Thread: Need Help Choosing Less-Than-Hollow Razor

My opinionated opinion:

Buy a damascus if you like the looks of one and have that kind of money to spend on a single razor. It will not be a Super-Razor that will hold an edge infinitely long. Your stainless Dovo probably will hold an edge as long as any other razor out there, as it is resistant to corrosion, which is a chief cause of edge degradation. My Dovo Renaissance holds an edge extremely well.

OK, so if you want to spend $790 for a razor, it will be an awesome razor, no doubt.

Personally, I'd suggest you try a LeGrelot 1/4 grind from rasurpur.de. It's not stainless, but carbon razors aren't that hard to maintain (I'm a fan of stainless for ease of use, but right now I have 4 carbon, and only 1 SS). It is ~$175 delivered, and it is an awesome example of a heavier grind razor. Defeinitely will give you a different shave experience.

Personally I do find that I prefer a heavier grind, it gives me a much pleasanter shave experience. Full hollows will get me BBS, but don't feel so nice getting me there...

Or, as mentioned, Joe Chandler makes 1/4 grind custom razors (check out Straight Razor Designs), they seem to run about $450 or so?

Or the TI Super Gnome is a carbon 1/2 hollow. I don't have one, can;t say what they're like, but they can be purchased on Classic for <$100.

And of course, there is the ubiquitous Wapi 1/2 hollow. It is not nearly as beefy as the LeGrelot, and alslo not nearly as nice by a long shot! But it is super affordable ($22 new and unhoned, or ~$40-55 honed and delivered)

In summary:
If I were you, I wouldn't blow all the cash on one high ticket razor alone (unless you really, really want to, in which case, go for it!), when you could spend that $800 on a bunch of new razors, hones, strops, etc. and enjoy a full array of fun!

Originally Posted by Seraphim

And of course, there is the ubiquitous Wapi 1/2 hollow. It is not nearly as beefy as the LeGrelot, and alslo not nearly as nice by a long shot! But it is super affordable ($22 new and unhoned, or ~$40-55 honed and delivered)

The Wapi is between a 2 1/2 and a 3 on this chart. It's pretty stiff

I'd say III grind. But even so, the actual edge is still fairly flexible.

Here's one of my Wapis I so happen to have here at my cube.

Light pressure on the edge of the desk clearly deforms the edge.

The LeGrelot doesn't do this, nor does my Dovo Renaissance (just checked that one too!)

Originally Posted by Seraphim

I'd say III grind. But even so, the actual edge is still fairly flexible.

Here's one of my Wapis I so happen to have here at my cube.

Light pressure on the edge of the desk clearly deforms the edge.

The LeGrelot doesn't do this, nor does my Dovo Renaissance (just checked that one too!)

Wow! Well there you go. Maybe it has more to do with the soft steel than the grind, I've heard the Wapi is so easy to hone because of the steel. At any rate, it looks like it isn't as stiff as your LeGrelot

My Friodurs did that as well, but they are full hollow grind.