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Ok, I know the differences between these two so no need to respond by listing those. To make a fighting analogy I want a pound for pound comparison or opinion on which is better. More to the point, both given to a skilled shaver, which would give the smoother and closer shave?
I've not used the LeGrelot, but I have to say that I think a skilled shaver will get a smooth, close shave with anything and the real differences are in what you personally prefer. Some say stainless tends not to be as smooth as carbon, but I find my Friodur to be very smooth indeed.
Here's another half answer as I have a Grelot 3/4-full (from RasurPur) but not a Friodur.
I can report that Le Grelot is a great shaver, now one of my favorites. I've had it a couple of weeks and probably have 6-8 shaves on it. It is massive, compared to other razors I have. Makes most of them seem dainty or toy-like. My new Revisor is also fairly substantial, but not quite the beast that is Le Grelot.
I have the Le Grelot 1/4 from Martin at RasurPur and I have the Friodur also. Well I shaved with both and I like the Le Grelot better. To be honest with you I don't know if I own a razor right now that clearly out shaves the Le Grelot 1/4 grind but I think I have a few that shaves just as good. Custom made razors are not included here because there things really get different. Anyway I hope I was able to help.
Were they both honed by the same person & does that person have the skill to bring out the best in both blades ? Did both blades receive optimal heat treat & tempering when they were made ?Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill71
Rhetorical questions.
As holli4 said if the blades are equally honed etc. it will really come down to personal preference.
I could run the experiment and tell you which one I preferred, but I think that the differences in 'smoothness' and 'closeness' between these two are probably mostly due to the shaver, not the razor.
I have both razors and to be honest I use the Le Grelot a little more but that's just me. I don't think you can go wrong with either one. The Le Grelot is a little easier to handle but they are both fine shaving instruments. I think the real question is which one to get first. For that I'd say Le Grelot.
I have both a Le Grelot and the Henckels Friodur, although the Le Grelot is the 1/4 grind, not the hollower one. They were the first two straights I bought. I love both, they each shave great, but I have always found the Le Grelot to be smoother. I just attributed that to the 1/4 vs full hollow grind. Given a choice, I would go for the Le Grelot.
s.
The le Grelot gives me smoother shaves, the Friodur is sharper but slightly too sharp for comfort.
BTW my Friodur is 6/8, an 8/8 may behave differently.
I have both, love both, and would have a really hard time choosing between them. All this is my own 2 cents...
My Le Grelot 6/8ths 3/4 grind was the first really great razor I ever bought, and the first hollow-ground I liked. I've been at this about 15 months, and bought the Le Grelot (vintage) last January. It was just head and shoulders above anything I'd tried to that point. I then bought one of the new Le Grelot/TI regrinds that Edwin Jagger was selling inexpensively a while back as a backup, and found that for me it was the equal of the vintage Le Grelot.
My Le Grelot handles and balances beautifully, hones easily to a very nice edge, and is the smoothest-shaving hollow ground I've used other than a Filarmonica.
My Friodur 8/8ths is huge, but handles like a smaller razor and is light for it's size because of it's extreme hollow grind. I bought it as an eBay special with cheap scales. I have read of others having difficulty honing them, but that hasn't been my own experience. They seem to take the sharpest edge of any razor I've honed, and refresh their edge more readily via stropping than any other razor I've used. The spanish point is my favorite point.
My Friodur is a bit less smooth than my Le Grelot, and can even be harsh if not polished carefully. Polished right, it's still a very comfortable razor, with nice loud "acoustics" during the shave, if you like that (I do). It's less forgiving than the Le Grelot for bad technique. By this I mean that I'm more likely to get some razor burn with the Friodur than the Le Grelot if I'm heavy-handed with my technique. All straights reward a light touch, but my Friodur seems to more so. Light-saber sharp.
Both are capable of fantastic shaves, either one is one of my top 5 razors. If I were doing it all again, I'd follow the same sequence, and would get the Le Grelot 6/8ths to start with, and the Friodur later. I actually prefer huge razors, but personally think that highly of the 6/8ths Le Grelots.
I have both a 6/8 Le Grelot and a 8/8 Friodur.
Both are great razors.
Buy one of each and you have the start of a great rotation. :)