Thread: 7/16 Filly for 1rst razor?

There i a great price on a small 7/16 Filly. My understanding is a smaller razor is best for starting out, but is a 7/16" more for trimming/clean up work? Can I use this as a regular shaver?

I did some digging but could not find the answer. It seems some people use 1/2" for shaving, but I haven't seen anything on a 7/16!!

Besides having to clean the razor often, any other negatives?

Thanks, mang! Great site.

I use my smaller razors when I have a beard. More for trim work, but the reason you start in the middle is to find out which direction you want to go from there. I found out the the smaller ones were harder for me to strop when I first began. Oh ya my wife likes them too. I started with a 5/8 round point shave ready from the classifieds here.

7/16 is hardly any smaller than 4/8 anyway. Personally, I think blade width is personal preference. Every now and then, I like shaving with a small blade because it's so different, and trust me, the size of the blade does not make it any more difficlut to shave your whole face. If a razor shaves, it shaves, no matter what or how much you are shaving.

But, when it comes to learning, I think a smaller blade is harder to manage - this is my personal opinion. I find small blades more difficult to strop, and I find it's a bit harder to watch my angle with a smaller blade because there is less steel to see.

I have a small Boker that has become my go-to razor for XTG and ATG passes; I still don't feel overly comfortable with it in my WTG pass, however, so I regularly use two razors...it's a bit odd, I realize.

However, if you're comfortable using it on all passes, I really don't think it makes a difference.

Originally Posted by Satchmo

Besides having to clean the razor often, any other negatives?

The small weight means that your shaving strokes will be as smooth as your hand can make them - no inertia from the extra mass to smooth over.
The narrow blade will make it harder to gauge the correct angle.

Most people recommend a 5/8's or 6/8's razor as their first. I would suggest taking their advice. While the 7/16's may work fine for you, it may not. I started w/ 5 razors I picked up at a local auction. They were 5/8's and 6/8's blades. They worked well for me and I really prefer razors of that minimum size. I occasionally shave with a 9/16's or 4/8's and while they shave well they do not fit my hands as well as a larger blade does.

Thanks, gents.

Something was telling me this razor was not the BEST choice. I will hold out for a 5/6 or 6/8 hollow ground.

I figured a Filly for $60 would get me a nice blade to start with.....

For blades that narrow, I find that they are a little too stiff for a beginner. The problem is that the blade profile is typically very close to a wedge or maybe one quarter hollow, and that means that there isn't much "give" or flex to the blade if you hit an obstacle during shaving. Start with a 5/8 or 6/8 full hollow, and you'll have a much better experience to start with. Just my opinion anyway.

One more thing -- don't get caught up in the whole Filly hype. They are decent razors, ok, but there's scores of other brands that are equal in quality, and none of them carry the sort of insane pricing that you will pay for a Filly. Someone will call out the SRP hit squad on me for saying this, but there's only one reason to buy a Filly today, and that is because you are a collector and want to be able to say that you own one. Not much else to justify those prices, in my opinion.

Originally Posted by JeffE

For blades that narrow, I find that they are a little too stiff for a beginner. The problem is that the blade profile is typically very close to a wedge or maybe one quarter hollow, and that means that there isn't much "give" or flex to the blade if you hit an obstacle during shaving. Start with a 5/8 or 6/8 full hollow, and you'll have a much better experience to start with. Just my opinion anyway.

I actually disagree about the hollow part.

I see two different approaches, neither one being "right" or "better" - they are just different.

1. The "easy way" - To me, half to quarter hollow blades are more forgiving of poor shave technique. They won't get hung up or skip as much, and they don't flex and bite. I find they are easier to get good shaves with. They coddle you a bit.

2. Tough love - A full hollow is not forgiving of poor technique. If your stroke is bad it will hang up, skip, jump, and/or bite. But this forces you to improve your technique more rapidly in order to get good shaves. (Or else you get frustrated and grab something more forgiving or quit.)