Thread: Question about 4/8 vs 5/8 or 6/8 razors

I have a 4/8 a 5/ and a 6/8 SR. I just had got them back from being honed and boy what a job the man did on these razors. I have only shaved with the 4/8 razor so far. I can not believe what a great hone job will do for a razor and the shave it gives.

I will get back to the subject. I have been shaving so far with the 4/8, I like it because of its size and the way it moves around my face. I have a lot of angles and a cleft in my chin, no I am no Alfred E Newman. The question is , is a 4/8 razor for shaving the whole face or is it more for trim work. I don't see many for sale or much said about this size. Also will a bigger size be easier to shave with, I know its a matter of time that I will find out for myself when I try the other razors I just thought I would ask is all.

4/8 are fine. It is a preference. Some like nothing but 7/8 and larger, some are perfectly content with 4/8 or 5/8. Properly honed, the shave is what counts most.

Yes, blade size is a preference thing. Personally I like 5/8-6/8 blades but have blades from 4/8 to 8/8 in my rotation. All give a good shave if the edge is good.

Bob

I prefer a 6/8. My barber prefers a 5/8.

It is all about what feels comfortable in your hand. I have shaved with a 2/8 (yes a 1/4 inch blade). Did not like that.

I agree with BobH. If the blade is right, you will get a good shave regardless of the size.

It's whatever you prefer/get used to.. Some prefer the supposed nimbleness of a smaller width blade and some like the heft of an 15/16±.

The more widths you find comfort with, the more variety of razors available for your stash

it's when you get to 3/8s that trim work is the intent though even a small one like a 2/8s will shave fine however holding on to it can be an issue especially if you have large hands or are getting kind of long in tooth.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

it's when you get to 3/8s that trim work is the intent though even a small one like a 2/8s will shave fine however holding on to it can be an issue especially if you have large hands or are getting kind of long in tooth.

I have from a 4/8 to 8/8 and agree that as long as the razor is sharp it can be used for trim or shaving the whole face. I've never used anything smaller than a 4/8 but can imagine the difficulty using something that small with my hands. I have rather large hands with arthritis so when you get down to the smaller size I would have trouble. as far as long in the tooth goes I take mine out to shave

Originally Posted by pathology101

I have a 4/8 a 5/ and a 6/8 SR. I just had got them back from being honed and boy what a job the man did on these razors. I have only shaved with the 4/8 razor so far. I can not believe what a great hone job will do for a razor and the shave it gives.

I will get back to the subject. I have been shaving so far with the 4/8, I like it because of its size and the way it moves around my face. I have a lot of angles and a cleft in my chin, no I am no Alfred E Newman. The question is , is a 4/8 razor for shaving the whole face or is it more for trim work. I don't see many for sale or much said about this size. Also will a bigger size be easier to shave with, I know its a matter of time that I will find out for myself when I try the other razors I just thought I would ask is all.

I like the smaller, lighter, more agile ones as well. I'd say my favorite is 5/8.

When I began straight razor shaving, I fared better with the "meat choppers" (around 7/8) because the heft helped compensate for my undeveloped skills.

However, some seasoned straight razor shavers like the big ones. It's a personal preference.

We sampled the members of this forum a year or two ago and found the median preference was 6/8. As a result, I would recommend a beginner start with 6/8.

I was raised to reduce my fractions... just sayin...



:P

Resurrecting an old thread.........

When I started to shave I was sold a Filarmonica 10 (4/8). Alongside a really bad strop and hone. I suffered for almost a year until I fell back on DE. Then I bought a Dovo 5/8, a good all around razor. With time I learnt how to hone, strop and actually shave with a SR. after almost 7 years in the back of the drawer, I found my old fili while doing some cleaning. Left there by me to oblivion.

Cleaned it up, rehoned it and got it ready for shaving. It turned to be an amazing razor (the dovo is in the drawer now), apparently you need much better skill all round to hone and shave with a 4/8, something I didn't have when I started. Now that I have the adequate dexterity, it gives a wonderful shave.