Thread: The myth of the big razor

Shhhh!

You guys just keep snapping up all those big giant enormous lip loppers. The 4/8's and even the 5/8's *SUCK* and you really don't want them! Honest!

<skulks away to put some more eBay snipes in on the "little" razors that could...>

-- Gary F.

Damn... Uncle must have sent JL to outer space for him to have kept quiet this long about his beloved machette's. Hope the boy's ok! Maybe he's gearing up to surprise us with a "16/8" he's picked up somewhere...

<<<< Well its late Thursday night here and I think we need some fireworks here so I'm going to start this thread. >>>




I'll add a little gas to the fire...............big razor (cigar, car, gun, etc...) , little winkie <g>



Tony

I think what the Bigspender is saying is that a Sharp Blade can be just as sharp on a 4/8 as on an 8/8, and that everything behind the cutting edge is a matter of personal preference.

I, too, agree with this. I have many different razor sizes. I also have a fairly heavey beard at the chin and stash area. I "prefer" a blade with some weight to it, but that is not really necessary, as I can supply the "weight" needed. For me, I am more interested in a blades propensity to twist or not. Flimsy blades, no matter how large, I dislike. So far my favorite blade is a Dubl Duck 6/8 Round Point. As a matter of fact, all my favorites are roundpoints...dd 5/8, R. Stehlo 5&6/8 round points, and a simple Klopp 6/8 rp. Blades larger than 6/8 I find tend to be too difficult to maneuver in tight areas (under nose, cleft of chin). Spikes are easier to use "picking" those pesky patches, but also tend to twist, or flex, under a heavy cutting load at the blade-end. RPs seem to stay straighter with less flex. However...a bigger blade gathers more cream and crud, something a smaller blade can never do.

Another thing I have noticed is that I can tell no difference in the shave, whether it was a 1 day growth or a 2, or a 3. I usually shave sides and neck, then strop before chin and stash. No matter the growth, and no matter the razor size, I have never noticed a difference in blade wear. It seems to me cutting hair off at the skin level is the same either way...it matters not how long it is. I think when we talk about a great shave after a 2 day growth, it is just the relative difference we experience.

The quality of the shave is dependent mostly on the stiffness and sharpness of the razor. I've got a little 9/16 neistrom that I occasionally enjoy, it delivers a very smooth shave, and I've been mostly shaving with a 5/8ths the last two weeks with fine results. But the bigger and heavier razors seem to take less effort and concentration to achieve a comfortable smooth shave, because you aren't continually muscling the blade through the forest and aren't constantly fighting the torque as the blade tries to turn into your face. But yeah, any sharp stiff razor will deliver a good clean shave on a stiff beard.

I don't know either way. I stick with 5/8 for other reasons. Didn't you guys that transitioned to big razors have trouble re-learning to strop, stroke, or even hone?

now that you mention it, stropping an 8/8 does seem to require a little more tension on the strop than a 5/8. I suppose an argument can be made that in theory, it should be the same, ie, no strop sag, but in practice I do find that I have a little in mine. I have not contemplated the science of it, but it did seem that the first time I stropped an 8/8, I had to slow down and concentrate a bit more.

I have some of all the sizes and from many different manufacturers. I have to say that I like the 5/8 through 7/8 the most. I have several 8/8 and I find them a bit of a chore to manuver.

If you have to muscle the blade through the stubble, it ain't sharp enough.

Originally Posted by FiReSTaRT

If you have to muscle the blade through the stubble, it ain't sharp enough.

I was exaggerating a bit, but it takes noticeable force to move my Feather AC through my stubble. Unless you know of something sharper there ain't no such thing as "sharp enough".