Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 13
  1. #1
    Vitandi syslight's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Scharie County, NY USA
    Posts
    2,761
    Thanked: 224

    Question A question for some of the older shavers

    Gentlemen,
    When i was young and foolish i used dubl duck razors almost exlusively, but in the last few months every time i go use them it seemsthat i get nicked. I do not have this issue with WB, bokers or Torreys that are in the rotation.
    So i'm curious, now that my beard is getting rather grey it seems more coarse; could this be why my lightweight (5/8 and 4/8) DD are just not geting it cut properly? Or is this just a figment of my demensia?

    any thoughts?
    Be just and fear not.

  2. #2
    Loudmouth FiReSTaRT's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Etobicoke, ON
    Posts
    7,171
    Thanked: 64

    Default

    If their sharpness isn't up to snuff, then they'll be more likely to nick you.

  3. #3
    Vitandi syslight's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Scharie County, NY USA
    Posts
    2,761
    Thanked: 224

    Default I do not think it is a sharpness issue

    i had sent to of the DD to be honed by FUD and they came back still wanting to nick, 3 of them where done by the old (mid 70's) barber in my town (he still occasionally does shaves with a straight for people) and three of them i have done myself. they all seem to want to bite me. i have lent two to one of my nephews and he just loves the way they shave, i touched them up for him this past weekend, but he has not had any complaints.

    So maybe it is just me.
    Be just and fear not.

  4. #4
    JMS
    JMS is offline
    Usagi Yojimbo JMS's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Ramona California
    Posts
    6,858
    Thanked: 792

    Default

    I found I have better shaves with a stiffer and larger blade. My whiskers are on the tough side and the thinner the walls of the blade the more the blade wants to torque (I also have this problem with 4/8 and smaller blades.) which of course means my technique has to be practically flawless with the thinner blades.


    Mark

  5. #5
    DMS
    DMS is offline
    Senior Member DMS's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Houston, TX
    Posts
    508
    Thanked: 0

    Default

    As a member of the grey whiskers club I've found that mine get tougher and coarser with age, but I've never used a Duck so can't offer anything there. I have one razor that *may* be as thinly ground as a Duck, and that one seems more difficult to go against the grain with w/o deflecting into the skin a little no matter how sharp it is. If I get nicked it's usually on the chin, where whiskers are thickest and toughest.

    The little Swedish framebacks shave me as well as anything, other than that I use Revisors, various Soligen razors, Torreys, and some Sheffields most of the time. I don't need a large blade to get a good shave, but a ridgid one handles tough whiskers easier for me.

    I've only been straight shaving for 6 months so can't really tell if whiskers or technique are more responsible for my stiffer blade preference. It's probably some combination of both but I have to think there's a reason why the old Torrey catalogs recommended heavier grinds for "wiry beards".

  6. #6
    Electric Razor Aficionado
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Posts
    3,396
    Thanked: 346

    Default

    If they're sharp enough then the thin little ducks should shave even a tough beard well. My Wonderedge from Lynn didn't have any problem with my own graybeard, and as I improved my honing my other whippy blades started doing better on my beard as well, to the point where they're now my favorite style of blade. The most flexible blade I've ever owned was a Genco De Roma which would visibly flex on the hone with even a breath of pressure, and which I gave away without ever using as I was into bigger stiff blades at the time. I've got another one on the way so in a week or so (if it's consistent with my other one) I should find out if it's possible to be too flexible :-/

  7. #7
    Kiss me, I'm simian! Scrapyard Ape's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Florida gulfcoast
    Posts
    234
    Thanked: 0

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by syslight View Post
    Gentlemen,
    When i was young and foolish i used dubl duck razors almost exlusively, but in the last few months every time i go use them it seemsthat i get nicked. I do not have this issue with WB, bokers or Torreys that are in the rotation.
    So i'm curious, now that my beard is getting rather grey it seems more coarse; could this be why my lightweight (5/8 and 4/8) DD are just not geting it cut properly? Or is this just a figment of my demensia?

    any thoughts?
    As soon as Dubl Ducks cease being the flavor of the month on Ebay and the hoards of frothing bidders go elswhere, I'll try and get one and let you know.

  8. #8
    Vitandi syslight's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Scharie County, NY USA
    Posts
    2,761
    Thanked: 224

    Default Thanks for the input

    I'll give the ducks a visit to the stones over the weekend... maybe i'll let them sit and watch as i disembowel the shumate and elliot i was planning to work on first, put the fear of God into them.
    perhaps that and the stones will put them right again...

    and yes the big issue was against the grain on the chin.

    so maybe part of it is technique and i have another 30 or 40 years to improve on that.
    Be just and fear not.

  9. #9
    The Hurdy Gurdy Man thebigspendur's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    New Mexico
    Posts
    32,737
    Thanked: 5016
    Blog Entries
    4

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Scrapyard Ape View Post
    As soon as Dubl Ducks cease being the flavor of the month on Ebay and the hoards of frothing bidders go elswhere, I'll try and get one and let you know.
    You've got a long wait ahead of you. DD's have been high on Eboy since I've been watching them which is around 4 years now.

    I know everyone has their preference for sizes and grinds and many truly think they can only get a great shave with their favorite type but I'm here to tell you that sharp is sharp and I don't care if you've got whiskers like the man of steel you can get an equal shave with a 4/8s hollow as with an 8/8s wedge. The issue isn't the blade type its either the sharpness or your technique.
    No matter how many men you kill you can't kill your successor-Emperor Nero

  10. #10
    Connoisseur of steel Hawkeye5's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Nashville, TN
    Posts
    937
    Thanked: 443

    Default

    I'm a grey beard (turn 60 this year).
    For what it's worth, I don't really think my beard is any different than when I was 30.

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •