Thread: Wedge guys enlighten me....

Other than sometimes feeling blade flex on some ultra full hollows I don't find one different from the other. I shave with both and like them equally well for the actual shave. When it comes to the 'cool' factor the old Sheffields have it for me. There is something about shaving with a razor that I honed that is 150 years or more old. I sometimes wonder what stories it could tell.

Alright, so here's the update for you guys.

I broke my 24 hour shave rule and shaved this morning after a mere 16 hours. I decided on following everyone's direction and gave a 6/8 smiley W&B some extra linen love. I went for extra low by dropping the blade right on the face and then lifting it up until I could feel the bevel leave my face...maybe 5 degrees. It actually went pretty well! No irritation or burn today...REALLY NICE!

I know what you mean. I find that they require a little more of a delicate touch because theres no flex to the blade.

I also found that they take a little more honing to get right. Hollow grounds seem to take an edge that little bit easier in my experience.

Hmm, on my face a full hollow will be less forgiving than a full wedge. Full hollows take more finesse IMHO.

In fact, when I get lazy with the shave prep and chew my neck up (my most sensitive area), I take a "break" with a wedge and let my razor burn fade away.

Different grinds for different folks, eh?

A really well honed and very good quality wedge or other heavy grind is a superb shaver and holds an edge extremely well. I've been honing steel for decades and it still took me some time to get the hang of setting a bevel and properly honing a wedge. The tendency it to quit with the coarser grits before you get a completely clean, new bevel. So you need to lean on it a bit more than you have to with really thin, flexible blades. And that's OK because you CAN lean on a wedge pretty heavily while honing because of the very stiff blade. I think they're actually easier to hone than very thin hollow ground blades once you get the hang of it. They're much more forgiving of pressure variations.

What I think happens with people new to wedges is that they get one used that isn't well honed or even with an edge that needs a full geometry restoration. They'll hone it until some part of it is sharp enough to cut hair and move on to the finer hones, leaving parts of the blade not nearly sharp enough to be a good shaver and it's hopeless to try to use a finishing hone to complete the bevel. So part of the blade will shave OK and part won't shave well at all and pull. It will shave... but it won't be comfortable.

When they're just right, they're awesome and can provide one of the smoothest, most comfortable shaves imaginable. I prefer them to full hollows. You just have to get one that's got good steel and a really good edge and you'll understand then. It took me awhile to "get it".

Originally Posted by PapaBull

What I think happens with people new to wedges is that they get one used that isn't well honed or even with an edge that needs a full geometry restoration. They'll hone it until some part of it is sharp enough to cut hair and move on to the finer hones, leaving parts of the blade not nearly sharp enough to be a good shaver and it's hopeless to try to use a finishing hone to complete the bevel. So part of the blade will shave OK and part won't shave well at all and pull. It will shave... but it won't be comfortable.

I've been guilty of this. It took me quite a while to figure out how wedges like to be honed. The inherent problem with honing a wedge is that I've never had one sit completely level on a hone...ever. I've developed the belief that if you're going to hone one, you need to do the HHT test on four locations on the blade; toe, heel, and about 1/3 of the way in on either side...only then can you move on to the tree top test, and finally the shave test.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Other than sometimes feeling blade flex on some ultra full hollows I don't find one different from the other. I shave with both and like them equally well for the actual shave. When it comes to the 'cool' factor the old Sheffields have it for me. There is something about shaving with a razor that I honed that is 150 years or more old. I sometimes wonder what stories it could tell.

They would probably cry and say "oh what ugly mugs I've kissed"

I've found the heavier razor and minimal hollows of course have less feel but they shave just as good as any other razor. Like has been said you need to make sure they are shave ready and your technique needs some adjustment if you're used to full hollows. I find I have to compensate with the heavier blade and make sure I really reduce the pressure. As far as angle goes I use a tad steeper.

I've found the opposite, guess i have a very light touch with the razor so it seems that the full hollows ping and skip on my face. I prefer the heavier grinds and just let the blade do the walking instead any pressure from the hand.
RED96TA: if you would like to swap some pics via PM let me know and maybe we can swap off or make some kind of deals.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

As far as angle goes I use a tad steeper.

I find this works really well for me as well with my wedge, although none of my razors respond well to a shallow angle for the initial WTG pass; I know many members say they shave right off the bat with the edge nearly flat to the face.

Oh well, different strokes and all that.

Just had my first shave with a full wedge yesterday. Really liked the overall feel.

It seems I have some pretty tough whiskers -- not an exceptionally thick beard, but each hair is tough and wiry. Seemed like the heavier blade made easier work than a full-hollow grind.

~ ryan