Thread: A hollow apology

Originally Posted by netsurfr

Interesting... I had exactly the same experience and came to the same conclusion. At one point, I was about to sell off my full hollow grinds. Glad I didn't.

Yeah, I figured the guys who werre on the full hollow bandwagon just had effeminate gossamer beards that didn't require a "real man's" razor.

I'm looking forward to getting better with the full hollows!

Interesting post. But no need to apologise. I don't think the best has been made yet and I'm sure you will discover new razors you prefer.

I've tried many razors and my favourites are always SMOOTH.
Some razors are and some are not. It's almost as if different batches of steel work and other batches don't.

As to hollow v's wedge, weight v's light, you may find that you prefer different razors at different ages and stages in your life.

Your beard will change as you get older. Variety and experimentation is part of the fun of it all.

Having said that my son is waiting for some form of lazer treatment to be invented.

Originally Posted by English

Interesting post. But no need to apologise. I don't think the best has been made yet and I'm sure you will discover new razors you prefer.

I've tried many razors and my favourites are always SMOOTH.
Some razors are and some are not. It's almost as if different batches of steel work and other batches don't.

As to hollow v's wedge, weight v's light, you may find that you prefer different razors at different ages and stages in your life.

Your beard will change as you get older. Variety and experimentation is part of the fun of it all.

Having said that my son is waiting for some form of lazer treatment to be invented.

Yeah, well that's why I'm thankful for my realization. Because I had pretty much written off full hollows as being "not my style". Now that I'm beginning to appreciate what they can bring to the table, it allows me to choose what style I feel "in the mood" for!

So, this morning's shave with a full hollow Wusthof was maybe the closest shave I've had yet. Really a damn fine shave.

2 1/2 days of stubble was whisked away with a feathery light touch of the full hollow to my skin. Alum gave only spotty stinging in a couple of places my touch wasn't quite "feathery".

Anyhow, as has been said by those wiser than me: "tough" whiskers don't require a heavier grind. What is most likely required is a very sharp razor!

Thanks for sharing your experience Craig. And thanks to all the other guys for sharing their experiences with full hollows. I have only recently started shaving with a Wapi (thanks to Craig) and have noticed that I get better shaves with it compared to the full hollow W&B 11/16 I own. I was planning on selling my W&B and invest that money into buying a new 1/4 hollow razor. Now, having read this thread, I think I have to try using a lighter touch when shaving with the W&B. Thanks to you guys, hopefully I won't have to sell my W&B which was my first straight and I am very attached to it

I'm yearning to add a thicker grind to my rotation for the reasons you mention; so, actually in my current shaving evolution, my desire is to go in the opposite direction as you're turning. Give me the tanks that plow through and allow for a firmer hand. I tend to have a heavy hand and my full hollows sometimes remind me of that. I'm not saying I don't like them, I'm just determined to add a good wedge to my rotation and right now I haven't added a good wedge in quite awhile. The most recent was a 1/4 hollow that I enjoyed.

Chris L

Originally Posted by English

Interesting post. But no need to apologise. I don't think the best has been made yet and I'm sure you will discover new razors you prefer.

I've tried many razors and my favourites are always SMOOTH.
Some razors are and some are not. It's almost as if different batches of steel work and other batches don't.

As to hollow v's wedge, weight v's light, you may find that you prefer different razors at different ages and stages in your life.

Your beard will change as you get older. Variety and experimentation is part of the fun of it all.

Having said that my son is waiting for some form of lazer treatment to be invented.

It also has a lot to do with how sharp your blade is and what level of sharpness you need for your particular beard. Beard prep is as important as a sharp razor too. Theoretically, all things being equal except the grind; you should have the exact same sharpness on a full hollow vs. a wedge. All other things being equal i.e. steel, hardening/tempering process, blade width, etc.