Wunderbar is a very fun razor, I can even use it for polishing. Try to use this corner of the picture as a fulcrum to guide, flat this corner on the skin, and use the safety bar to slide only.
Wunderbar | Daily Driver | What About It?
- Thread starter Chan Eil Whiskers
- Start date
Wunderbar is a very fun razor, I can even use it for polishing. Try to use this corner of the picture as a fulcrum to guide, flat this corner on the skin, and use the safety bar to slide only.
- Thread starter
- #22
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
Nice tip. I'll see what I can do with it.
I've not had much trouble using the WB to buff (which is probably the same as polishing) although I'll admit to being a bit afraid to use it much for buffing.
Thanks for the tip and encouragement.
Happy shaves,
Jim
- Thread starter
- #23
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
There are only a few more days to the Fixed Four. I've still not decided whether the Wunderbar was a good choice for the Fixed. Perhaps a better way of saying that would be I've still not decided if I've learned enough during the Fixed to justify the Wunderbar as my choice.
The Wunderbar was certainly not a bad choice. It's a good razor. It's not harsh. There's only one little problem: Blood.
My Wunderbar shaves are perhaps somewhat better since I added a preshave, but my shaves remain inconsistent in terms of blood so I can't say with certainty the preshaves helped as much as I first thought they did.
It is very very easy to nick myself with the Wunderbar by what I call a non-shaving errant move. Probably about half the blood I draw with the razor is via errant moves. I'm not sure what the moves are exactly, but perhaps most are just a little touch by a corner of the razor or something like that.
The rest of the blood arises during shaving strokes. Almost entirely on my chin or lower lip. Little bitty nicks and cuts and slices. Few weepers but not none because I had one next to my mouth a couple of days ago. Most of the nicks and cuts and slices are felt.
Just thinking this over it occurs to me that I feel similar things when shaving with other razors - here I'm thinking mostly of the FOCS and the Gillette Executive - but don't find that everything I feel with those razors results in a cut which bleeds. With the Wunderbar everything I feel like might be a cut is a cut and they all bleed.
It's not that I'm getting big cuts or anything of that sort. Still, it's blood. I find myself using the styptic pencil almost every shave. The Wunderbar cuts and such are more of a nuisance than anything else kinda like mosquito bites.
To be accurate, I went a few shaves straight with no blood. Thought I had maybe mastered the razor, but I was wrong. I just had a few days of good luck or something.
My Wunderbar shaves are generally comfortable other than that, and close, and smooth. However the shaves are not a huge amount closer than my FOCS shaves (and perhaps only slightly closer). The FOCS can cut me of course, but it rarely does whereas the WB often cuts me.
I am not sure I can truthfully say I've learned anything during the Fixed Four, anything leading to mastery of the Wunderbar.
I'm just reporting and not badmouthing the razor, as I rather like it in spite of the blood. Perhaps were I to continue on with the Wunderbar for a while I'd be able to master it. Doing so is a bit tempting as its shaves are great other than the blood, but the FOCS is just so much easier to deal with and delivers great shaves itself.
I want to say again that there's very little blood, but I want zero blood with my daily drivers.
Happy shaves,
Jim
The Wunderbar was certainly not a bad choice. It's a good razor. It's not harsh. There's only one little problem: Blood.
My Wunderbar shaves are perhaps somewhat better since I added a preshave, but my shaves remain inconsistent in terms of blood so I can't say with certainty the preshaves helped as much as I first thought they did.
It is very very easy to nick myself with the Wunderbar by what I call a non-shaving errant move. Probably about half the blood I draw with the razor is via errant moves. I'm not sure what the moves are exactly, but perhaps most are just a little touch by a corner of the razor or something like that.
The rest of the blood arises during shaving strokes. Almost entirely on my chin or lower lip. Little bitty nicks and cuts and slices. Few weepers but not none because I had one next to my mouth a couple of days ago. Most of the nicks and cuts and slices are felt.
Just thinking this over it occurs to me that I feel similar things when shaving with other razors - here I'm thinking mostly of the FOCS and the Gillette Executive - but don't find that everything I feel with those razors results in a cut which bleeds. With the Wunderbar everything I feel like might be a cut is a cut and they all bleed.
It's not that I'm getting big cuts or anything of that sort. Still, it's blood. I find myself using the styptic pencil almost every shave. The Wunderbar cuts and such are more of a nuisance than anything else kinda like mosquito bites.
To be accurate, I went a few shaves straight with no blood. Thought I had maybe mastered the razor, but I was wrong. I just had a few days of good luck or something.
My Wunderbar shaves are generally comfortable other than that, and close, and smooth. However the shaves are not a huge amount closer than my FOCS shaves (and perhaps only slightly closer). The FOCS can cut me of course, but it rarely does whereas the WB often cuts me.
I am not sure I can truthfully say I've learned anything during the Fixed Four, anything leading to mastery of the Wunderbar.
I'm just reporting and not badmouthing the razor, as I rather like it in spite of the blood. Perhaps were I to continue on with the Wunderbar for a while I'd be able to master it. Doing so is a bit tempting as its shaves are great other than the blood, but the FOCS is just so much easier to deal with and delivers great shaves itself.
I want to say again that there's very little blood, but I want zero blood with my daily drivers.
Happy shaves,
Jim
It’s helped you realize how much you appreciate the FOCS, so there’s that.
Can you modify your technique for around your chin?
Can you modify your technique for around your chin?
Lefonque
Even more clueless than you
I am interested in the Wunderbar shaver. It maybe my next purchase.
- Thread starter
- #26
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
You probably already saw what happened today. If not, SOThisDay.
The Wunderbar in my opinion and experience shaves better with a new (or pretty new) and sharp blade. I'm sometimes one to use a blade twenty or more times, and not even mind a bit of tugging, but I've gotten better (closer for sure, and more comfortable I think) shaves with the WB and a new or close to new blade.
Today would be a great example. The shave was not perfect (I don't even try for BBS on my neck, and BBS or near BBS is easy on my cheeks), but my soul patch area (which is a challenge with any razor) was very good today. Yesterday with a not so new blade it wasn't.
On my chin and lower lip soul patch areas I've tried all sorts of things with this and other razors. Various angles including my usual steep angle but also shallow cap-riding angles for buffing, etc. Particularly difficult are the hard, boney chin areas as they seem prone to nicks, and the soul patch as it takes (usually) a huge amount of work which gives more opportunity for nicks and weepers and such.
As you'd expect being reasonably careful, using good angles, avoiding stray moves, and a very light touch usually pay off, especially if the blade is sharp and new.
However, in my growing but still relatively small experience with the Wunderbar it is aggressive meaning it's prone to jump up out of the bushes and bite me. Today I thought I was home free (but hadn't dropped my guard) and got a nasty bite (not a serious cut but still nasty).
It's not that I'm saying it can't be mastered, but I'm not sure it's worth it (especially with the FOCS available). The Wunderbar's big draws are twofold: It's at least a bit more efficient than the FOCS (which is itself efficient) and it (the WB) is smooth feeling and comfortable (except when it bites).
The FOCS is more my speed in that it rewards what I'm good at doing. The Wunderbar rewards technique and carefulness beyond my current abilities, or so I currently believe.
Maybe I'll return to it down the road.
Currently I can't think of anything else to try other than more and more practice. But, as they say, bad practice gets you nowhere.
Happy shaves,
Jim
Sorry to read it bit you again. I hear next month is less than a week away.
Ron R
I survived a lathey foreman
Hello Jim, WoW you made it almost through March with the Razorock Wunderbar slant. I have a Wunderbar slant and when I first started using it for 9 consecutive shaves 3 yrs ago I realized it was almost to efficient and you only need 2 passes with a few touch ups and that is it. Gentle touch is all you need with the razor I found and do not plunk it down on your face to start a stroke or it will bite.
You can get nice shaves with it but as a daily driver it might be to much for this fellow, you need a medium to coarse beard and it will respond but for sensitive skin folks forget it IMO there are better razors for sensitive skin types.
Razorock pushed the slant evolution to its top in efficentcy & with some aggression, I can pull it out every once in a while for a shave and it will tell right away if my technique is still good . I like the Wunderbar razor so its still in the razor racks and use it 10 times a year approximately because I have a large razor rotation(40+) and still enjoying variety.
You can get nice shaves with it but as a daily driver it might be to much for this fellow, you need a medium to coarse beard and it will respond but for sensitive skin folks forget it IMO there are better razors for sensitive skin types.
Razorock pushed the slant evolution to its top in efficentcy & with some aggression, I can pull it out every once in a while for a shave and it will tell right away if my technique is still good . I like the Wunderbar razor so its still in the razor racks and use it 10 times a year approximately because I have a large razor rotation(40+) and still enjoying variety.
I guess in the sense that you've (almost) finished it at this point, it wasn't necessarily a bad pick either...
Then again, I guess it depends what the goal of fixed four was for you...
If you were looking to learn this razor then obviously not so successful... But on the other hand, it's presented you with a challenge that's kept it interesting, which I have to admit has been my major mistake in the fixed four - I haven't strayed, but the only real challenge for me has been to resist temptation (something I added to with a couple of tidy yet unspectacular examples of the classic Gillette New
and with April frugals I'm going to have to wait even longer to try them!).It sounds like you've learned that it's not really a daily driver for you (as in, you could use it daily but wouldn't choose to) and that it has a tendency to punish more than most others - both things you maybe wouldn't have learned to the same degree without the extended familiarity with the WB?
- Thread starter
- #30
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
I guess in the sense that you've (almost) finished it at this point, it wasn't necessarily a bad pick either...
Then again, I guess it depends what the goal of fixed four was for you...
If you were looking to learn this razor then obviously not so successful... But on the other hand, it's presented you with a challenge that's kept it interesting, which I have to admit has been my major mistake in the fixed four - I haven't strayed, but the only real challenge for me has been to resist temptation (something I added to with a couple of tidy yet unspectacular examples of the classic Gillette New
It sounds like you've learned that it's not really a daily driver for you (as in, you could use it daily but wouldn't choose to) and that it has a tendency to punish more than most others - both things you maybe wouldn't have learned to the same degree without the extended familiarity with the WB?
Yes, you're right in all respects.
It is still a razor I'd like to master. It has a lot of potential I think.
OMG, you're going to do the April $30 kit challenge. I'm impressed with you guys doing that especially back to back with the Fixed Four.
Good luck and happy shaves,
Jim
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