Thread: How many people like the skinny blades.(4/8 or less)

I've got a little Swedish 4/8 in ivory I shaved with yesterday. Every time I'm about to take it out of my rotation I shave with it & guess what...its still there. I just hate stropping the little buggers as I have to be very careful not to roll the edge. You would think I'm a newb!

I have a few 4/8 razors and they are not my favourite sized razors. That is not because they don't shave as well as any others but I find them difficult to strop relative to a slightly larger sized razor. I also find having to clean the blade off more often when shaving compared to larger sized razors a bit annoying. Wish I liked them more as even NOS 4/8 razors are relative bargains compared to the larger sizes.

Bob

I only have on 4/8 Cox and Son "easy shaver" and I like it alot compared to my others. If I feel like my prep wasn't as good as it should have been then I will use the 4/8 or if my other blades aren't up to snuff then I will use the 4/8 as it propably has the most consistent results for me. It doesn't give me problems for stropping anymore but thats because when I first got it, it was all I used for a while and so I got used to flipping.

Gotta say I like them with a 4/8 Kraut & Dohnal "Damascus" in spotted horn great for trimming around beards etc, a BIEDERMEIER 42 4/8 H.EICKER & SOHNE yellow celluloid and a 4/8 KRON-PUNKT black celluloid with inlay in the workshop for some TLC
And my mystery Acier Fondu is very close to a 4/8 now after who knows how many grinds in 200 years nearly

I have a few 4/8. My biggest beef is I have big hands and fingers and I can shave alright, but stropping seems awkward as I shave 99% of the time with a 6/8 or 7/8. Can I strop a 4/8? Yes, but I prefer a 6/8. Whatever that's worth to you(nothing actually LOL).

An example of why God made apples and oranges ........ I do not like anything under a 5/8 and prefer 6/8 as my go to size. Larger sizes now and then but the tangs of the 4/8 are too thin for my mitts and the blades too narrow.

Small razors are horrible. They are the worst to shave with. That's why they sell so cheap online. If you've got small razors in good shape send them to me. I...uh...re-forge them...yeah...into bigger razors...like real men shave with. Yeah! I'll take them off your hands and then you won't have to deal with little girly razors anymore.

Seriously, I have large hands and long fingers and I was put off from smaller blades for the first couple years I was shaving. I have two now, a French made Vita and a W&B both 3/8". I keep them both in my rotation. They shave wonderfully. Honing took a little learning and stropping takes more discipline but I found that working the little blades proficiently yielded better results with my larger blades (the largest I have/use is 6/8).

If I'm taking off several days growth I'll use a heavier wedge, but if I'm doing a clean up shave for date night I'll pass my 5/8's every time for one of my 3/8's. They are perfect for a gentle clean up of short stubble, but have no problems clearing a standard day's growth.

Peace,
Jim

I have a couple of 4/8 blades that sharpen and shave nicely but I lean to 5/8 or larger. As others have said, I find it easier to strop the wider blades, manage lather accumulation and control the angle on the face. I also favor heavier blades in my large hands. As this thread provoked me to think about it I realize I haven't picked up one of the 4/8 blades in weeks, favoring a 5/8 Dubl Duck and a couple of wider Sheffields.

I've only been at this for a few months and lack expertise but believe I have enough razors to know the genres and get through a lifetime of shaving. If I bought another, which I hope to avoid, it'd be 6/8 or wider.

I knew there were a lot more likers of the 4/8's than I was told there were. In addition to the ones I mentioned in an earlier post I have a 4/8 Swedish frameback out being honed and can't wait to try it out. Do we need to start a 4/8 Club and show and tell our little beauties? I will continue to shave with larger and larger sizes to see what other people are seeing in them. But it will be a while before I try an 8/8 or larger, Trips to the gym needed first to handle the weight.

Historically, the smaller razors were never very popular. 5/8s were the standard size with 6/8s a close second once they started using hollow ground in the early 20th century. Most of the 3/8s and 2/8s were used by barbers as strictly trim razors. The 4/8s is really a queer duck not really that small yet not in the big leagues. I have a few 4/8s and enjoy using them from time to time. Anything smaller I can't use. They are too hard for me to control.