Thread: Geldmacher 8/8

Gentleman,
I just received my Geldmacher 610 8/8 razor via post this week. I honed it with my Shaptons setting the bevel with the 1k, pyramid honing with the 4 and 8k and finishing with the 16k and then stropping with my Medal of Award linen/horsehide strop. The shave was the best I have had to date.

Which brings me to my question. Do the larger razors work better on heavier beards (mine is like barbed wire) and if so, why? I have been shaving with a Genco Heavy (I am selling this one soon), an Electric 6/8 that I bought shave ready (I may sell that one too) and a German 7/8 Marshall Hindenburg (my favorite till the Geldmacher) which I still like a lot and will keep. I bought another 8/8 German razor that came in the mail today. More on that later.

If the larger ones work better, what is the reason? I will try to post some pictures of my new razors this weekend.
Best regards,
Denny
300WSM

It is a well known fact that heavier/larger razors work better on thicker blades. I think it has something to do with the bevel, but IDK for sure really! Its an interesting topic, I would be interested in knowing more about this also...

Originally Posted by sapito318

It is a well known fact that heavier/larger razors work better on thicker blades.

Do you mean thicker beards? If so, I'm surprised. I have a thick beard and find my light, small 4/8 wedges working better for me than large, heavy hollow ground razors. Of course, there is an exception to every rule

Originally Posted by 300WSM

I will try to post some pictures of my new razors this weekend.

Please do! I want to see both of those 8/8s

I think that the Geldmacher is a wedge or semi-wedge. But I am trying to figure out how the width size of the blade would cause a change in the bevel angle.

That could only be if the increased thickness of the wider blade (if it is thicker) caused the angle of the bevel to be more than the bevel on a less thick narrower blade. In this case you would end up with a more chisel like angle which would last longer but would not cut as easily (theroretically).

This still does not explain the supposed easier shaving of a denser beard with a wider blade. Unless that is the mitigating factor. The increased angle gives you a longer lasting edge after stropping and that gives the better shaving of the courser beard over the entirety of your shave. This would be true because the thicker whiskers would dull the blade faster than finer whiskers, all things being equal. Therefore the edge on the larger angled bevel would hold up better to the thicker whiskers.

So this would explain why a wedge might give a better shave on courser beards than hollow ground razors (theoretically). Comments please.
Denny
300WSM

PS
No pictures this weekend as hunting season starts here in Montana (I almost forgot!) and I will be on my deer stand through most of the time unless I get lucky and then I will be butchering.

Sharper razors work better.


Period.

Seraphim,
Agree 100%! When I became a meatcutter, the first lesson was how to keep your knife sharp. A sharp knife translates to less work.

Well, I missed a large whitetail buck which came tearing past my stand (about 150 yards) and I led him too far. He was a nice one. He was hauling the mail as he burst out of the woods to cross the open field by the Yellowstone River where I hunt. It took me a few seconds to mount the rifle and when I saw the rack I swung past him and snap a shot off. Just a little too far unfortunately. He jumped three fences and hauled off to the woods about 500 yards away and he didn't even slow down. Stupid! I wasn't staying alert as well as I should but I did have 180 degrees of area to watch in front of me with the woods behind. Good memories though. I had a herd of does actually have to skid to a stop to keep from running over me as I was looking for blood sign where I shot at the buck. They were frantically reversing when they saw me which was about ten feet away.

I will take some pictures of the Geldmacher 8/8 and my Marshall Hindenburg 7/8 tonight and post them tonight.
Regards,
Denny
300WSM

Size and weight are less important than sharpness. If your 5/8 is really sharp it will cut through any beard. If less sharp the additional momentum that comes with weight can be helpful.

The answer is geldmachers work better on thick (or any other) bear. I have a 6/8 REGELDSO (REgistered GELDmacher SOlingen), and it is a marvel to behold - wonderful edge, wonderful shave.

Originally Posted by loueedacat

The answer is geldmachers work better on thick (or any other) bear. I have a 6/8 REGELDSO (REgistered GELDmacher SOlingen), and it is a marvel to behold - wonderful edge, wonderful shave.

What is up with this latest fascination with prepping and shaving bears?

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

What is up with this latest fascination with prepping and shaving bears?

Why do you ask that, you do not do that in (fill-your-location-here)? We shave and prep bears all the time here in New England.