Figuring out blade width/grind for my face type.

[TreeHugger]

Newbie here. Judging by pictures of blade sizes side by side, it appears to me that I would be most comfortable with a 5/8 or 6/8 blade, maybe even smaller. There are not a lot of flat surfaces on my face; it's very structured in terms of prominent cheek and jaw bones, I guess you could say that there is not a lot of meat on there. (See reference (http://www.virginmedia.com/images/johnny_cheekbones_290x400.jpg):laugh:)

I am just trying to figure out what blade width/grind I should try out as my first. I know you really have to try multiple razors, but I guess I just want to see if there is some sort of sensible direction given my face's characteristics rather than just picking any straight. The "bonieness" of my face has got to play a factor, or maybe not. Please let me know your thoughts/experience.

If I were to purchase two razors, would it be logical to buy a 5/8 - 1/4 Hollow, and a 5/8 - Full Hollow? I figure this would give me an idea of where I lie on the grind spectrum.

Am I making sense? Please tell me if I am not. Thank you.
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[pelicano]

If I were to purchase two razors, would it be logical to buy a 5/8 - 1/4 Hollow, and a 5/8 - Full Hollow? I figure this would give me an idea of where I lie on the grind spectrum.

Am I making sense? Please tell me if I am not. Thank you.
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It makes total sense. I am a thin guy myself. I have experimented with different blade sizes and grinds. This is all subjective, but I'm not a big fan of blades larger than 6/8, and I tend to go with full hollows, though occasionally I enjoy wedges, 1/4, and 1/2s.
5/8 FH and 1/4 sounds like a good place to start. Eventually you will want to try out other blades, since each has it's own distinct personality, and before you know it, you will find yourself owning fifty straight razors!:blink:

Saves money, right!:glare:

Anyway, that's it in a nutshell. Congrats on beginning this fascinating journey!:thumbup1:

[Luc]

This page might help you: http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/index.php/Straight_Razor_FAQs

[mdunn]

tbh i think it is more personal preference and technique than what mechanically suits your face. Just buy a couple, decide which you like and put the rest on the BST!

[TreeHugger]

Thanks for the responses.

Hopefully some thin-faced men chime in as well with their experience. Just want to see what type of comfort area there is for bonier face structures (see original post) in terms of width/grind. If not, I'll just start shooting darts. Thankfully this isn't as expensive as some of my current hobbies.

[Ru4scuba?]

tbh i think it is more personal preference and technique than what mechanically suits your face. Just buy a couple, decide which you like and put the rest on the BST!

Welcome to Str8s...Dunny said it best...ultimately its personal preference. I think your thinking is sound...go with what you think you'll like and adjust as needed.

I'm a thin guy myself and I've found that anything over 6/8 is a bit too big I'm afraid...

Best of luck!

[sanfranciscian]

Hi fres, it seems like a great plan, easy for me to say, but try not to over think it too much. The 5/8 puts it right in the middle and you have a good grind spread, after you have some miles on them you can try up or down the size scale.

Ian

[BladeRunner001]

Newbie here. Judging by pictures of blade sizes side by side, it appears to me that I would be most comfortable with a 5/8 or 6/8 blade, maybe even smaller. There are not a lot of flat surfaces on my face; it's very structured in terms of prominent cheek and jaw bones, I guess you could say that there is not a lot of meat on there. (See reference (http://www.virginmedia.com/images/johnny_cheekbones_290x400.jpg):laugh:)

I am just trying to figure out what blade width/grind I should try out as my first. I know you really have to try multiple razors, but I guess I just want to see if there is some sort of sensible direction given my face's characteristics rather than just picking any straight. The "bonieness" of my face has got to play a factor, or maybe not. Please let me know your thoughts/experience.

If I were to purchase two razors, would it be logical to buy a 5/8 - 1/4 Hollow, and a 5/8 - Full Hollow? I figure this would give me an idea of where I lie on the grind spectrum.

Am I making sense? Please tell me if I am not. Thank you.
.
.

It 's a very legit question that most of us asked when getting into this. My short answer is grind will make less difference, but size will.

As for size:
I would recommend getting a 5/8" and a 6/8" and see which gives you a better feel. Everyone has a sweet size for blades. My sweet spot is between 6/8 and 7/8, but I do own several 15/16" and 5/8" and one 4/8".

As for grind:
I have coarse beard so when I started, I thought a heavier grind will chop through that bush a little better. That was true initially but then as my technique improved, I found out that the Hollow grinds deliver an exceptionally fantastic shaves. Hollows are my favorites now and wedges or 1/4 hollows are reserved for when I have 2+ days growth (although hollows work wonders there too)

So, basically as your technique improves, the difference in shave between a hollow and a wedge will become less apparent and make little difference...ultimately, it becomes a matter of preference.

This is purely my $.02. Hope it helps.

[honed]

It 's a very legit question that most of us asked when getting into this. My short answer is grind will make less difference, but size will.

As for size:
I would recommend getting a 5/8" and a 6/8" and see which gives you a better feel. Everyone has a sweet size for blades. My sweet spot is between 6/8 and 7/8, but I do own several 15/16" and 5/8" and one 4/8".

As for grind:
I have coarse beard so when I started, I though a heavier grind will chop through that bush a little better. That was true initially bit then as my technique improved, I found out that the Hollow grind deliver an exceptionally fantastic shaves. Hollows are my favorites now and wedges or 1/4 hollows are reserved for when I have 2+ days growth (although hollows work wonders there too)

So, basically as your technique improves, the difference in shave between a hollow and a wedge will become less apparent and make little difference...ultimately, it becomes a matter of preference.

This is purely my $.02. Hope it helps.
I think you pretty much got in all in there!
I love my 9/8 W&B wedge, but I also love my Heljestrand MK31 a full hollow 5/8.

And, straights are small, so even if you get 1 or 2 (:tongue_sm) extras with different grinds, they shouldn't take up too much room...

[Thebigspendur]

The notion you need to suit the size and grind to the face or beard is a lot of poppycock. Back in the old days when barbers shaved people as a routine they pretty much used either 5/8 or 6/8s hollow ground razors. If you needed specialized razors for different face or beard types barbers should have had an arsenal of different type razors but they didn't and they gave great shaves to everyone.

Just buy what you like. Personally I think very large razors can just be a pain to use simply because of their size and it's more difficult to maneuver on your face and often times the large scales can get in your way so you have to constantly adjust them. However that's a personal thing. Some guys love the old meatchoppers.

[johnmrson]

When I first started straight shaving, I used a 5/8 full hollow and didn't like it at all. I switched to a 5/8 wedge which felt so much better. Once I got a bit more exerienced I tried a few different blades sizes and grinds and found that I pretty much like most of them, some more than others but there wasn't anything I didn't like, even the original 5/8 full hollow. I think that you need to find a blade you're comfortable with as a starter straight, get some experience and then experiment.

[TreeHugger]

Thanks to everyone who posted their thoughts/experiences.

So I went to a local antique store and bought my first straight razors. Here are some pictures. I recognized a couple companies from what I've read on B&B, so that's what I got. I was totally lost in there so I pretty much looked for the best condition in terms of no chipping, least pitting/any other non-native growth or slime. Hopefully they can all be usable once restored/honed by a pro. I won't say how much I paid for them as I'm sure I overpaid. :glare:

I'm going to see if someone on here will perhaps give me a newbie discount or deal for honing my first straights.

Let me know what you think about them and if they look alright. Thanks again.

[johnmrson]

What are the 3 makes? They look in pretty good condition. The middle one looks like a very nice blade.

[mdunn]

nice score - they all look pretty good from what I can see

[Ru4scuba?]

Not bad at all...Boker, Bengall & Wadsworth...and the blades look to be in decent shape for starters!

Check here (http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/index.php/Honemeister) for a list of honemeisters and let us know how it goes!

[TreeHugger]

Gave them a little scrubbing bubbles and maas. This is addictive. I'm going to check out some other local shops and add a couple more; get them all honed at once. All of this before I even know if I will like straight shaving. :w00t:

[Luc]

Gave them a little scrubbing bubbles and maas. This is addictive. I'm going to check out some other local shops and add a couple more; get them all honed at once. All of this before I even know if I will like straight shaving. :w00t:

Nice work!!