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

I have them from 9/8 through 14/8. They're just more fun to use. I have no problems at all shaving with them.

Originally Posted by ace

I have them from 9/8 through 14/8. They're just more fun to use. I have no problems at all shaving with them.

14/8 !?!?!?!

LOL - you're kidding right? I didn't even know they made them that big!

They are in the local hardware store right next to axes.

I think a lot of us have to try the meat choppers out just to see what the fuss is about. I've shaved with a 10/8, maybe even a 12/8 once or twice, but like RezDog said, it is almost like folks that feel the need of a Hummer to go to the grocery store and back. I still have a few of the large blades, shave with them and enjoy them when I'm in the mood, but I found my sweet spot at 6/8 after a few years of messing with it. A 5/8 or 7/8 - 8/8 is alright too, but below 5/8 I cannot get comfortable with the ergonomics. YMMV.

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

Originally Posted by Phrank

14/8 !?!?!?!

LOL - you're kidding right? I didn't even know they made them that big!

They are scary looking and unbelievable to hold in your hand. If you love the weight I think that would push the limit. Axes are cheaper :<0)

I have some 8/8 and 10/8 and they give no feedback and just do their job. They seem to be better for when longer beard needs to be mowed down in my case. That isn't very often. "They ain't wrong, their just different" :<0)

My sweetspot is hollow ground 8/8,are far lighter than most bigblades.
Have had bigger but for me they have a downside,A 10/8 rodgers I sold awhile back was sort of over the top for me.
Was a beautifull Razor for sure and rather rare.
But the spine was 5/16 thick and the tang 3/4 wide,very heavy and for me a PITA to strop.

Originally Posted by Phrank

14/8 !?!?!?!

LOL - you're kidding right? I didn't even know they made them that big!

They might not have, but Kenny Powell does (just search on 14/8 for the October, 2013 thread). He also made me a 23/8 out of a meat cleaver I found at a flea market. I will admit that the 23/8 is tad unwieldy. The 14/8 is a dream to shave with.

Two of my favorites: 4/8 Maw & Sons portable surgical razor & 9/8 Greaves


Like any kind of preference, it's a complicated bouillabaisse that makes any one thing stick for any given person.

I know shaving with straights in the first place is appealing to a lot of people because it's got a faint whiff of danger, and obviously a bigger blade is more dangerous. I'm sure some guys like big blades because big is perceived as especially masculine.

Another appeal of them is, simply, that they are manifestly desirable -- other people obviously want them, and that drives the price up. They cost more, so they're worth more, effectively making them Veblen goods.

But all straights are also a practical item that let the user control variables that are locked in with disposables and cartridges, and for some of us straights are even money-saving (I, alas, am not one of those lucky folks). If you only ever get one razor, even if it's a 10/8 monster it might save money in the long run versus cartridges.

I regularly shave with every size and grind around. I prefer old Sheffield steel from 6/8-7/8 size, pretty wedgy -- but that's because I prefer an era and a place independently of shaving properties. For pure shaving, I've never found anything I like better than a 5/8 Heljestrand MK31.

For me personally, the thrill of 'danger' is long, long past. They're just tools, now, like good kitchen knives.

When I first shaved with a very large razor, I wasn't too taken with it. But now that I have a couple of my own and can occasionally throw them into the mix, I've found they're genuinely more fun to shave with when I've been lazy and let my beard grow out for 4-5 days.

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.