Thread: Does weight or grind matter?

It matters in terms of personal preference, but not "how well a razor will cut (shave)". More matters in terms of honing and technique than weight or grind. People claim that heavier razors shave thicker beards better... I don't think that is scientifically the case.

Originally Posted by Philadelph

It matters in terms of personal preference, but not "how well a razor will cut (shave)". More matters in terms of honing and technique than weight or grind. People claim that heavier razors shave thicker beards better... I don't think that is scientifically the case.

I had a hard time - still do, making peace w/ feather light blades. At one point, I had a real hard time w/ a flexible hollow. At 5 mo, I still get better shaves w/ a 1/4 hollow or wedge. I love the blade you show here, and LOVE Gencos. I'm now salivating for one like yours w/ the hammered shank in a wedge, which I'm told is closer to a 1/4 hollow.

In terms of which does better, I strongly suspect some combination of skill and what you're comfortable with in your hand. I like some heft to a blade, and some meat on the shank. The small, thin shanks are more difficult to hold with ease and confidence. I have one small shank, flexible full hollow Genco (fluid steel) that just WANTS to shave well, so I keep and use it regularly. I find myself using more passes to get the same shave, which makes me wonder if with the heavier blades, I'm allowing myself to substitute pressure for technique - just because I can w/ the heavy blade. As I write, it's 9.5 hrs since I used a Wacker wedge. Only because I know the heavy growth areas and can stretch the skin to expose them, can I feel any return of stubble. The Mrs. thinks it's still BBS.

If, in fact, we substitute pressure for proper (feather light touch) technique, it might mean we're compressing some skin - flattening out an area that naturally has a curve. This gives each stroke a wider path to cut. If that same area were stroked w/ a feather-light touch, we'd have to take many more strokes to lightly cover all the areas in the curve that the heavy blade just flattens out. This is conjecture on my part.