Thread: really an 11/16ths

I bought a number of razors over the last year, including razors listed as

1. 5/8 friodur
2. 6/8 Goldedge
3. 6/8 C-Mon HF
4. 5/8 Puma 81
5. 5/8 Wusthof Trident Standard

Anyway, I lately measured them, and they are all 11/16.

And then I checked my 6/8 LeGrelot and it's really 7/8. And I haven't even measured the rest of them yet. Very funny.

I couldn't figure out lately whether I liked 5/8s more or 6/8s and now I know why - they were all the same! Anyone else noticed that even official measurements aren't so accurate. I mean how hard is it to just plop he thing on a ruler?

Cat Man:

The "thing" is it depends on the manufactuer... I used to think the exact same thing and would argue the point till I was blue in the face....

Some manufactures measure size as overall size, top of the spine to the edge of the blade,, some measure from the edge of the spine...

To really confuse you, some are measured as say 6/8, but are actually a touch over that, when they are brand new and unhoned, so that after the first honing they are an actual 6/8....

Are you totally confused???

Like I have a tendency to always say about this hobby of ours, "Watch it when you make a definite statement as you might have to eat those words later"....

I think some people measure from the top of the spine and some may measure from the start of the grind. Either way, I tend to agree a real 5/8 is pretty small. I think many are really 11/16. At the end of the day, as long as they shave well!

Jordan

Originally Posted by jnich67

I think some people measure from the top of the spine and some may measure from the start of the grind. Either way, I tend to agree a real 5/8 is pretty small. I think many are really 11/16. At the end of the day, as long as they shave well!

Jordan

The blade size is ALWAYS measured from the high point on the back of the spine to the cutting edge. Everyone is confused because the only razors made today are metric.

John

Funny. And I guess in the case of my new "6/8" Le Grelot, they measure from the shadow that the spine casts to the edge of the blade. Because I know my honing isn't adding metal. [or maybe it's that darn swarf magnetically attaching.]

in some cases [where the original box isn't available) there is yet another variable - whatever technique the ebay seller uses when they measure it (and whether they realize we care about the extra 1/16th.

Great post and replies!

I noticed this and just assumed the manufaturer was being conservative, i.e. ok if it is over, but it better not be under.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Cat Man:
Like I have a tendency to always say about this hobby of ours, "Watch it when you make a definite statement as you might have to eat those words later"....

Thats some of the best advice I have seen in a while. And it holds true in life in General.

Originally Posted by loueedacat

I bought a number of razors over the last year, including razors listed as

1. 5/8 friodur
2. 6/8 Goldedge
3. 6/8 C-Mon HF
4. 5/8 Puma 81
5. 5/8 Wusthof Trident Standard

Anyway, I lately measured them, and they are all 11/16.

And then I checked my 6/8 LeGrelot and it's really 7/8. And I haven't even measured the rest of them yet. Very funny.

I couldn't figure out lately whether I liked 5/8s more or 6/8s and now I know why - they were all the same! Anyone else noticed that even official measurements aren't so accurate. I mean how hard is it to just plop he thing on a ruler?

That's because they are not official measurements. Remember Germany is a metric country. All the blades are metric size blades. Different people adjudicate these into our more common English size system differently. I have recently started using x/16 sizes to be more accurate as I always classify them in the next x/8 size smaller - i.e.: a 21mm blade is approximately half way between a 6/8 and a 7/8. I used to call them 6/8 so people wouldn't bitch at me for steeling an eighth. Right now I am more likely to call it a 13/16 blade to make people happy, but the fact remains it is still a 21mm size blade.

John