IMHO , a 4/8 blade is a little too small for noobs . Even after shaving with a straight for almost 5 years , now , I prefer a 6/8 blade , and never do my first pass with anything smaller . In fact , I sold my only 4/8 blade . However , I use a 9/16 blade , for my upper , and lower lip area , because I find the smaller blade to work better , for me in those areas .