Thread: The difference between shefields and german

On a more serious response to this interesting thread I believe there is a one word answer: VARIABLES

Most subjective thing ever. Even if you had two of the exact same razor, two different people would probably have differing opinions on them.

Originally Posted by kwlfca

Most subjective thing ever. Even if you had two of the exact same razor, two different people would probably have differing opinions on them.

Also because, at least for vintage Sheffield and Solingen razors, most likely they were at least ground by different people.

I've held back on this one so far out of loyalty to both country's blades But at the end of the day I think the Solingen blades have the edge, if only for their superior fit and finish. The 3 pin set-up of the scales, plus the consistency of grind puts me into the Solingen camp. That said, I have way more Sheffields than Solingens, and I'm a particular fan of Invictas and Bengalls. Although I have to say I haven't seen two Bengalls with exactly the same grind - I guess that's what makes them interesting.

I think what we're dealing with here is the difference between the manufacturing techniques: the Brits allowed their craftsmen to make razors to suit themselves while the Germans set a standard that their guys had to meet. Maybe that's why there are still some German razor manufacturers left and there aren't any British ones. I know there are other cultural differences here as well: after WWII Germany was broken and impoverished and nobody could afford Gillette razors and throw away blades, so perhaps they stuck to their tradition of straight razors as a result. The British on the other hand, while being broke at the end of the war, had already been introduced to the Gillette system and were keen to adopt it as a symbol of modernisation as prosperity returned.

The end result was no-one wanted to know about straights in England by the 1960s while German men were still buying them - as they are today.

Just my 2c worth.

Originally Posted by rhensley

I do know that the heavier the beard the more I like the heavier razor and when the beard is several days old I reach for the wedge with a smile. Now all this might just be in my head lord knows some thing needs to be.

You are not the first person to note this preference for a wedgier blade when shaving the first time for several days. The same comment has been made about people with particularly heavy beards. Try the same experiment with just one days growth and see if the outcome is the same.