Thread: Liking the big boys

I'm not going to lie. I've got to say I'm jealous of you guys.
I'm looking forward to getting a 13/16 or 7/8. I don't see it anytime in the near future (saving for a 12k Naniwa SS for my first finisher), but I figure anti..ci...pa...tion will make it all that much sweater.

Thanks for sharing guys! You've given me some blades to look into to.

Jer

While there are certainly advantages to the big boys, too many people use them as a crutch to avoid refining their skills, rather than as a learning tool. Its big, so its easy to lay flat on the hone, or flat on the strop. no need to develop more control that you might need to keep from lifting the spine on a smaller blade.
One of the nicest shaves I have had, was from an Adoration Ax 9/16 blade. Superb sharpness, smooth, and nimble as all get out. fit in every nook and cranny on my ugly mug.

A quick draw specialist one said "I may not be as accurate as you are yet, but my aim will improve, you wont get any faster"

I reckon the larger blades aren't a lot easier on the hones. You get a lot of stiction with full hollow 7/8. My Thiers Issard extra hollow are a case in point, they hug the hone big time

I also prefer 6/8 to 7/8 blades with my favorite shaver being a 13/16 Fili #13 quickly followed by a Thiers-Issard 7/8 Oakwing. You should definitely acquire a couple of blades near these sizes which I'm sure you will enjoy as much as your 6/8...right after your hone of course.

The Thiers Issard carbonsong 135 steel holds a nice edge, however some of the edges I've come across recently from the factory have been fairly average. As I mentioned I'm waiting on a 7/8 c 135 should arrive in a week or so and I'll report on the outcome

Originally Posted by bobski

I am an unashamed lover of the larger razors. My first half dozen, some five or so years back were all 5/8. Yeah they worked ok, but I branched out and got a Bismarck 6/8 and the love affair had begun. I now own three Bismarck 6/8, 1Dovo Paperstone 6/8, a Dovo Grenadille 6/8, one MoDoSo 15/16, and a 13/16 Dorkoand two more MoDoSo 6/8. I have three Hart 7/8 (one satin square point and two shiny round point) I have three 7/8 Thiers Issard's a Bijou De France with ornate spine, a polished Ram's horn and a Kingwood. I must also admit have another Thiers Issard 7/8 in the mail. To illustrate how much I prefer shaving with the big razors, I have two Dovo singing extra hollow Prima Klang in the cupboard put away, just no room in my rotation box for them. Of all those razors, the one that stands out as holding the keenest and smoothest edge us the big MoDoSo 15/16 in black original scales and is over 3 inches long, it's a big sucker, and I use it say, every month, a Sunday. The last time I honed it was easy 12months ago, and it was from a10 k Naniwa and 100 laps on this nanocloth type stuff. Other than that it's stayed sharp for ages.

Those sound very nice...can you post some pics?

I love the look of the large blades and have several. For shaving purposes the 5/8ths or 6/8ths are my favorite. I went to the barber for a shave and brought an old 5/8ths Wostenholm and a 1 1/16th Greaves. He looked at the Greaves and asked what I planned to dismember with it. He used the Wostenholm and I think he got a big kick from using a 200 year old razor.

My own sweet spot seems be be around 6/8 and 13/16.

I happily go down to 5/8 or up to 7/8, but - while I own a few - much bigger than 13/16 makes the razor less maneuverable and much smaller (e.g. 4/8) than 6/8 makes the razor less efficient.

B.


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I have great shavers in anything up to 7/8" but I like the larger ones best for my beard.

My pc is out of order at the moment so I'm on this tablet, and I'm waiting for my daughter to show me how to drive the bloody thing.