Thread: Is there a difference in shaves between razors?

So I am still relatively new to SR shaving (6 or 7 months in) and until tonight have only ever used my half hollow, 5/8, rounded point, Dovo. However, I was given several antique razors and just finished honing one up. A full hollow, Easy Aces Razor with a pointed (squared off?) tip. With the exception of the tip making havok with my face (ouch) the feel of the shave seemed to be different, from my Dovo. It felt smoother to me. I know SR's come in different shapes, sizes, hollows,and feel different in the hand, such as weight, maneuverability and what have you. But am I imagining things and a sharp piece of steel is a sharp piece of steal, or do different razors actually shave differently from others?

They shave very different, wait the more you try, the more you will see...

You just compared Solingen steel and grind to a NY steel and those Easy Aces are quite a shaver

IME different grinds originally started off feeling much different, but with time they started to equalize except for the sound they make. Different countries of origin and different steels feel different though.

My mind is blown. I thought having a straight razor gave me the full experience. Now that I know different razors shave differently, well, I can understand now why people have such large collections. This opens up so many new possibilities!

...And the iron fist of RAD tightens its grasp. Watch yourself, this place isn't exactly keen on twelve step programs. My suggestion would be to avoid SOTD threads for a while.

The various grinds do tend to feel different, but there are loads of other factors too. For example, the same exact razor may feel different off two different hones. Or if honed by two different people. Or with two different beard prep methods. Or with two different creams. Or on two different days. Or morning vs nighttime shave. Or off different strops. Or if one has already been shaved with a few times vs if it's fresh off the hones. Or... or... etc.

They say that variety is the spice of life, and I agree.

I am also a six-month Newbie and have collected 28 razors. Now that my technique is getting more consistent, I can get a BBS shave from any one of my razors. Yes, they can all shave great but feel different at the same time. I feel differences in the grip of the scales, differences in the width of the blade, and differences in the grind of the razors. I am particularly sensitive to how different a full hollow ground and a wedge razor feels on my face. However, I love to experience both grinds. That is why I enjoy the variety of razors in my collection.

Very often, the razor I "love the very most" is whatever razor is in my hand at that moment. I have a hard time "rating" the razors because they all can be great if their sharpness is maintained and I do adequate pre-shave preparation.

In my limited experience, if the razor is sharp and well maintained and adequate pre-shave preparation is done, the only thing standing between you and a great shave is your technique. I think an awful lot of poor razor ratings are more a reflection on the technique of the shaver rather than the quality of the razor. That is why as the technique gets more consistent, the subtle differences between razors can be more easily felt. Even then, IMHO, most of the time it is not better or worse but just different.

MrAnderson,

I have found my stainless Dovo 41 & 105 and my C135 TIs feel slightly 'scritchy' on my face; this is not at all un-pleasant, but noticable compared to my Sheffield and US razors.

I suppose this is similar to the feel of various brush types on the face when you lather; different, but all do the job well

Have fun !

Best regards

Russ

I can feel the difference between Solingen and Sheffield steel. I don't know what it is with my honing technique but I've found I can get a better edge on Solingen or Thiers razors than I can with Sheffield razors. Eskilstuna steel is different again as it (for me) takes a more aggressive edge. I don't actually have any US razors but I would bet the experts could tell the difference even if blindfolded.

So even before we get into the multitude of shapes and grinds different razors will shave differently simply based on the manufacturing techniques used to make the steel. My Joseph Rodgers 6/8 Spanish point half hollow ground and my Filarmonica 6/8 Spanish point half hollow ground shave very differently despite having near identical measurables. The Filly has a thicker tang, which in the grand scheme of things shouldn't be that noticeable. I hone my own razors so they have had exactly the same treatment but the difference in shaving, honing and edge retention is significant and noticeable.

The thing is though all the steels are different!

So the'll respond differently to different hones and will give different edges depending on how and on what they were honed.

Just a couple of examples off the top of my head are Sheffield blades dont really like high grit synthetic hones I've found, and Swedish steel seems to prefer Shaptons over Naniwas.

Hence the reason for HAD I guess! It's like "that edge was good but I reckon that hone will make it better"

Then you've got the differences in soap, stropping and shave prep which will alter things again, as dylan says.

I've shaved with my Wacker one day with Tabac and thought "my god that's amazing" and then the next day used a different soap and not been as impressed because, for me, I prefer tabac over soap X.

Or used the same soap and different blades, or used a different strop...

All part of the fun!