Thread: Blade depths

Originally Posted by iphone

aproximate, hw ofte to they need to get honed?


the only differ on a 5/8 and a 6/8 is the weight?

The honing question is really going to vary from person to person. Better stropping and shaving technique are going to prolong the life of the razor. I was told by a veteran here that on average you will need to do something other than stropping roughly every 6 shaves. What this means is your preferance....a pasted strop...or a barbers hone are 2 good choices.

As far as 5/8 and 6/8 goes....the difference is not going to just be the weight universally. It depends on what the blade is made of....obviously the size is going to be different. But depending on the grind of the blade...the weight could vary from one brand to the other.

Originally Posted by shorynot

But depending on the grind of the blade...the weight could vary from one brand to the other.

That is a very important point. I have a 4/8 wedge that far outweighs my 5/8 full hollow.

Drew

I agree about needing a steadier hand with the 4/8. I prefer shaving with a larger razor. That being said, the 4/8 sure does make the tough spots under my chin and on my neck much easier! I suspect when my experimentations with different blades slows down, I will shave with two razors; a "main" razor, and a 4/8 for touchup.

Originally Posted by LarryAndro

I agree about needing a steadier hand with the 4/8. I prefer shaving with a larger razor. That being said, the 4/8 sure does make the tough spots under my chin and on my neck much easier! I suspect when my experimentations with different blades slows down, I will shave with two razors; a "main" razor, and a 4/8 for touchup.

I tried something very much like that for a while, but decided to just go for the middle ground and stick with my 5/8 because its a good middle ground for me. Keeping two razors out and ready while shaving just made me more nervous about knocking one off the sink, not to mention the extra hassle of stropping two razors before and after every shave.

Drew

Some solid advice that is usually given by one of the mods, can't remember which one, is failing all else, go for a 6/8s half hollow- that way you can move smaller- 4/8 or 5/8- or larger- 7/8 or 8/8 depending on your preference, and you can move to more hollow or more wedge depending on your preference. Honestly, it doesn't seem like a big difference at first, but after you get a few shave under your belt they might be inches different lol. To me a 5/8 seems a lot smaller than a 6/8, and a 4/8 EVEN smaller, conversely, the 7/8+ range feels HUGE. Not a big deal when shaving- you learn- but a seemingly minor total range of 1/2" actually is VERY different.

I think the advice given is good- small is trickier to get technique (easier to rotate blade and not get good angle) and large is trickier to maneuver (and see around when you're a newb) so go right for the middle....

Incidentally, all of these questions are adressed in the FAQ. I'm with Glen on width:

Frequently Asked Questions - Straight Razor Place Wiki
What makes a good starter razor?

Size = 6/8
A wider blade is easier to keep flat on the strop, which is very important for a beginner. 6/8 is also dead center on the size chart, so you can decide which direction to go on your second razor. Finally, it has some heft for those less than confident first strokes, and is still easy to handle.

Grind = Half hollow
Again dead center on the chart, so you can decide which direction to go after your first razor. A half hollow grind offers enough heft for beginner shaving, yet also has some flexibility for comfort.

Round point
A round point is a little safer, anyway, not a lot but every little bit helps at first.

Regards,
Robin

Thanks for all the answers!

Going to get my self a dovo tortoise 5/8. And a Dovo strop: the 19” x 2.25” from this site: Dovo razor strops what do you guys think, seems to be a cheap and good strop?

I have some issues getting beard from certain spots of my face and dont wont go to large.

I just remembered a conversation I had on another forum about this last month. What we discussed is:

There is a basic "rule" for blade width. On average, bigger guys prefer bigger blades. I'm only 5'7", so a 5/8 seems just right to me. Someone 6'4", like my brother for example, would prefer a larger blade, as something so small would seem like a toy to them.

There are exceptions of course, but as a general guideline, smaller people have smaller features and thus need a smaller razor to get to them. Just my thoughts on the manner.

I also advise against investing in a nice strop right away. Go for something cheap, basically just a strip of leather with a cord on the end. You will very likely nick it, at least in the beginning, and the last thing you want to do is put dozens of little cuts in a nice new strop.

Drew

Originally Posted by iphone

Going to get my self a dovo tortoise 5/8. And a Dovo strop: the 19” x 2.25” from this site: Dovo razor strops what do you guys think, seems to be a cheap and good strop?

As a general rule, we do not discuss vendor prices in this forum. That said, Dovo strops are made in Germany. Their quality is impeccable (some people have reported cupping with the big Russian, but that seems to be a problem with wide strops sometimes), and they charge a premium price for that quality. Alternatives can be found in the reviews area, which we have set up for comparison purposes. Enjoy.