I am thinking the 7/8" wide blades are for coarse beards.

[George Kelley]

The weight is a good thing when shaving thick, coarse stubble. My very first shave client at barber college looked like ZZ Top when he walked in for a haircut and shave to prep for a job interview. The changeable straight razor I had that day was too light to really cut the stubble, even after I used three hot towels and hot lather.

I now have a matching pair of 5/8" wide Thiers Issard conventional straight razors, but I am thinking about investing in a pair of 7/8" wide blades for the mass when I get more clients that want to shave their epic beards.

 

[StillShaving]

What about first trimming the beard with the electric hair clippers? To make it easier to lather the face. Though cutting a long beard off using one pass with a 7/8 would be more exciting.

 

[ScottChapin]

The weight is a good thing when shaving thick, coarse stubble. My very first shave client at barber college looked like ZZ Top when he walked in for a haircut and shave to prep for a job interview. The changeable straight razor I had that day was too light to really cut the stubble, even after I used three hot towels and hot lather.

I now have a matching pair of 5/8" wide Thiers Issard conventional straight razors, but I am thinking about investing in a pair of 7/8" wide blades for the mass when I get more clients that want to shave their epic beards.

I thought it was illegal to use straight razors commercially for sanitary reasons.


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[George Kelley]

I thought it was illegal to use straight razors commercially for sanitary reasons.


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Nope, the conventional straight razor can be disinfected like clippers, shears, and combs.

 

[George Kelley]

What about first trimming the beard with the electric hair clippers? To make it easier to lather the face. Though cutting a long beard off using one pass with a 7/8 would be more exciting.

You get a fellow that has not shaved in a few years and the stubble will be thick and coarse after using clippers.

 

[bluesman 7]

Nope, the conventional straight razor can be disinfected like clippers, shears, and combs.

Great to have some input from a working barber using real straights. It's my understanding that the laws on straights very from state to state. My neighbor, who was a barber before he died, told me that a lot of barbers just say that it is illegal to avoid the maintenance of using real straights. There was a barber giving real straight shaves at Big Shave S'West last year.

 

[stringer bean]

I have found in my limited experience that the grind is more important than the blade width for getting through my coarse, wiry beard hair. I keep a close cropped full beard and I have found that wedges, near wedges, and half hollows are better for clearing my stubble and cutting my lines than full or extra hollows regardless of blade width. But, YMMV, this could also just be my lack of skills and technique.

 

[EL Alamein]

The received wisdom from years ago on these forums and from makers was that the coarser the beard the bigger the blade.

Is it true? I can't rightly say but only offer my own experience.

When I first started with straights I used a 5/8 blade for years. When I replaced it with a 6/8 it was a revelation. It seemed to fit my face much better. I then moved up to a 7/8 and felt no difference. I eventually tried my old 5/8 again and indeed it wasn't as "fitting" as the 6/8 blade or larger. I can't say why except the shaves are more comfortable.

FWIW in my family we tend to have more dense and coarser beard hair so maybe their is something to the old wisdom.

In the end one must experiment and find what works for oneself.

My daily shaver for years now has been a 6/8.

Chris

 

[ajduplessis]

Blade width is less important than the type of grind when it comes to coarser beard. With that said any sharp blade will cut well hydrate whiskers.

 

[EL Alamein]

Beautiful pictures.

Chris

 

[steveclarkus]

I thought it was illegal to use straight razors commercially for sanitary reasons.


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That varies by State.

 

[Lyon Heart]

I grow a beard every summer when I'm up north fly fishing. When I get back, I take a 7/8ths wedge from my cabinet, lather up my beard and after each stroke, wipe the removed hair onto a paper towel. At the end of the shave, I place the beard, lather and towel into the trash bin. Going from full beard to a clean shave is a treat. I agree with Stringer Bean that the grind or sharpness is more important than the size of the razor. But a well honed 7/8ths shaves smoothly and holds a fair amount of soap & hair. I've done this with a smaller wedge and with a light 5/8ths Case's Ace. The small light blades are more easily interfered with by the beard.

I'd recommend it with a fair sized wedge or 1/2 hollow. I have a couple smiling/curved razors that work better on a beard than a perfectly straight one.

 

[George Kelley]

I grow a beard every summer when I'm up north fly fishing. When I get back, I take a 7/8ths wedge from . . .

Thanks, that was informative.