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I currently shave with a 5/8" Dovo Special. I'm looking for a second razor that has a little heavier blade. I've tried the 6/8" Dovo Special and liked the thicker tang a lot, but found the blade width hard to use to get the hairs at the base of the nostils.
Are any of the 5/8 razors made with the thicker spines ? I'd like to stick with a full hollow so it's fast & easy to sharpen, and I'd rather buy something new (or NOS) if possible.
Thanks.
The width of the spine is proportional to the blade width in order to maintain the proper bevel angle, so to get a heavier razor you'd need a wider blade or a heavier grind.
Shoot me a PM. I have a Bergischer Lowe I can loan you if you want to try a little heavier 5/8.
Lynn
Ah... I was thinking thicker = wider, but I forgot about "tall" spines...
Very generous ! Thanks !!!! PM sent.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lynn
Hey Lynn,
I'm looking to try a wootz, takeda, scrimshawed ivoried, and abalone razors. Anything in those boxes of yours you can loan me :)
Much appreciated!
-- yours second bestest friend
_____________________________Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnG10
__________________________________
John
I recently acquired a Genco 1/4 hollow and it shaves under my nostrils quite well. Seems slighly heavier than a full hollow.
Here is a chart from the WIKI to give you an idea about different grinds.
Take Lynn up on his offer!!!!! Other than that you might want to do what Holli said and move to a heavier grind.
JohnG10,
You could consider the 5/8 Dovo Best in half-hollow ?
Mine is a very fine shaver.
Have fun !
Best regards
Russ
One I was thinking of is the Boker Edelweisse. Mine seems to feel a bit more chucky and stiffer than my other 5/8's.
About the best example I can think of is the original TI Silverwing. They were supposed to be 6/8s razors but they had problems and made them as 5/8s however they are heavier than any 5/8s I've ever seen.
Do modern quarter hollows like the TI / LeGroot tend to get a thicker edge pretty quickly if they are honed too often or a little too heavy-handed ?
I wouldn't call the LeGrelot a modern razor, these blanks are decades old even if they're (re)finished in the last year or two. The only quarter hollow modern razors would be the hart steel and the various custom made.
I am not sure I understand your question though. Any geometry changes are a direct result of honing, so without quantifying what you mean by 'too often' or 'too heavy-handed', 'pretty quickly' is just as meaningless.
The edge thickness should be virtually the same, regardless of how much you hone a razor.
I guess by "modern" I really meant readily available for purchase, although I also assume the steel from the late 20th century is slightly better quality than the late 19th century steel (ie: less impurities & better consistancy across different areas of the blade, less change in hardness as the edge is ground down over many years, etc).
On quarter hollow razors, it appears from the wiki diagram that once the edge is sharpened back approximately 1.5-2mm's then it would be into the area of the blade that was still triangular, rather than the razor thin area that makes up the edge on full and half hollows (I think this area is called the "fin" ?). I could see this being important if I nicked the edge, or wanted it to last through many years of sharpenings.
I've circled some parts on the wiki diagram to show what I mean. It appears that the full and half hollow both have approximately the same length of "fin" (and useful life), but the quarter hollow has a very short fin. Is this really the case on actual razors, or just the way the diagram is drawn ?
Well, as you hone it the edge thins out. Not that it becomes more hollow, but rather than the quarter-hollow becomes more and more like a wedge. Still useful, just a heavier grind.
Ultimately, unless you put a BIG ding in the razor or are WAY over-honing it your lifetime will never last long enough-- even with the miracles of modern medical science-- to witness this transformation.
As far as I know the quarter hollow LeGrelots have become quite far from readily available. I am also not so certain about better technology translating into a better product. I have over 200 razors and I don't think a single one of them is current production, I have been able to compare the exact same models with about half a century difference in manufacturing and the differences were pretty clear.
You seem to correlate the thickness of the blade at the top of the bevel with how easy or difficult is to hone the razor.
I think you're on the wrong path here. There are far more important factors than that thickness, in how easy it is to hone a razor, but it is also the wrong question to be concerned with.
You would be either good at honing razors in which case that width wouldn't be of much concern, or you should stick to just keeping your razor remain sharp and in that case that width is also of no importance to you.