Thread: Tough Beard = 1/4 Hollow or Wedge?

Well... your Wapi is a wedge and some refer to it a single concave 1/4 hollow. The point is that it is a stiff grind with little flex. Some people with heavy/tough/wirey/problem beards prefer the stiffer grinds such as wedge, 1/4 hollow.l/2 hollow, either single concave or biconcave. I am one of those guys.

I do agree that sharpness is the most important characteristic but I will not say that a 5/8 full hollow grind will shave a thick-tough-wirey beard as well as a stiffer grind. That is something that each person has to decide for themselves. Judge for yourself.

There are two things that make a big difference in my shaves
1. Beard prep
2. Patience


Just my two cents,

Originally Posted by randydance062449

Well... your Wapi is a wedge and some refer to it a single concave 1/4 hollow.

There are two things that make a big difference in my shaves
1. Beard prep
2. Patience

Thanks to all for the input!

Randy,
I had my suspicions that the Wapi was not a full hollow and that that fact had some relevance in the shave for me. Sure, sharpness and technique (experience and expertise) have an overwhelming effect on the shave. I sure as hell noticed it when I first tried honing the Morley and dulled the bejeeeses out of it Once I figured out how to hone it up again and was passing the HHT and all. I received the Wapi and honed it as well, my technique had not changed between the next two shaves, just the razor from the Morley FH to the Wapi. I will say that the Wapi steel on the hone feels much different than the Morley Solingen steel does. Could be the grind, but the steel feels softer somehow . But the shaves are better, too.

The Wapienica steel feels similar to vintage Sheffield steel, which is to say it's on the soft side but easy to hone, and feels gentle on the face when you're shaving.

my wapi gives me a shave that is as smooth & forgiving as my Maestro is the grind on the wapi a 1/4 hollow ?

Originally Posted by mparker762

The Wapienica steel feels similar to vintage Sheffield steel, which is to say it's on the soft side but easy to hone, and feels gentle on the face when you're shaving.

+1 on describing the Wapi

Sharp -
Randy mentioned that he considers the Wapi a 1/4 hollow wedge. I will have to defer to him and his experience. I did notice the difference between my full hollow and the Wapi's blade, however.
Definitely seemed different in several ways from the FH.

I'm also in the stiffer grind camp as a preference thing. But sharp is sharp, no two ways about it. Here's a compromise: Get a large (8/8 or so) Friodur. It feels like a stiffer blade (certainly doesn't flex as much as some of my other hollows) and once you get it sharp, it tends to stay that way for a fairly long time. I find it excellent on the tougher parts of my beard and head.

Failing that, goatees look very manly and fashionable...

James.

It can be awkward, here's no doubt. If I have let a day or so go by without shaving then I'll go for my Neppo full wedge to plane off the majority of the undergrowth then switch to an Allen 5/8 full hollow to finish. What matters is results! Use what suits YOU - not what people say. You are a one-off, never to be replicated - same as your beard! Might take a while to find out what suits but isn't it worth it?

The Wapi can be described as either a single concave (wedge) or a single concave 1/4 hollow. The 1/4 hollow definition I picked up from the Razor Central doc in the help files. It is the first grind made to a piece of blank steel that has not been stamped out like they do now at Dovo. BTW, Dove now sells a single concave grind that they refer to as a "Flat" grind. I saw that on their web site a few months ago.

The single concave grind is one that extends from the spine all the way to the edge.

Hope this helps,