Nor me, Jim (believe it or not). There are of course certain things that one MUST DO for science.Basically, I'm not a shim guy!
Nor me, Jim (believe it or not). There are of course certain things that one MUST DO for science.Basically, I'm not a shim guy!
Maybe you should go the other direction? I thought you already have the .95. At least with a 1.05/1.15, you can actually sell it. I would have thought one of those two would be the magic number for you.Guys, you probably already know this, but Wolfman makes a dual gap at no extra cost. Since I have sensitive skin, I'm going to start with the two smallest gaps (.85 and .95) and then go up (1.05 and 1.15) etc. until I find "my" razor. As crude as my shim was, it proved to me that James has done something special in the WR2, allowing a noticeable bump in efficiency while not losing much comfort/smoothness as the gap increases.
Well, to begin with, I'm not worrying about selling a Wolfman. No matter what the gap, someone will want it. But, worst-case scenario: No one wants it. Then I will be stuck with probably the best razor I will ever own. That's a risk I'm willing to take.Maybe you should go the other direction? I thought you already have the .95. At least with a 1.05/1.15, you can actually sell it. I would have thought one of those two would be the magic number for you.
Sorry, I usually keep up with what you are auditioning each week and how it's working out. I some how missed out, Brit Crat threads, on that detail that the .95 is not a daily shaver for you. I am 100% on board, not that anybody asked, with you getting the .85/.95! That sounds like it will end up being a little bit more efficient than the Timeless .68 without being any less smooth. I am a little overwhelmed with the Wolfman thing, having to order a whole razor to get a different gap. Especially at the cost. I will just scurry back in the corner and watch now.Well, to begin with, I'm not worrying about selling a Wolfman. No matter what the gap, someone will want it. But, worst-case scenario: No one wants it. Then I will be stuck with probably the best razor I will ever own. That's a risk I'm willing to take.
The other thing is that my current WR2 .95 SS is already the most efficient razor I own. It provides me irritation-free BBS shaves on a daily basis. Check that...every other day. The thing is so damn efficient that I can't even use it as a daily driver unless I only do 2 passes! I would like to be able to use my favorite razor every day...especially at that price!
One more thing. It's been my experience that titanium razors are superior to steel razors in terms of comfort/smoothness. Therefore, I would be surprised if the WR2 .95 Ti doesn't provide a smoother, yet more efficient shave than the one I have now. No doubt, it will be smoother! And, since comfort is my #1 concern, why not start with what has to be the most comfortable gaps?
But, thanks for the concern and advice. I appreciate it.
OK, the reverse shim was a failure. The tape increased the comfort a tiny bit...but decreased the efficiency dramatically!
Perhaps I did something wrong?
No. Someone warned against it, but maybe I’ll give it a try. Thanks.Did you try a reverse shim with just a clipped blade, no tape? I've done this with a .95 and liked it. No change to gap but blade exposure as noted above. Not a huge drop in efficiency for me but smoother.
Will try today. Thanks.It's not dangerous! Just not a good indication of a true .85
BTW, have you tried any other blade gaps on the WR2?Did you try a reverse shim with just a clipped blade, no tape? I've done this with a .95 and liked it. No change to gap but blade exposure as noted above. Not a huge drop in efficiency for me but smoother. Still prefer the WR1 design, well until I can get my hands on a WR3 to try.
This probably has to do with a combination of the blade angle and gravity. I bet if you pay close attention you will discover that you are actually riding the guard because you are simultaneously trying to pull against gravity keep the blade exposure off your skin. A neutral razor with a wide cutting window allows you to forget about the blade, but with a positive(slight) as you try keeping the blade off, its natural tendency is to wind up guard leading. You would need to be performing some kind of curling motion to go up and stay on the cap. This was a discovery I made when I started paying attention, I was on the guard more often than I thought so the blade is just skimming. Sorry for the derail...I don’t know how that is, but the razor with more blade feel is actually more comfortable ATG
BTW, have you tried any other blade gaps on the WR2?
What is your assessment...the WR1 is thinner and more maneuverable, with a slight increase in blade feel...and a slight decrease in comfort/smoothness compared to the WR2?Nope sorry. Shims only. Much prefer the WR1 and have tried a bunch of different gaps, like .48 to .80
I'm sure you're right. I just don't know what you're talking about.This probably has to do with a combination of the blade angle and gravity. I bet if you pay close attention you will discover that you are actually riding the guard because you are simultaneously trying to pull against gravity keep the blade exposure off your skin. A neutral razor with a wide cutting window allows you to forget about the blade, but with a positive(slight) as you try keeping the blade off, its natural tendency is to wind up guard leading. You would need to be performing some kind of curling motion to go up and stay on the cap. This was a discovery I made when I started paying attention, I was on the guard more often than I thought so the blade is just skimming. Sorry for the derail...
Like everything I type, give it a week and several people will either find a thread to discuss it or tell me I am wrong and should feel bad.I'm sure you're right. I just don't know what you're talking about.
What is your assessment...the WR1 is thinner and more maneuverable, with a slight increase in blade feel...and a slight decrease in comfort/smoothness compared to the WR2?
It's not dangerous! Just not a good indication of a true .85
Congrats, Ken!It worked! I LOVE the reverse shim! It dramatically increased the comfort/smoothness, with no appreciable decrease in efficiency! The effective .85 gap approaches the comfort level of the Timeless Ti .68, the smoothest (modern) razor I own!
Now, I will definitely go for the smallest blade gaps available when it's my turn! I thank you...and my face thanks you!
P.S. As an aside, I "corked" my first blade today...a 'vintage' Voshkod. I only corked one side. Guess what? BIG difference! The corked side was noticeably smoother!
P.P.S. I tried the Voshkod three times before...and hated it each time. (Turns out they're having QC issues.) A kind B&B member sent me a few 'good' samples of pre-issue blades. They were awesome! Now I know why so many guys have them as their #1 blade
I plan on ordering some more of these 'vintage' blades if I can find them!
Today was a very good day! And I didn't even mention my new Simpsons brush!