Thread: Gauging The "Conventional Wisdom" On Straight Razor Specs For The Beginner

Hi All--

I was thinking about posting this to the Beginners subforum but decided this section might be better to get a better cross-section of experienced users. MOD: if you think this doesn't belong here please move or delete and let me know?

I'm doing some background research for a possible article on Sharpologist about the "conventional wisdom" on straight razor specs for the beginner. Not specific brand/model, mind you, but a "generic" suggestion for grind, point, size, etc. I created a short survey (Google Forms link) to gather some data.

I'll give it a week or so to percolate then will post the results here. Thanks for your help.

--Mark

I think we have something like that in our library. Maybe a link to it in you write-up? Nice to see you post here now and then.

Originally Posted by Gasman

I think we have something like that in our library. Maybe a link to it in you write-up? Nice to see you post here now and then.

Yes, if I do an article I'll definitely be referencing SRP and the library. I browse here all the time but yeah, I don't post very often.

--Mark

Good idea. Done!

I'd replace the 3/8" blade size with 6/8" (I've neither seen nor heard of a 3/8" blade). Also, perhaps change the single-choice "radio buttons" with multiple-choice checkboxes (blade-tip and -grind come to mind).

Only item that is 100%. Start with a shave ready razor, all else is just the process. It’s all a learned skill, but most new guys need to finally listen about the edge

I agree with TC on this one: the newbie has to start with a properly honed razor. Time and again we get guys trying to learn with inferior off brand razors or good razors with inferior edges.

We see a lot of beginner posts saying they prefer stiff grinds. I believe this is because they are more forgiving of mistakes in angle & pressure & probably even lather quality.
A full hollow is far less tolerant but that could make it the faster learning path. I think it depends on the individual & if they have someone showing them the ropes.

A 3/8 straight is usually used for hair-cutting. My barber in France uses one to cut my hair, by way of my personal experience and observation. For starting out in face-shaving, the 5/8 or 6/8 are pretty ubiquitous, the 5/8 being more nimble and the 6/8 being more plodding. If one has a fairly round face obscuring the underlying bone structure, a 6/8 should work well. If one has a thin, angular face where the bone structure is pronounced, a 5/8 may be preferable. As to the grind, I'm really on the fence about this. If I had a round face, perhaps a thin extra full-hollow grind might be the way as the varying angle of incidence would be reduced, but as I have a thin, angular face, I'm inclined more towards a thicker half-hollow grind as there the varying angle of incidence is increased. Yet the opposite also can work well. In the end, though, it all boils down to learning from a limited set of variables given the limited set of circumstances that one is dealing with, provided that the edge itself is not compromised. "Practice makes perfect" and all that in other words. A full-hollow 5/8 seems a good all-around starting point to me in this regard. As for the point, whatever, although a square or protruding point that has become rolled seriously needs to be muted before tragedy occurs, either to the strop or the face (preferably the latter as the strop cannot repair itself).

Originally Posted by mantic

Hi All--

I was thinking about posting this to the Beginners subforum but decided this section might be better to get a better cross-section of experienced users. MOD: if you think this doesn't belong here please move or delete and let me know?

I'm doing some background research for a possible article on Sharpologist about the "conventional wisdom" on straight razor specs for the beginner. Not specific brand/model, mind you, but a "generic" suggestion for grind, point, size, etc. I created a short survey (Google Forms link) to gather some data.

I'll give it a week or so to percolate then will post the results here. Thanks for your help.

--Mark

I participated in the survey, Mark. Just wanted to say thanks, as your videos were not only my first source of all things wet shaving, they were also my main motivation. My nephew was struggling with shaving the adams apple, so I taught him the "swallow and hold" trick. That instantly reminded me of your videos, and I steered him towards them.

As regards grinds, I think the full hollow is best for the beginner. You get quite a lot of feedback and learn to adjust the angle pretty quickly. I would temper this advice by recommending the newcomer stick to 5/8 and 6/8 razors. Bigger or smaller in my opinion makes things a bit harder. Wedge grinds are feedback deficient and the weight can be off-putting. Still, if you learn to shave with a wedge, everything else will seem easier - IMO, YMMV etc.