What size razor is right for me?

[M Guthner]

I called John Crowly at the shavingshop he recommended a 6/8 Carl Schmidt "Blue Steel" as a solid, low budget straight razor to start with, so I grabbed one (along with a sharpen service). The only straight I've used is a Feather AC (with poor results) and it feels like a really small razor in my hand. The common straight razor size seems to be 5/8's. I've been reading a bit that the larger razors work really well against tough beards - is this true? My beard is like sandpaper and my skin is overlly sensitive and isnt taking too well to multiple passes (especially against the grain) so I was wondering if the larger razors would work better in cutting more with one pass?

[jscott]

if i might add my 2cents here:

- don't aim for a baby butt smooth shave in 1 pass (its almost unrealistic to a long time shaver and definitely unrealistic for someone new)
- most say that 5/8 is the best starting size becuase of the manueverability associated with that size. its large enough hold lather so you don't have to rinse or whipe it clean every 1/2 or 1 stroke yet small enough to fit the smaller contuers of your face. remember that the straight is usually 3 inches long means its a bit harder to get into tight areas.
-my personal opinion is that 6/8 isn't too much different then 5/8th. it adds a tad bit of weight which helps clear heavier growth a tad easier, it holds more lather before rinsing yet still small enough to maneuver around easily. 6/8th is my personal favorite but thats after a year of pure use of straights.
- the size of the razor does not matter in as you say "cutting more in 1 pass".
- the grind of the razor (full hollow 1/2 hollow, 1/4 hollow, wedge) are different shapes of blades allowing more or less flexability. this flexability in turn either plows thru your beard or in extreme casses ricochets or bounces as it hits thick hair. full hollow razors may bend as they cut, wedges will snow plow thru the thickest of hair. every person is different, don't throw out a grind before you try it. full hollows work just fine for me.
- the SIZE of the razor 6/8 7/8 8/8 doesnt make it cut more. they however do add weight to the razor which in turn can make it cut thru thicker hair. i have a 7/8th full hollow wade n butcher which weighs more then my 6/8th wedges. momentum = mass x force. you are gonna push the same however the mass of the razor changes thus creating more momentum and that makes it cut thru the thicker hair.

in conclusion. when starting try the 5/8 or 6/8 till you get down the technique. that matters more then any size/weight/grind of the razor. don't shoot for BBS shaves in 1 pass right away, work up to it, improve your technique. the normal razors will shave a bit differently then your feathers. yes i think a 6/8th that he suggested will be just fine as a 1st razor for you.

~J

ps. with a real straight razor you are gonna need to keep it sharp to get good shaves. www.thewellshavedgentleman.com ... give tony miller a jingle and buy a 2 sided bench strop (smooth/smooth) and have him pre-paste it with 1.0micron and 0.5micron pastes. that will keep your pre-honed razor sharp for a very long time. its cheap and does excellent job. oh, and buy a normal leather strop from him as you will need to strop before each shave :) (i guess you could get a 4 sided paddle strop with 3 pasted and 1 plain side for normal stropping. that could work but just not the way i'd do it)

[M Guthner]

Lotta info there, thanks for the response. I obviously have a lot to learn so I went ahead and bought Lynn Abrams' DVD also.

[berzerkeleyan]

...(i guess you could get a 4 sided paddle strop with 3 pasted and 1 plain side for normal stropping. that could work but just not the way i'd do it)...

This is what I purchased from Tony Miller. And it came in handy today, as I just received a straight razor I had bought on eBay. It wasn't quite ready for prime time. But a little stropping on the pasted sides of the paddle strop, and I was able to get a nice shave from it.

Morgan, since you're new to single blade shaving, I would advise easing into multiple passes, as well as against the grain. If you can get away with two passes -- one with the grain, the other across the grain -- for a while, do that. As your technique improves with both a DE and straight razor, you can attempt additional passes, even ATG. I too have a pretty rough beard and sensitive skin. I can get a pretty nice shave with a two-pass WTG/XTG. It's not BBS smooth, but it's presentable, and certainly better than when I used cartridge razors. If I'm feeling frisky, I'll throw in an additional XTG pass in the opposite direction from the first XTG pass. That third pass really smooths things out nicely. As far as ATG...I've been wet shaving for five months now, and I can only do ATG on a few small areas. So my technique clearly still needs work.

Oh, and get ready for the fire hose treatment when you get Lynn's DVD. It's chock full of good stuff. His razor collection is out of control.

Finally, another great resource for you can be found here. It's a great read.

[gglockner]

The key to a good shave is a razor that is keen. No matter it be a 4/8 or a 7/8, if it is dull it will bother your skin. Also it takes time with a straight to get your technique down. As you are doing this your face will get use to having a very thin layer of skin removed each time you shave. Kind of like exfoliation of the skin. As your technique gets better you will be able to go against the grain and do multiple passes.

Glen