Thread: 5/8 v 6/8

I don't feel like there's much of a difference. 6/8 can hold more lather so there may be less rinsing but barely.

And I, as a beginner always have paid attention to the line of the blade and the scales: always wanted either horn or bone. Last two days i have tried new Boker silver steel 6/8; the difference is quite significant comparing to 5/8, also Boker (Edelweiss with bone handle). Definitely prefer 6/8, but would rather have a non plastic handle. Bias probably (or maybe just being snobbish)

Originally Posted by ibixon

Yes, but what about the area between upper lip and under the nose? This is kind of my week spot.

Do you have 5/8ths of an inch between your nose and your mustache? If not, any size will fit the same as a 5/8.

Love me my 6/8ths.
Ever touch your nose with the spine of a hot straight?
Dont lie, I run mine under HOT water and it shaves great. Hot metal to the nose and I jump everytime.
5/8ths misses by a smidge.

I have shaved with everything from 4/8 to 6/8, and everything in between. I like them all, but I much prefer 6/8. They all feel different in my hands, and the only adjustment I have ever needed to make is getting used to the feel of the different sizes, not in technique while wielding them.
One thing, however. I have a 6/8 wedge that has no jimps. The tang is thick enough and substantial enough that it isn't an issue. On a 4/8, no jimps is a deal breaker, as I cannot hold onto the thing. MHO and YMMV.

My comfort zone is 9/16" - 7/8", I like 6/8" best, but I hardly notice any difference with a 5/8" and most of my razors are 5/8"

I have 5/8 to 8/8 razors in my rotation, but most are 6/8. I get a good shave with all, but I am most comfortable using the 6/8 width.

Originally Posted by Dzanda

I prefer a 6/8" razor over anything smaller, but I agree that there's very little difference between the 5/8" and 6/8" sizes.

Having said this, I find that the larger razor has some advantages, especially when one is first starting out; here are a few:

• Wider razors are easier to strop. It's easy to lift the spine of a narrow razor off your strop, and you want to avoid doing that at all costs!
• It's easier to judge blade angle. Blade angle is critical to achieving a close shave, AND to avoiding bloodletting!
• They generally weigh more. A heavier blade can do more of the work for you, lightening your touch in the process.
• They hold more lather. Trivial, perhaps. But less rinsing or wiping means more shaving.

YMMV.

As a rookie I find that all of the above applies to me. The wider blades feel more balanced in my hand and I use less pressure. As my technique slowly improves I'm learning to appreciate the smaller blades but I still have more trouble stropping them than the wider ones.

Originally Posted by SteveA

As my technique slowly improves I'm learning to appreciate the smaller blades but I still have more trouble stropping them than the wider ones.

Not a Rookie, although there are guys on here that have shaved for many, many more years than me with a straight. But I do find this to be true for smaller blades. I don't have trouble with them, per say, but they do require a really solid technique to strop them without lifting the spine off of the strop. Not a problem for me now, but I'm sure glad I started with a 6/8, LOL.

Originally Posted by bluesman7

Do you have 5/8ths of an inch between your nose and your mustache? If not, any size will fit the same as a 5/8.

To nitpick on something that is practically not significant the correct geometry is slightly different (well depending on the meaning of nose in the 'between the nose and mustache' measurement).
The proper quantity to compare to the razor width is the 'hypotenuse' of the nose length and the distance between the nose and mustache (for non orthogonal noses use the law of cosine); all razors larger than that would 'fit' the same, razors smaller than that would fit better.

Here's a diagram where that magical length is in red - bigger than that like the blue fits just the same because it is 'over the nose', but smaller than that can fit 'under the nose'.



I guess a better phrasing would be 'between the mustache and the nose protrusion (or the tangent point to the nose?)'; I'd want to say the tip of the nose, but the tip is usually considered further up.

Does it have practical significance? Not to my face, but YMMV.