Which is your best shaving SR and WHY? (Pics help)

[rbscebu]

If you have more than one SR, and who wouldn't, you probably have one of them that gives you the best over all shave. Post here what it is and why you find it your best shaving SR.

For me, it happens to be one of my cheapest. It's a Gold Dollar W59. It takes a great edge but so do all of my others. I think what makes it stand out against my other SR's is the rather exaggerated Spanish point profile and the extra mass distribution at the two ends of the edge. I keep the toe very pointed and sharp as it works well in getting into some harder to reach nooks and crannies in my old(er) weather-beaten face. The extra mass distribution at the ends of the blade edge increase the blade's mass moment of inertia which somehow feels better for me when shaving. At 57g mass, it is not a light-weight for me but also not one of my heavy-weights.

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There is an ever-so-slight warp in this blade at the toe. (What do you expect for the price of a little over USD 10.) This is seen by the narrower bevel there and a corresponding wider bevel there on the back face. This is purely aesthetic and does not affect the quality of the shave that this SR gives me.

 

[Legion]

I dunno. I have many razors that give a great shave. After a certain point you generally favor them on esthetics, sentiment, or some intrinsic joy they bring when you use them.

I hone all my razors, so that being equal, if they don’t shave well I will probably get rid of them. The ones I keep have some value beyond their ability to do the job.

All my user razors shave well. Not sure I could pick a “ best”

 

[Tomo]

Best bevel angle, grind and steel. Heljestrand MK31

Best fit and finish. Ralf Aust

Best size, weight, and balance. TI Le Grelot

 

[coachschaller]

I have a reground Le Grelot that shaves the best. It has great jimping on both sides of the tang, but I am not sure why it shaves the best.

 

[Christian1212]

Easily my favorite razor is the helje mk 4. I like the thumb notch but prefer the straight jimps on this bad boy. Awesome steel, amazing grind, and the perfect size for me. So easy to shave with this thing. I have a good size razor collection, but sadly only one of these. A razor I will buy in a heartbeat if in the right condition.

 

[Wolfgang]

W&B 8/8 full hollow, horn scales. Just feels right, and looks great.

 

[camoloc]

this Fili

although the TI I have.......and believe it or not the C-Mon Blackie are close on its tails.

why???......thin singing bigger blade. to me, a joy to use.

camo

 

[Steve56]

I’ve asked myself the same question and not sure that I have the answer, but I’ll share some observations. First, as you’ve observed, you can have multiples of the same model from the same manufacturer, yet one seems better.

Overall, the the grind doesn’t seem to matter, I have near wedge/1/4 hollow that shave as well as the full hollows.

Steel does seem to matter. Razors that will take a straight, even edge, a perfect line with no microchipping, finning, etc even at lower grits like 500 nearly always shave better than steels that you have to work the fin/chips off of. This was really driven home when I recut the bevels on old English cast steel from the late 1700s early 1800s. After that Sheffield steel got a lot softer I think. The stuff is very hard, very fine grained, and takes that straight even edge at every grit that I’ve thrown at it so far. Filarmonica and most of the Swedish, French, and Japanese razors too.

Although I don’t have a Zowada timehagane or an Iwasaki tamehagane, Alex Gilmore does and reports that these two are superior to other razors that he’s tried.

Quality of the grind seems to matter. Sometimes a razor doesn’t feel right on the hone, and sometimes it’s just one side. Usually Sharpie on the bevel and spine will show you what’s wrong and how to fix it. This is more common in new/NOS razors than ones that have some wear on them. They’re all hand made and not all of them are ground the same, even on different sides of the same razor. Gold Dollars are famous for this, from the factory the spine has nothing to do with the edge, lol.

Bevel angle, IDK except that steeper angles are smoother and shallower angles are more ‘laserish’. But I think that you have to consider the steel too and not just the bevel angle alone. Not to mention your beard and personal preferences.

 

[macintoshBR]

It’s definitely the Wacker, or maybe the Koraat, the Fili, the Boker... I think it’s the Aust, or perhaps the Dovo...

Sorry, they are all great. No, wait, it’s me who’s great and use them well!

 

[Biltong & Boerewors]

I have one of those and must admit it's an excellent shaver. After my not-so-gentle attention in which I managed to break the scales, and after setting the bevel like I mean it, it shaves very well. The only thing I don't like about it, is that when I strop it feels awkward on the flip, so you have to pay attention at all times.


Best shaver, hands down, is a Fili Sub Cero.
My first Fili. I firmly believed that it's mostly hype and the prices are over-inflated, until I bought one.
What makes Fili's special you may ask and after a few months spent with it I have a few answers:
1) It's big - The only other blade that matches it in length is a Rigarazor. Covers a lot of ground in a stroke, but the square point allows you to get into the tricky corners.
2) Excellent thin grind - Makes it easy to hone and achieve any edge you prefer, mild to laser-sharp.
3) Feels soft on the face, probably because the blade is so thin it flexes to match the contours of your face.
4) Easy to use and enjoy, without fuss, it always rewards you with a shave that is better than expected, because you feel that you didn't put any effort into it.

 

[Raymondmillbrae]

At the moment, I’m convinced my best shaving “straight” has gotta be my WH Morley & Sons.

It will consistently give me the easiest shave when going ATG under my chin...which is the densest part of my whiskers.

And when going ATG under my nose (the fools pass) it is pretty effortless. I never worry about it bogging down and stopping, and then suddenly releasing to slice the area that separates the two nasal cavities.

My custom Koraat 14-2.0 should be arriving within another month (hopefully within 2 weeks), and I am fully expecting that one to blow everything away.

I’m also restoring an old 1830’s Wade & Butcher, so I’ll see how that shaves. I believe Max Sprecher said that his old W&B was his personal, all-time, favorite straight.

So, Yeah...right now it’s my WH Morley & Sons.

 

[ajduplessis]

I love them all...

 

[DrStrange]

Best Straight you ever shaved with?

Thank you. This is some great information. I guess my question is brand or make. Which shave the best and why. The point I was trying to make in my post is that the brand or make is less important than the actual design of the razor. The most important factor, however, is the honing. You can...

www.badgerandblade.com

 

[Gamma]

Best shaver is the one I just honed - I prefer crisp 'right off the stone' edges.

 

[Basil]

Either one of my le grelot razors. My favourite by far.

 

[Tomo]

Best shaver is the one I just honed - I prefer crisp 'right off the stone' edges.

How often do you revisit the stones? I’m currently thinking a quick refresh once a week is about right.

 

[Gamma]

I don't really keep a schedule. I usually have several razors in 'current use' status and they get honed a lot, and often. A few days between sessions maybe. It depends on what is going on, what needs testing, etc. I might hone one blade every day or every other day for a month or longer. A while back I honed a W&B every day for 90 days. I've done that a few times actually.

 

[steveclarkus]

If you have more than one SR, and who wouldn't, you probably have one of them that gives you the best over all shave. Post here what it is and why you find it your best shaving SR.

For me, it happens to be one of my cheapest. It's a Gold Dollar W59. It takes a great edge but so do all of my others. I think what makes it stand out against my other SR's is the rather exaggerated Spanish point profile and the extra mass distribution at the two ends of the edge. I keep the toe very pointed and sharp as it works well in getting into some harder to reach nooks and crannies in my old(er) weather-beaten face. The extra mass distribution at the ends of the blade edge increase the blade's mass moment of inertia which somehow feels better for me when shaving. At 57g mass, it is not a light-weight for me but also not one of my heavy-weights.

View attachment 1159718

View attachment 1159719
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There is an ever-so-slight warp in this blade at the toe. (What do you expect for the price of a little over USD 10.) This is seen by the narrower bevel there and a corresponding wider bevel there on the back face. This is purely aesthetic and does not affect the quality of the shave that this SR gives me.

I have four that come to mind, a Wacker 9/16 extra hollow, a Henckels 9/16, a Bismarck 9/16 and a EDACO 9/16. Obviously 9/16 is a common factor and each are thin grinds. 9/16 is my favorite size and I prefer very hollow grinds. I find these to be the Porsche's of the razor world - light, lithe and fast. My second favorite size is the 4/8. 5/8 and up are “meh” for me.

 

[Gamma]

The one I just honed. Fresh off the stone edges are always best for me.

 

[cotedupy]

Best shaver is the one I just honed - I prefer crisp 'right off the stone' edges.

The one I just honed. Fresh off the stone edges are always best for me.

Consistency is key!