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I am new to st8 shaving but have 4 nice razors! But they all are somewhat hollow ground.I have very thick whiskers! and was wondering if a wedge would give me a better(smoother on my face)shave the razors I am useing seem to not want to cut like I think or want to cut and I've tried 4 different ones! And I'm pretty sure they are all sharp!!!But who knows. Please any advise would be appreciated! Thanks to all.:medvl:
I have very thick whiskers as well and have used both a hollow ground as well as a wedge and haven't really noticed any major difference. The razors may just need a touch up on the hone.
+1 For the experienced straight razor shaver armed with a sharp razor hollow ground or wedge should not make a difference. A wedge may aid the inexperienced shaver though. There are many degrees of sharp. I would suggest sending one of the four out for professional honing, the next to a different person the third to another and keep the sharpest of the four with you. The cost difference would be in the shipping but you would experience each persons perception of sharp to your own.Quote:
Originally Posted by TrilliumLT
Good luck.
Would you mind explaining in what way the wedge would aid the inexperienced shaver? I'm certainly one of those and am attracted to the wedge mainly based on its looks alone, but knowing that shape would be more efficient for me and why would be helpful. Thanks in advance!
Wedge razors are more forgiving of the incorrect angles and excessive pressure that inexperienced shavers commonly use during the first several shaves. Full hollow razors are so thin that they allow a tiny bit of flex in the blade as it glides over the contours of the face, which can lead to nicks if excessive pressure is used to guide the razor. A 1/4 hollow or full wedge blade will not flex and forces the shaver to correct the angle by which it is held in order to cut stubble.Quote:
Originally Posted by ace
Make no mistake; however, wedges are just as sharp and can nick just as easily as a full hollow.
More forgiving? That certainly sounds attractive. Then I could expect that a good wedge will be far more forgiving than the Dovo Shavette w/ Feather blades that I am currently using to slice up my face? :) And, thanks for the reply.
This conversation is around heavy beards. Wedge razors, as noted above do not flex which makes it appear like they cut heavy beards easily. It is just a way to shave heavy beards with razors that have a less than optimum edge. Many of us on SRP have been suggesting 6/8's ~half hollow razors for beginners as they are a stiff blade, middle of the road in size, easier to hone and readily available new. While I really like shaving with wedges there is less feedback and I find them easier to nick myself with. It may be just me. They can also take some time to hone. The end results for me between wedges and full hollows is the same. I learned to straight razor shave and hone with full hollows and am glad I did.
Any straight should be more forgiving than a shavette. I cut the hell out of my face using those things.Quote:
Originally Posted by ace
I've been shaving with a Shavette for a little over a week now. I hadn't had any problems till this morning. I varied the routine. I think that was my downfall. I've been shaving at night when the kids are in bed and the house is quiet. Today I shaved in the morning because I hadn't been able to shave the last two nights (I've got a thick beard and if I go more than two days my neck is itchy beyond belief). Anyway, I got in a hurry and figured I'd start with against the grain on my neck as I hadn't yet had any problems... Never again. My angle have been a little steep. I definitely thinned the skin a good bit and ended up with quite a few red spots and some major razor burn.Quote:
Originally Posted by ace
Good luck with finding a "real" straight razor. I've been reading and wanting to buy something and it's sounding like a wedge may be a decent starter razor.
Plus they tend to look pretty cool.
Holy Moly! An angry x-wife would be more forgiving than a Shavette with Feather blades!Quote:
Originally Posted by ace
I also have thick, stiff wiskers - and highly recommend the Dovo Best Quality 5/8 or 6/8 for beginners.
Why the best Quality ? It's as shiny as Dovo's fancier razors, but doesn't have any gold wash, so if you get some lather stains or little grey dots you can shine the razor back up with some polish (Maas, Flitz, Simchrome). Also, the plastic handle is balanced really well, so there is no heavy handle for a beginner to control when rounding the chin, etc.
5/8 or 6/8 ? The 5/8 smaller size shave under the nose, and the hollow between the lower lip and chin a little easier. It also gives me a slightly closer shave than the 6/8 since it follows the contours of my face and neck a little better (smaller turning radius like a smaller car ?).
The 6/8 is better if you have bigger hands since the tang is taller & longer. The 6/8 also has a little more weight, which makes it plow through tough stubble with a little less effort. If a razor is "extra" sharp, it doesn't need weight to plow through tough wiskers though.
The things I found made all the difference in the comfort and closeness of my shave were:
1. Use more water in the shaving cream, and a thicker layer on your face so it stays wet on your face for at least 4-5 minutes.
2. Use NO pressure while shaving. Angle the razor toe up or down a little like a guillotine when shaving dense areas. Sweep the toe a little like a sythe to get sideways hairs that grow flat on the neck rather than pushing into the skin.
3. Use a razor that is sharp enough to shaves against the grain on the sides of the chin without getting stuck or taking a lot of force to move forward.
ps: Don't be scared to try honing your own razor. Touching-up the edge isn't much harder than stropping. Get a finishing stone and touch up the edge every couple of weeks when it starts to take a little more effort than usual to mow down the wiskers. (6-10 strokes for a Naniwa stone, 20-35 for a Chinese 12K).
You said you are new to straight shaving. How new? Is that one shave with each razor, three shaves each? If you are that new or close to it my first thought would be to recommend taking one of the razors you have and sticking with it till you get your technique down. I don't know if a wedge would be better with a tough beard, but any razor properly used should give a good shave. Once you get good with one razor then you will have a basis for comparison.
Yep, I got emboldened by a brief run of success with the Feather loaded Shavette and two days ago decided I'd start with an ATG pass. I had had really good results with that with a DE. I won't be trying that again, certainly never with the Feathers.Quote:
Originally Posted by bharner