I'd actually agree in that I prefer a 6/8 for day to day shaving, but I like to pull out a bigger blade on occasion just for the feel of it. It's a different experience.
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They shave less good then? I was expecting 'for barber's use' butcher knives to shave top notch?
Oh don't get me wrong, the shaves with the big blades are top notch. But it can be a bit tougher to see what you're doing and they are not quite as easy to maneuver as the smaller blades. Makes it more difficult if you don't have as much time to shave.
Plus all that weight really tires out the arms ;-p
Some guys really love them. I think the appeal is as much the sheer size and age as any shaving quality. IMO they shave ok but not great. They were probably some of the best razors made at the time, but that was 150+ yrs ago and the steel wasn't generally as good back then as it was starting around 1890 and later (warfare and smokeless powder forced tremendous improvements in steel quality). Many of these old choppers have seen much better days. Most razors from 1890 and later will take much better edges and hold them much longer, but generally don't have the character of those old Sheffields.
Thanks for the great info, I was not aware of this!