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Is bigger better?

Steve56

Ask me about shaving naked!
6/8 - 7/8 for me, though an 11/16 is good too.

The grind makes a difference. A 7/8 quarter hollow or near wedge chopper is too heavy for me, but if it’s hollow like a Filarmonica, I’m good with it. A hollow ground 7/8 also has a wide expanse of thin steel that cannot easily be replicated in narrower blades, if that flexibility is what you want.

Narrower blades of the same grind will feel stiffer than wide blades of the same grind.

A Japanese 13/16 half hollow that’s thinly ground at the edge is hard to beat for a general purpose, daily driver, especially if it’s Yasuki steel.
 
A Japanese 13/16 half hollow that’s thinly ground at the edge is hard to beat for a general purpose, daily driver, especially if it’s Yasuki steel.

I'm new to the game, and I am astounded that I landed in the same place so quickly. This is the SR "dumb reach". :)
 
I'll put in another vote for the 13/16" Japanese half-hollow as the near perfect razor. That being said, the 9/16" Tornblom type ultralight rattler is another almost perfect shaver for me. What I've found is that size doesn't correlate with shave quality as much as weight. My only really big razor is a wide 15/16" to scant 8/8" half-hollow Sheffield FBU (or so I would guess based on the scales and shape, the original maker's mark was obliterated by a previous owner), and though it delivers a reasonably good shave, the heft of the thing means I have to concentrate on edge alignment more than I would prefer to.

One commonly repeated point regarding blade width which I have found to be untrue is that a narrower blade is easier to maneuver beneath the nose. My way of getting all the hairs in one go is to start the pass at the intersection of nostril and philtrum, just a little off 90 degrees, flattening out the angle as the edge proceeds downward, and in practice a difference in blade width has never caused any perceptible difference in ease or feeling. It may perhaps apply if one has an exceptionally hooked nose however, I'm not sure.
 
Since I got my 8/8th near wedge I've been having a hard time reaching for anything else. Fits my beard/face/sensibilities, for whatever reason. Same with cars- if it's too light and nimble I'm more liable to do something stupid lol.
 
Depends on your skill level and hand size. Personally i like a big heavy blade for those shaves were 4 or 5 days growth is present.....regular blade size if i'm shaving everyday....you get the picture.....not simple answer.
 
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