Which Straight is the Most Similar to the Japanese KAI Captain & Feather Artist club?

[kossi]

Hello Gentlemen,

Recently I purchased Kai Captain Excelia and like it very much. It was not that hard for me to be able to use it properly(Well, I am not a spring chicken and have been shaving for over 30 years).

Soon I will buy my first real straight and am making some research now. The problem is that I have never hold a real straight in my hands and it's very difficult to understand all these measurements, sizes and 1/4, 1/2 etc. hollow blades....

My question is - which real straight is closest in size and performance to the Japanese straights?

This will help me enormously when I am studying the tables because I will have something to compare with, before getting my first real starlight razor.

Thanks in advance! Enjoy your weekend shaves!

[Ryan82]

Hello kossi,

First of all, the razors you mentioned are shavette style disposable blade straight razors. Comparing them to real fixed blade straight razors is, in many ways, like comparing apples and oranges. For one thing the blades you are used to are extremely thin and double bevelled, which are capable of very close shaves but can be very harsh and unforgiving.

If you have your heart set on very thinly ground razors then a extra hollow (sometimes called double hollow or singing blades) would be your best bet. You can check out a grind chart here, The straight razor - Straight Razor Place Wiki, which should give you an idea of the various grinds in relation to each other. There are many vintage mfg's of extra hollow blades, and the contemporary makers, like Dovo, TI and Boker make them as well.

If you have any more questions don't be afraid to ask.

[Joed]

Welcome to SRP. As Ryan states, you are comparing two different types of razors. Also, Ryan is correct in stating that the double hollows will be the thinnest and most comparable. I have never used a shavette to shave myself but have had Barbers use them to shave me so my experience with shavettes is limited. On the other hand I can comment on straight razors. I have shaved with hundreds of different razors. Regardless of the grind on the blade there are three major factors that effect the quality of a straight razor which are the grain structure of the steel and the type of steel, the hardness of the steel and how well the razor was honed. The microstructure of the steel (grain size) will effect how fine an edge can be obtained. The hardness effects how difficult it will be to hone and how long the edge will last. Both of these steel traits are worthless if the razor is not honed properly. Besides the weight of the blade itself, any grind on the blade will give a GREAT shave when properly honed, heat treated and with a quality steel. Forging metal produces a finer grain structure and a smoother edge.

I would suggest your first 'true' straight razor be a vintage one manufactured by a reputable company and honed by someone with a lot of experience honing razors. I recommend vintage because they can be purchased at a low cost for the quality of the razor. In the WIKI (located on the menu bar at the top of the screen) is a list of razors to avoid as well as recommended razors. Another good place to see vintage razors the SRP members like is in the Razor Clubs here: Razor Clubs The SOTD (Shave of the Day) forum is another place to ogle razors of SRP members.

[kossi]

Gentlemen, thank you! Both of you have given me good advice.
I have tried shavette in the past and didn't like it. The Japanese replaceable-blades straights are very different from the regular shavette. Soon I will be able to compare the three different systems after I purchase my first real straight

I hope people who have experience with both regular and Japanese straights would share their opinions also.