Thread: Shaving w/ larger blades

Hey guys! I need some advice.
I started out shaving with 5/8 & 6/8 blades. They seemed to be the best fit for me, and were cheaper and more available than larger blades. Now however, I think I'd like to move on to shaving with larger 7/8 & 8/8 blades, but they just don't feel as natural as smaller blades did in my hand.
Any tips on grip or technique that might help the transition?

You got used to the first ones, just use the larger ones until you get used to them.

Originally Posted by nun2sharp

You got used to the first ones, just use the larger ones until you get used to them.

+1 , they felt a bit awkward to me at first but before long I was doing just fine. You'll pick up the technique differences quickly ..

Try them for awhile. You may adjust to them, or you may find that you simply prefer the smaller blades for whatever reason.

I like the shave and feel of a 5/8 while shaving, but find that I don't enjoy the stropping as much with a narrower blade. Small things like that can influence your opinions, or at least they do with me. I am also partial to the looks of a nice big, broad blade. I find them aesthetially pleasing.

The most important thing to remember when using 7/8 and larger blades is that there is a natural tendency to flatten out the angle to 45 degrees or larger when shaving and particularly around the chin. Try to pay attention to this and so long as you maintain a good cutting angle, the rest is personal preference. I have some large blades I enjoy shaving with just as much as a couple 4/8's that will unlikely leave my collection.

Have fun,

Lynn

I am also a fan of the big blade.. But just like Lynn I have a 4/8 that I will never give up. I like the bigger blades especially if I haven't shaved for a few days.

Originally Posted by Lynn

The most important thing to remember when using 7/8 and larger blades is that there is a natural tendency to flatten out the angle to 45 degrees or larger when shaving and particularly around the chin. Try to pay attention to this and so long as you maintain a good cutting angle, the rest is personal preference. I have some large blades I enjoy shaving with just as much as a couple 4/8's that will unlikely leave my collection.

Holy crap that was great advice for me! Still learning (been straight shaving for about two months now) and my chin has always been a trouble spot. For the past two days since reading this post I've been focusing on keeping the blade angle low on the chin and it's helped tremendously.

I guess I wasn't keeping the angle low with the curves...

Cheers,

- HJ

The other thing to remember which I found out the hard way, is that there is additional mass to the blade. Meaning that you need to back off any pressure you have been accustomed to using with the 5/8. With a 7 or 8/8 blade your technique is angle and adjusting to the mass (weight) of the blade - you need less pressure as it almsts cuts hairs itself.