4/8's

My first razors (I have many, many, many) were all 4/8's. Most were small wedges and they were all great shavers. After learning to shave well with them, the larger ones were easy to master. I even have a 3/8 Wostenholm that I haven't finished restoring yet, and probably won't for quite a while yet. Back in the day, 3/8's were made, a lot of them for shaving.

I find that they are nimble, and quite easy to hone. My first ones were professionally honed (most by Larry at Whippeddog) except the true wedges like my Champion Wedge, but he did do a Union Cutlery Spike for me, as in my ignorance I didn't realize it was a full wedge. He didn't even charge me extra as he said he does for wedges. The all were so sharp and smooth that I fell in love with them immediately.

Large razors are great and all, but if you want nimble, you have to go to the 4/8's. I also find it allows better pressure and angle control, IMHO.

Best to my brothers in blades!!

M

Hey, that's pretty cool! I have a Silver Steel Engels blade that I got from whippeddog. Mine is a shade over 4/8 / under 5/8 and has a round point with black scales. It is my favorite straight for being small enough to see around and maneuver. If you do find out a value, I'd love to know.

CanisiusHistGrad said:

if anyone would be kind enough to give me a rough value, I'd appreciate it. Tang on the far left reads Shumate's Barber Deluxe -- Shumate Razor Co, St. Louis, MO. Mid reads Silver Steel -- Friedr. Wilh. Engels Grafrath Solingen. Far right reads Shumate's Tungsten -- Shumate Razor Co, St. Louis U.S.A.

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I only have the one 4/8 and it hurts me to say I don't like it. It was my fathers and I remember him using it when I was a boy so I feel I am letting the side down.
It's a beautiful Gotta. I so much wanted to love it but I just find it a bit too fiddly. Off course it will stay with me until I find out whether my son also thinks it's too fiddly?

oscarbowman said:

I only have the one 4/8 and it hurts me to say I don't like it. It was my fathers and I remember him using it when I was a boy so I feel I am letting the side down.
It's a beautiful Gotta. I so much wanted to love it but I just find it a bit too fiddly. Off course it will stay with me until I find out whether my son also thinks it's too fiddly?

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That is gorgeous. What do you find fiddly about it? Honing, using, both?

I wouldn't part with that unless your son really enjoys it when the time comes.

Phil

Pkrankow said:

That is gorgeous. What do you find fiddly about it? Honing, using, both?

I wouldn't part with that unless your son really enjoys it when the time comes.

Phil

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I am with Pkrankow! That this is gorgeous! I got to tell you, I think a man needs to almost force himself to use a 4/8 long enough to enjoy them. Or to work out that "fiddly" part. Now that I have commited to them I just whip them around the face like nobodys business.

Truly gorgeous razor, and that it was your dads...

Agreed, that's a beautiful razor. It takes time to learn the ins and outs of a straight, but worth it in the long-run (I think). If the fiddly bits are honing and stropping, that is some "dad" time you can share with him.

I find small razors much easier to strop on a paddle strop. For honing it takes more care, and slower action than honing a larger blade, but nothing crazy. I do finishing laps with the blade held vertical so I hold the razor to the stone, the scales just hang instead of trying to pull the lightweight blade off the stone. I often do this with my 5/8 blades as well, but don't have anything larger than 5/8 that can be called "shave ready"

Phil

I've got a "Spike" near wedge in about 4/8 that is a really nice shaver.

Fellas;

I must say, I have enjoyed reading the 3 pages in this thread. I know diddly squat about Straights, or how to use them. My only contact with them was watching my Dad use one when I was around 8 or 10 years old. He always cautioned me about messing with it. Yeah, he could read me pretty good. I do remember a couple of times he drew blood, and that always served as a deterrent for me. Perhaps that's why I still shy away from them. Who knows though. If I keep reading these great threads about Straights, I may grow some and take the chance.

Thanks for a lot of very useful info here.

I normally discard anything smaller than 5/8, however I've noticed my preferences always changing. Anyways, I found a WONDERFUL 4/8 Robeson Shuredge last weekend out in the wild. The scales were broken, however I made some identical replicas of the originals out of a vintage piece of faux ivory celluloid I had in my shop.

I'll post some pics tonight. After a bit of work it honed up very nicely last night. Tonight's shave will be the shave! I'm actually more excited than usual.

I use my a couple of my 4/8's regularly, as I never shave my whole face but try to vary up different chin strap thicknesses. A bigger blade such as a 6/8 makes this difficult.

Zipvex143258 said:

I use my a couple of my 4/8's regularly, as I never shave my whole face but try to vary up different chin strap thicknesses. A bigger blade such as a 6/8 makes this difficult.

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Hey welcome to B&B! I think the smaller blades were made to do what you are doing with them!

For me, the main advantage to a 4/8 is in shaving around the mouth. A 6/8 or even a 7/8 works great for those long straight runs down the cheek or neck, but put them in confined spaces and they get awkward quick. If you shave the area between the nose and top lip like I do, from the top down, anything over a 5/8 doesn't do as good a job and a 4/8 is just the ticket.