Why recommend 5/8?

I'm very curious on this subject. I may have more hand eye coordination than most, having shaved maybe 50 times with a straight now but as stated before my first razor was a DD 15/16. I've tried 6/8, even 5/8. As a matter of fact, as far as my experience has went, the smaller the blade the more often you are whittling whiskers and washing your blade. I'm addicted to my 17/16 Wade and Butcher and am very excited to move up to 9/8 and even 10/8. If anyone has noticed I'm also in search of an 11/8 custom. Is it just preference, or is there a real reason for recommending that people start off tiny other than margin of error? Hope I don't step on any toes here. This is not meant to be little anyone that prefers the smaller blades, just satisfying curiosity.

Just easy to use and a lot of times not as expensive.

It's the middle of the road kinda thing.

Not too small, not too big, not too heavy, not too light, not too expensive, etc.

Easy and not too complicated to learn how to strop and maneuver around on the face with the size.


I personally prefer to shave with 5/8s and below.
I enjoy a 6/8 and up as well; but will not choose one if I had to pick one size.

It's a personal preference thing as anything else in the end, it's just a starting point for recommendations.

I never recommend 5/8 as I prefer 6/8 and 7/8.

Im with Kees as far as 6/8 to 7/8 is my pref. But as said, 5/8 is more of a middle ground. Easier to learn with. I learned w8th a 4/8 and then picked up a 5/8 and though it was big. Guess its just what you get used too.

Start off Tiny? The problem is you like humongous (har har).

2/8s is tiny and 3/8s is tiny but 5/8s is the standard size. It's what classic barbers mostly used (that and 6/8s) and gives a good maneuverable razor and you can keep your hands firmly on it.

When you start out that's what you want. Eventually you can decide what you prefer to use once you got the basics down.

When I was younger barbers still did straight razor shaves and you never saw them use a large blade, 5/8 were the norm. Barbers are businessmen and why use a more expensive too, larger razor, when a 5/8 will do the job nicely for less cost.

Today that philosophy still makes a lot of sense for a beginner not wanting to spend a lot of money before they know they will stay with the sport. Would I recommend a 5/8 to a beginner? Sure they work as good as anything else.

Personally I prefer 6/8 and don't really care much for the larger razors althought I do have them. I think people are just kidding themselves if they think they need huge razors but as a preference that works.

Bob

As you know, with bigger heavier razors, it takes a bit more experience to handle them properly.
Starting with a 5-6/8, the razor is lighter and much easier to "handle".

I also prefer the bigger blades 7/8-10/8, but I also love the shaves I get out of my 5-6/8.

Was just curious, I can see how a smaller blade is easier to maneuver but I also feel the weight and size of say 7/8+ gives a longer, smooth single stroke. Makes a shave so easy. And stropping in particular is much easier to me with a wide blade. May just be me and how I learned I guess.

I'll agree with the longer stroke with a larger blade. But it is best for beginners to use short strokes to get used to this style of shaving.
As to stropping, some practice with a butter knife to gain muscle memory. And BAM that's about a 5/8 right there.

Yes, to each their own and we all do learn differently for sure.

A longer stroke with a larger razor? A stroke is a stroke no matter the size of the razor. If you do say a single 5 inch stroke with a 5/8s less of the razor consumes the stroke. With a large razor the razor itself takes up more of the stroke so you really get a longer stroke with a narrower razor. Unless of course you shave like in the movies where they keep the razor at a 90 degree angle.

This becomes more critical in tight areas or where where the spine of the razor might be against parts of your face.

May have described it badly. In simple terms it is more comfortable for me to shave with my 17/16 Wade and Butcher than it is for me to shave with either of my 5/8 dovo. All 3 honed the same, from 5k naniwa to 20k suehiro.

I might also add that dexterity is 2nd nature to me? I'm a machinist and fabricator by career, so hand eye coordination is everyday practice.

Regardless, it doesn't make sense to me how the larger blade feels more pleasing and in my opinion makes easier work of whiskers than simply calling it preference

I prefer 6/8 or 7/8 more for the feel, balance and weight more then the width of the blade.

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Originally Posted by JohnnyK1988

Was just curious, I can see how a smaller blade is easier to maneuver but I also feel the weight and size of say 7/8+ gives a longer, smooth single stroke. Makes a shave so easy. And stropping in particular is much easier to me with a wide blade. May just be me and how I learned I guess.

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I guess in the beginning that is so for the longer stroke but I can go from my sideburn, minimal as it is, to my jawline in one stroke with a 5/8 razor. A good lather and a sharp smooth blade goes a long way to doing that regardless of razor size.

Normally I clean the lather on the blade off on a sponge about 3 times in a complete one pass with a 5/8 blade. The same with any other larger sized blade.

The size blade you use is just about personal preference and not much else. We do use all kinds of ways to justify that preference though.

Bob

My hand eye coordination is vastly superior to my muscular strength so my "preferred" razor is a little 45mm kamisori I nicknamed "The Eyebrow Razor".
Anything over 6/8" feels like an axe to me. You can keep those ;)

Yep, it's 5/8s and 6/8s for me. Those big meat choppers were made when that's all they knew how to make. A nice small maneuverable razor is the ticket.

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Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Yep, it's 5/8s and 6/8s for me. Those big meat choppers were made when that's all they knew how to make. A nice small maneuverable razor is the ticket.

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That is my standard range too, even if I do own a few smaller and larger razors.

In a nutshell; I always recommend a ⅝ to a beginner, as this size nicely combines maneuverability around corners with good handling on the flatter regions of the face.

Shaving with a straight around corners is probably the most difficult part to learn, and once a novice is proficient here, it may be time to step up one size.

Never saw much need for bigger blades; the larger they get the more unwieldy they become and just because I can shave with a 8/8 or bigger does not mean that I have to.

At the end of the day, a razor is a tool and I choose the one that works best for me.


B.

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Originally Posted by JohnnyK1988

I'm very curious on this subject. I may have more hand eye coordination than most, having shaved maybe 50 times with a straight now but as stated before my first razor was a DD 15/16. I've tried 6/8, even 5/8. As a matter of fact, as far as my experience has went, the smaller the blade the more often you are whittling whiskers and washing your blade. I'm addicted to my 17/16 Wade and Butcher and am very excited to move up to 9/8 and even 10/8. If anyone has noticed I'm also in search of an 11/8 custom. Is it just preference, or is there a real reason for recommending that people start off tiny other than margin of error? Hope I don't step on any toes here. This is not meant to be little anyone that prefers the smaller blades, just satisfying curiosity.

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Judging razors by width is an over-simplification.
It is like judging pizza only by whether there is pepperoni or not.
There are many factors that go in to making a razor productive/pleasurable to use - or not: grind, steel/heat treating, tang dimensions/jimping, etc.

That said, there is a trade-off with narrower blades being easier to maneuver and larger blades being easier to get the blade angle.

I am a custom maker.
I usually forge to 8/8.
Can forge to 10/8, but don't have that much energy.
Attachment 281485

I like 5/8 best. It's kind of like Goldilocks and her preference for everything that was Mama Bear's. Not too big, not too small - just right!

I started out with a 5/8 round point which is the advice I received from most everyone. I like that size but I find the 6/8 size better for me and wish I had started there. I also figured out that I prefer a Spanish or French point over the round. I have one 8/8, which may be a bit large for my liking but the jury is still out. Looking forward to receiving a 7/8 custom which I have on order.

I like the heft of a big blade. They certainly look cool, but maybe the biggest plus for me, is that they can hold more lather between rinses.

I think that may generally be my attachment. I feel like I can almost get a whole pass done in one rinse with the huge blade!

(Slight exaggeration, swapping hands makes two rinses. Regardless ;))

My first straight razor was a 5/8 i find that I like my 6/8 straights better though. I think part of the reason I prefer the bigger blade is because I like the feeling of the weight of the blade and I feel like I am able to control the 6/8 better.

5/8 seems to be the most common size for the options when purchasing a razor. I believe that it is best to learn on a razor that is 5/8 or 6/8, not too big or small and is relative to the scales. I learned on a 6/8, but own 4/8, 5/8, and 7/8. I like them all in different beard growth situations.

I started out with a 5/8 round point, I have a variety of sizes from 3/8 to 7/8 and in my experience the maneuverability comes more from the tang size versus the blade size on the blades 5/8 and up. Most larger blades have large tangs but those ones that have a small tang seem way easier to use.

It's nothing more than over compensation and a cool factor. I like large blades to, but the shave doesn't change from my 4/8- 10/8. Not the amount of lather it holds, which why does that matter? I wipe my 10-8 as much as a little one, the biggest reason to recommend a 5/8 is availability at an affordable price. So what you use truly us only about preference. I get just as good a shave with any razor I have as long as the edge is right. Your hand eye coordination and dexterity have no bearing on the width,, if the coordination you speak of was there, then you would weilding the smaller blades just as well,,, just saying TC

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Originally Posted by tcrideshd

It's nothing more than over compensation and a cool factor

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Since you mentioned it, that is basically my view too. I did not want to get anyone's nose out of joint by mentioning that. It's that darned Canadian trait again that I am trying to loose.

Bob

I guess I'm not Canadien Bob. I,m just an old southern roughneck Tc

All of my favorite shavers are 4/8. It's like driving a Ferrari vs a dump truck.

My first blade was a 5/8, then I got a 6/8 and most recently a 4/8. I like each for different reasons, but my favorite is the 6/8 followed by the 4/8 (especially for the mustache area).

I can shave easily with any size blade, but I find my preference to lean towards the odd 11/16 razors. Which I believe can only be obtained thru vintage blade. But I've been wrong before. Hell....if it can shave, its good enough for me.

TC said it... A bigger blade has the cool factor. Just like shaving with a 100 year old straight razor, no matter the size. It's a tool. If you get jazzed, excited about shaving with it, go for it!

But... A 5/8 is a really great place to start! Matter of preference.

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Originally Posted by newdovo

But... A 5/8 is a really great place to start! Matter of preference.

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Totally agree. I'll not soon forget the first time I lathered up with a str8 in my hand. A 5/8 and to me it seemed huge.