Thread: Wedge, or hollow,What's the difference?

I know the difference physically, but as far as shaving, what's the main difference between the two? I am a newb as far as Str8's go and have just read another newb asking about what he should get and the majority say start with a 1/2 hollow. What's the biggest difference with a wedge as far as shaving goes. I would think if either is shave ready it shouldn't make much difference as far as the razor goes. It all boils down to technique, right? Are the wedges balanced differently? Is it more difficult to feel the razor against the skin as far as pressure goes? I am only asking out of my ignorance in the Str8 field, not trying to be difficult.

A hollow is easier to hone... the angle of the spine vs the edge is automatic. When the spine and the edge rest on a hone the edge is set. A hollow is lighter on the blade end. A wedge will be a bit heavier.

There are other considerations and I'm sure you'll see them here in your thread.

I've never used a wedge razor but I shave pretty regularly with a full-hollow. They are certainly light, comfortable and very easy to sharpen. I think they shave excellently and in my mind, they're also easier to strop, probably because of the thinness of the blade. I find the more hollow a razor is, the easier they are to use and maintain. Of course, that's just me. Your experience may differ.

I have one wedge razor and plenty of full hollow razors.
The wedge one gives me the smoothest shaves.

Heavier blades seem to shave me better too. I don't know if the full hollows are too flexible or what the difference is, but the extra weight of the wedge seems to make a difference.

Originally Posted by Slur

I have one wedge razor and plenty of full hollow razors.
The wedge one gives me the smoothest shaves.

+1
I agree about the smoothness of wedges.

Originally Posted by tonycraigo

A hollow is easier to hone... the angle of the spine vs the edge is automatic. When the spine and the edge rest on a hone the edge is set. A hollow is lighter on the blade end. A wedge will be a bit heavier.

There are other considerations and I'm sure you'll see them here in your thread.

The angle of the spine vs. the edge is automatic in both hollows and wedges. The only real difference is how much metal is removed between the spine and the edge. Many wedges do tend to have a "smile" that complicates their honing, but in my experience hollows and wedges are about equal in honing difficulty.

As far as shaving goes, hollows give far more feedback, through both feel and noise. Some shavers like feedback, some like the quiet of the wedge mowing down whiskers. It's a matter of preference. I like to shave with both.

I also enjoy variety, so I shave with both. But I find myself reaching for my hollow and extra-hollow ground razors more than my wedges due to what I perceive as their more pleasing sound and feel.

The comments above are dead on. A hollow will give you more feedback in terms of feel and sound. A wedge will smoothly glide past features that would be noticeable with a lighter razor.

Lately I've been experimenting with different grinds to determine what I personally prefer. I'm leaning toward heavy wedge style blades. I have a tough beard, and I love the way a heavy blade cuts through with almost no resistance. When I use a thin blade, I can feel it cutting the hair (which does provide a lot of info on shaving performance). For some reason, though, I don't like that feeling; I just want my face to be smooth.

My most recent razor is a big 9/8ths with a very thin wedge grind. It sort of feels like a cross between a wedge and a hollow. There is plenty of mass behind the blade, but because if the depth of the blade and the thinness of the grind it's actually quite sensitive. I've only shaved with it a couple of times, so my opinion isn't fully developed yet, (just handling such a big blade takes getting used to).

In short, there is a tradeoff between sensitivity and smoothness. You just need to find the ideal for you. I suggest trying out as many blades as you can.

Philip