08-12-2020, 12:14 PM
I just purchased a restored Butcher & Wade 1820s Sheffield Tempered Steel straight described as near wedge. This is my first straight and after doing some reading, I liked the idea of a near wedge best. After looking around at photos of other near wedge examples, I'm not sure if the blade has been ground down beyond the point of what would still be considered near wedge into quarter hollow territory. Here's a photo of the blade:
![[Image: sHedrDg.png]](https://i.imgur.com/sHedrDg.png)
For reference, here's another photo of a blade that I understand to be a textbook near wedge:
![[Image: lKUaPG7.png]](https://i.imgur.com/lKUaPG7.png)
It seems like the razor I bought loses its wedge shape around 75% down the blade and becomes a perfectly vertical line (similar to what I understand quarter hollows to look like). Any thoughts/help on verifying if what I purchased is truly a near wedge? Also, any opinions on whether the shave will feel any different with a near wedge vs. a quarter hollow? Thank you for any help.
![[Image: sHedrDg.png]](https://i.imgur.com/sHedrDg.png)
For reference, here's another photo of a blade that I understand to be a textbook near wedge:
![[Image: lKUaPG7.png]](https://i.imgur.com/lKUaPG7.png)
It seems like the razor I bought loses its wedge shape around 75% down the blade and becomes a perfectly vertical line (similar to what I understand quarter hollows to look like). Any thoughts/help on verifying if what I purchased is truly a near wedge? Also, any opinions on whether the shave will feel any different with a near wedge vs. a quarter hollow? Thank you for any help.
08-12-2020, 04:35 PM
It's hard to compare those two pics with one head on and one at an angle, and I may be wrong, but i think the high curved toe on yours might be skewing the perception of the grind?
It seems to me like if you snapped that blade in half at the widest point, you'd see the wedge shape going a lot closer to the edge then it does when looking at that toe.
In the pic lloydrm posted, look closer at the curve at the top near the spine, rather than where the wedge seems to stop near the blade.
I'd call it a near wedge.
Either way, especially on your first, you won't feel a difference between those two grinds in use.
Use it. Enjoy it. Don't overthink it
It seems to me like if you snapped that blade in half at the widest point, you'd see the wedge shape going a lot closer to the edge then it does when looking at that toe.
In the pic lloydrm posted, look closer at the curve at the top near the spine, rather than where the wedge seems to stop near the blade.
I'd call it a near wedge.
Either way, especially on your first, you won't feel a difference between those two grinds in use.
Use it. Enjoy it. Don't overthink it

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