Thread: preferred blades for shaving.

I had a frame back Wosty that used to cut me all the time. I came close to putting it aside in the rotation, but I kept using it and now have found that it is one of the nicer shaves that I have. The giant George Savage hollow is still a fabulous shave though.

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Whenever I manage to put a nice edge on a razor, it becomes my favourite until I move on to another.

It doesn’t seem to matter if it’s full, half or quarter hollow or a wedge. My blades range from 5/8 to 9/8 and they all seem to work for me. I do have a beard so I only shave my neck and cheeks and don’t have to worry about the troublesome spot above my upper lip.

The only thing that seems to put me off sf a sharp point on the toe. I find I prefer French or round points and barber notches.

Originally Posted by RayClem

Like DE razors and blades, there are a lot of different preferences in straight razors. With my coarse beard and sensitive skin, I tend to prefer full hollow, extra full hollow and belled hollow razors. I do have a couple of 1/2 hollow and 1/4 hollow razors, but I much prefer the thinner grinds for my beard and face. The problem with a thin edge is that my coarse beard dulls the edge quickly. Thus, I have to touch up the edge frequently. I can shave with a 1/4 hollow razor, but I do not enjoy the experience.

Also, I prefer 6/8 th and 7/8 th width blades. I have difficulty maintaining the proper blade angle with 5/8 th razors. I do not have any 8/8 th or larger blades.

I have the same coarse beard type and sensitive skin. What's your preferred approach for touchups? Do you a stone you treat like a "barbers hone" with a few swipes between shaves, or some other way? I too dull blades pretty quickly with my barbed wire stubble. . .

A micro bevel helps with that. I find the edge lasts a lot better with one.

Originally Posted by octoserge

I have the same coarse beard type and sensitive skin. What's your preferred approach for touchups? Do you a stone you treat like a "barbers hone" with a few swipes between shaves, or some other way? I too dull blades pretty quickly with my barbed wire stubble. . .

I am sorry, but whenever someone talks about his ‘sensitive skin’ combined with ‘copper wire’ beard, ‘barbed wire stubble’ that dulls every razor after a few shaves all my warning lights come on.
That someone needs to use a (barber’s) hone between shaves sounds almost inconceivable to me.

I am sure some members may want to jump in head first and offer advice, but to really understand what is going on - and be able to offer some truly useful advice - we would need to know more about your shaving, honing (incl. progression) and stropping experience, and most of all about your pre-shave prep.

Over the years, I have come to the conclusion that a lot of comments about dull razors are merely the result or poor technique in honing, shaving and/or stropping and - most of all - pre-shave prep.
Going back to my ‘formative years’, I remember only too well that I only needed to get one of the above wrong to turn an otherwise perfect shave into an uncomfortable and ineffective mess.

To start with, why don’t you describe your pre-shave routine?
For this routine to work well, it doesn’t have to be very elaborate and no pre-shave cream/balm is needed, but you nevertheless should tell us what you do to prep for your shave.


B.

Originally Posted by beluga

I am sorry, but whenever someone talks about his ‘sensitive skin’ combined with ‘copper wire’ beard, ‘barbed wire stubble’ that dulls every razor after a few shaves all my warning lights come on.
That someone needs to use a (barber’s) hone between shaves sounds almost inconceivable to me.

I am sure some members may want to jump in head first and offer advice, but to really understand what is going on - and be able to offer some truly useful advice - we would need to know more about your shaving, honing (incl. progression) and stropping experience, and most of all about your pre-shave prep.

Over the years, I have come to the conclusion that a lot of comments about dull razors are merely the result or poor technique in honing, shaving and/or stropping and - most of all - pre-shave prep.
Going back to my ‘formative years’, I remember only too well that I only needed to get one of the above wrong to turn an otherwise perfect shave into an uncomfortable and ineffective mess.

To start with, why don’t you describe your pre-shave routine?
For this routine to work well, it doesn’t have to be very elaborate and no pre-shave cream/balm is needed, but you nevertheless should tell us what you do to prep for your shave.


B.

Thank you B for your post. I didn't mean to trigger all of your warning lights. I was simply asking ReyClem how he refreshes his edge. I didn't mean to cause a derailment of the post, so hopefully this gets back on target. Been wetshaving for 12 years and I'd say my prep is effective for me. I just sometimes get tuggy blades earlier than some other guys. Nothing systemic. By the way, Coimbra is a beautiful city, and I would love to visit Vancouver one day as well! Best to you.

It is interesting to read how some of you don't get many shaves before refreshing your razors.

I don't have one of those tough copperwire beards and because I have 16 razors in my rotation and shave every other day I use each razor once a month. That means about 12 shaves a year for each razor, I hone/refresh at about 2 years (24 shaves) unless I want to bevel set and hone something just for the practice or for fun, which I tend to do quite a lot.

If I waited until my razors actully needed some love once every two years, I would never have learned to hone much less set a bevel.

Pre-shave, shme-shave. Snake oil is what it is. I tried to implememt pre-shave and found it to make no noticable difference. The only pre-shave you need is shaving soap. My son has a beard like pig bristle and he shaves with cold water and doesn't even shower first.
Edge retention is the sum of a durable edge, proper technique (stropping and shaving) and post shave blade treatment (i.e. getting the blade completely dry and clean). All the rest is pampering.

I am new to straight razors but not new to wet shaving. So I tend to blame my technique with a straight. but I have never did anything other than a hot shower and sometimes shave soap under a hot towel before a shave.