Thread: What makes razors different from one another?

Its really personal preference.

The more wedge like razors are stiffer and heavier to handle, and are more silent when you use them. Larger blades need rinsing less often as they have the space to take more lather on them. Smaller blades are lighter and more manouverable though. More hollow ground razors arguably take a finer edge as the metal is thinner right at the very edge of the blade, but IME as long as they are well honed theres not that much difference.

TBH, in terms of actual shave quality, I get just as good a shave from a little 4/8 hollow ground as a I from a 7/8 W&B wedge. They all give me BBS shaves, and all are a delight to use. As long as they are honed right, they will shave you well.

Theres no real difference in the shave between stainless and carbon steel, except some people find there is a slightly different honing technique. One of the razor makers will be able to tell you more about the specific steel used for razors, though it will be a very high quality and hard steel.

The question to ask yourself is do you feel like you want a bigger or smaller blade? Or a thicker or thinner blade? And then make a choice from there. Or find someone near you who has a few razors that you can try and then see what you like..!