Thread: Bigger or Smaller? That is the question...

Alright,

So I am about a month into my straight razor experience and couldn't be any happier. Never will I ever buy another crappy set of cartridges again. I'm a changed man! But naturally there's this thing that has happened to me, and I'm sure a few of you who might know what I'm going through right now. I think... I think I may have been bitten by the RAD bug... uh-oh.... My one beautiful razor just doesn't seem like enough. In my mind, I feel it is not only a good idea, but it is almost a necessity to get a second razor, right? Right?

That being said I have my eye on a couple and would like to get some feedback from all you guys about size. As the title of the post suggest I have a 6/8 Ralf Aust right now and love it, so for my second razor I am looking at getting either a 5/8 or a 7/8. Diversity is the spice of life

I know a 5/8 is a little better for getting into those hard to reach places, but I haven't really had much problems getting anywhere with a 6/8 so is there any other advantages/disadvantages to a 5/8 that I have missed in my research? And the same question goes for a 7/8 or larger, what are the advantages/disadvantages of the large choppers as opposed to the smaller sized blades?

Said another way, What do you guys prefer to use and why?

Thanks for reading and I look forward to any and all advice and responses. Now... if only I can figure out how to make my beard grow faster...

For me, a 5/8 feels best.

Wider blades are a bit less able to get into some of the hollows on my neck, and a bit harder to use under my nose. Some say that with narrower blades you have to wipe/rinse the lather off more often, but I haven't noticed that I do.

Having said that, width isn't as important to me as grind - I have and use blades from 4/8/ to 7/8, but I don't like anything heavier than a hollow grind.

All this is very much down to personal preference, and you'll just have to buy a whole bunch of razors in different widths/grinds/points to find out what you like.

A 9/16 or 5/8 french point in your choice of grind is a very handy razor.

I have 37 straights from 4/8 to 8/8, extra hollow to full wedge. I have found for me a 6/8 hollow is my go to. Not that it means anything. They all shave well IMO. I guess you gotta try em all then!

Yea, it is all down to personal preference and you will only really know what size you like by trying them. Personally I like anything in the 5/8 to 6/8 range but I have and use 4/8 which seems too fussy and 8/8 which is like using a spatula but a very nice one. There are other things to consider besides the width of the blade such as point type, width and thickness of the tang, straight tang or thumb notch, jimping or none, shouldered or shoulderless and type of grind that contribute greatly to how the razor feels in use too.

Bob

Hi Chapman, from my own experience I started collecting straight razors at the start of the year and first one was a new Dovo 5/8" with ebony handles, from what I read, I gathered that most Dovo's would give a good shave, which it did, however having said that, I had nothing to compare it to. I also bought a couple of cheap Gold Dollars (GD's) at the same time to learn how to sharpen straight razors before I attempted to sharpen up the Dovo. Figuring that I rather stuff up a few cheapies before stuffing up a new Dovo in case I got it wrong.

After about 30 odd purchases ranging from a small 4/8th to 7/8th in extra hollow/hollow grinds to near wedges I am hedging over to the larger near wedges. The hollow grinds including the extra hollow grinds get very sharp but I feel that they have a jittery/scratchy/twitchy feel when shaving and I have to be much more careful with them when shaving.

At the other extreme, I find that the larger near wedge razors have a more heavy/solid feel and are certainly less scratchy, they just plow through the whiskers without any fuss or dramas and I can relax more with those, they do take longer to sharpen, but for me they feel better to shave with than the much lighter razors. They don't feel as sharp but believe me when I say that they will shred your face just as quick as the hollow grinds if your careless.

The smallest razor I have is a 4/8" hollow ground and while it shaves quite adequately, it just doesn't feel right to me lacking both substance and weight. I am reducing the number of razors I have to about 8 or 10 and prefer the larger near wedge types, but will keep about half of each just so I can have a change when shaving.

Shaving is a personal thing due to different skin and whisker types, sensitivity, facial features and shape, and what I like may not suit someone else, so the only way you will find out what you like, is to go from one extreme to the other and then resell the ones you feel are just average or not as good as ones you already have. Hopefully you will break even by doing so but at least it will give you a hands on feel to work out your tastes and preferences.

Hope this helps.

Cheers

Ed.

Try them all. May not be the answer you wanted, but that is the only way you will "know" what you like. I have razors from 4/8 - 9/8 and enjoy them all in rotation.

You're asking a very hard question to answer. It not only boils down to size but to what specific razor you feel comfortable using. Like shoes all size 13's aren't the same.
It's also not only which razor you feel comfort shaving with but which ones you feel comfortable Stropping and Honing. There too its the geometry of the whole razor that makes the difference.
RAD is actually just trying to find one that really works for you.

My 2€ is to obtain a variety of sizes and styles. Part of the fun for me is to pick out different razor each morning. Keeps it interesting. This also applies to soaps, creams and after shaves.

John

It's funny, on this site you rarely see people saying "No, mate, you've already got all the shaving stuff you need..."