Straight Razors Grinds

Let's talk a little about razor "grinds". The grind is another way to classify a straight razor and is simply the cross-section of the blade. As you can see by the picture below, there are four basic straight razor grinds; wedge, quarter hollow, half hollow, and full hollow. The full hollow is sometimes called a "singing" blade and is a very difficult grind for a razor maker to master.

The difference between the grinds can be seen in the picture; the wedge has straight sides between the spine of the blade and its edge, whereas the hollows have varying degrees of concavity. This very basically equates to the amount of metal a straight razor blade has for a given width.




On the one end of the spectrum, the wedge is obviously a heavier blade. The advantage is that since you should ALWAYS allow the weight of the razor to do the cutting (i.e. don’t press down), a heavier blade cuts with less effort. These razors are great for coarse or thick beards. The disadvantage is twofold; 1) wedges have less flexibility, less “give”, and less resistance to cutting, so it’s easier to cut your skin along with your hair, and 2) wedges are harder to hone, because you have more metal to remove in order to make a proper edge.

On the other hand, the full hollow is a lighter, more flexible blade. You should still ALWAYS allow the weight of the razor do the cutting (sound familiar?), but a concave (hollow) blade tends to be a lot more forgiving of slight skin imperfections. Also, the more hollow the blade, the more you can really feel the resistance of your beard with the razor itself, so you have an earlier indication of when the blade is getting dull and needs to be honed. They’re not nearly as effective on particularly heavy beards, but the concave grinds are great for most men. Plus, they’re easier to hone.

I’m not saying that the concave grind is better overall. It’s a matter of personal taste. A lot of men who don’t have thick beards love the wedge because 1) it can shave just as well as a hollow grind, 2) it’s just more manly (like using a meat cleaver to shave with!), and 3) it does require a higher level of control and skill to shave with a wedge and not nick yourself.

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