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Grinds for a noob?

I'm awaiting a whipped dog with a full hollow grind as my first straight. Assuming all goes well I'll look to get either a nice new custom or nicely restored vintage. I understand the difference between the shapes of the different grinds but not the real purpose of each. I have a thick Armenian beard. I've been using a DE for a few years and find sharp blades like feathers and Astra SP's to work best. Is a wedge better for someone with a light beard? Full hollow for course? Just personal preference for what kind of weight you want?
 
The key is to use a shave ready razor.It will take you a while to find what style razor you like to use.A full hollow grind will give you a lot of feedback.Just remember to have a light touch and watch your blade angle.It will probably take several weeks or longer to start to become proficient with a straight.Just take it slow and finish up with a DE until you feel comfortable with the straight.
 
i started with a full hollow grind, for routine shaving worked well. if i had a goatee to shave off, it was a bit overwhelmed. I later procured a 3/4 grind and that had no issues going through a grown goatee. i found learning to SR shave was easier with the full hollow (feedback wise) and the extra weight of the 3/4 just made the shave easier. I would not say one better than the other, just different.
I read somewhere the best example of weight in a razor is horsepower in an engine, heavier blade, more horsepower behind it. Not sure how true it is, but many here will say its the user that makes the blade work best, bot the blade that makes the user good....only caveat is must be shave ready (super important!)

good luck!!
 
So after getting used to this, it'd make sense to try a half or quarter hollow to compare.
For my regular shaver I use a merkur with a big heavy head so I'm used to using no pressure. A heavier blade may be a more natural fit, then. Either way, I can't possibly know until I try them.
The main reason I had asked was I've seen hundreds of images showing the profiles of each type of cut and what they are called but no real explanation of how the grind affects the shave.
The example given of trying to shave off the goatee with a blade that was more flexible and thus having a harder time than a thicker more rigid one makes it a bit easier to understand.
I've been wearing a short tightly framed beard for a few months now. It should be a real good way to introduce myself to the straight. I can start on the cheeks and then use the DE for the neck or to clean up if I can't get close enough with the straight.
Thanks for the advice and the knowledge. Really looking forward to it.
 
I have only really used full hollow blades, but I shave almost every day and don't have extremely thick facial hair. Thicker than many I would assume, but not too bad. I have no problems with full hollow for everyday. Occasionally when I miss a day I am still ok. If I miss more than one day though, it can be tough. From what I have read, the heavier the grind, the better it will do with thick hair. Keep in mind though, the technique will be slightly different with a wedge than a full hollow. I am not sure about half or quarter hollows. A lot of recommendations that I have seen say to use more water in your lather for a wedge. Enjoy the shaves!
 
In my experience, the less hollowing a blade has, the wider the range of acceptable shave angle the blade has. My quarter hollow PRC has a bigger more forgiving angle range than does my extra full hollow silver steel. I remember when I was starting out I could only shave my neck with the PRC. I’ve shaved off two or three months’ growth with a full hollow without incident; it’s all in the prep in my opinion. I think angle is going to be the biggest difference though; angle and audible feedback as mentioned above.
 
For a new guy learning to shave, it likely won't make a discernible difference. Get what you're curious about, but understand your preferences are likely to change with time/experience.
 
I'm awaiting a whipped dog with a full hollow grind as my first straight. Assuming all goes well I'll look to get either a nice new custom or nicely restored vintage. I understand the difference between the shapes of the different grinds but not the real purpose of each. I have a thick Armenian beard. I've been using a DE for a few years and find sharp blades like feathers and Astra SP's to work best. Is a wedge better for someone with a light beard? Full hollow for course? Just personal preference for what kind of weight you want?

My beard is pretty thick and tough. Even a Turkish barber who once shaved me with a real straight told me so. When I started out, I had a 5/8 full-hollow from The Superior Shave. Although it was due to a lack of technique mostly, I opted for an extra full-hollow as a second razor following advice from the seller. Sure enough, this helped me to get a closer shave at the time, even though a thinner grind is allegedly more difficult to use for the beginner. Since then, as I've obtained shaving, stropping, and honing proficiency, I've found that just about any grind of razor can potentially give me a close shave--wedge through extra full-hollow, it's all about technique.

So I would say that your full-hollow choice promises to be a good one for starting. I've tried a few sizes and grinds, and still find myself using a 5/8 full-hollow for the most part. Also, don't be surprised if your first shaves with a straight don't seem as close as with your DE blades (I liked Astras and Sharks back in the day). Shaving with a straight is different than shaving with a DE. Knowing how to handle the razor and stretch the skin properly, the stroke to use, and so forth, comes with time. Good luck.
 
I dont know if I buy the notion that one grind shaves better than another I think the edge will dictate if your razor shaves well or not. Heavy or light beards should fall victim to a well honed blade. I would start with a pretty standard hollow grind at 5/8 or 6/8 to begin. Probably a fairly standard Solingen razor is you best bet. After that rad will happen and you will want to try them all.
 
The key is to use a shave ready razor.It will take you a while to find what style razor you like to use.A full hollow grind will give you a lot of feedback.Just remember to have a light touch and watch your blade angle.It will probably take several weeks or longer to start to become proficient with a straight.Just take it slow and finish up with a DE until you feel comfortable with the straight.

Great advice based on my experience. As for grinds, yes, you'll feel and possibly hear, the difference between a full hollow vs a wedge or near wedge. My experience is a great shave can be had by both as long as they are "shave ready" which for me is honed to 16,000 grit and stropped. The full hollow will give you more "feedback" and I actually like shaving with my wedges or near wedges very much. It's not an either or in my book but "all", give them all a go. Have fun with it.
 
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