Thread: Blade Width: 5/8 vs 6/8 +

My dear Scott,

As these learned gentlemen have noted, in the end, the size of a blade becomes a question of personal preference. I feel one size is not better than another — how does one determine that?

What matters is what and how you feel. I have 5/8" and 6/8" razors and like them equally. What do you like?

Try all the sizes. Have all of them in your collection. Variety is good.

Since I have small hands, however, I feel slightly uncomfortable with razors bigger than 6/8" size. That's just me. They feet like battle axes in my hands. Others love them. That's how it should be — because the straight razor is such a personal thing, like your signature.

On the other end, I feel uncomfortable with 4/8" blades. Some people love the 4/8".

It's a world of intangibles. Go with what your heart tells you. Most of all, enjoy your shave.

Regards,

Obie

Have a 1/2 blade and the 15/16 blade and everything in between, and I still have no preference. They all are fun to shave with and I get excellent results.

However, I do like the weight of the 15/16 when stropping.

Pabster

I have both 5/8 and 6/8 razors, and honestly, I can't really tell them apart-- they are pretty close. One nice about the 6/8-- if you screw up on honing and put a frown in it, you can get it fixed and end up with a 5/8...

;^)

-Chief

I started posted this question over 1-month ago and will qualify that my shaving has been limited to 5/8 & 6/8 before the post and since...the razors have been both older razors that I honed, (getting good results with my honing, I'm very pleased to say and owe that to the responses to my other questions on honing), (Wade Butcher, Shumate, Wostenholm XLI, Klausberg Bros., Finedge-Magnet), and a new Dovo-Bismarck 6/8 and Prima Klang 5/8.

The Bismarck is the one with the bone scales and I love the appearance, the Prima Klang has the violet wood, a looker too.

As the experienced members noted, it must be a matter of choice, what is comfortable to the shaver, but, with that said, I have found my preference, though I will continue to use both 5/8 & 6/8...My preference is the 6/8 blade. I just completed a shave with the Bismarck...as someone noted, and this is important...I feel I have more control on the strop with th 6/8; the width and weight of the blade seem to assist in maintaining proper contact. Though stropping isn't shaving, if you screw it up, the shave isn't going to be so great - right. The Shave: I noted that my strokes glide smoothly, not day and night between the 5/8 & 6/8, but, the shave goes faster. Angulation is easier for me to gauge with a wider blade.

Anyway...I paid attention to all the comments offered a month ago and thought I'd report back. Finally, The 5/8 Prima Klang is a very fine razor IMHO and remains one of my primary shavers...can't say enough good about the Dovos. The vintage mentioned and other I have are somewhat of a kick, but, I think I'll retired them simply to keep or perhaps sell and obtain another Dovo or three to use for my daily shaving.

Thank you all for your thoughts on this and other questions I've fielded.

Hi,

+1 on what has been said about personal preference.

I used to prefer the 6/8 & 7/8 sizes; I then got a 4/8 Puma.

I enjoyed this little rascal so much, I added a few more 4/8 & 9/16 razors to my collection.

I now enjoy shaving with them all

If you have the chance, please try a few differenet sizes of blade.

You may be surprised at what you like !

Have fun !

Best regards

Russ