Late to the party, as usual, but anyway.

On the whole, I tend to agree with Ron. The 20th century was, technically speaking, the pinnacle of razor making. Industrialization required manufacturers to optimize the manufacturing process as much as possible; as a result, steel production was relatively uniform (inasfar as possible) as well as the general production process, with a high degree of specialization.

It seems that the bulk of razors made were around 5/8, which must have happened for a reason. It is possible that it was mainly done to save steel, or maybe it was a middle-of-the-road solution, a size that is most practical for most people in use.

That being said, I prefer 6/8-7/8 full hollow razors, preferably with a thumb notch. I like the look, but for me it is very much a matter of practicality. See, I sport mutton chops and in order to shave my cheeks I have to basically drag the tang across them. Naturally I lather the entire shaveable area of my face, because avoiding my jaw would be silly; I would still get lather on the tang somehow.

So to avoid getting lather on the tang and into the pivot, a larger distance between edge and tang results in less of a mess, as well as avoiding damage to the razor. I get lather on my fingers, but they tend not to rust.

I guess my main point is that indeed, a nice 5/8 is all you need, generally speaking. But this whole wet shaving gig has so many variables and personal preferences that there is no sense in talking in absolutes. I could shave perfectly fine with a 5/8. As a matter of fact, I do on occasion. But a slightly bigger razor is just more practical for me, for very personal reasons.


Regards,

Pieter