Quote Originally Posted by blockhead View Post
I have a few razors that have relatively narrow spines that I want to try narrowing to less than 4/8 just to see if the loss of blade width throws the geometry off enough to alter the edge. Happy hunting!
I've had razors from 7 1/2 degrees up to 25 degrees. Below about 16 degrees the edge doesn't hold up as long but does seem to be sharper. Above the normal range the razor still seems to shave fine, but the razor is heavier than it needs to be. That one razor with the 7 1/2 degree edge was absolutely sick for about two strokes, at which point big chips started appearing in the edge. My Hart has a 13 degree angle and won't hold an edge for more than about 5 shaves. And on the upper end of the scale I've got a razor that I had Josh Earl make me that is a 5/8 with a 25 degree honing angle, that shaves fine and holds an edge fine, but weighs nearly as much as a 7/8. The commercial guys all seem to have gone with steep angles as well - Gillette cartridge blades have a 28 degree honing angle on them, and apparently the Feather blades have a 25 degree angle.