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a question about straight razors

novicewetshaver

novicewetshaver

Sr. Shave Member
i have been watching a lot of barberdaves and rich's shaving video's along with some other youtubers and the 5/8 razor's look to me like the would be a good sized razor. Why would one want to go any bigger than than 5/8? would it be harder to get around the face with something like an 7/8 razor compared to a 5/8? thanks again
 
It’s all person preference really. I like the big beefy looking razors but agree with the assessment that 6/8 or 5/8 is the perfect size for regular.
 
Most of my razors are 5/8 with the Gold Dollar P81 being the "largest" (I believe 7/8). It is all about preference, and variety. Really what I am trying to say here is just embrace the RAD and get them all :cool:
 
I think it’s mostly a personal preference and the 5/8 may be more common. I currently have mostly 5/8 and one 6/8. In the past, I have had a larger one, but that was on like a meat cleaver with a pivot. I also had some Japanese 3/8 and 4/8. At the time, I found those too small.
 
There is a bit of a different blade feel to a larger razor, which some people love. Personally I stick between 4/8-6/8 and rarely stray from this.

As far as why larger blades? Well back in the day, most men didn’t shave themselves and visited the barber weekly or even daily. There were many razors marketed to barbers called “for barbers use” or “barbers only” razors. These razors were mostly all 7/8-9/8 and were made large, so the blade could hold more lather on in per pass. This is so the barber would not need to stop and rinse or wipe the blade off quite as often as a smaller razor would require. Thus, the barber could finish his shaves faster and move on to the next gentleman. These blades also would have lasted a bit longer and could have handled a bit more honing and wear than a smaller blade.

Now, many larger razors such as the Wade and Butcher For Barber Use and the Filarmonica 14 were made originally as barber razors first, thus their hefty size. Naturally, the average joe did not typically need a huge blade for his morning routine and didn’t not need to pay for all that extra metal. Now days, it’s in fashion to own big blades! Do they shave any better? Maybe, it depends on the person to be honest. The one thing you can be sure of is that a larger blade will cost considerably more than a 4/8-5/8.

So it’s all up to what a guy likes. I recommend everyone try a big blade at one point, but definitely the starter range of 5/8-6/8 is perferred especially due to cost and maneuverability. Believe it or not, a 3/8 & 4/8 can provide an amazing shave and they are very inexpensive to buy and they are even more maneuverable than a 5/8.
 
Well played Matt @Luecke3262

iu
 
Yes, a larger blade can be less maneuverable, particularly if you shave under your nose or have smaller hands or facial features. On the other hand a larger blade has a certain heft that can lend itself to being more stable in hand and the hefty feel can keep you from being heavy handed when it matters most. Perhaps more important than how a very large blade handles on your face is how it handles on the strop and stones. I find a very large blade is marginally more difficult to strop...and in the wee hours of the a.m. that marginal difference can be an issue. I believe a typically shaped 5/8 is probably most universal but when you get into creatively shaped blades a larger size is more aesthetically appealing and in many cases necessary to make the blade useful (I'm thinking of some blades I have that are shorter and wider or have a larger smile). I personally dislike blades in the 4/8 size or under as a daily driver and wouldn't recommend one that size to a newer shaver (but I understand everyone is different so I will never tell ANYONE to not try whatever they can get their hands on). I don't know if you @novicewetshaver have had a chance to hold many straights or shavettes but I think the most important thing to consider is how well the entire razor feels in hand. Yes, razors of a common blade size often have a similar feel in hand but I also look at the tang between the pin and the blade and the size/shape of the tail. Some of what I look for is purely cosmetic preference but other stuff ends up impacting function. An example that comes to mind (for me) is if I find a smaller blade, maybe a 4/8 or a well worn 9/16, with a thumb notch behind the blade and a good sized slightly curved tail, it might feel really good in hand even if i find the overall blade size unappealing. If that same razor had a straight tang and short tail I might feel like i couldn't hold it well enough to use it comfortably. Whether the thumb notch and longer tail are cosmetic features that convince me I like the razor enough to use it or whether they actually make it easier to use (for me) who really knows. I guess my point here is to say, don't be too fixed on any one feature, focus more on how much joy it brings you (or might bring you) and trust that if you end up not enjoying it there is someone out here who will trade or buy as needed.

EDIT: but I will always love the way a big ol blade looks and if I find one at a good price I will get it.
 
You will hear all sorts of theories. The bottom line is the best razor is the one you can handle, shaves well, one that looks nice
to you, one that is honed well, one that does not cut you to pieces and that matches your skill level. All the other stuff is personal preference. It is just practice, a little bit of blood while learning and perfecting your skill. IMHO you should not go near a hone until you can actually shave with a straight consistently without injury +- 100 or so shaves. Could be more or less. The razor, and size are less of a factor than skill. You will have plenty of time to look at size, grind, shapes later on. The rest is all fluff
 
novicewetshaver said:
Ok i will hold off on honing right know and focus on getting some straights i like to use.
Click to expand...
I jumped directly into BOTH honing and straight shaving at the same time. I even did a major overhaul on the first blade I bought/used after using it for just a week or so BUT, I attribute my ultimate success to one razor which I bought as a result of a journal entry @BarberDave made. The razor was a nicely modified Gold Dollar known as a "vorpal blade". I think I paid between $70 and $100 at the time and that was a LOT for me, but the blade was decently attractive, expertly honed and wonderfully functional. I used that razor for 40+ days straight and maintained the blade simply by doing 20 laps on a pasted balsa strop each day followed by 50 laps on flax linen and leather. The blade could have gone much longer with that kind of maintenance but around the 40-50th day (which was probably 55-60 days into my total journey) I felt I had learned enough to do a touch up on the hone(s). I did the touch up AND added a couple new/vintage razors to my rotation and never looked back. I still have my Vorpal razor and enjoy using it.

I don't think its a bad thing to try to learn to hone as you learn to shave BUT, like Dave, I don't recommend trying to use the razors you are honing until you have some level of proficiency. Why? because it is imperative you are using a razor you can trust is well honed, keen and NOT the reason your shaves are falling short in any way. For me, I was proficient enough (or dumb enough) around 40 or 50 shaves and lucky enough to have also learned to hone well enough to yield an edge that did not cause pain and suffering.
 
I like middle of the road 5/8 to 7/8. Smaller than this, I find the razor angle hard to judge and the razor is too light. Bigger than this, I find cumbersome.
 
My sweet spot is 4/8 to 7/8. I always recommend new straight shavers start with a round toe 5/8 For learning purposes. A pasted strop and a well-honed starter razor are the way to go. Send it off to either a professional honer or someone here. Then all you’ll need to worry about is maintaining the edge. you should be good for 40-60 shaves before it begins to tug and you need a touch up. At that point you might want to consider either films aor a good Barber’s hone like a Swaty.
 
jgreenepa said:
My sweet spot is 4/8 to 7/8. I always recommend new straight shavers start with a round toe 5/8 For learning purposes. A pasted strop and a well-honed starter razor are the way to go. Send it off to either a professional honer or someone here. Then all you’ll need to worry about is maintaining the edge. you should be good for 40-60 shaves before it begins to tug and you need a touch up. At that point you might want to consider either films aor a good Barber’s hone like a Swaty.
Click to expand...
what exactly is a Swaty?
 
I started with 2 5/8 straights. I found that I liked the heavier of the 2, so I picked up a couple 6/8 straights. It is all about preference though. Once you try some, you will figure out what you like and can start honing in on the best razor for you.
 
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