Thread: First shave with a wedge

I received an old Bengall wedge yesterday from ebay - supposedly shave ready, so after stropping on linen and leather last night, I gave it a try. Wow - silent but deadly - to whiskers at least. Compared to my Dovo full hollow - which is very noisy, this was really weird. Took a little adjustment to get pressure and angle just right, and I ended up with the smoothest shave with the least amount of passes ever. Felt like I was handling a meat cleaver. One problem, though, got a real nice cut - about 1" - on my right cheek that bled pretty well when I started a 3rd pass (which wan't really necessary). I wasn't paying attention like I should have. Lesson learned. I think I'm liking this razor!

Yeah, silent but deadly fits for sure, and the can cut you easily as you figured...

Heavier grinds are fun for sure.

I shave with a different razor each shave. When I wedge (most are around 1/4 hollow) comes to play it always takes a few strokes to get the feel of them again. I usually get a red spot or two where I shave off a bit of skin too. LOL I love the feel of a well honed wedge and the silent work they perform but what a PITA to get them honed properly when they are antique shop finds and have a wide bevel. In the end they are worth the effort but I am really glad I hone them myself.

Ahhh, so you like the wedge? The wedge, she is good, no? Me too! I feel like I am ruining the very concave razors with my wiry beard. They rattle and moan a lot! But wedges, especially the smiling variety, are my cup of tea. Nice to shave with the very old ones, gives a feeling of history to the experience as well! ......get it on........Tom

My razor is 3/4 hollow. I have a heavy beard, and though I'm improving mightily I sometimes wonder if I struggle in certain really thick patches because of the 3/4 hollow blade. Are 1/4 hollow or wedge razors "better" for heavier beards? From your experience with your first wedge shave, I'm inclined to think the bigger mass would yield a smoother cut through dense hair. How else would you compare the two?

A wedge is great. There is a distinct difference between a wedge and a full hollow. A near wedge or 1/4 hollow is fun to shave with.

Originally Posted by U2Bono269

My razor is 3/4 hollow. I have a heavy beard, and though I'm improving mightily I sometimes wonder if I struggle in certain really thick patches because of the 3/4 hollow blade. Are 1/4 hollow or wedge razors "better" for heavier beards? From your experience with your first wedge shave, I'm inclined to think the bigger mass would yield a smoother cut through dense hair. How else would you compare the two?

The wedge shaved the area over my (not prominent) adam's apple more closely, and made much quicker work of it, than my full hollow. I'm thinking it might be worth a try for you to get a wedge if you can find a reasonably priced one in the SRP classifieds or on Ebay..
First thing I noticed was no "scraping toast" sound. The blade on the wedge definitely has a gravity assist, and I guess one way to compare the hollow to the wedge is that the hollow is a weed-whacker, and the wedge is a bulldozer, or the hollow is a thoroughbred horse, the wedge is a Clydesdale. The thoroughbred won't pullout stumps, but the Clydesdale can (stumps = heavy beard). OK, enough of the weird descriptions...

Originally Posted by sharptonn

Ahhh, so you like the wedge? The wedge, she is good, no? Me too! I feel like I am ruining the very concave razors with my wiry beard. They rattle and moan a lot! But wedges, especially the smiling variety, are my cup of tea. Nice to shave with the very old ones, gives a feeling of history to the experience as well! ......get it on........Tom

Yes, part of it is definitely the sense of history. I also won a Wade & Butcher on Ebay that may be pre 1895 (no country of origin on the tang, and a shorter monkey tail), and it is really cool thinking of all the faces that razor has been on. I'm a history buff anyway, so it fits right in to my sensibilities..

I'm a heavy blade fan also. While I only have a few full sized wedges most are 1/4 hollow or less. It's always weird when I use a full hollow and hear all the racket the blade thows off. I should do a few more videos of the older stuff I have been using lately

Originally Posted by U2Bono269

Are 1/4 hollow or wedge razors "better" for heavier beards?

Not according to Filarmonica. The 14 Especial Para Barbas Duras is big but very hollow.