Why are DE Blades So Wide??

[MetroNome]

IMO the width of the DE blade make them hard to navigate around under nose, chin, etc. Got me wondering...why are the blades so wide???..seems like there could be a market for slimmer DE blades and respective safety razor..

Any justification for every blade/safety razor being this size, other than tradition?

 

[a_bit_crafty]

But wouldn't that require you to either switch blades or razors around while shaving, or suffer shaving the rest of your face with a tiny blade?

 

[The Last Chimney]

I think the question you should be asking yourself is, "Why is my face so narrow, and what can I do to fix it?"

 

[Defend Tacoma]

Time to try the straight razors!

 

[Groat]

IMO the width of the DE blade make them hard to navigate around under nose, chin, etc. Got me wondering...why are the blades so wide???..seems like there could be a market for slimmer DE blades and respective safety razor..

Any justification for every blade/safety razor being this size, other than tradition?

Actually, Merkur makes a beard and mustache trimmer that uses smaller, tapered blades. I've never seen anybody post here saying that they have one, as I'm sure it's a very niche product.

 

[kg4ghn]

But wouldn't that require you to either switch blades or razors around while shaving, or suffer shaving the rest of your face with a tiny blade?

I took it to mean wide from sharp side to sharp side. So the length of cutting surface on each side would be the same but the cutting surfaces would be closer together.

 

[mdunn]

I think the question you should be asking yourself is, "Why is my face so narrow, and what can I do to fix it?"

 

[Timbit]

Standard DE blades have evolved over time to accommodate razors from numerous manufacturers. It would be easy to make smaller blades but they would no longer be standard. They would be a niche product and would be priced accordingly.

 

[Den]

I took it to mean wide from sharp side to sharp side. So the length of cutting surface on each side would be the same but the cutting surfaces would be closer together.

That's how I took it to. Picture a head only the width of one TTO door from one sharp side to the other.

 

[ouch]

Time to try the straight razors!

 

[MetroNome]

I took it to mean wide from sharp side to sharp side. So the length of cutting surface on each side would be the same but the cutting surfaces would be closer together.

Yeah..I meant "width" to mean the un-sharp sides. Basically why do the sharp edge sides need to be so far apart?

I was looking for an answer to this. Something other than.."because that is the way it has always been"

IMO, I would prefer a DE that is easier to maneuver. Seems like the extra width is unnecessary.

Maybe blade would not be able to bend to proper angle?

 

[ducatisteve]

Well the DE blades are curved by the razor to maintain the proper angle. Maybe a thinner/shorter/whatever blade would have too dramatic of a bend to have the razors and blades be easy to design and manufacture.

 

[AlanL]

Well the DE blades are curved by the razor to maintain the proper angle. Maybe a thinner/shorter/whatever blade would have too dramatic of a bend to have the razors and blades be easy to design and manufacture.

That's what I was thinking too. Because the blade is arced when tightened in the razor, it probably couldn't be made much narrower without risking the blade snapping or buckling. At least, with the steel technology available about 100 years ago.

 

[Groat]

Yeah..I meant "width" to mean the un-sharp sides. Basically why do the sharp edge sides need to be so far apart?

I was looking for an answer to this. Something other than.."because that is the way it has always been"

I have a feeling that this is part of the larger answer. Perhaps in the beginning, the size was set as it was because the metals of the day were more brittle and couldn't hold up to more stress. The companies who started to make the blades wanted to make them such that they would fit existing handles that everybody already had, so they made them the standard size. They haven't changed sizes up till now because the standard is very firmly entrenched. There aren't enough people using a DE now to really thrust a new standard into success, so everybody is content to use the old one.

It's like asking why train tracks are as far apart as they are. Because all the train cars fit onto the tracks.

 

[Telecaster52]

try an injector

 

[_JP_]

Time to try the straight razors!

A straight has the same problem that a DE blade has when shaving under the nose, which is maintaining proper blade angle. The trick there with any razor (cartridges included) is to shave from the center of the nose to the corners of the mouth.

 

[MetroNome]

It's like asking why train tracks are as far apart as they are. Because all the train cars fit onto the tracks.[/QUOTE]

Yes..but there is an engineering, weight distribution, reason for the width of train tracks......

I would like to think that the Germans at Merkur have some engineering reason for keeping the size. I would think there must be a reason why they have not tried to introduce some more efficient razor.....

 

[OldSaw]

Yeah..I meant "width" to mean the un-sharp sides. Basically why do the sharp edge sides need to be so far apart?

I was looking for an answer to this. Something other than.."because that is the way it has always been"

IMO, I would prefer a DE that is easier to maneuver. Seems like the extra width is unnecessary.

Maybe blade would not be able to bend to proper angle?

Unfortunately, this is one of those things that actually does fall into the category of "because that is the way it has always been", for a few good reasons. In the old days of manufacturing, setup was not as easily changed as it is today. Now days manufactures can change things more rapidly. Because the DE was the same for so many years and so many manufactures designed their razors to accept them the standard stuck and eventually there was very little evolution in that particular category of shaving system.

Then when manufactures could more easily change their setups, they decided, since we can so rapidly change things let's keep reinventing the razor and keep raising the price. And that's how the cartridge was born.

 

[OldSaw]

It's like asking why train tracks are as far apart as they are. Because all the train cars fit onto the tracks.

Yes..but there is an engineering, weight distribution, reason for the width of train tracks......

I would like to think that the Germans at Merkur have some engineering reason for keeping the size. I would think there must be a reason why they have not tried to introduce some more efficient razor.....

...and I believe it all goes back to the Roman chariot. That's why.

 

[Groat]

I would like to think that the Germans at Merkur have some engineering reason for keeping the size. I would think there must be a reason why they have not tried to introduce some more efficient razor.....

The size probably could be changed easily, but I really don't think that there would be a market for it. If a company like Merkur made a skinny razor, chances are they'd be the only ones to make blades for it. This would put off many of the people on this forum from buying said razor. Not to mention the fact that shaving with a DE is a VERY small portion of the entire shaving market, and therefore any innovation would have a small potential reward.