The Sweet Spot

**Badgister** · 11-21-2012, 04:11 PM

Gentlemen,

I have been using straights for almost 8 years now, the first 7 years were on and off, DE 90 percent of the time, and straights usually reserved for the weekend. For the past year however, I have stopped using my DE and use my straights daily.

I have started to better understand what razors work best for me, and I am trying to focus my razor collection based on this preference. I have very thick curly hair and a very coarse beard ( middle eastern) But before I start selling some of my razors, I wanted some of your thoughts.

I always used full hollow razors, but recently I started using a half hollow TI, and I must admit, that my shave is much faster, sometimes not requiring a second pass.

My full hollows consist of a 4 dovos, a bergsicher lowe, 2 6/8 Bismarcks and a dovo special 6/8. I also have a Boker Piccadilly and King Cutter. Out of all of them, the dovo special, is the only one, that behaves like my TI half hollow. Plowing through my beard effortlessly.

As far as the honing variable goes, I can say that some of these have been professionally honed many years ago, and maintained by myself ( I am not a honemeister fyi) The Bokers are very recent acquisitions, also professionally honed. Interestingly, the Dovo special which I have for several years now suffered a few nicks when I dropped it on one occasion, and I honed it myself a few times, and it still behaves like when it first came professionally honed.

I still get BBS shaves with my full hollows, but it takes more strokes and obviously more time. And I can say, that I can agree that full hollows, especially on the second pass can provide a closer shave than my half hollows. Despite this, I still enjoy the ease and the comfort of the first pass with the TI half hollow and Dovo special.

So my questions are the following. Is my dovo special a true full hollow? Is it just my imagination that it is behaving like a half hollow? Can I safely conclude that heavier grinds work better for my beard type?

Here is a video

**Badgister** · 11-22-2012, 04:04 AM

any thoughts? nothing yet it seems

**JimmyHAD** · 11-22-2012, 04:27 AM

I've gone back and forth. In the past i liked full hollows best but came to like 1/4 and 1/2 hollows, wedges, better. Then shave with a full hollow and be back to them ..... then a week or a month later back to favoring the heavier grind. I guess I like them both but the edge (no pun intended) goes to the heavier grind right now. Next month it might be the full hollow in first place. Then again, my beard isn't as tough as I hear some are. It really is just a matter of personal preference and no right or wrong, one better than the other. IMHO.

**Badgister** · 11-27-2012, 10:33 PM

Thanks for your input Jimmy. After discovering the world of heavy grind razors my hobby has changed for the better. I truly believe that I was using too thin of a grind for all these years. My razor collection will be changing dramatically and I have decided to sell what remains of my full hollows except the dovo special. Currently, I am really impressed with Thiers Issard razors. I find the steel and grind of many razors they manufacture better suited for coarser beards, and it just seems to be designed to be a workhorse type of razor. To be continued!

**Badgister** · 12-16-2013, 12:07 AM

Well, it has been more than a year since I posted this observation on heavier grinds. I sold all the razors I mentioned and discovered the heavier grinds ranging from 1/2 hollow to wedges.

Since then, my honing skills reached a new level and I got into restoring and honing vintage razors very actively and trying a big variety of razors. I went from 4 razors in my rotation to more or less 30.

Funny enough, I now prefer extra hollow singing razors. In my experience, they provide the closest shave. The edge may need to be touched up more frequently than a heavier grind , but that doesn't bother me.

I still have my heavier grinds in my arsenal, I find them more comfortable on the skin when shaving several days of growth.

I have come full ( hollow) circle it seems.

**Phrank** · 12-16-2013, 12:26 AM

Interesting...I've found, surprisingly for me, that I quite like the big Sheffield razors, 9/8 or 8/8, that are termed hollow, but because of their sheer size and weight, feel much different than full hollow.

Recently, I got back my first razor, the Dovo best quality, which is a 1/2 hollow, and it was fantastic, much closer to the big Sheffields! Observation would be that it had the power of the bigger blades, but not the bluntness of a wedge.

Having said that, I find the extra-hollows at this point, just require far too much precision, it's my inexperience rather than the blade, but the x-tra hollow is the only blade that has actually cut me, 3 times!!

I have two wedges, a 6/8 W&B and a 5/8 DD Satin Wedge, and while they give fantastic shaves, I typically find them very quiet shavers, and for my type of beard, which would be medium, they're a bit overkill for me. But again, this is a YMMV.

As you mention, tastes change and evolve, currently for me, the big blades, 9/8 or 8/8, because of some issues with my left shoulder, allow me to have a more comfortable shaves and complete an ATG pass on my right side without it being painful. As well, I just find the shave overall much more enjoyable and satisfactory.

After I finished a two week rotation using my two 9/8 Sheffields, I used my TI Eagle 6/8 earlier, and it felt like a toy in my hand, but still was a fantastic shave...I'll never complain about a TI blade.

Do you find it requires more skill to use an extra-hollow?

**Badgister** · 12-16-2013, 01:31 AM

Originally Posted by Phrank

Do you find it requires more skill to use an extra-hollow?

I would say that an extra-hollow is more sensitive to how good your technique is. I make sure my beard is properly prepped, always stretch the skin and use short scything strokes and all is well.

If I don't follow these precautions, the razor is more at risk of stalling or skipping a few patches.

I prefer them because I find they really trace my face, especially in the nooks and crannies, such as the nasal philtrum

**Phrank** · 12-16-2013, 01:52 AM

Originally Posted by Badgister

I would say that an extra-hollow is more sensitive to how good your technique is. I make sure my beard is properly prepped, always stretch the skin and use short scything strokes and all is well.

If I don't follow these precautions, the razor is more at risk of stalling or skipping a few patches.

I prefer them because I find they really trace my face, especially in the nooks and crannies, such as the nasal philtrum

Yes, I think it was my second bite from my extra-hollow, you referred to a skip...that's I guess what happened, it had been freshly honed, and it didn't really cut me, only a little blood, but I had 3 or 4 parallel horizontal minor slices down my right cheek...I feel the curse slowly lifting from this blade!!!

And the idea that they really trace your face....yes....I can see that! Having said that, there has been discussion on what would be considered a beginner blade vs advanced...and I think, at least for me, this would be an illustration of the difference between the two.

Interesting!!

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