Thread: Blade depths

I must just ask a short question-

What is the defference between all the blade depths? What is good, for what kind of face/beard etc?

Sizes are measured in 8ths of inch or 16ths of inch.
8/8
7/8
6/8
5/8
4/8
3/8 -- this one is for shaving mustache and neck after haircut

As far as which shaves better, that's a complex question.
Type of steel, grind matter , but in general it looks like heavier grinds are more forgiving for thick beards.

In simple (and maybe wrong ) words I find that blades about 4/8" wide (or less) need a "solid" hand: more control and excellent technique; blades about 7/8" wide (or more) need a surplus of attention as a substitute of maneuvrability. Grind and point, according to my personal experience, are even more "effective" than size to influence precision and feelings during my shave.

I'm new at this, but it seems to largely be a matter of personal preference. I have tried 4/8 and find that too small, and 7/8 and I find that to be too large. even 6/8 is a little big for me.

So I am a 5/8 or 11/16 kind of guy. Best advice is to pick up several cheap (but quality) razors and see what works best for you.

So, is 5/8 or 6/8 recommended for first real s-razor? I dont like the shavette at all, it just gets stuck in my beard and hard to controll.

and, after how long time do i need to hone the s-razor? and how many stones, do I need?

I have been using a 6/8 since I started and when I used a 5/8 it just felt wrong. The shave was good but it was so light in my hand. I guess I need to give it some time but I always reach for the 6/8.

Just my two cents...

Originally Posted by iphone

So, is 5/8 or 6/8 recommended for first real s-razor? I dont like the shavette at all, it just gets stuck in my beard and hard to controll.

and, after how long time do i need to hone the s-razor? and how many stones, do I need?

It might be good thing to try both sizes and see which one you like better.
You can find some good razors for good prices in the classifieds section.
as far as razor honing and maintenance here is the source of info:

Beginners guide

Maintaining straight razors

For the time being at least, you may want to avoid honing razors yourself. I would pick up, at the least, a strop, a 5/8 straight, a 6/8, and possibly a larger razor if they appeal to you. If you decide to stick with straight razor shaving and want to learn to hone your own blades, you will likely want to pick up a cheap (vintage) ebay blade and a Norton 4k/8k and possibly a hone in the 10k-12k range. But since you are just starting off I recommend either purchasing shave ready razors or having a member here hone them.

Originally Posted by iphone

after how long time do i need to hone the s-razor? and how many stones, do I need?

Once the razor is shave ready, you can use a strop to maintain a good shave edge for a good while on a quality razor.

If you plan on picking up ebay razors, and cleaning them up and honing them, I would say get the Norton Starter Kit over there at Amazon. Best price you'll find, but I would recommend picking up a DMT D8C and set the Norton lapping stone to the side, as it will need to be lapped occasionally as well.

If you don't plan on restoring ebay razors, you could probably get away with a 4k/8k Norton. You might also want a polishing stone like a C12k (they also sell a bigger one (8"x2-3/4".)

Either way, you will want a strop, and can look in the Wiki about making one, or buy one. (I made mine )

aproximate, hw ofte to they need to get honed?


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