What's new

The Merica Razor from WSC & YPM....

A collaboration between Wet Shaving Club & Yates Precision Manufacturing is this newly designed razor called the Merica Razor. The rest below is a copy & paste from another forum.....
A big thank you to @Shavemd for being a true Gentleman and letting me start up this thread with his blessing. Thanks amigo...

Well, here is the collaboration between these two as WSC is selling the Merica razor on their website while Jake is spitting them out on his CNC machine set ups at his shop. Construction is all 316/L Stainless Steel with a stonewashed like finish a la the #921 from YPM. There is a real industrial yet eye pleasing look to the razor that gives it a workman’s like type look and feel. And it feels quite good in the hands exhibiting excellent tactile feel & balance with the handle having circular ridges that give one a secure grip. This razor will not fall from one’s hands unless you throw it, drop it intentionally or are just a wet shave klutz. And if you happen to have a nice high end sink that’s not of Stainless Steel, well you’ve been forewarned. Not a real heavy razor but, it’s got some heft to it. I’ll pull the kitchen scale out later to get some #’s on weights of the components and the razor as a whole. I purchased the razor on Wednesday and had it delivered yesterday. Packaging was straightforward and basic with an environmental motif that I did not mind and actually kind of liked. Pics below.

E94F537C-AD21-4E04-9817-15A6AEB7099E.jpeg

9946967D-1D03-4F32-8187-FD9A9FF27B60.jpeg

EA24C824-52FA-48EA-A39A-16C0E068DACD.jpeg

A9AEF6AE-8DE9-4E25-961B-57641448236A.jpeg

B814A907-ED03-40E5-B3F9-2441B907784F.jpeg


As one can see very basic but, cleanly done. For the price of $89 shipped, you get what you see above. A 3pc. razor and a 100cnt. of razor blades. Not too shabby if you ask me. Is it the prettiest looking razor? No but, looks can be deceiving as this razor will soon prove to be to this knucklehead, yours truly.....

I got my first shave with it yesterday evening and it was a very comfortable, smooth and yet efficient shave, a traditional 3 pass event that was near BBS except for the Adam’s Apple area (my toughest spot for any & all of my razors). As I stated before, the balance is near perfect and the grip is up there with the best of them. I just had my 2nd shave with it about 45 minutes ago, with light stubble from yesterday’s great shave and I was done in 2.5 passes with some touch ups around the Apple. Again, just a real good finish and quality shave that said BBS all around. Easy on the skin, smooth yet there is a real nice deceptive blade feel that is not overly done. Just enough to let you know that it’s making contact and removing the whiskers with each subsequent pass. It’s not a singer but, it will hum nicely to give you enough audible feedback to keep you honest.

2 shaves in and I’m nicely surprised at the Merica’s performance. It’s not a face peeling Muhle R41 nor is it a skin protecting British Gillette Tech. It finds a real nice middle ground of smoothness/ease of skin feel with a nice feel of efficiency that as one can see hopefully from the pics, has some nice blade exposure. Not intimidating at all. Optimal cutting angle is not huge but, finding it was very easy and keeping it there was second nature.

Yesterday’s shave.
20A59CF3-F73F-44AA-865D-B6A8D5A5E97B.jpeg


This morning’s shave.
1D920B2C-806F-4806-A9BE-5CA72381BB72.jpeg


In the end it was two good shaves. Yesterday rendered about 9-10 hours of longevity which isn’t to shabby for a razor that Jake says is a bit milder than the M plate on the #921. I can’t confirm that as I yet have not attained a Yates #921 razor (waiting for the electo-polished version, soon!) but, many claim the #921 to be a very good daily driver that can tackle a couple days growth without a hitch. The Merica can do that as well for a darned good price.

I’m going to put in a full weeks worth of shaves with it and try it with a couple more blades and see how that works out. Nice shaver with a real good price point made of a high standard alloy machined to tight tolerances. A bit early but, that sounds like a winner.

On a side note, the Ethos Grooming Chill Collection Greenfresh soap & splash are nothing short of superb. Performance was excellent with a scent that is truly exquisite. One just has to try it for oneself as this product is from soup to nuts an elite performer on all counts. Just a wonderfully executed product that Frankie (known as Dragonsbeard and former member) has knocked a Grand-Slam with. Just one use and I’m smitten by this pairing. Supremely fresh, minty, juicy cucumber like with a balsamic sweetness that is to die for. If you like fresh, clean and an invigorating scent that puts a pep in your step, this is it Gents. A must have in one’s collection....
 
I guess this explains why Jake has not restocked his 921 base plate in months. Looks like a nice razor. I look forward to when he has time to make the 921 at Yates available.
 
The ad copy on their site says adjustable 6 levels of settings? Is that through other base plates?

edit: looks like specs on razor +blades is different from razor alone
 
Last edited:
The ad copy on their site says adjustable 6 levels of settings? Is that through other base plates?

Can’t tell you, honestly. Perhaps that is the plan to offer multiple plates in the future. As of right now, the Merica I have is not an adjustable as in the traditional standard sense of a twist adjustment with #’s or line markings. But, then again every 3 pc razor has some adjustment by backing off the handle a wee bit. I think as you stated it will be based on optional base plate configurations.....

Happy shaves... :shaving:
 
Just another good, solid shave from the Merica razor. I have to give it to YPM as the man knows how to get a razor made with excellent tolerances and well balanced shave geometry for what WSC was aiming for. Just a good mid-level shaver that’s not as mild as one would think. It exhibits more blade feel than say a GC.68 or any of the RR Mamba’s including the BBS-SS. It feels close to a GC.84 SB with a tiny bit less blade feel but, very similar in shave performance. I’m starting to warm up to the industrial/workman or blue collar type vibe that it emits aesthetically. It’s a few bucks more than any of the RR Gamechanger variants which might be a detriment to it taking off as the value/performance of the Razorock CNC razors is nearly unbeatable for what they bring to the table. But, it’s made in the good old USA of a high quality alloy (316/L) from a top notch machinist who’s really starting to make a name for himself. WSC did good by hooking up with YPM. I’m looking forward to what this collaboration will bring us in the near future.

Today’s shave was another great shave. It’s easy to get cutting quickly and efficiently with a very intuitive feel on a comfortable shave angle. No messing around for the optimal cutting point to play with as it feels just about neutral, slightly off the cap and just barely feeling the bar. Like I said in my previous post, it’s not a noisy razor as it is a bit muted but, you can hear it slicing and dicing. The Ethos Grooming Melange d’agrumes provided the suds with a lather & slickness that was second to none. Clean & refreshed. I’m loving this stuff.....

I like the razor and would not hesitate in recommending it to anyone searching for a solid daily that can take on a couple days growth as well. Overall it’s a pretty darn good value with performance to back it up.

A3B017D0-F284-414E-9133-885A01CC6C5D.jpeg
 
Received my razor today from Wet shaving club loaded up a permaSharp blade ( Perfect alignment ) no overhang of the blade tabs over the baseplate but like the YPM top cap there are indentations that easily allow you to push the blade off the top cap when done.
Handle 3” long and 65 g
Baseplate 15g
Top cap 15 g
The finish is similar to my 921m stonewashed and looks great. The handle has circular groves that provide excellent grip and there is a magnet at the bottom of the handle to pick up your blade.
Used my Elite Bloodstone handle with a Declaration B6 knot and Lathered up my ETHOS lavender lickity split into a wonderful shiny cushiony lather that provided excellent slickness and the scent is the best lavender I have used.
3 pass WTG, XTG and ATG and I had a very smooth irritation free BBS. Granted I only had 24 hour growth but it was a very pleasant shave. I played with the angles and found if you ride the bar (Steep) you increase blade feel and a comfortable 30-35 degree angle the blade was there but minimal.
If you prefer a milder razor and shave daily like I do this razor gives a very good to excellent shave that is very comfortable. If you prefer large gaps and efficiency to get a 2 pass BBS I would move on.
As someone who has been using YPM razors for over a year now I would place this razor just slightly milder than the M plate but it still delivered an excellent 3 pass BBS.
78CDB0D9-8432-4F91-9040-3FF9B5456AC1.jpeg
 
Received my razor today from Wet shaving club loaded up a permaSharp blade ( Perfect alignment ) no overhang of the blade tabs over the baseplate but like the YPM top cap there are indentations that easily allow you to push the blade off the top cap when done.
Handle 3” long and 65 g
Baseplate 15g
Top cap 15 g
The finish is similar to my 921m stonewashed and looks great. The handle has circular groves that provide excellent grip and there is a magnet at the bottom of the handle to pick up your blade.
Used my Elite Bloodstone handle with a Declaration B6 knot and Lathered up my ETHOS lavender lickity split into a wonderful shiny cushiony lather that provided excellent slickness and the scent is the best lavender I have used.
3 pass WTG, XTG and ATG and I had a very smooth irritation free BBS. Granted I only had 24 hour growth but it was a very pleasant shave. I played with the angles and found if you ride the bar (Steep) you increase blade feel and a comfortable 30-35 degree angle the blade was there but minimal.
If you prefer a milder razor and shave daily like I do this razor gives a very good to excellent shave that is very comfortable. If you prefer large gaps and efficiency to get a 2 pass BBS I would move on.
As someone who has been using YPM razors for over a year now I would place this razor just slightly milder than the M plate but it still delivered an excellent 3 pass BBS.
View attachment 1180302

Excellent summation my friend.... :thumbsup:
 
A good solid shave yesterday evening. The Tatra Platinum gave 4 great shaves but, on this last one I felt just the slightest bit of tugging so, this is the last one with it. I'm going to install a KAI blade and that should kick up blade feel & efficiency a bit.

Again, wonderful performance from Ethos Greenfresh soap & splash.

2AAB7CA9-4033-4589-B7E1-8BE4C68A3DED.jpeg.jpg
 
Just received mine today.
First shave with an Astra SP.
This this is mild feeling, so smooth and efficient.
Slightly less mild than the 921-M.
Perfect weight and balance.
I can whip this thing around my face and head.
Probably the perfect razor for me.
Will it end my RAD?
I'm thinking/hoping yes.
I'm literally going to clear my den and only keep the Merica, my 921-M, and my Lupo DLC.
 
Just received mine today.
First shave with an Astra SP.
This this is mild feeling, so smooth and efficient.
Slightly less mild than the 921-M.
Perfect weight and balance.
I can whip this thing around my face and head.
Probably the perfect razor for me.
Will it end my RAD?
I'm thinking/hoping yes.
I'm literally going to clear my den and only keep the Merica, my 921-M, and my Lupo DLC.

Sorry guys,
I meant MORE mild.
Not less mild than the 921-M.
 
Top Bottom