Why are Western straights so darned long?

[Herrenberg]

I'm still a newbie, admittedly, with about 50 shaves, the vast majority of them with kamisoris around 55 mm in length. The whole time, I've never wished for more length. So why are Western straights so much longer? Does every one but me have a face and neck with large planar surfaces?

I've been pondering this for a while, but what really precipitated this post was a discussion of a used Western straight, with posters pointing out damage at the heel end, and saying "that won't affect your shave." Really? Then what is it for? I use the heel of my kamisoris all the time, to shave the slope of neck hollows that's away from my hand, and in other tricky areas where I can't get the right angle with the toe.

I figure I must be missing something big. Razors weren't made that long for no reason. Max Sprecher makes a bunch of lengths, but I ordered his shortest one, 1.5", designed for fine details only, and found it just fine for shaving my entire face. I never wished for more length.

Can someone help me unravel this conundrum? My current guess is that they are that way for the convenience of barbers, but I have no confidence in this guess.

 

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

I’ve wondered that myself, I have 2 Sprecher midi razors and even they are longer than I need them to be. I definitely like shorter blades.


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[SliceOfLife]

We have big wide jawlines so we can grimace ominously as we look out over the open range.

 

[StillShaving]

I have no real historical information. All I have is pure conjecture, but have wondered if it was not because of:

1) some evolutionary pathway that started from a general purpose knife, where a single larger knife (the single knife a person would be lucky to own) would have been longer than a Japanese kamosri so as to be more useful in a variety of situations. So people were familiar with this size of blade and would have been comfortable using it. Maybe the day of blade resharping was the same day as getting a shave or haircut back centuries ago when someone (some tribe of people) started to use this longer blade to shave and it was adopted by others.

2) to give some leeway in finding the optimal sharp spot....sort of the same logic as a DE blade and not letting the opposite edge go to waste. If the blade is longer, then if one spot along the edge starts to dull from overuse, damage, etc. there is some unused part of the blade left in reserve to complete the shave. Meaning as long as you have a precious piece of sharpened metal why not make it just a tad longer to get the most out of it.

As I otherwise agree that 50-55mm is closer to an ideal blade length, enough such the points are out of the way and the razor is more compact and maneuverable.

 

[Furex]

I don't know, however, I believe the basic shape of straight razors originated in a time when metallurgy and manufacturing were a lot more primitive than they are now.

Perhaps, the size of the razor was a consequence of constraints imposed by the material and/or the production process.

Lots of things are shaped in some way or another because it's traditional, even though it's no longer necessary.

 

[global_dev]

I much prefer a longer edge on a 7/8s than i do a 5/8s. Typically the vintage bigger blades have a proportionally longer edge.

i dont appreciate shorties, and it sounds like you happen to use the heel for areas i use the point, if I understand what you said. The japanese shorter blades are as short as i’d like to go.

i really like the feel of the 14 length edge on an 7/8+ 14. Any less wide blade and that length feels off to me, but i am getting used to it, but not my pref.

 

[global_dev]

Western straight, with posters pointing out damage at the heel end, and saying "that won't affect your shave." Really? Then what is it for?

btw, the damage at the heel argument sounds like very different issues. One is probably about honing and one is about use.

 

[bluesman 7]

I personally find it much easier to cut myself with short razors. I like square toes and heels and with a longer razor when I'm using the toe the heel is farther from my face and vice versa. When using the center both heel and toe are away from my face. With a short razor both the sharp heel and toe are close, regardless of what part of the razor that I'm using.

 

[Legion]

If you are handy, it is not too hard to turn a standard straight into a shorty, if that is your preference. I’ve done it a few times to save damaged blades.

 

[DrStrange]

There's times like when I'm going ATG on either side of my Adams's apple
that I think that the length of a straight edge
would be Ok if it was as short as a DE edge.

 

[haggis]

Having only recently acquired a couple of razors with merciless points, I suddenly understand and appreciate the idea of "keep that thing at a safe distance."

 

[Slash McCoy]

Often you will see shortys going cheap online, when someone wanted to salvage a damaged razor by simply cutting off a half inch or even an inch of length. You can even make your own, with a dremel, cutoff wheels, and sanding drums. Try it with some cheap Gold Dollars, everyone's favorite razor to modify. Wear proper eye and face protection! Buy a couple of extra razors, because you will overheat one or two, maybe shatter a couple, as well.

 

[global_dev]

I’ve recently made “14s” shorties when the width was abraded to 6/8s. But probably the 13s are a better geometry. The 14s seem abnormally cutty.

 

[Frank Shaves]

You should take a look at this razor:

DOVO Rasiermesser Barbarossa|305870

If you shop around, you should be able to get one of these for close to $100.

 

[Biltong & Boerewors]

I started with half-DE shavettes and after trying just about everything including real kamisoris, I found that the most comfortable shave is from a Fili14.

Size-wise it's about as big a blade you get from normal production razors, width and length. Several other manufacturers made model 14's, all big blades.

Let's start by saying I don't have a square face and no flat plane to bee seen anywhere. Big and round would be a more accurate description, fat if you want to be impolite.

Why would I find the longer blades more comfortable? It's because for most of the shave I use the middle part of the blade. the point and heel not touching my face, so very little danger of cuts. For the more precise strokes I use the square point, my favourite point to get into the corners. Around my mouth I use the heel.

When I go back to the shorter blades like my kamisori, I have to be careful not to allow the point to dig in.

Of course you have to be mindful with the longer blades of where the bit is that you are not currently using, or you will get a reminder from a nicked ear lobe.

 

[thp001]

I don't know, however, I believe the basic shape of straight razors originated in a time when metallurgy and manufacturing were a lot more primitive than they are now.

Perhaps, the size of the razor was a consequence of constraints imposed by the material and/or the production process.

Lots of things are shaped in some way or another because it's traditional, even though it's no longer necessary.

Going back to the time when the proto-form of the Western style straight we know today was coming about (16th to 17th centuries) steel was fairly costly to create, you see many knives from this time with an iron tang forge welded to a steel blade to save steel. Many blades were laminated rather than mono-steel, something many associate with Japanese bladesmithing but which has a long history in the west all the way up to the 20th century (Shovels at Finch Forge, Devon were made from steel laminated between wrought iron in the early 1900's). As far as I am aware Western straights have always been mono-steel construction with longer blades than say traditional Kamisori, there must have been a reason to use such a relatively costly resource in the manner they did.

 

[Gamma]

I would guess that, over time, blacksmiths received feedback from barbers and eventually everyone's personal preferences evolved into some sort of standard basic shape/form-factor. In the beginning there were no tails, as time went on we see stub tails, then much longer tails. Just seems like that progress developed through trial/error; the possibility of suggestions from users/barbers being the driving force makes sense.

Full size western straights balance well for me, provide good/easy access to angles, and enough reach for comfort. The length seems to add a lot to the functionality.
Smaller blades are flighty for me, and the lack of counterbalance is a distraction. I have had plenty of shorties and Kamis but I always go back to a full-size blade.
So, blade length isn't a matter of what I only 'need'; we all know a shave can be done with a DE razor that has a shorter edge. It becomes a matter of preferred style, and ease of use. How a tool sits and feels in my hands is always a critical concern for me. I am sure visual aesthetics factored in also.
I will note that there were shorter western blades made long ago too. I recall one set with interchangeable blades that locked into the handles/scales. So 'shorties' were a known 'thing' back 'in the day'.

 

[Steve56]

One idea, if you’re a barber shaving someone else, the length keeps your hand away from the nose, lips, etc.

 

[steveclarkus]

Hmmm. Never wondered about length. I sometimes use a Parker shavette with a half DE blade and the short length doesn’t seem to make a difference to me. I’m more concerned with the width of a blade. I mostly use 4/8 and 9/16 but never anything wider than 5/8.

 

[rbscebu]

My traditional SR with the shortest 3dge length is a Gold Dollar W59.

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It has an edge length of about 60mm verses the normal edge length of a bit over 70mm. I enjoy shaving with this razor, just like I enjoy shaving with all of my other SR's.

The redeeming feature of the W59 for me is the blade's toe. I keep this toe pointy and sharp. Great for getting into those difficult-to-shave areas like nostrils and ear canals.

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