Thread: Why?

Originally Posted by LarryAndro

Even though I pretty much shave without thinking now, I still prefer a round point for reasons related to the efficiency of the shave. This relates to the way my face is constructed. Skinny! . . . [/B]

I echo what LarryAndro said. I prefer round tip and 5/8-6/8 full-hollow, because of the way I shave and the contours of my face/neck. I have no issues getting to where I need to and not have to worry about the point digging in.

Besides, every time I see a pointed end I have an urge to grind it to a round edge. Is that some sort of disorder?

Here is a pic of my skinny phizog a couple of years ago when I still wore a mustache. Shaving around the nooks and crannies with points other than round has to be done with care and full attention. I too like a round point but they are just not 'cool' the way a French or a Spanish point is. I don't ever let the point get me as I am always aware of it. The exception being in front of the ear once in awhile. Shaving without the glasses is by feel at that spot.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

... I too like a round point but they are just not 'cool' the way a French or a Spanish point is ...

Ah! The Cool Factor...

Let's admit that The Cool Factor plays a big "Nike role" here just as it does on the playgrounds.

Keds weren't cool when I graduated from high school in 1971. But, despite being uncool, what I want to know is whether Keds were as good in performance as Converse?

Drew,

I agree with you, the round point is almost all I ever see with new razors. I also think they should offer at least 1 or 2 styles with different shaped points.

As far as it being easier to shave with a round point, I don't think that's the right word to use. The main reason I dislike the round point (other than the look of it) is that I like to know where the cutting edge ends. I find it harder while shaving to see where it stops. With a square/French point, I know exactly where the end is, and when it gets close to my nose, ear, etc. I SLOW DOWN. No cuts because of the tip yet (knock on wood.)

I think the round point allows people to be more careless and in a hurry while shaving. I do my shaving in the evenings for the most part (occasionally in the late afternoon) and never in the mornings. It's something I look forward to now that I've been straight shaving, and not something I want to hurry through. If I wanted to hurry, I would use my DE.

But like someone above said, I doubt the mass producers will ever change, but I guess that why we have custom straight makers out there huh?

On a side note, I read a post from Revisor recently that basically said talk to them if you want something custom...maybe they would put a different point on a razor for you...wouldn't hurt to ask

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I guess I could put milk on my cheeks and let the cat lick the whiskers off.

But cats are really difficult to hone.

No need to ask for a custom, Revisor has one in stock that offers everything I want in a razor. It is roughly 1/4 hollow, 5/8, with a french point.

I can definitely see where a round point would make it much easier to get into trouble spots on a skinny face, but I don't have that issue myself. I do love a french point for getting the tricky under the nose part, but even I have to admit that the cool factor does play a major roll.

Did you guys see the Williams custom with the Elite French Point and giraffe bone scales a while back? Make that thing 5/8 and it would be my dream razor.

Originally Posted by LarryAndro

Ah! The Cool Factor...

Let's admit that The Cool Factor plays a big "Nike role" here just as it does on the playgrounds.

Keds weren't cool when I graduated from high school in 1971. But, despite being uncool, what I want to know is whether Keds were as good in performance as Converse?

I agree, you can easily get a 5/8 round point. So maybe it isn't so much what is popular. And more so, what we talk about is what we can't get so much...

I am also of the thin bony face variety. I don't mind heavy grinds, wide blades or spike tips, but 5/8 full hollow round point suits me the best. I'll likely always have some variety just for the sake of variety, but I'm not much of a new razor purchaser anyway. I bought exactly 2 new razors a TI Le Grelot 6/8 quarter grind that I found to be a bit too cumbersome and a TI Jaguar that is ok.

I haven't found a part of my face that I can't shave well with a round point. For under my nose, I use the heel of the blade so the point style would be irrelevant.

Originally Posted by DPflaumer

I'm in the market for a new razor. And while I (finally) found one that suits, me, I noticed a huge disturbing trend. There have been several polls on here about preference for grind, or blade width, point, etc.

The general consensus seems to be that we hate round point razors. A lot of us also prefer 1/2 or 1/4 hollow ground to full hollow ground and large (7/8+) or small (5/8 or under) blades.

What confuses me then, is why are (nearly) all new razors full hollow, 6/8, and round point? It seems to me (although I will admit I have no experience) that square, spike, or even french or spanish points would be easier to make than round points. It also seems that 1/4 or 1/2 hollow would be easier than full hollow, less grinding. Size is no real factor I suppose, other than price based on amount of steel.

But when we, for the most part, make up the straight razor industry, why do current production companies, for the most part, ignore our preferences?

Drew

Availability of square point razors depends on the availability of a square point die set. What you guys don't seem to understand is that when a razor blank is made by drop forging white hot steel into a die that it is damn near a straight razor then and there. In modern, (twentyth century +) mass production razor manufacturing technique the die sets are made for whatever grind the razor is ultimately going to be, (i.e. you can't make a quarter hollow razor out of a full hollow blank it is a physical impossibility). Additionally, although you technically can make a round point out of a square point or vice versa it is an added labor cost the companies making razors can not handle - so you have square point die sets and round point die sets. Dovo for example has mostly round point die sets. Spanish points and French points are usually modified square points requiring additional grinding work and consequently additional labor cost; hence additional cost to the purchaser.

I like roundpoints and full hollows. Don't think I'm alone out there. Maybe it's one of those silent majority things.

For me the true spike points (the point is way out there beyond the spine) are pains in the butt - not only is there the risk of sticking yourself, but you can't really put weight on the tip because it doesn't have the spine behind, so I end up shaving with the same area of the edge that I would use if it was a roundpoint, but instead of air beyond that part of the edge there is a spike waiting to jab my ear. Whereas what I call a square point (there's no rounding, at the tip it goes straight down from spine to edge, so it's a "point" but the point is below the end of the spine) are ideal - you can put leverage on it and go right to where you want to slice.

But a well ground round point is just as flexible and can get in all the tough places, and I think they look good, and there is good spine leverage behind the whole cutting edge. Whereas I think some of the exagerated stylings can look a litte artificial.

And 11/16s and 5/8s certainly have their fans. At the moment I'm gravitating to 13/16s, but I've got some full hollow 11/16s roundpoints (FRIODUR 70 1/2, WUSTHOF, and others) and 7/8 roundpoints (ERN ATOR and KAMA) that I just love.