The maligned 4/8 sized razor

[BobH]

The 4/8 sized razors are not my personal favourites but the first few razors I bought were that size and remain in my rotation of razors. This morning shave reminded me that while a dainty 4/8 razor won't gain you the look of a he-man while shaving they certainly will do the job well. It shaved as well as any of my other larger sized razors do. To put it another way, it could be that I am as inept with a 4/8 as I am with the larger sized razors. Take your pick, either way the outcome was just fine. If you are looking for a new or different experience from your big choppers the 4/8 might just surprise you.

I should also give a shout out to the C&E Moroccan Myrrh shave cream for supplying a wonderful lather with a lovely scent. Nothing like a slick lather that leaves my skin feeling good to aid in getting a good 4 pass irritation free shave.

Bob

[Gasman]

I agree Bob. I still pick-up the smaller blades to shave with now and then. 6/8 is my go-to size but a 4/8 now and then just keeps me in practice. I dont find the smaller blades any harder to use. You just have to watch the angle. And as long as they are good and sharp, the missing weight of the larger blade is not needed.
Thanks for your opinion on the smaller blades. Now my 2/8 blade dont ever get used. Thats just too damn small! But i got one.

[thebigspendur]

I have always been a fan of 4/8s razors. Those smaller models are maligned by the big razor crowd but I'll take a highly maneuverable razor any day of the week over some big meatchopper.


Of course there is a limit. 3/8s and 2/8s were never designed for actual shaving only as trim pieces.

[petercp4e]

I only have one 4/8 razor. It is in the rotation and gets used. It will give as good a shave as any. The only thing that I notice is that I seem to drag the tips of my fingers through the cream on my face a bit. Being narrower it puts everything in a bit closer and tighter. No biggie though.

Pete <:-}

[thebigspendur]

I only have one 4/8 razor. It is in the rotation and gets used. It will give as good a shave as any. The only thing that I notice is that I seem to drag the tips of my fingers through the cream on my face a bit. Being narrower it puts everything in a bit closer and tighter. No biggie though.

Pete <:-}

When I use a 7/8s or 8/8s the scales hit the side of my head and my ears. That is a biggie for me. Just a clumsy big razor.

[TristanLudlow]

I like 'em, a lot.

I have a couple of Swedes that are more to the smaller side as well as some germans, I greatly enjoy shaving with them


I enjoy shaving with smaller blades in general, I like shaving with most other blades too, but anything over 6/8 is getting too large for my personal style

[JP5]

I sold a smaller (4/8? ) shoulderless Torrey last year to that I really liked. It didn't have much weight to it, but when I test shaved with it I liked the way it handled.
I love the look of larger blades, but you can't argue with results.

[evnpar]

I have very large hands which feel cramped when using most 5/8, let alone 4/8 razors. However, in reaction to someone on another forum praising Swedish blades, I picked up an Erik Anton Berg that was in good shape and selling for a reasonable price, and it's one fine little razor and has been fun to use. It is a pain to have to rinse the lather from the blade more often, but I do enjoy using it.

[rodb]

My comfort zone is 5/8"-6/8" but 4/8" work really well as long as I watch the angle. I really start to have issues with anything over 7/8", they just seem to big and make the top lip really hard to shave

[beluga]

Not so much maligned, as they are hardly talked about, more neglected and overlooked.

I have a few in my collection but use them rarely. Like many of us, my preferred range is 5/8 - 6/8 and while I use other sizes too, the further I stray away from my preferred range, the more I begin to notice their respective disadvantages.

I have a lovely Koraat that doesn’t see much use because it is just too unwieldy. I can get excellent results from it, but it lacks precision around corners, requires more work in these areas, and is simply not the ideal size for this job.

To my mind, the venerable 5/8 and 6/8 razors represent the best compromise between maneuverability around corners and ability to clear the stubble on the larger flatter areas of my face.

Where the 4/8 size shines is touch-ups or a quick second shave in the evening before going out.
Austrians developed for this purpose the “Wiener Schaber(l)” (written with or without the “l”) that translates as “Viennese Scraper” and was most commonly a 4/8 with short blade and French head.



B.