Thread: Really Big Razors - What's the Appeal?

One advantage that many people overlook with large blades is that you don't need to rinse off nearly as much as with smaller blades. I enjoy shaving with a giant Filarmonica and being able to shave an entire side of my face and neck before having to rinse. I like how a large blade holds so much soap. Dropping down to a smaller blade can seem kind of a let down when you are rinsing all the time. To that end, I think a larger blade can save a little time on the shave.

I have found the "clean off the blade frequency" to be a red herring argument. I can get 1/4 of my face with a 5/8 so its 4 wipes instead of 2. Not a big advantage from my point of view.

Originally Posted by Splashone

I have found the "clean off the blade frequency" to be a red herring argument. I can get 1/4 of my face with a 5/8 so its 4 wipes instead of 2. Not a big advantage from my point of view.

Yeah, you're probably right that the time saved is not significant between 2 wipes and 4 wipes.

One could say, though, that there is a certain coolness factor in a large blade holding such a large amount of lather.

Originally Posted by Splashone

I have found the "clean off the blade frequency" to be a red herring argument. I can get 1/4 of my face with a 5/8 so its 4 wipes instead of 2. Not a big advantage from my point of view.

With an 8/8 I can shave the right side of my face in one pass,inc my neck,same on the left side,I hate shaving, so for me a one pass DFS
is paramount.in and out in 5 mins max.

Originally Posted by Bordee

*SNIP*

One could say, though, that there is a certain coolness factor in a large blade holding such a large amount of lather.

I don't know about coolness, but it sure is satisfying to see a BIG mound of lather that's filled with whiskers! (Especially if the lather isn't flecked with pink!)

6/8 to 7/8 1/4 hollow for me. I have one blade at 9/8 and it's heavy, shaves great but I have to say my hand gets a work out when I use it. Also as Walter said, my hands have never been steady either so the 6-7/8 size range calms thing's down. They all work as was said, but the added weight is like power steering over a lighter blade.

Originally Posted by Dzanda

I don't know about coolness, but it sure is satisfying to see a BIG mound of lather that's filled with whiskers! (Especially if the lather isn't flecked with pink!)

I wish I could see whiskers,I hope one day someone will come up with a jet black lather so I can see them again

Big blades mean more passes before wiping the shaving cream off the blade. Plus the kick butt feeling of a machete in your hand! Lol

Anything less than 6/8 is only good for opening letters imo...
I think 6/8 to 7/8 is the ideal size not only for handling on the face, but they are also easier to hone.
More important than size is the smile. A smiling razor is much better in the neck area than an actual 'straight' razor.

My modest collection includes a couple of 15/16 wade and butchers. one is hollow ground. now not the extra hollow just hollow and it feels good in my hand. the other is a wade and butcher diamond edge it also feels good. the small extra hollow blades give me too much feed back and I have to watch my angle real close. for me the more comfortable shave is the heaver blades. now there just a little harder for me to hone but worth it.