Thread: Thoughts on Grinds

I still have some full hollows that I like to use, such as my dovo bismarck 6/8 and dovo special 6/8.

That is true ^, marketing could have something to do with it. There were more than a few makers who subscribed to that theory whether marked on the blade or in company literature. Still doesn't necessarily make it true or not. Not much to argue about or debate except to say you use what works for you. I'll leave those with delusions of manliness to their own devices as far as believing advertising goes.

Bob

This is just a subjective "IMO" thought, but here is mine.....

It has as much to do with the depth of beard as it does the beard "type"

When I take on a 3 or 4 day growth, I reach for a wedge. When its only been a day or two, I reach for...well...whatever I happen to have on the line that day.
I am working with the supposition that the longer facial hair, particularly on a tough beard, can fold or roll under the edge of a flexible extra hollow. Where as a stiff wedgey blade will not move, and thus will "bite" its way through a doubled layer of hair rather than choke on it. If you understand what I am saying. (I know I am lacking vocabulary here)

yes we have discussed this many, many times and like I've always said the ultimate truth here is if you visited the average barber shop in the 1950s or prior when shaves were a routine you would find most barbers had an assortment of straights and they were all either 5/8s or 6/8s. They used those razors to shave everyone who walked into the shop and they all walked out very satisfied customers. So if the theory you need a specialized razor to match a beard was correct barbers should have had all sizes to match the task. They didn't.

Of course those barbers were professionally trained to use a straight and knew how to map out someones beard and did this every day so they were masters. But, it doesn't change the fact they still would have had the proper tool for the job.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Of course those barbers were professionally trained to use a straight and knew how to map out someones beard and did this every day so they were masters. But, it doesn't change the fact they still would have had the proper tool for the job.

Having only had one straight razor shave from a barber--and that was around 30 years ago--I can hardly claim to be an expert on the topic, but I remember being surprised at the time to find the straight shave wasn't as close as I could get at home with my cartridge razor.

I later realized it was because he wasn't shaving against the grain. I think this was due to the fact that a lot of people have skin that's a little too sensitive for ATG shaving. I mean, I doubt a barber would do the Dreaded Fool's Pass (ATG in the mustache area) unless asked to. And yet, I can't get BBS in that area without going ATG.

So again, I might be wrong here, but I suspect most barbers shaved people close enough to look good, but didn't devote nearly as much effort to shaving ATG and trying to get a BBS shave as most SRPers do. It took too much time and effort and might have resulted in an irritated customer. Not good for business.

(Of course, any barbers reading this are free to shoot me down if it turns out that--yet again!--I'm full of hot air.)


Specialization is for insects--Robert Heinlein

Aside from feel, these are the only two differences I've noticed between grinds:

1. Full wedges are harder to hone than the rest because there's more meat of the bevel on the stone. Put any sort of hollow in there, and the bevel shrinks its width, making the honing much easier.

2. With a full hollow 9/8 or 10/8, any amount of pressure honing will flex the blade and lift the cutting edge off the stone, so that you are no longer sharpening the edge as much as you are polishing the bevel. Significant pressure will do this with a full hollow 7/8 or 8/8 as well.

Originally Posted by Badgister

Gentlemen,
I have a bergischer lowe for example that is very keen and splits hairs like butter, but on my beard it flexes way too much and on the chin especially, it is a chore.

I am curious to know how much pressure you are using, if you are flexing the razor blade on your skin. I test shave with every razor I refurbish and sell (pushing 100 now I believe), and I have found that a properly honed razor of any grind will shave my beard the same, and I have a fairly heavy growth with course, thick whiskers.

I've also noticed that the size and weight of a razor can trick my mind into thinking that a heavier razor (thicker grind) more easily shaves my beard, but it is an illusion, IMO. It just takes incrementally more effort to push a lighter razor through a heavy beard than a heavier razor, making it SEEM like a heavier grind shaves a heavier beard better. But this is only my experience speaking, and I am sure those with more experience than I may disagree.

Originally Posted by IndispensiBill

Having only had one straight razor shave from a barber--and that was around 30 years ago--I can hardly claim to be an expert on the topic, but I remember being surprised at the time to find the straight shave wasn't as close as I could get at home with my cartridge razor.

I later realized it was because he wasn't shaving against the grain. I think this was due to the fact that a lot of people have skin that's a little too sensitive for ATG shaving. I mean, I doubt a barber would do the Dreaded Fool's Pass (ATG in the mustache area) unless asked to. And yet, I can't get BBS in that area without going ATG.

So again, I might be wrong here, but I suspect most barbers shaved people close enough to look good, but didn't devote nearly as much effort to shaving ATG and trying to get a BBS shave as most SRPers do. It took too much time and effort and might have resulted in an irritated customer. Not good for business.

(Of course, any barbers reading this are free to shoot me down if it turns out that--yet again!--I'm full of hot air.)


Specialization is for insects--Robert Heinlein

Your talking the 1980s? Shaving was already out of fashion by Barbers by then. Pretty much by the 1960s already it was going downhill. I don't know when schools stopped training for straights. I will tell you in the 1950s and prior if you got a shave from a professional barber that wasn't perfect he would be in big trouble and if a barber so much as nicked you a lot of guys would have layed him out on the floor.

Barbers were trained to map out someones beard and tell if their skin was more delicate and knew the types of strokes he needed to do and what the customer could tolerate. There were little tricks they were taught involving the types of strokes to get the job done proper customer by customer.

Originally Posted by sheffieldlover

I am curious to know how much pressure you are using, if you are flexing the razor blade on your skin. I test shave with every razor I refurbish and sell (pushing 100 now I believe), and I have found that a properly honed razor of any grind will shave my beard the same, and I have a fairly heavy growth with course, thick whiskers.

I've also noticed that the size and weight of a razor can trick my mind into thinking that a heavier razor (thicker grind) more easily shaves my beard, but it is an illusion, IMO. It just takes incrementally more effort to push a lighter razor through a heavy beard than a heavier razor, making it SEEM like a heavier grind shaves a heavier beard better. But this is only my experience speaking, and I am sure those with more experience than I may disagree.

I am applying the same pressure I use with all my razors with quick short strokes . I suppose there is a reason why razors come in different grinds, sizes etc.. what works better for one person might not so much for another.