This will be a tl;dr post. Really.
[I am writing this on Thursday night but posting today]
[On Thursday,] I received my 1.05 sb Wolfman with a 90 mm WRH2 handle in the basic polished (textured) finish. There are plenty of Wolfman Razor reviews. I wanted to review the razor and specifically try to compare it to the Karve Christopher Bradley razor, my current favorite DE.
The Karve really opened my eyes about how great a modern razor could be. I started with the brass (such a fantastic price point) then bought the stainless. Then had the brass plated in rhodium. So, yea, big fan. I use the plated brass version the most—it feels warmer and ‘softer’ on the face to me than the steel.
Tried the A, B, C, and D safety bar plates. A was fine. B was great and smooth and effortless, C was more efficient but just as great and smooth with a bit more attention needed, and D was more efficient but I definitely was feeling the blade. Some might like that. I do not. I tried the B open comb plate and thus just reaffirmed that I don't like blade feel. All plates were still smooth shaves. I know I like mild to mid-aggressive shavers and not beyond. This post might also be useful for that group as well.
With that in mind, I received advice that the 1.05 might be the best for me. Knowing from past posts that I could shim the Wolfman to simulate higher exposures, this made a lot of sense to me.
My expectations. Some reviews have said they liked the wolf better, some the Karve, and some neither. One possibility is that the 1.05 might shave just like a B plate. I am hoping it might shave as efficiently as a D but feel like a B. The middle ground might be as easy and smooth as a B but be as efficient as a C.
On to the wolf. The Wolfman packaging did not impress me. Did I notice? Yes (Karve has better packaging to me). Do I care? No. Again, I just noticed. For example, the wolf came wrapped in pieces of what looked like black paper napkins? Interesting choice. But hey, it’s stainless steel so it won’t matter. Did the razor arrive in perfect condition? Of course.
I unwrap the razor and like so many am just awestruck by the polish, and it’s even the basic one. Just wowzers. Or if you prefer, Holy Schnikes. I had prepurchased a nylon washer/spacer to use between the base plate and handle.
I begin to assemble the top cap and baseplate. Again, wowzers. Such tight tolerances. Amazing. Then I screw in the handle. Hmm. I guess I never really realized how great the Karve threads were. Clearly superior machining in the Karve in this one aspect. What do I mean? In tightening the Karve handle, there’s no wobble at all. With the Wolfman, there’s a wee bit. Do I think this will affect the shave? Not one iota. Again, just some impressions/observations. It’s more a compliment to the Karve than any criticism of the Wolfman.
Once assembled, the Wolfman I have is a heavy beast. My Karve is about ~100 grams. This wolf is about 130. A full-third heavier, give or take. Noticeable. Even so, it feels nice and balanced in the hand. Given that I plan to use a steep angle with the wolf on my first shave, will this weight be helpful? I want to think so.
The knurling on the WRH2 provides a great grip. I have no fear of it ever being slippery. Running my fingers over it, I can really feel the ‘cuts’ in the steel. It’s ‘rougher’ than either the brass or steel Karve handles (these have always been more than sufficiently ‘grippy’ for me). Different but certainly pleasant.
This is all window-dressing and superficiality. The shave will happen tomorrow [Friday] morning. To get my mind right, I will watch Teen Wolf tonight. There will be no regrets. In theory.
[I am writing this on Thursday night but posting today]
[On Thursday,] I received my 1.05 sb Wolfman with a 90 mm WRH2 handle in the basic polished (textured) finish. There are plenty of Wolfman Razor reviews. I wanted to review the razor and specifically try to compare it to the Karve Christopher Bradley razor, my current favorite DE.
The Karve really opened my eyes about how great a modern razor could be. I started with the brass (such a fantastic price point) then bought the stainless. Then had the brass plated in rhodium. So, yea, big fan. I use the plated brass version the most—it feels warmer and ‘softer’ on the face to me than the steel.
Tried the A, B, C, and D safety bar plates. A was fine. B was great and smooth and effortless, C was more efficient but just as great and smooth with a bit more attention needed, and D was more efficient but I definitely was feeling the blade. Some might like that. I do not. I tried the B open comb plate and thus just reaffirmed that I don't like blade feel. All plates were still smooth shaves. I know I like mild to mid-aggressive shavers and not beyond. This post might also be useful for that group as well.
With that in mind, I received advice that the 1.05 might be the best for me. Knowing from past posts that I could shim the Wolfman to simulate higher exposures, this made a lot of sense to me.
My expectations. Some reviews have said they liked the wolf better, some the Karve, and some neither. One possibility is that the 1.05 might shave just like a B plate. I am hoping it might shave as efficiently as a D but feel like a B. The middle ground might be as easy and smooth as a B but be as efficient as a C.
On to the wolf. The Wolfman packaging did not impress me. Did I notice? Yes (Karve has better packaging to me). Do I care? No. Again, I just noticed. For example, the wolf came wrapped in pieces of what looked like black paper napkins? Interesting choice. But hey, it’s stainless steel so it won’t matter. Did the razor arrive in perfect condition? Of course.
I unwrap the razor and like so many am just awestruck by the polish, and it’s even the basic one. Just wowzers. Or if you prefer, Holy Schnikes. I had prepurchased a nylon washer/spacer to use between the base plate and handle.
I begin to assemble the top cap and baseplate. Again, wowzers. Such tight tolerances. Amazing. Then I screw in the handle. Hmm. I guess I never really realized how great the Karve threads were. Clearly superior machining in the Karve in this one aspect. What do I mean? In tightening the Karve handle, there’s no wobble at all. With the Wolfman, there’s a wee bit. Do I think this will affect the shave? Not one iota. Again, just some impressions/observations. It’s more a compliment to the Karve than any criticism of the Wolfman.
Once assembled, the Wolfman I have is a heavy beast. My Karve is about ~100 grams. This wolf is about 130. A full-third heavier, give or take. Noticeable. Even so, it feels nice and balanced in the hand. Given that I plan to use a steep angle with the wolf on my first shave, will this weight be helpful? I want to think so.
The knurling on the WRH2 provides a great grip. I have no fear of it ever being slippery. Running my fingers over it, I can really feel the ‘cuts’ in the steel. It’s ‘rougher’ than either the brass or steel Karve handles (these have always been more than sufficiently ‘grippy’ for me). Different but certainly pleasant.
This is all window-dressing and superficiality. The shave will happen tomorrow [Friday] morning. To get my mind right, I will watch Teen Wolf tonight. There will be no regrets. In theory.