Razor grind, size and weight in relation to beard type.

[Estariol]

That is fair enough. It still does not explain why barbers who still do straight razor shaves use light and relatively flimsy shavettes. You would think there would be a heavier built shavette specifically for barbers to use. My only guess is that there is no demand for them from barbers as they are not needed.

Bob

If we are going to bring shavettes into discussion, then i must add my personal experience:
i've tried several different half DE models and they can't be compared neither to AC blade shavettes and especially not to straights. All half DE shavettes i have tried give me shaves that result in a stronger sting from the AS splash than shaves with and AC shavette or straight. The shavettes with those long chinese (big 77) blades are between the forementioned.

If we are talking about barbers, they don't feel how the blade feels on your skin. I had my first and last barber shave about 25 years ago, and he used Yugoslavia made MEM blades which didn't suit my beard at all, and were less sharp than the Gillette Platinums i used in my DE shaver. The shave was less efficient than my shaves at home, the blade was a bit tuggyeven on my at that time pretty soft beard. I did it out of curiosity. The least i expected was a shave that would at least make me think of repeating it once in a while, but i was disappointed, and didn't have the budget to go to every barber in town to find the best one. So it remained at that. Even my first individual shave with a half DE shavette, 22-3 years later, was better than that barber's shave.
And i could bet that if you first go to a barber and have a shave with a half DE shavette, and then to another, and have a shave with an AC blade type shavette, you'll prefer the latter.

Also, as far as i know, if big was bad or worse, those 8/8 Wade & Butchers "for barbers use" would've never existed...

 

[R181]

If we are going to bring shavettes into discussion, then i must add my personal experience:
i've tried several different half DE models and they can't be compared neither to AC blade shavettes and especially not to straights. All half DE shavettes i have tried give me shaves that result in a stronger sting from the AS splash than shaves with and AC shavette or straight. The shavettes with those long chinese (big 77) blades are between the forementioned.

If we are talking about barbers, they don't feel how the blade feels on your skin. I had my first and last barber shave about 25 years ago, and he used Yugoslavia made MEM blades which didn't suit my beard at all, and were less sharp than the Gillette Platinums i used in my DE shaver. The shave was less efficient than my shaves at home, the blade was a bit tuggyeven on my at that time pretty soft beard. I did it out of curiosity. The least i expected was a shave that would at least make me think of repeating it once in a while, but i was disappointed, and didn't have the budget to go to every barber in town to find the best one. So it remained at that. Even my first individual shave with a half DE shavette, 22-3 years later, was better than that barber's shave.
And i could bet that if you first go to a barber and have a shave with a half DE shavette, and then to another, and have a shave with an AC blade type shavette, you'll prefer the latter.

Also, as far as i know, if big was bad or worse, those 8/8 Wade & Butchers "for barbers use" would've never existed...

Again, fair enough. I have not had either shavette or straight razor shave by a barber. The only reason barbers who still do straight razor shaves use a shavette is that in most areas the use of a straight razor by a barber is banned. I was too young to require a shave when I observed that the barber's chair, I was sitting in had a strop hanging from it and the straight razor the barber would use was a full hollow of about 5/8 in size.

AFAIK, those 8/8 heavy grind W&B "for barbers use" where from a time when the nobody had the ability to grind full hollow or even finer blades. It wasn't till near the turn of the 20th century that the Hexe grinding machine made it possible to even do hollow grinding of straight razor blades.

See post #14 which has info found on the Strazors web site.

Straight razor grinders

I have an interest in knowing just how many people that there are in the whole world have the skill & means to actually grind one of these genuine...

theshaveden.com

Bob

 

[BlacknTan]

Perhaps I misread the intent of Sebastian's question..

But, Obviously Steve makes valid points. I'm honestly not sure that those differences could translate into a different shave experience.. for me. But, and I know this to be true for myself only, the human equation is the biggest variable. Sometimes I'm more attentive.. sometimes less, Some shaves I use a lighter touch than others, or pay closer attention to my angles.
If we were cyborgs, we could discount those factors...

I just try to get the best shave I can on a given day.. as I'm sure we all do.

 

[Twelvefret]

This reminds me of a story about the daughter asking why her mother cut off the hock when she cooked the ham. The mother said she did it because her mother did. They asked the grandmother and she said because her mother did. Fortunately, the great grandmother was alive to ask. The elder female said it was because her pot was too small. I wish I knew why barbers only razors did exist, but I suspect it is for a reason other than what we think.

Based on my experience, the 4/8" Salamander "Our Wedge" isn't inferior to the 15/16 Herder #149.