Thread: Anyone know the best full hollow razor

Originally Posted by RezDog

Well it seems that the longest running producer is likely JA Henckels, so if there is a reason any one company would out produce all the others for 250 years, I'm going to say it is because they have the best quality.

Cant go wrong with a henckels.

I also give this little guy honorable mention.

Hahahahahahaha open the flood gates

As a novice myself, the answer is in my opinion totally subjective. However, the best, irrespective of brand, would be one that is easy to hone and that gives a shave ready edge with the least amount of work.

Originally Posted by outback

Ive personally have not found(yet) any modern full hollow that can beat vintage steel.
The closest i would say YMMV is Boker.
Mike

I wonder if any of the current makers are capable of or are producing extra full hollow bellied blades? When straight razors were popular I would bet there were far more grinders with a long experience in their trade and so capable of producing better thinner blades on the whole. Oth the only new made blade I have, a Revisor, shaves as well as any vintage full hollow I have. So yes, it really is a YMMV thing.

Bob

yep ,I keep hearing henckle and dovo---both being the 6/8 with 3/4 hollow blade, the model in the devo being the BISMARK, CANNOT REMEMBER THE MODEL IN THE HENCKLE rangeThank you.

Originally Posted by BobH

I wonder if any of the current makers are capable of or are producing extra full hollow bellied blades? When straight razors were popular I would bet there were far more grinders with a long experience in their trade and so capable of producing better thinner blades on the whole. Oth the only new made blade I have, a Revisor, shaves as well as any vintage full hollow I have. So yes, it really is a YMMV thing.

Bob

If you're talking about a full hollow with a horizontal stabiliser, then yes, they make those. Revisor and Aust for sure. I've never handled a new production Dovo or Böker, but I'm pretty sure they make them too.

If you're talking about an extremely hollow razor with a much more pronounced horizontal stabiliser, well, those were never very common to begin with. I think I've used one, and that one bordered on being ground too thin for comfort. I consider it a possibility that such grinding jobs were imperfect extra hollow/double hollow grinds (i.e. full hollow with a moderate horizontal stabiliser) rather than a specific grind of their own.

"Extra full hollow" sounds like a pleonasm, and probably is. Dovo still makes the Prima Klang, but even that one is thick compared to what they used to make in Solingen in the heyday. I have a few that are more like aluminium foil than razors, and they are fun to use. Brand names are meaningless, because I've not seen them around for years (e.g. Hermann Mehl).

Daniel Peres, founder of Solingen's arguably most interesting razor manufacture, made some that also sported extreme grinds. Last time I saw one in even decent state was a few years back, though.

I think it bears mentioning that hollow grinds are more difficult to achieve, and take longer to make, than standard grinds. They also take more skills. And those skills have died out along with the Solingen razor workforces.

Originally Posted by RobinK

"Extra full hollow" sounds like a pleonasm, and probably is. Dovo still makes the Prima Klang, but even that one is thick compared to what they used to make in Solingen in the heyday. I have a few that are more like aluminium foil than razors, and they are fun to use. Brand names are meaningless, because I've not seen them around for years (e.g. Hermann Mehl).

Daniel Peres, founder of Solingen's arguably most interesting razor manufacture, made some that also sported extreme grinds. Last time I saw one in even decent state was a few years back, though.

I think it bears mentioning that hollow grinds are more difficult to achieve, and take longer to make, than standard grinds. They also take more skills. And those skills have died out along with the Solingen razor workforces.

It might sound like a " pleonasm" but there it is The straight razor - Straight Razor Place Library .

Bob

Originally Posted by Pithor

If you're talking about a full hollow with a horizontal stabiliser, then yes, they make those. Revisor and Aust for sure. I've never handled a new production Dovo or Böker, but I'm pretty sure they make them too.

If you're talking about an extremely hollow razor with a much more pronounced horizontal stabiliser, well, those were never very common to begin with. I think I've used one, and that one bordered on being ground too thin for comfort. I consider it a possibility that such grinding jobs were imperfect extra hollow/double hollow grinds (i.e. full hollow with a moderate horizontal stabiliser) rather than a specific grind of their own.

Surprisingly I have a few bellied hollow vintage straight razors. They are mostly German made but there are a couple of USA made ones too. I have not seen that grind on new production razors as I have only one and it is a full hollow and has no belly to it.

Bob