I have a question that has probably already been answered already: Which gives a better shave, hollow or wedge? Or is it purely a personal preference thing?
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I have a question that has probably already been answered already: Which gives a better shave, hollow or wedge? Or is it purely a personal preference thing?
From What I Have Read And Experienced... Personal Preference.
Type Of Beard Also Has Somes Say ...
ie TOUGH beard Might Not Like Full Hollows..
Niether or Both...depends how you want to look at it...it comes down to preference and feel or feedback. A properly honed straight should give a good shave no matter how tough or wirey you think your beard is. A hollow ground blade will give you more audible feedback and the extra weight of a wedge will give you a feeling of it cutting through your beard easier. But at the end of the shave either should do what it was meant to do equally well...preference comes down to the user.
Ohhh noooo...one of those questions!!!
Release the Hounds!!!!
:jedi:
+1 on what currentshaving said. I currently shave with a medium hollow, two full hollows and a near wedge. The better shaves are coming from the near wedge and the two full hollow. Go figure. I don't need to know why, just who cares. Maybe in a year from now my beard characteristics will change and a frameback and bellied hollow will be the ones that do the job best.
Doesn't matter...it's not as important as the difference between French point, Spanish point, notched, or basic square.
:D
There may be a solid reason given by some, but I'd bet its pure preference for most.
The important distinction is in the different experience each provides. I get great shaves from both but the experiences are different. The wedge gives a smooth shaving action that is silent. The hollow gives that characteristically audible feedback that you've probably come to expect. I actually prefer a wedge but it's fun to use both. Either way I'm going to get a good shave.
My current arsenal consists of 1 full and 1 half hollow. So, I basically owe it to myself to pick up a wedge at some point?
I've got a nice Double Duck Satin Wedge, really nice blade, great shave.
Being used to all hollows, and one 1/2 hollow (first DOVO), the wedge was, for me at least, a totally different beast. Felt like a heavy, huge chunk of metal, but once I got over that, and not the same feedback, I could totally see how this type of razor could be someone's preference.
What I've learned to far is, what I like this week, may not be what I like next week, so in order to meet that need, I have to continue to buy more, and more, and more razors!!
Now I want a Thiers Issard Crown Silverwing...
I'm probably one of the few, I guess, who likes wedges better than full hollows. OTOH, I have some full hollows, 1/2 hollows that I like as well. It really is personal preference ...... BTW, I started out preferring full hollows, so things sometimes change.
+1 on jimmy.
This is a personal preference thing... Personally unlike the all, but I started on a full hollow but find myself drawn to wedges... In the end the all shave great but 'feel' different.....
It's something that hard to put in to words, it's easier the understand once you have shaved with a couple dozen different razors of different grinds.
After shaving with about 12 different razors i realized that understanding YOUR preference is subject to the razors you have shaven with..... You can judge the shave if a razor based on a grid.... You will begin to realize the more razors you use that enjoying the have is as much about esthetics as it is about size/grind/brand that every one puts so much emphases on.
My favorite shave is a 6/8 sheffield wedge.... My best shave is either my Brummell #35 or my d.hayashi 8000.... Funny thing is my favorite shave is a wedgey wedge and the 'best bbs' come from full hollows... Go figure..
I am currently rather enjoying a Swedish Frameback.
Leave it to curveball Ed to monkey the works.
I erased 500 lines of text explaining why one grind is better than the other. I realized the same could be said about both grinds. So my conclusion is that I only use what I like. Oh and I have never had a straight I didn't love for one reason or another. So the more important question is , cream or puck ? :<0) Oh and why shouldn't you use either with a frame back ?
You're right in your decision.... There must be someone out there somewhere who likes to use a Wedge!(:-).
I think it's because framebacks are so great that beards are scared of them, and refuse to stick their bristley heads over the parapet, and if they do the frameback gives them short shrift completely dry. In fact, and without trying to sound cheesy, they are the chuck Norris of razors :)
Disclaimer, this is complete rubbish.
10pups, I don't know, why can't a frameback be used with cream or puck?
Then there are faux framebacks and concaves, but I havent tried them, though I did see a concave in show and tell, it looked very nice.
I prefer hollows!
The hollow are better if u are poor, the hones last longer on a hollow or is that a mistake? ;)
My understanding is that generally a wedge will hold an edge longer, all things being equal and the edge is taken care of properly.
Both grinds shave the same for me, that is both shave just as well.
Bob
I prefer blondes....
In the past I'd only shaved with the razors my granddad gave me, and they're all hollow ground.
But in recent months I've acquired a few news razors, including a couple of near-wedges, a couple of framebacks, and more hollows.
And I like them all! Which I like to use for each shave just depends on my mood.
Obviously this is all personal experience and opinion on my part, but I just recently acquired some wedges and it's night and day for me. My hollows shave the whiskers just fine, but I can sum up the wedges in one word - comfortable.
Stiff grinds ie wedges & half hollows can be more forgiving of bad technique hence oft recommended for newbs but if you simply like using them then it's just preference.
As I always mention when this question comes up. The Fili 14 EPBD for tough beards is very hollow so it's not about the grind.
This is pretty much what I've found as well. Wedges are more forgiving and with full hollows I get a smoother shave. However, technique is more of an issue with (full) hollows, so you can't really afford mistakes.
I think this has to do with the fact that hollow razors have more flex to them, thus being able to get just a tiny tad closer to the skin.
I think there is a reason why hollow ground razors became predominant, and not just because the reduced weight or using (and thus paying for) less steel.
At least this is what I've found and pondered. But I do enjoy to shave with wedge, full hollow and everything in between, including framebacks (both kinds), faux framebacks and kamisori. I never get a full BBS anyway, not without some serious skin abuse (as my stubble grows pretty erratically).