Quote Originally Posted by thebigspendur View Post
In the early days wedges were king because the other grinds didn't exist. It was the only way to make a razor. Once you got into the 20th century they got better at hollow grinds and double hollows and they could make a smaller lighter razor. I don't think its a matter of wedges being cheaper because though they use more steel the labor is cheaper because it takes more skill to grind a double hollow grind which means more time and time is money. At any rate the pearlduck Satinwedge is a small light wedge anyway. I thing its more style and the idea of a more modern razor. Also the wedge is more difficult to maintain.

Who knows, all the players are now dead so we have to guess why one succeeded the other.
I'd have to disagree with you on this point. Wedges were (and are) much more labor intensive, as they were (and are) primarily ground by hand. Full hollows evolved as an attempt by razor makers (and mass-produced cutlery makers in general) to make a cheaper, faster product. In other words, they wanted a throwaway to compete with King Gillette's product. If you'll notice, all factory hollow grinds are made with a double-wheeled machine that requires very little skill from the grinder. Now, I'll agree with you that perhaps a hand-ground hollow is tougher to produce, but when wedges (IMO, only) shave better, who cares? Full hollows are common as dirt, but wedges are harder to find. In addition, should you get a little wear you want to remove, you can do it with a wedge, where a full hollow doesn't really give you that option, as there's just not enough metal to work with. This is only my $.02. Your results may vary.