Is this why you love a wedge ? Or my experience with my BJ Eyre

[BrooklynSalt]

I had this BJ Eyre near wedge with a freshly honed edge from a synthetic 2-88 (I didn’t do it) for a while. It’s about 160 years old. I gave it one shave when it was returned to me and I went back to my hollow ground razors.

Last week, I grabbed this, unintentionally, and I’ve been sticking with it. Besides its quiet performance, I was struck by how smoothly it shaves for me. Effortless. And, the shave is remarkably close.

It’s a 160 Sheffield made near wedge. Is this why you guys like these so?

 

[aussie]

Ah yes there's nothing quite like a good wedge.

I have a Henckels No 36 5/8 wedge with a smile. Doesn't look flash but it shaves like a dream!

 

[Heavy_Metal_Hound]

I have a couple of smiling vintage near wedge Sheffield steel razors and I love them. When it comes to the fools pass, nothing beats a near wedge.

 

[HazMat Shaver]

IMO, its the quality of the edge meaning honing that makes the difference. Weight being second. A great smile helps too but even an extra hollow can smile. I do like a wedge but prefer a 1/4 or 1/2 grind. Remember that a bevel angle is a bevel angel no mater how much steel is behind it. So the quality of the edge is where the difference comes from.

 

[Ravenonrock]

Very fond of the wedge grind. Still working out the honing with a few. Really enjoy the feel and heft.

 

[BrooklynSalt]

IMO, its the quality of the edge meaning honing that makes the difference. Weight being second. A great smile helps too but even an extra hollow can smile. I do like a wedge but prefer a 1/4 or 1/2 grind. Remember that a bevel angle is a bevel angel no mater how much steel is behind it. So the quality of the edge is where the difference comes from.

indeed. I had someone put a mediocre edge on. I sent it out to someone else who’s out great edges on all my razors and now it’s amazing

 

[HazMat Shaver]

I do like to hear it cutting too.
Shaving with straights for a while now Ive learned that if you like sharp/keen edges then the more hollow grinds are what you enjoy. And more guys start at that choice/level. Light weight and keen that wipes the whiskers away like washing your face. No cutting feel. Sharp!

Then after a few years it seems a guy finds out that you dont need that level of keen and comfort starts to be understood. Then you start enjoying the less hollow grind with more weight behind the edge.

Ive seen this with a lot of newbies over the years including myself. Of corse not everyone is like this. Now and then an edge comes along and you learn more faster if you pay attention.
The "hone miester" can make your journey shorter if he cares and puts more effort into his edge. Some honers just hone to make a buck and thats ok too but the one who really cares is much more special.

 

[thp001]

Shaving with straights for a while now Ive learned that if you like sharp/keen edges then the more hollow grinds are what you enjoy. And more guys start at that choice/level. Light weight and keen that wipes the whiskers away like washing your face. No cutting feel. Sharp!

Then after a few years it seems a guy finds out that you dont need that level of keen and comfort starts to be understood. Then you start enjoying the less hollow grind with more weight behind the edge.

Going to have to disagree and take the best of both, a stunningly keen edge and a heavy grind is what I prefer for the most part although I do have a few full hollows of which I am incredibly fond.

I think people don't get the same level of sharp with their wedges as full hollows because for the most part they underestimate how much longer they should be honing them for. From my own honing experience I find almost a logarithmic scale to it, double the bevel reveal/spine wear area requires about 4 times longer honing (all else equal, pressure, stone, honing medium, etc).

 

[BrooklynSalt]

Going to have to disagree and take the best of both, a stunningly keen edge and a heavy grind is what I prefer for the most part although I do have a few full hollows of which I am incredibly fond.

I think people don't get the same level of sharp with their wedges as full hollows because for the most part they underestimate how much longer they should be honing them for. From my own honing experience I find almost a logarithmic scale to it, double the bevel reveal/spine wear area requires about 4 times longer honing (all else equal, pressure, stone, honing medium, etc).

Interesting note about the hone. I loved the first several shaves I got from this razor (its a near wedge, not a full blown wedge), but it seems to have "lost its edge" fairly quickly. Where other hollow grinds by the same gentleman who hones my razors stay perfectly in tact

 

[Gamma]

Wedges, near wedges, etc - they all get just as sharp as anything else in their quality-class when they're honed correctly. I do not find Greaves' Acier Fondu blades to take the same edge as an 1880s W&B Celebrated though. So if a Wedge is very very old, like - stub tail old, it might not be 'there' compared to a more modern hollow. The W&B on my bench will stand with anything though. It has actually, been used side by side with a plethora of blades and it has been my top choice every time.

Some hollows might have steel that may take a keener edge than those older heavy blades, but that's the steel, not the grind. A 17 degree bevel is a 17 degree bevel, regardless of what happens in the grind behind it. So if we are comparing similar geometry to similar geometry, and steel quality is in the same ballpark, then grind isn't connected to sharpness. But if you have a Stub Tail and a Wacker Old English, I'd guess the OE is probably gonna outperform.

I've had several Fils, multiple singing TIs, and a gaggle of 8/8 full hollows from Boker, Wacker, Henckels, Dovo, Revisior and others. I have always preferred heavy grinds over them and its got nothing to do with 'comfort'. The edge on my 1/4 Hollow W&B that I shaved with tonight is an absolute laser.
Cast steel blades from the early 1800s aren't going to be in the fight though.

A 7/8 - 8/8 1/2 hollow (or heavier) grind is good for me. The heft and balance along with the visual aesthetic all work for me. I don't think the wedge's edge is superior, or anything like that. It's just a combo of factors. Some heavier grinds aren't all that quiet too. Many are though, I like it both ways. Sometimes I think that the lack of flex in a heavy grind adds into the shave somehow. Not sure, just guessing. Doesn't really matter, it is what it is.

 

[rockviper]

Wedge = meaty goodness!

 

[Tomo]

Might need to try one.

 

[JPO]

I find no difference in smoothness. For me the against the grain pass is a little easier with a heavier grind. The full hollow razors seem to follow the contours of my skin better, and picks up more stubble during the first pass. The end result is the same.
The momentum of a heavier razor allows me to use an edge on the lower end of the sharpness spectrum, like a coticule edge. I like my singing razors a bit sharper.

 

[Frank Shaves]

I have developed a preference for thicker grinds, especially 13/16 to 7/8 near wedges. The good news is there is a steady supply of high-quality old Sheffield 7/8 near wedges - like Wade & Butchers. The bad news is there are fewer modern large near wedges, with many maxing out at 13/16 (e.g., Baba 77, Dorko 43 and Friodur 72-V). And most of the American near wedges (like Case Temperite 20 and Union Spike) are about 5/8.