Greetings everyone,
I received Wolfman #9 (includes LASSC's) last week. Time to share my thoughts on my most recent acquisition vs my daily razor, which is the WR2 1.15/WRH1 hollow with basic matte finish. I will not get into all the other razors I have owned and how I ended up with 2 Wolfman razors out of only 5 that I currently own, but you can correctly deduce that I think highly of the Wolfman brand. Here we go...
The new set up:
... is a WR1 .86OC/WRH3/7 solid, with basic polished finish. I had the opportunity to try the WR1 .86OC a couple of years back and absolutely loved the few shaves I received and thought it would be a great razor to own. Against my better judgement, my next Wolfman purchase was the WR1 .94OC. I could produce a decent shave with the WR1 .94OC, but not without feeling like I was walking the tightrope while doing so. The end result was just too good of a shave, leaving my face feeling raw for an hour or two. It was also too easy to nick my face with any slip in concentration. Off went the WR1 .94OC after only a month of ownership.
During the next couple of years, I bounced from the WR2 1.05SB, WR2 1.15SB and the WR2 1.25SB, along with dozens of other razors. After settling on the WR2 1.15SB/WRH1 hollow, I knew my next Wolfman razor would be the WR1 .86OC and the bonus is the WRH3/7 handle.
The shave:
I had my first shave with the new WR1 Saturday morning after skipping my Friday morning shave. I quickly remembered that the WR1 requires much more patience and thought than the WR2 1.15SB (at least initially). I got careless above my lip during the ATG and gave myself a tiny, but eye opening nick. The WR1 is more nimble, but requires more attention to technique. All things considered, my fist shave was a very good 2 pass WTG/ATG.
My second shave this morning was my traditional 3 pass WTG/XTG/ATG, again after skipping my shave yesterday morning. I was much more patient, really focusing on my technique and was rewarded with a dolphin skin result. This is how I remembered this razor from a couple of years back. Outstanding.
The comparison:
It is not hard to compare my daily WR2 1.15SB to the WR1 .86OC. The WR2 is one I love to shave with daily, the WR1 is not. This is where the question, "which Wolfman razor/gap should I purchase", gets answered. I like a 3 pass shaves most days. I need and want to shave daily with the WR2 1.15SB. I do not and would not want to shave daily with the WR1 .86OC. The WR1 .86OC is more comparable to the WR2 1.25SB, but a bit more efficient, so maybe a WR2 1.30SB. I don't need to shave everyday using as efficient of a razor.
I purchased the WR1 .86OC to have when I skip a day or know that I will not be shaving for a day or three. I do not need to shave the day after using the WR1 .86OC. I may have a little bit of stubble, but a shave is not necessary. Don't get me wrong, I can skip a day or two and use the WR2 1.15SB. It is a great razor for 2 days growth, but this is where having a little variety is a guilty pleasure and not a necessity. When I am traveling in retirement and don't feel like shaving for a few days, it will be great to have the WR1 .86OC.
Other thoughts:
The matte finish is perfect for a daily razor. The polish or mirror polish not so much. I NEVER have to worry about marks, fingerprints etc on the matte finish. The polish, no matter how hard I try, will always have a smudge here or there.
The WRH3/7 is a great handle. I really like the extra "knob" on the end to rest my pinky finger for stability. The WRH3/7 is slicker than the WRH1, but then again, nothing has knurling like the WRH1.
The WRH1 hollow handle is perfect for the WR2. The WRH3/7 solid is perfect for the WR1. I learned this back when I was originally loaned the WR1 .86OC (thank you @loot). The combinations you can create with Wolfman razors is challenging, but fun at the same time. I know some like the XL handles, but I still love a 90mm.
In conclusion:
I now have a couple of great Wolfman razors to go with my 3 Gillettes (New SC, Pre-war Tech and E1 Fatboy). Each serves a purpose, if for nothing more than variety now and again.
I leave you with a couple of pictures. The new WR1 with WRH3/7 and my shave set up for today.
Thanks for reading.
It's Hedley
Please excuse any typos or grammatical errors. I am only human.
I received Wolfman #9 (includes LASSC's) last week. Time to share my thoughts on my most recent acquisition vs my daily razor, which is the WR2 1.15/WRH1 hollow with basic matte finish. I will not get into all the other razors I have owned and how I ended up with 2 Wolfman razors out of only 5 that I currently own, but you can correctly deduce that I think highly of the Wolfman brand. Here we go...
The new set up:
... is a WR1 .86OC/WRH3/7 solid, with basic polished finish. I had the opportunity to try the WR1 .86OC a couple of years back and absolutely loved the few shaves I received and thought it would be a great razor to own. Against my better judgement, my next Wolfman purchase was the WR1 .94OC. I could produce a decent shave with the WR1 .94OC, but not without feeling like I was walking the tightrope while doing so. The end result was just too good of a shave, leaving my face feeling raw for an hour or two. It was also too easy to nick my face with any slip in concentration. Off went the WR1 .94OC after only a month of ownership.
During the next couple of years, I bounced from the WR2 1.05SB, WR2 1.15SB and the WR2 1.25SB, along with dozens of other razors. After settling on the WR2 1.15SB/WRH1 hollow, I knew my next Wolfman razor would be the WR1 .86OC and the bonus is the WRH3/7 handle.
The shave:
I had my first shave with the new WR1 Saturday morning after skipping my Friday morning shave. I quickly remembered that the WR1 requires much more patience and thought than the WR2 1.15SB (at least initially). I got careless above my lip during the ATG and gave myself a tiny, but eye opening nick. The WR1 is more nimble, but requires more attention to technique. All things considered, my fist shave was a very good 2 pass WTG/ATG.
My second shave this morning was my traditional 3 pass WTG/XTG/ATG, again after skipping my shave yesterday morning. I was much more patient, really focusing on my technique and was rewarded with a dolphin skin result. This is how I remembered this razor from a couple of years back. Outstanding.
The comparison:
It is not hard to compare my daily WR2 1.15SB to the WR1 .86OC. The WR2 is one I love to shave with daily, the WR1 is not. This is where the question, "which Wolfman razor/gap should I purchase", gets answered. I like a 3 pass shaves most days. I need and want to shave daily with the WR2 1.15SB. I do not and would not want to shave daily with the WR1 .86OC. The WR1 .86OC is more comparable to the WR2 1.25SB, but a bit more efficient, so maybe a WR2 1.30SB. I don't need to shave everyday using as efficient of a razor.
I purchased the WR1 .86OC to have when I skip a day or know that I will not be shaving for a day or three. I do not need to shave the day after using the WR1 .86OC. I may have a little bit of stubble, but a shave is not necessary. Don't get me wrong, I can skip a day or two and use the WR2 1.15SB. It is a great razor for 2 days growth, but this is where having a little variety is a guilty pleasure and not a necessity. When I am traveling in retirement and don't feel like shaving for a few days, it will be great to have the WR1 .86OC.
Other thoughts:
The matte finish is perfect for a daily razor. The polish or mirror polish not so much. I NEVER have to worry about marks, fingerprints etc on the matte finish. The polish, no matter how hard I try, will always have a smudge here or there.
The WRH3/7 is a great handle. I really like the extra "knob" on the end to rest my pinky finger for stability. The WRH3/7 is slicker than the WRH1, but then again, nothing has knurling like the WRH1.
The WRH1 hollow handle is perfect for the WR2. The WRH3/7 solid is perfect for the WR1. I learned this back when I was originally loaned the WR1 .86OC (thank you @loot). The combinations you can create with Wolfman razors is challenging, but fun at the same time. I know some like the XL handles, but I still love a 90mm.
In conclusion:
I now have a couple of great Wolfman razors to go with my 3 Gillettes (New SC, Pre-war Tech and E1 Fatboy). Each serves a purpose, if for nothing more than variety now and again.
I leave you with a couple of pictures. The new WR1 with WRH3/7 and my shave set up for today.
Thanks for reading.
It's Hedley
Please excuse any typos or grammatical errors. I am only human.
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