square vs. spike

Hi all, I am two months in to straights now and finally getting proficient with my razors but since they are all round points i am exploring the other styles of blades. I am fairly sure that i will be avoiding the spikes for now as i don't want to keep up with the extra care associated them at this time. I very much like the look of the square points and was wondering if or what the differences are in relation to round and spike? are they in the middle? or would you say they lean more or less towards round or spike performance wise? thanks for any advise because the only thing i am sure of is i would never have gotten this far without this forum!

Ian

sanfranciscian said:

Hi all, I am two months in to straights now and finally getting proficient with my razors but since they are all round points i am exploring the other styles of blades. I am fairly sure that i will be avoiding the spikes for now as i don't want to keep up with the extra care associated them at this time. I very much like the look of the square points and was wondering if or what the differences are in relation to round and spike? are they in the middle? or would you say they lean more or less towards round or spike performance wise? thanks for any advise because the only thing i am sure of is i would never have gotten this far without this forum!

Ian

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I am new to str8s also, but I have come to prefer my French points by far. Better access, better detail in small areas. Just my personal preference...
Not sure what you mean by 'extra care associated with them'. If you mean while shaving, I wouldn't sweat it. You get used to it.

EDIT: Somehow I read this thread title as Round vs. Square....Dang.

I had a razor with a spike point. On the first shave with it, the spike point put about an inch long gash into my cheek. The razor now has a round point....

Moral of the story: Spike points, and newbies don't mix.

To my mind, a true square point -- if it hasn't been muted -- is a spike. If the point is muted (i.e. slightly rounded off) then it's still a square point, but not a "spike".

The more the point is muted, the closer it comes to a round point in feel. I like just a hint of muting, to keep the more precise feel of a square point, without the "touchiness" of a true spike.

If the point is muted enough, a square point is fine for a newbie. Try it, you'll like it!

A good example is my King Cutter. Nicely muted square point.

michiganlover said:

I had a razor with a spike point. On the first shave with it, the spike point put about an long gash into my cheek. The razor now has a round point....

Moral of the story: Spike points, and newbies don't mix.

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thanks, that definitely is what i want to avoid, and while i am sure they can be tamed i am not sure i like a spike any more than a square or french or even spanish so i was mainly wondering how these other styles compare with the round in terms of gashability. woodash have you tried a spike versus french i would be interested in that comparison and thanks for your help.

I think that round points are best for your starter razor, but after you've been shaving for a few months it doesn't matter. There are many different point styles out there, and everyone has their preference. Veteran shavers can still be surprised by spike points though, which is why many mute their spike points just a bit to make them more tame.

I believe there are two aspects to consider...

THE END OF THE CUTTING EDGE

If the end comes to a 90 degree angle, or a sharp angle, then shape of the tip of the razor matters less. It is in essence a spike.

Many dull the very tip of their razors on the back of a whetstone, but many also won't admit doing so. (It doesn't change the looks of the razor, and is easily honed back to sharpness.)

THE SHAPE OF THE TIP OF THE RAZOR

Assuming that the end of the cutting edge doesn't come to a 90 degree angle, then the shape of the tip is more of a factor. With a round tip, without too much worry, you can shave into crevices and crannies. In some circumstances it can be used to actually push skin slightly more taut or ready for shaving behind the edge.

Spikes are not that bad, you just need to keep the tip in mind. I'm not the biggest fan, I prefer French point but it's more for the look than anything else!

thanks all, i like the idea of muting the point. fortunately though it has only been two months in to this i have committed to using the straight only and have probably got 50 shaves total so far and feel that has helped to speed up the learning curve so (famous last words) i think it is time to give them a try as it is hard to deny the visual appeal and it seem that a lot of the razors that people feel are at the top in shave quality come in these configurations.

It doesn't take much to tone down a spike. You don't need to round it off. Just take the point off the toe. Personally I'm not a fan of them.

I am 6 months in straight shaving daily and have recently started shaving with spike points in the last month. I had 1 or 2 relatively minor scratches and 1 cut in the first 2 shaves. Since then I've used the spikey points for 4 more shaves without any further cuts or scratches. I think it has made me more careful which is not necessarily a bad thing....

I don't mean contradictory here , but I am a noob too (~3 months str8 shaving) and I love my spike point 7/8 Novelty blade...that thing has a mean 90º angle to it when you look at it, but I love the way it feels around tight corners of my face...I have never nicked or cut myself with it (10-15 shaves so far).

I was initially intimidated by a spike, but then I bit the bullet and got one and have not regretted the decision.

Robert

michiganlover said:

I had a razor with a spike point. On the first shave with it, the spike point put about an inch long gash into my cheek. The razor now has a round point....

Moral of the story: Spike points, and newbies don't mix.

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While still a noob, my daily shaving is with a spike. Have had a couple of lovely cuts with the point. Just enough to remind me to pay attention to where the point is. As long as know where the point is you'll do fine. I have ordered a couple of round points to see how the other half live though!