Thread: Beginner question on full hollow blades

Rest assured, unless your are reptilian you are not flexing the blade against your skin.

Like has been said, needs sharpening.

Originally Posted by Wayne1963

If you're using just enough pressure to remove the lather from your face, a sharp full hollow will easily remove your whiskers. The quality of the edge would be my first suspect.

Exactly!
If a razor is not shaving, the solution NEVER is more pressure. The edge should barely be touching your skin. The pressure should be that light.

In all honesty I think that talking in spine widths is a much easier way to explain to new sr users instead of angles and degrees.

Originally Posted by Thisguyruns

In all honesty I think that talking in spine widths is a much easier way to explain to new sr users instead of angles and degrees.

I fully agree. When I started to learn to shave with a straight razor 30 degrees was recommended somewhere. That never worked for me trying to estimate that. The someone mentioned 2 spine widths and it all came together.

Bob

Send it out to get honed so you can start enjoying it , I think it's hard to beat a full hollow shave . To me it gives better feed back from sound and feel over a more wedge type grind

Originally Posted by Hobospices

So - noob question. I've been shaving with straight razors for about a year now, using a wedge and also a half-hollow. I got past the blood-drawing phase after a few weeks and for the past few months I've gotten very good shaves out of the razors.

I recently saw and bought a very nice Ralf Aust razor - it turns out to be a full hollow grind, and I'm not getting great shaves from it so far. If I apply my normal amount of pressure, I don't get a good shave, and if I bear down a bit more I get a little skipping and what feels like the blade flexing, especially against the grain. I even managed to nick myself for the first time in months. Am I just messing up? I've been trying to grasp the blade a little further toward the edge to keep it from flexing, but that feels wrong. Are full hollows not recommended for to stubble?

Oh and from one newb to another listen to these guys around here everyone is super helpful and extremely nice more than willing to give us new guys advice , this site is great

I recomend YouTube and the many helpful topics here in the beginner section. It is sounds to me like like you're looking at it backwards, applying more than pressure to get a better shave, when it's less pressure that actually gets you a better shave.

Originally Posted by beluga

In my experience (I have now +20 Austs), Aust razors are the exception in so far that they tend to leave his workshop shave-ready.

Mygod man! More than 20 Aists! That makes me feel really good about my choice or first razor.

I have very few razors compared to many here, but what I have range from full hollow to 1/4 hollow near wedge.

I prefer the thicker heavier grinds, but I still get great shaves from my full hollow. In fact the full hollow probably leaves me smoother, but I just don't like the sound it makes.

Could it be that because you are not used to hearing the sound that is what is putting you off? Maybe that's what is making you think that the blade is flexing.

Like all things practice is the key. If you bought the razor new I'm sure it was shave ready but perhaps it has been dulled by technique or stropping. I would agree with the other posters that you should get it refreshed (or do it yourself if you have the skill) and give it another go. No pressure and go slowly and don't let the sound put you off.

Many people like full hollows or even singing hollows because of the audio feedback, but it really isn't for me.

Good luck and I hope you get this sorted.

Wedge vs. full hollow.

Yes you will feel (more like hear) the difference between the two even honed to
the same degree.

Full hollow blades demand the lightest touch on a hone because they
do flex enough to confound an ideal bevel. That same light touch
will also improve a wedge.

Full hollow blades tend to have a thin bevel and take less strokes on a hone.

Stropping light, slow and smooth like any razor. Speed on a strop will come
with a year or so practice. It is not practice that makes perfect it is perfect practice
that makes perfect.

When shaving stretch the skin evenly and lift the spine half to two spine widths.
Use short shaving strokes, always a good idea. I like to shave about the width of
a postage stamp then back half that then forward one stamp. We each have
differences embrace them.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions and feedback! I'm going to try everything in these responses and get this razor working for me as well as the wedge and half-hollow. I'm glad to learn that full hollows are fine for tough beards - this Aust blade is too good looking to stop using .