Thread: Extra Hollow Full Hollow and tough beards

I was kind of thinking more on the lines of scientific theories rather than YMMV ideas. *S* Example, say one person has a rather stiff larger face whisker and the extra hollow glides along the face and connects. Is it more likely to flex up and skim over the whisker, cutting of course, but leaving the whisker with a longer "pointed" end on it (the whisker) as compared to a 1/2 or Full Hollow that has enough stiffness in the blade edge, to meet the hair and literally "plow right through", leaving behind a more blunt end on the whisker? Kind of like whether you cut firewood with a chain saw and cut square to the wood, or cut at an angle and leaves behind a piece of wood resembling the end of a hypodermic needle. If you have normal to light beard hair thickness would you find more comfort of the blade against your skin then with the Extra Hollow?

This guy couldn't make up his mind on which grind.....

I don't think anything beyond YMMV is possible. If someone tells you that their beard is thick and needs a quarter hollow and someone else tells you their beard is thick and they get the best shaves from full hollows, I think it must be a YMMV situation.

Thanks for bringing this up, I've wondered a lot about this as I also have a really tough beard. When I got my Hart razor, I thought it shaved so well just because it was a quarter hollow grind. But over the last few weeks, after comparing it with some of my other razors, it seems to me that it shaves so well (for me) because the shape of its edge makes it easier to make the shaving passes that work best for me. It has a modest smiling edge. I'm going to test this over the next few weeks to see if this is true, for me, anyway.

I haven't found there to be a ton of difference between different grinds, as long as they have all been honed by the same person.
But I do have this, sales pitch? Maybe. There are alot of variables other then just grind.

I agree to some extend with everyone. The hollow-grounds is a product of better technology rather then a better shaver.

It's the same argument and I still say the same answer to it. If you needed a particular grind to cut a particular beard type the barbers back in the day would have had an arsenal of straights of all sizes and grinds to best tackle a particular beard type. However as Jimmy said, they didn't. They favored Full Hollows and mostly 5/8s and 6/8s and they managed to cut all beard types and give outstanding shaves too. So how was this possible?

If you think you need a certain grind and get better results you are the factor. You need to ask yourself what you are doing different. Are you using size and weight as a "crutch" in place of some skill? Maybe you are holding the razor so as to "flex" the edge too much. I don't know but all I do know is I don't have no peachfuzz and I can get the same quality shave no matter the size or grind.

Originally Posted by Higo

The hollow-grounds is a product of better technology rather then a better shaver.

I might disagree with you there. Full and extra hollow razors will take a wicked edge, and quicker than a wedge or 1/4 hollow. Obviously this would be a benefit for barbers or anyone looking to "simplify" their honing routine. Does this make them "better shavers"? Maybe, and perhaps maybe not? But is does mean you have to be more aware of technique and pressure.

In the end it matters not. Extra hollow, 1/2 hollow, wedge - they all have their place in the shave den....

Originally Posted by Ryan82

I might disagree with you there. Full and extra hollow razors will take a wicked edge, and quicker than a wedge or 1/4 hollow. Obviously this would be a benefit for barbers or anyone looking to "simplify" their honing routine. Does this make them "better shavers"? Maybe, and perhaps maybe not? But is does mean you have to be more aware of technique and pressure.

In the end it matters not. Extra hollow, 1/2 hollow, wedge - they all have their place in the shave den....

All very true, Ryan and others. I even shaved off my mustache some years ago with a regular Imperial pocket knife I had, and still have. Sharpened it to no visible edge and then stropped it on my leather belt. Took off the wiry lip hairs like no tomorrow. That was WAAAY before I knew much about straight razors, or even before internet was around. We're talking late 70's here.. 1970. But, it had no particular grind and cut the coarse hairs off with out much fan fare.

So I agree, yes, there is only the edge and the facial hairs and how they meet and how sharp are the edges for the job. Cutting aside, I was merely curious if the Extra Hollow Ground, "thinner" blades were a more comfortable shave? Did they glide along the skin, whacking off whiskers and giving allowance to the nuisances of a persons face. Other extreme would be a hatchet, or obsidian. And either will cut whiskers, but probably not my first choice.. LOL

Originally Posted by Gibbs

Example, say one person has a rather stiff larger face whisker and the extra hollow glides along the face and connects. Is it more likely to flex up and skim over the whisker, cutting of course, but leaving the whisker with a longer "pointed" end on it (the whisker) as compared to a 1/2 or Full Hollow that has enough stiffness in the blade edge, to meet the hair and literally "plow right through", leaving behind a more blunt end on the whisker?

I think that is a valid point.

Let me try to make one too:
In your example you are saying the blade glides along the skin.
The point I would like to make about that, is that there is presumably an angle that the blade is presented to said whisker.
If you are leading that razor down your face in say a 30 degree angle, what does the edge do when it meets that strand, which for the sake of argument is standing out at a 90 degree angle? (with proper stretching)
Will the blade then do as you say and skim over the strand of hair, or will it catch, or be enough slowed down, to allow the forces applied from behind, at an angle, force the blade to bend the opposite way?

I'm not saying that it will, what I am saying is that with the proper technique, you can find that sweetspot where it doesn't flex much either way.
And the edge itself is the same regardless.
I believe this to be the main reason to why newcomers are encouraged by some to go with a bit stiffer blade, it leaves that part of the learning curve to a minimum. And I can attest to that there is enough to learn when starting out.

Well, that's how I see it.

Your whiskers do not see the blade. They do not care if it's hollow grind or wedge. They only see the very edge no different than a guy about to be guillotined. He doesn't care the grind does he? He's only concerned with the very edge. As long as its proper sharp that's all that matters. If you find there is a difference its because you are manipulating the blade differently or are applying more pressure.