Thread: 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)

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.