Liking the big boys

Ok so my experience at this point is limited and when I say BIG BOYS I know 6/8 isn't really that big compared to the REAL big razors.
Until about one month ago all I had used was 5/8s. Well, I got a 6/8 Rosenbraum & Mcgal in an Ebay lot that was in pretty good shape straight out of the shipping box. Oiled it up, put it away (pretty busy), things calmed down, and I finally honed it a month ago and have been using it in my weekend rotations.

I REALLY like the larger size. Just honed a 6/8 W&B last night. This morning's shave was SWEET. Part of it is my honing is improving, but I really enjoy a larger blade.

The RAD is going to get the best of me and I'll end up getting a 7/8's to try out or maybe do i dare to dream...a 8/8 or a 13/16!
It's going to be a while. Looking to buy a house and my "daily change" saving fund is going toward a finisher (just about ready to take the next step from the Norton 4/8k-maybe another month or two).

I can't wait till the stars align and I get something a little bigger and see what it has to hold.
Jer

When I first tried a 7/8s, I felt that the proper angle for shaving was much more intuitive.

I agree with Wayne. When you go a bit larger, the angle is easier to see. Well for this old blind truck driver anyway. I find my favorite size is 13/16 but ive got on hand from 4/8 to 8/8.

I have two 5/8" vintage razors. They remain in my shave rotation, but they are too small and too light. If find it hard to maintain the proper blade angle on my face and also find I have to clean off lather too often. Unfortunately, many razor manufacturers offer more 5/8" models than all other sizes combined. Some like NTS-Solingen, only offer 5/8" models.

I like 6/8" and 13/16" razors because they improve on most of the issues I have with the 5/8" razors.

I love 7/8 and 15/16" razors. The 7/8" blades cost more than 6/8" blades, but I consider the price difference to be justified. Unfortunately, there are only few manufacturers who still offer 7/8" models apart from one of a kind customs. I have 7/8 blades from Wacker, Ralf Aust, Rasoir Sabre Le Grelot, Brown Razor Works, and Jerry Stark.

I do not have a 8/8" or larger razor. Although these larger blades look amazing, I purchase blades primarily for shaving, not display or investment. I doubt that an 8/8" blade offers significant shaving advantages over 7/8" blades, so I am not inclined to pay the price for an 8/8" blade. Furthermore, I prefer hollow grind singing razors. A lot of the 8/8" blade and larger blades are quarter hollow or near wedge ground due to the difficulty of producing a full hollow grind from that much steel.

Pick you up a Filarmonica 14. 8/8 and sings. Very fine hollow grind.

Scratch that, dont buy one. Leave them all for me!

My largest is a W&B 13/16 near wedge (Lil' Dozer) that will plow through several days growth like it ain't there. It's the first big blade I tried, fell in love with it and have been thinning out my 5/8 blades ever since. Also have a 13/16 Filly #13, 7/8 Bismarck and a 13/16 Joseph Rodgers & Sons frame back.........LBB! (Love Big Blades)

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Originally Posted by MedicineMan

Ok so my experience at this point is limited and when I say BIG BOYS I know 6/8 isn't really that big compared to the REAL big razors.
Until about one month ago all I had used was 5/8s. Well, I got a 6/8 Rosenbraum & Mcgal in an Ebay lot that was in pretty good shape straight out of the shipping box. Oiled it up, put it away (pretty busy), things calmed down, and I finally honed it a month ago and have been using it in my weekend rotations.

I REALLY like the larger size. Just honed a 6/8 W&B last night. This morning's shave was SWEET. Part of it is my honing is improving, but I really enjoy a larger blade.

The RAD is going to get the best of me and I'll end up getting a 7/8's to try out or maybe do i dare to dream...a 8/8 or a 13/16!
It's going to be a while. Looking to buy a house and my "daily change" saving fund is going toward a finisher (just about ready to take the next step from the Norton 4/8k-maybe another month or two).

I can't wait till the stars align and I get something a little bigger and see what it has to hold.
Jer

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Yup...me too. The more heft, the more I like it. This meat cleaver is the biggest SR I own. It is a George Wostenholm and Sons.
Attachment 261227
And this Boker "Peerless" is second in line in the heavy weight category. I haven't actually measured or weighed them, but they are big.
Attachment 261228

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Originally Posted by Whizbang

Yup...me too. The more heft, the more I like it. This meat cleaver is the biggest SR I own. It is a George Wostenholm and Sons.

And this Boker "Peerless" is second in line in the heavy weight category. I haven't actually measured or weighed them, but they are big.

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Your Wostenholm meat cleaver looks amazing. I only have a 5/8 Wostenholm pipe razor; but it takes a great edge. It is most unfortunate that they shut down long ago; they made some great razors.

I hope your Boker Peerless shaves as well as my Boker 6/8 silver steel. I wish Boker still made the 7/8" Celebrated. Bokers are great shavers as well.

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Originally Posted by RayClem

Your Wostenholm meat cleaver looks amazing. I only have a 5/8 Wostenholm pipe razor; but it takes a great edge. It is most unfortunate that they shut down long ago; they made some great razors.

I hope your Boker Peerless shaves as well as my Boker 6/8 silver steel. I wish Boker still made the 7/8" Celebrated. Bokers are great shavers as well.

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Both of those razors were easy to hone and they are both great shavers. I also have a modern Dovo 6/8" and it is a great razor as well. As I said above, I prefer razors with heft, they are such a pleasure to use.

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.

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

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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.

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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.

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From top left the Thiers Issard 7/8 Kingwood, too right Thiers Issard 7/8 Bijou De France, bottom left, Thiers Issard 7/8 polished Ram's horn, and the two on the bottom right are both 7/8 Uno's by Brandonisio and Bro. A small sample if my biggies

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Very nice looking Ram's horn 7/8, bobski! Looks much like my Oakwood, but I dig your scales a bit more. :tu

There's nothing like a 7/8 Sheffield! Makes me feel kinda funny... Like when I use to climb the rope in gym class.

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Originally Posted by HARRYWALLY

There's nothing like a 7/8 Sheffield! Makes me feel kinda funny... Like when I use to climb the rope in gym class.

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Did you wrap your legs around the rope or did you hand over hand it?
:rofl2:

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Originally Posted by Benz

Did you wrap your legs around the rope or did you hand over hand it?
:rofl2:

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Both brother!!

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Originally Posted by HARRYWALLY

There's nothing like a 7/8 Sheffield! Makes me feel kinda funny... Like when I use to climb the rope in gym class.

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Can they even let kid's do that now days? I'm pretty sure here in Cali the Liberals would say "it's too dangerous", or they would make them put on a helmet and a harnes/safety line (and probably use an air bag at the base). Plus it would be "damaging" to the kids that couldn't do it. Oh, and the first kid that did get hurt would become a millionaire because their parents would sue the crap out of the school district.

Not saying kids in general today are soft...ok I am. Actually I know for a fact the 18-24 y/o kid in the Navy or USMC are getting softer and softer.

Sorry about the rant. Been dealing with a bunch of whinny Nancies at work, and California's liberal Government officials are getting on my nerves. They just past a new gas and car registration tax yesterday. This state already has some of the highest gas and reg fees in the country and has some of the worse roads. They also want to make this a SANTUARY STATE (not city but STATE).

I'll shut up now and drink a beer.
Jer

Think I just Highjacked my own thread!!!

MAKE THAT 3-4 BEERS

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Originally Posted by MedicineMan

Think I just Highjacked my own thread!!!

MAKE THAT 3-4 BEERS

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Ya, yuh did. :)

Back on point. I was wrong about one of my razors. One is a 13/16. Really looking forward to the day I get a 7/8 or 15/16.

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Originally Posted by bobski

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Those are mighty sweet!!!