to use the same shaving pattern as yesterday and see what evolves. Again a better than DFS shave with a couple of needed steps to get the same as with the 8/8. Neck: north to south, checked the closeness and added a south to north pass plus fussiness around the Adam's apple (always a fuss spot for me) for desired effect. Rest of the shave went as well as yesterday's 8/8 shave. Difference wasn't noticed till I applied witch hazel and AS. And then the true difference showed up. I thought I had used the same light pressure as with the 8/8. Boy, was I wrong. Sting city! For me, a new found advantage of a bigger and heavier razor, less pressure needed to get a decent shave. I will be keeping my minute Shumate in a more active rotation schedule now to remind me of the closer and smoother shaves I get with my bigger blades.

I need to plan a series of nefarious events to fund the acquisition of an 8/8 and/or plus that size in the future.