Thread: Thiers-Issard & Heavy Beards

Hello All,

i've read that TI are uniquely qualified to take care of heavier beards. is this really so or does technique trump equipment? are there specific razors that do a better job on coarser beards?

thanks

Any half hollow or wedge should handle tough stubble without any problems. Hollow ground blades may flex especially if their sharpness isn't up to snuff. Being a fortunate person with medium growth, I've experienced the full range of grinds.

Originally Posted by carloverfast2

i've read that TI are uniquely qualified to take care of heavier beards. is this really so or does technique trump equipment?

They're not particularly well suited for heavy beards, but neither are they particularly ill-suited. Prep and technique and experience has a *lot* to do with it. Some guys with heavy beards prefer larger razors or heavier grinds, some don't care one way or another. Really thin full-hollow blades are prone to flexing, though with experience this becomes much less of an issue. I've got a pretty heavy beard and prefer the little full hollow 5/8 razors myself though I get good shaves from the big heavy razors too.

Originally Posted by carloverfast2

are there specific razors that do a better job on coarser beards?

Sharp ones. Mind you, TI's are very well suited for that. I don't want to sound down on TI, they make truly great razors, right up there with the best razors ever made. I've got a fair number of them. They take a very keen edge and do a good job of keeping it over many shaves. But that's good for every beard, not just heavy ones.

Originally Posted by carloverfast2

Hello All,

i've read that TI are uniquely qualified to take care of heavier beards.

TI's are good razors and take a good edge - they make some heavier/stiffer razors that may be considered by some to be better on heavier beards. In particular, they make some "flatback" special edition razors and the less expensive 1/2 hollow "le Gnome" line that some people with heavier beards (myself included) prefer.

My only TI is a full hollow 6/8 Sheffield steel that gets through my dense, coarse beard very well - but I have other razors that shave just as well.

There are several threads around discussing what razors may be more or less suited to heavier beards - if you look for them, you'll get a sense of what people's views are on the subject.

I think there's a general agreement that a slightly larger (6/8 and above) and/or heavier grind (1/2, 1/4, full wedge) is helpful, especially at the start. (mparker and I have debated this pont on a couple of threads).

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Originally Posted by carloverfast2

s this really so or does technique trump equipment? are there specific razors that do a better job on coarser beards?

However, while my personal preference is for a heavier/stiffer razor, I agree completely with mparker that a properly sharpened razor of any size or grind, combined with proper shaving technique, can give you a good shave.

If you're just starting out and are having trouble getting good shaves with a well-sharpened full hollow 5/8, you might want to try a TI "le Gnome" in either 5/8 or 6/8 (however, any 1/2 hollow in 5/8 or 6/8 will do - I have a very plain Holland 5/8, 1/2 hollow that I got for $35 shave-ready that is one of my best shavers). Or you could try a stainless steel razor in 5/8 (SS is a little stiffer than carbon steel).

However, no razor - regardless of size or grind will shave worth a damn if its not sharp, you haven't prepped your beard properly and don't have good shaving technique.

Good luck.

I don't have a TI so I can't give you any advice regarding them.

I do, however, have a heavy and coarse beard. As I'm learning to use a straight razor I can tell you that prep and technique are worth more to your shave than the actual razor. The more experienced you have with straights the better the shave will be.

I'll also add that for guys like us the straight razor is far and away the best method for shaving there is.

Thanks for the responses. i'm looking at the TI Gnome from Classic Shaving as it is 1/2 hollow. do you recommend their sharpening srvc. or to send it SRP's Lynn. i remember reading they might be one in the same. i'm choosing this route as it seems practical. starting w/ a razor that's "easier" for newbies and has the attributes helpful to a heavy beard.

Originally Posted by carloverfast2

do you recommend their sharpening srvc. or to send it SRP's Lynn. i remember reading they might be one in the same.

Yes same service from the same guy.

Well, my favorite subject for a post. I say poppycock to the guys that think you need a big razor for a heavy beard and what is the proof of my claim. very simple, history. Unless you want to accept the fact that millions of men settled for bad and uncomfortable shaves through history.

The deal is that in the early 1800s and before big meat choppers were all that were available. As the 20th century approached manufacturers were using various hollow grinds and realized that they could make a hollow grind way smaller than the meatchopper and still do the same job equally as well. I think a wedge is easier to make than a hollow grind so it wasn't ease of manufacture that made the hollow grind king. The fact is that once the hollow grinds became prevalent most men used them and used the 5/8s which was the most popular size with the 6/8s way behind. If men with tough beards couldn't get a good shave with a 5/8 or 6/8 hollow grind you'd think they would have demanded more larger sizes and more wedges but they didn't. I remember when I was a kid and barbers still used razors for trimming when you got a haircut and they still gave shaves barbers used mostly 5/8s razors and I remember my barber had several soaking in disinfectant and none were 7/8s or 8/8s. Some older guys preferred the wedge which is why Pearlduck came up with the Satin Wedge late in the game because barbers, especially the older guys preferred them and the Satin Wedge though techically is a wedge its mighty small for a wedge. You would think barbers would have an assortment of sizes and grinds for all beard types if beard types needed differeing grinds or sizes. But this wasn't the case.

So, I've said it before and I'll say it again, everyone should try all grinds and all sizes and decide which you prefer based on style, handling, shave characteristics and personal preference and then concentrate on your favorites but if you decide early on that you just can't possibly get a good comfortable shave with a 4/8s or 5/8s or a hollow grind thats just the wrong reason to make that decision.

And now I hear the guys in the big razor club coming after me so I better hide!

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Well, my favorite subject for a post. I say poppycock to the guys that think you need a big razor for a heavy beard and what is the proof of my claim. very simple, history. Unless you want to accept the fact that millions of men settled for bad and uncomfortable shaves through history.

Though I've got my share of them, I'm not a member of the big razor club - I'm quite fond of my little 5/8s. However, I wonder if various modern factors such as better nutrition and widespread use of hormonal supplements in our foodstock might not render this theory somewhat suspect? We hit puberty much earlier than them, and we're quite a bit taller, after all. We may well have tougher beards on average than our ancestors.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Well, my favorite subject for a post. I say poppycock to the guys that think you need a big razor for a heavy beard and what is the proof of my claim. very simple, history. Unless you want to accept the fact that millions of men settled for bad and uncomfortable shaves through history.!

Why not - look at the current state of the market for shaving equipment/supplies

I think that if you "can't" get a good shave with a full hollow 5/8, there's something wrong (something wrong with the razor, not honed/stropped properly, beard prep, shaving technique, etc.). More important, if there's something wrong with any of these, you're going to have problems regardless of what type of razor your using.

That doesn't mean that everyone is happy with or prefers the way a full hollow 5/8 shaves. Some people like a wedgier grind, some people like a bigger razor - or some combination thereof.

I think that moving from a 5/8 full hollow to a 6/8 full hollow or a heavier grind in 5/8 or 6/8 can help newbies (especially those with heavy beards) - especially at first. However, if after a few months, you can't get a decent shave with a full hollow 5/8, you should examine whether there's anything you should be doing differently.

I've only been at this for 2.5 months now - initially, I couldn't get a great shave with a full hollow 5/8 and went to heavier grinds and 6/8 razors. This helped me quite a bit - but I knew my technique and sharpening/stropping abilities were improving when I COULD get a good shave with my lighter 5/8 razors. I still prefer 6/8 razors and heavier 5/8 and 6/8 razors, but that's just preference. So try different sizes and grinds, but you should revisit your smaller, lighter razors periodically as they are useful tools to evaluate the progress of the varous skills needed to get a good straight shave.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

And now I hear the guys in the big razor club coming after me so I better hide!

Smart, as they're armed with large, sharp objects.