Thread: Extra Hollow vs. Hollow vs. 1/2 Hollow

For what it is worth, I think the OP should find a mentor who is close and willing to let him try other razors with different grinds. That will settle it for sure. I believe that he will eventually get the RAD, like most of us, and eventually have more razors than he needs!


Mike

A razor will eventually of course get duller and duller each use until you do one of a few things..............that being either to put it on a pasted strop if it is a minor tug feeling to refine it a bit or put it to the hone to touch it up again. I am not talking about a full progression hone either. I am more referring to touching up the blade with a 12K or better synthetic stone like a Naniwa or Suehiro or even putting the blade to a Escher/Thuringian natural stone or the many other that are in the realm of 10K or better rating. But a natural stone does not have a rating like a synthetic, one can only compare mentally to what they think it is roughly.

Only if I have a bevel issue would I do a full progression. I mainly can keep a razor going on pasted strop touch ups and a every so often touch up on the Naniwa 12K hone.

As far as which grind.................try them all and see what you like. If you carry heavy whiskers you may gravitate toward a heavier blade like a 1/4 grind and one that is 6/8 or larger in size. I have both 5/8 full hollow to a 6/8 quarter grind that is heavy feeling but cuts just as good as a full hollow.

BTW I did not vote because I really could not say which is best for you personally. Only your face will tell you that and that could come with trial and error and at an expense obviously.

I'm not voting because I only have extra and full hollow and 1/2 hollow (or maybe 1/4...it's vintage), but I tend toward the heavier blades, although any of them will shave well...purely preference.

The one piece of advice I will give is that no mater else what anybody else says about your current razor, send it to a reputable hone master like thi=os in the SRP classifieds to get it made shave ready. Razors from Amazon are not shave ready, even if you were kind to get a passable shave from it. You'll get much better. I have the one you have a shave ready dealer, and it is fine. However, GET IT HONED PROFESSIONALLY. Stropping isn't honing.

Hope you enjoy. Don't buy any more straight razors off Amazon!

So, to sum up:
A shave ready razor will not insure a good shave.
A not shave ready razor will insure a bad shave.
In the beginning you may not know 'shave ready' if you stumbled on it (OUCH!), therefore, make sure it is shave ready to eliminate this variable.
Don't take anyone's word for 'shave ready' unless it comes from someone who uses and hones straight razors, the longer the better.
And finally, agree, pox on Amazon for straight razors, but rejoice with them for everything else

Originally Posted by WW243

So, to sum up:
A shave ready razor will not insure a good shave.
A not shave ready razor will insure a bad shave.
In the beginning you may not know 'shave ready' if you stumbled on it (OUCH!), therefore, make sure it is shave ready to eliminate this variable.
Don't take anyone's word for 'shave ready' unless it comes from someone who uses and hones straight razors, the longer the better.
And finally, agree, pox on Amazon for straight razors, but rejoice with them for everything else

........................................................

My comment was in no way meant to offend anyone. I just know that shave ready straights I have had cut right through the hair w/o tugging or pulling. Ones that did do that needed some touching up. I did however fail to mention it may have been the angle he was using to shave so it is possible I was wrong with what I said & I'm not afraid to admit it. If I am wrong in any way, I'll be more than happy to man up.

Originally Posted by engine46

My comment was in no way meant to offend anyone. I just know that shave ready straights I have had cut right through the hair w/o tugging or pulling. Ones that did do that needed some touching up. I did however fail to mention it may have been the angle he was using to shave so it is possible I was wrong with what I said & I'm not afraid to admit it. If I am wrong in any way, I'll be more than happy to man up.

Hey Steve, no one is wrong in this joint. If there was a clear right and wrong there wouldn't be a forum.

Originally Posted by WW243

Hey Steve, no one is wrong in this joint. If there was a clear right and wrong there wouldn't be a forum.

Thanks Bill. I just wanted to speak out because I wasn't trying & never will try to offend anyone.

My experience using Amazon and Ebay is that no matter what they list, it is not truly shave ready. If I buy from Amazon I just assume I will send it out to a honemeister to check and make sure the bevel is set correctly. It will come back truly shave ready and very sharp. Then its a question of maintaining the edge. Spend the extra $20 and you will not be sorry. The other option is to buy direct from a supplier like SRD and have the razor honed and ready to go. In the end, it will cost the same as the on line outlets. I use Ebay only when I want to pick up a razor hard to find and knowing I will need to put money and time into it.