Thread: First shave with new full hollow straight.

All of that is interesting, in that I believe the recommendation (from Lynn?) is to start with a 6/8 full hollow.

Gentlemen,

A straight razor of any grind, hollow, half-hollow or wedge, is unforgiving when used with the wrong angle and raw technique. I, too, recommend the hollow blade, 5/8 or 6/8, for the newbie. Besides, I can't resist the music the hollow blade creates with each stroke — like buttering dry toast to accompany that heavenly morning coffee.

So is it that with a full hollow, the blade itself flexes a bit more than a half hollow? What property of a full hollow makes it less forgiving, and what are the benefits of a full over a half hollow?

Gentlemen,
All this talk about full hollow and half hollow is really unnecessary in helping the OP to concentrate on his technique. It just muddies the focus. The blade's grind is not important; improving the technique is. Use a general angle of 20 to 30 degrees, keep the pressure light, stretch the skin, and prepare the face properly. The rest is secondary.

Since that first day with this razor I have used it two more times with excellent results. All it took was a slight adjustment in angle and I have found the sweet spot. Thanks for the advice.