Thread: Differences in sizes of straights?

Soory guys have reposted this as i think its in the wrong place and i don't know how to delete it


Guys what are the difference between the 5/8, 6/8 and so on straights

is one better for one reason or another etc ?

I tend to like larger blades, just because they are a more interesting shave with them. As for 5/8 and 6/8, I have nothing under 8/8 and almost all my razors are larger than that. I don't find that they cause any problems and have no difficulty shaving under the nose with them. Like most people, I began with a 6/8, and it worked fine. It's just more fun for me to shave with larger blades.

Guys what are the difference between the 5/8, 6/8 and so on straights


is one better for one reason or another etc ?

Hey Rowdi

This might help explain the sizes The straight razor - Straight Razor Place Wiki . The two sizes you mentioned are pretty common and that is for a reason too. Not too terribly expensive and most shavers find them a comfortable size. Personally I do not generally go too much bigger or smaller but lean towards the 6/8 size.

Bob

i lll have a read of that thank you

Generally, the 5/8 and 6/8 blades are considered to be the ideal learning sizes. Now, 6/8 is the lowest I use, with preference for the 13/16 and 15/16.

I've started with a 5/8

It will end up being a matter of personal preference once you've tried the different sizes. If you haven't had the opportunity to try either I would say get one based on whether you have large hands/fingers or not. For me a 4/8 will work but my hands are big so a 5/8 is as small as I'll comfortably go. The tang is generally thinner on the smaller sizes. A 6/8 is my default size though I also shave with 5/8 some of the time. The even larger sizes are favored by some but I only find myself picking a 7/8 or 8/8 once in awhile.

If there is a reason for larger sizes having to do with a mechanics of shaving I'm not aware of it. Some guys say the larger blade will hold more lather before you have to rinse or wipe between passes but I don't know if that is the motivation for razor companies to make larger blades. I think 6/8 is probably the size that is most often seen on vendor sites though the 5/8 might be the leader of the pack. So if you've got larger hands go 6/8 and you won't go wrong. IMHO.

Think about laying a razor down on a ruler, it's the "inch" measuring system we use here in the US. It's archaic, but it's what our forefathers gave us.

Jimmy's response is spot on with how my pea brain works...

Size doesn't matter! Who said that anyway???

Personally I like a 'heavier razor' regardless of blade width, and this has more to do with the grind and the spine and tang width. The smaller, lighter hollow blades tend to 'skip a bit' in my big hands so I usually opt for a 'heavy' wedge or near wedge 6/8 to 7/8, and occasionally an 8/8. They just feel more comfortable to me. Having said that I do have some older Heavy 5/8 wedge blades that I like a lot as well.

WP34