Thread: Blade width VS grind VS tough bristles. Opinions please

IMO they make stiffer razors for a reason. Those without extremely thick facial hair have no idea what it is like to have an extremely concave grind bend up and stop in it's tracks! I have found through personal experience that, at least in my case, wedges and stiffer grinds are the way to go. I did not have this problem years ago, but as I got older, the hairs got thicker! Now, lots of guys will tell you that any razor will shave any beard type and that the edge is all that matters! But HEY, it's Just my opinion

I have read many guys say they prefer stiffer grinds and that those grinds worked more efficiently for tougher beards. Maybe so, but it is worth noting that the full hollow shot the wedge out of the saddle in the 1800s and came to totally dominate the market and it still does.

I also like a quarter hollow, half hollow and even a full wedge but my contention is that any shave ready razor will do the job. Pro barbers used full hollows more often than not and had to deal with every type of beard under the sun on a routine basis.

Originally Posted by sharptonn

IMO they make stiffer razors for a reason. Those without extremely thick facial hair have no idea what it is like to have an extremely concave grind bend up and stop in it's tracks! I have found through personal experience that, at least in my case, wedges and stiffer grinds are the way to go. I did not have this problem years ago, but as I got older, the hairs got thicker! Now, lots of guys will tell you that any razor will shave any beard type and that the edge is all that matters! But HEY, it's Just my opinion

That's cool to read. There have always been a few people with that perspective. We need all the viewpoints we can get.

I have both a 5/8 Special and a 6/8 Best Quality - and wiskers that I think are coarser than average - since I only get 2-3 days out of a Mach 3 or Fusion cartridge.

For me, I find the extra weight of the 6/8 make it more automatic to shave without pressure. The 6/8 does seem to leave some of the stubble in the hollow areas and requires an extra clean-up pass that my 5/8 doesn't require. My guess is that the 5/8 follows the contours of my face and neck better.

I find my 5/8 lets me know immediately if it's at too upright of an angle or not so sharp any more (without the extra weight of the 6/8, it just gets stopped in it's tracks). Angling the blade toe up or down so it take a shearing cut helps the 5/8 not get stuck. I also find that the 5/8 gets dull much faster than the 6/8 if I use too much pressure while stropping.

However, the differences above are minor compared to the difference in shaving performance if one is a bit sharper than the other So my suggestion is to use the 6/8 Special you have, but get a 12k Naniwa finishing hone to refresh the edge every week with 5-8 "no pressure" laps. (Beginners tend to dull the edges fast. With more experience you'll only need to refresh the edge every 3-4 weeks).

Originally Posted by Shuriken

So to help guide the path that my RAD will take me on, is there a particular preference for tough bearded guys ?

I don't really know. The problem is that so many people when their razor doesn't just magically wipe off the beard, conclude that it must be a 'tough beard problem', or because their cartridge razor doesn't really work after one shave.

I most certainly have seen plenty of people on the forums change their 'preference' to the polar opposite after about a year of shaving. So to me that suggests until one has quite a bit of experience, there shouldn't be put too much weigh on their 'preference'.

The only objective thing I can say about razors marketed for tough beards is that they are a bit heavier (in weight, through a thicker spine) than similar models from the same manufacturer without that marketing. I personally don't find that this leads to any significant differences.

You can see that from the broad cross section of answers there are different opinions as to what's best & it is often subjective but if you look at what the more experienced guys say basically whatever you use needs to be honed to optimal condition & your skill level should match it too. Those 2 things take a bit of time to acquire unless you send the razor out to someone who can bring out its best then all you need focus on is stropping & shaving skills... But not all razors are created equal & you will come across those that for whatever reason suit you best.
A few years ago I thought wedges were the bees knees. I have only kept one in my collection because of how it shaves & I may even sell that. I don't like full singing hollows but I've used a couple that impressed the hell out of me. I actually find the harder Rockwell blades shave me best, Harners, Zowadas, Iwasaki etc but there are others that do a perfectly adequate job too & in the end ergonomics are often the deciding factor on what you "enjoy" shaving with once your skills are there.
The type of blade that is your ideal you will discover after trial & error but it won't be totally dictated by your type of beard.

Originally Posted by Shuriken

Hello chaps,

I'm one of those guys who is blessed with cast iron bristles.

Just wondering if your shave prep needs to be changed or added to? A "tougher" beard may need that extra TLC to soften them up or perhaps a cold water shave which I am discovering is producing wonderful results.

I do also remember it being mentioned on the boards that it takes a while for your face to become adjusted to using a straight razor. I can not remember exactly what the posts were, sorry.

I am just looking for some other options.

FWIW --

You might try stropping the razor in the middle of your shave. I don't know if "tough hair dulls the edge faster" is an old-wives-tale or not. But 10-20 laps on the strop might correct the edge, and let you do a better job on the second half of your beard.

There was a razor sold yesterday on eBay (item 290533175189), engraved (in French) on the blade:

. . . "For tough beards"

Robeson made "the razor to fit your face", with (supposedly) different grinds for different beard types. But they never revealed what their "secret formula" was.<g>

Charles

Originally Posted by Zorro

Just wondering if your shave prep needs to be changed or added to? A "tougher" beard may need that extra TLC to soften them up or perhaps a cold water shave which I am discovering is producing wonderful results.

+1 on that for me too.

Originally Posted by cpcohen1945

Robeson made "the razor to fit your face", with (supposedly) different grinds for different beard types. But they never revealed what their "secret formula" was.<g>

I don't remember where I saw the brochure, might be buried in the Wiki, but Robeson did have a code # IIRC stamped on the razor denoting whether it was for mild, medium, regular or tough beards. Might have been pure malarkey but they did market them with a code much like Gillette with the different color Super Speeds years later.

Originally Posted by Shuriken

Thanks guys,

I will lather and shave in stages for now, until I get something better. Unfortunately I don't think many places stock Mitchells wool fat around here

i was turned on to this resource for the MWF at an incredible price,although its not in the US and it takes 2 weeks to get it. im sure you will order from them considering they charge about 7.00 US a puck.www.winghamwoolwork.co.uk ...the wait is well worth the discount.pass the word.i too have the copper wire whiskers and found a super thin blade extra hollow ground in a cataraugus B52T,made around 1895-96,that sings through my beard,if you look you can find one cheap.they make em in 3 or 4 scale variations.theres a orange point and 2 different indian head crests that i know of.mine is the basic indian head without the wording and was 40.00 on the bay. i had it buffed out by bob keyes.its one i dont think ill ever let go.because it looks like NOS now and its super easy to hone due to the super fine blade it has a very narrow bevel.lastly i have been getting my best results buy shaving straight off my coticule,no stropping.its worth a try if it works for you.if not just go back to trying everything til you find what works best.the top pic is mine before buffin,the other two are an example of one with the wording that went on ebay for like 20.00.happy hunting.