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

I have been shaving with a straight for several years now. I started with a 5/8 genco. The strop was a no name from my grandfather's basement. I had no clue how to hone or get a comfortable shave. The electric shaver killed my face and the disposables in the military were painful. About two years ago I found this site, and besides costing me a lot of money, teaching me how to maintain razors, how to use the properly honed razors, I've found my most comfortable shaves seem to be skinny razors. I've tried just about every size and grind, I always seem to get some weepers from the large blades. Plus it feels like I have better control of a lighter blade. What is your favorite"skinny"? Mine is a clauberg tonsilar gem.

I have several 4/8 and they are generally my favorite size for shaving. A Spike and a Daniel Herder currently in rotation. Also a 3/8 Shumate Tungsteel and a 3/8 Edmund Roffler that I use now and then for trimming around my goatee and some places on my neck. I agree, I feel I have good control with the 4/8s. But I also have larger, 9/16, 5/8, 11/16 and 6/8 in rotation and I enjoy the constant contrast in handling between the different sizes. I'll tell you tho, weepers don't come from larger sizes. I don't care the about the size, its my momentary lack of concentration that causes the nicks and weepers. And they don't have to be sharp points either.

I have a 5/8 Ralph Aust and a 3/8 (I think) Pabst & Kohler. Although still new to this sport, I am currently favoring the P&K. It seems to be easier to control than the RA, and not quite as bloodthirsty.
Of course that could be due to my questionable honing skills, too.

I have a couple 4/8ish blades of different grinds that aren't in my rotation per se but get used to get a couple hairs right at the base of each side of my nose. I usually bring one in to compliment a larger blade that I am not as comfortable with that close to my nose. Other than that, I have a small kinfolks wedge that I used frequently before my RAD really kicked in....its now in the drawer unused for months :(

Chris

I have a few 4/8 in my rotation (all ducks). When I first pick them up I think, " ahh do I really want to use this", but you know what ? I never get a bad shave out of them.

I have a NOS Soderen fauxback in a 4/8. Have to admit, I have been thinking about selling it, but this thread makes me wonder if I shouldn't give the smaller razors a chance.

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).

My best shaver is a 4/8 Bengall.
I much prefer the smaller razors.

Find small blades difficult to hone and strop. Size, balance, ??

Not my cup of tea,3 x 4/8 suits me fine tho.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...e/DSC00981.jpg

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.

I have a couple toeing the line at the 4/8 - 9/16 mark. Not my favourite but I still like them very much. I find them to be very light and maneuverable, which helps to maintain the light touch :) I never really had much of a problem stropping or honing them. It is a bit different but nothing a little change in technique won't handle.

For the record though I've never shaved with anything smaller.

Thinking about it today I figured out that I tend to use a lot more pressure with the heavier blades. I don't know if it is subconscious or just trying to compensate for the weight. At first I had a hard time stopping those little blades but now it's just routine. I think for tomorrow's shave I'm going to try the greaves 8/8 wedge on one side and w&b 3/8 on other to see how well I can control pressure with each.

Having a rather large head, or being mega-cephalic like myself, I have always preferred large blades. I ended up picking up a 4/8 off ebay purely based off of aesthetics and condition. I gotta say, I really like it! Its super light but gets through my beard perfectly!

Remember, your beard only sees the edge. It doesn't give a hoot if it's a 2/8s or a 30/8s wedge. It's how you use the thing that makes the difference to you.

I don't care for them, personally. I prefer a 6/8 as my minimum size.

Haven't tried anything smaller than a 5/8, but now I have another buying search on.

OK I have a definite problem with pressure with heavy blades. It was noticeable immediately with the wedge vs the light hollow. I really had to concentrate with the heavier blade. At least I know what to work on. I still like the little buggers though.

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Originally Posted by irishguy

OK I have a definite problem with pressure with heavy blades. It was noticeable immediately with the wedge vs the light hollow. I really had to concentrate with the heavier blade. At least I know what to work on. I still like the little buggers though.

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Heavy blades need less "pressure" than hollows because of the momentum their added weight gives. If you are used to hollows, it's possible that muscle memory is the culprit. You just gotta get the know a blade is all :p

I've fixed up a 9/16 Ern and 4/8 Jenckels, and both give me excellent shaves. Although, I typically use my 6/8 Dovo, so I find it awkward stropping the small ones. Having to rinse them after every shave pass can be annoying too, but I've gotten used to it.

I have two 4/8 a Salamander and a Genco. I think starting out with a larger blade 6/8 is easier to learn on, stropping and shaving. Once you get the larger blades down and refine your technique the smaller blades seem to work as well as any other blade and stropping them isn't as much of an issue.

Is this thread a poll on preferences or were you (OP) looking to solve a more specific issue?

I actually was surprised at how much I liked the 4/8th blades. Got these off E-Bay, impulsive buy, thought they were 5/8th, turned out they were 4/8 and when I used them, they were spectacular.

When I use these Wilkinson Sword Pall Mall's, I always know I'm going to get a great shave, these are keepers for me.

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I started with a little Dovo 4/8. I ventured into larger blades... they hang on the wall for show now.

That was a while ago - I have more than a few 4/8's now. I use them exclusively.

I agree that they are light on their feet. Agile I guess you could say. And yes the best part is they aren't as popular so you can get them for a song compared to the larger blades.

I'll never understand why people say they are harder to strop than a larger blade or harder to use. I actually find the larger blades harder to strop and use now (yeah I'll pull one off the wall about every 6 months and give it a run lol). It's just a matter of feel. Once you have it down, it's like anything - easy. I have a hard "er" time with the larger blades now for the same reason I think many claim the smaller blades are hard to use - because I hardly ever use them. It's a different experience - one worth trying I figure. But if you like em big... you like em big.

Oh and though shaking my hand might not resemble shaking a bunch of banana's... I don't have small hands either lol. So that's not it.

I still use my little Dovo "Best" to this day. I wish they still made them. I would buy another 6 and make myself a little seven day set. It's a great shave :)!