I may be due for some humble pie... :o
I gradually transitioned to using full hollows exclusively . I have been very happy with them, even though I think I have a tough beard. I generally think that wedges aren't really needed - even for the toughest beards. However, I do keep a number of wedges and yesterday I honed one up to see how I would like it now. In fact, I am / was thinking about selling it, so I needed to hone it and test it.
What can I say, after 1200 for good measure to reset the bevel, even with a somewhat hasty job on the blue and coticule, and very little Escher (didn't even go to my Japanese hones) - the 6/8 wedge was shaving really very well, compared to a 10/10 control full hollow for comparison. While the wedge didn't feel as sharp as the hollow, it did give me an appreciably smoother shave. I am guessing the extra weight I unwittingly allowed on my skin did this, and to be honest I almost overshaved a couple of spots but some alhohol AS fixed this and there was no redness in 15 min. In one scary moment, I used an inappropriate angle (spine too close to cheek) and the blade almost "stuck" to my skin :eek: I do believe this is why the real wedges are used with an angle of 45 or so (vs. 30)
Anyway, it also did a very easy job of ATG, even though it was not as sharp as the control razor. After many hollows (and having forgotten what the wedges are like) I am reminded why some members swear by them... Don't expect me to turn all-wedges-no-hollows now, but I may hone up a couple more of these... :)
Cheers
Ivo