Wolfman WR-3

[riverrun]

Great write ups as usual. Razors that cost that much are not for me. My thoughts on them are very clear....ask the folks that banned me from TSD for being rude. It just makes no sense to me to pay that kind of money for a tool when you can spend a LOT less and get just as good a shave. It is not a sniper rifle.

That being said it's great you enjoy the shaves that much!!!!

I hear you. But...
I was prepared to say that many of my vintage razors will give a shave just as good for a fraction of the price.
But they won't.
I have joined the waiting list for the Wolfman in the safe knowledge that I'll probably have a year to think about it.
My spending limit for razors is usually about $25.
Will I buy a Wolfman? Probably not. Maybe a Christmas present to myself next year. Time will tell.
I will try some other modern GEM razors soon. A Blackland Sabre will be on loan to me soon. Watch this space.
I have neglected modern SE razors. If anything, the Wolfman has taught me to keep an open mind.

[riverrun]

Fourth shave

As promised - a shave off.

In the left corner:
Wolfman WR-3 SB, GEM PTFE blade - 4th use

In the right corner:
Micromatic Open Comb. GEM PTFE blade - 1st use

I tried - as far as possible - to make identical strokes on both halves of my face.
Three days of growth. Four pass standard shave. WTG, XTG, GTX, ATG.
GEM blades on their first outing can be sometimes not at their best, so the Wolfman
might have a slight advantage here. I did give the blade in the MMOC a quick palm-strop though.

The differences:
Weight: The Wolfman is much heavier, the MMOC much lighter. Maybe that's the reason the Wolfman feels good in my hands?
Agility: The Wolfman's head is much bigger, but as mentioned before that doesn't bother me. It works everywhere.
Sound: The Wolfman sounds better. It clamps the blade so what you hear is only the stubble being mowed down, no resonances.

After four passes I can't really tell the difference. I am surprised. Both razors were about equally (non-)aggressive.
Both halves of my face are clean-shaven. No stubble left anywhere. BBS all over.
The alum block declares a tie as well.
So does the ASL.
The proof of the shave is in the regrowth, but I can't judge that right now. I'll update that information tomorrow.

Finally: I like to remove the blade from the head, rinse it clean, give it a quick palm strop to dry it and put it back into the razor.
Now that's where the Micromatic wins by a country mile. Twist open, twist closed.
No need to dis- and reassemble the whole razor, hoping the plastic washer doesn't disappear down the drain.

Overall, the MMOC did better than I expected.

[srqshaver]

Fourth shave

As promised - a shave off.

In the left corner:
Wolfman WR-3 SB, GEM PTFE blade - 4th use

In the right corner:
Micromatic Open Comb. GEM PTFE blade - 1st use

I tried - as far as possible - to make identical strokes on both halves of my face.
Three days of growth. Four pass standard shave. WTG, XTG, GTX, ATG.
GEM blades on their first outing can be sometimes not at their best, so the Wolfman
might have a slight advantage here. I did give the blade in the MMOC a quick palm-strop though.

The differences:
Weight: The Wolfman is much heavier, the MMOC much lighter. Maybe that's the reason the Wolfman feels good in my hands?
Agility: The Wolfman's head is much bigger, but as mentioned before that doesn't bother me. It works everywhere.
Sound: The Wolfman sounds better. It clamps the blade so what you hear is only the stubble being mowed down, no resonances.

After four passes I can't really tell the difference. I am surprised. Both razors were about equally (non-)aggressive.
Both halves of my face are clean-shaven. No stubble left anywhere. BBS all over.
The alum block declares a tie as well.
So does the ASL.
The proof of the shave is in the regrowth, but I can't judge that right now. I'll update that information tomorrow.

Finally: I like to remove the blade from the head, rinse it clean, give it a quick palm strop to dry it and put it back into the razor.
Now that's where the Micromatic wins by a country mile. Twist open, twist closed.
No need to dis- and reassemble the whole razor, hoping the plastic washer doesn't disappear down the drain.

Overall, the MMOC did better than I expected.

Interesting! The takeaway may very well be that a GEM shave is a GEM shave. I get liking the heavier weight and think I would appreciate that as well. I hope you report back and let us know if there was any long-term difference. Great stuff!

[GAW9576]

riverrun can we get a few pictures of the assembled razor?

[Wchnu]

Great write ups as usual. Razors that cost that much are not for me. My thoughts on them are very clear....ask the folks that banned me from TSD for being rude. It just makes no sense to me to pay that kind of money for a tool when you can spend a LOT less and get just as good a shave. It is not a sniper rifle.

That being said it's great you enjoy the shaves that much!!!!

I hear you. But...
I was prepared to say that many of my vintage razors will give a shave just as good for a fraction of the price.
But they won't.
I have joined the waiting list for the Wolfman in the safe knowledge that I'll probably have a year to think about it.
My spending limit for razors is usually about $25.
Will I buy a Wolfman? Probably not. Maybe a Christmas present to myself next year. Time will tell.
I will try some other modern GEM razors soon. A Blackland Sabre will be on loan to me soon. Watch this space.
I have neglected modern SE razors. If anything, the Wolfman has taught me to keep an open mind.

It is always interesting to read your post. You seem to think like an engineer. Everything nice and ordered. I like that!!!

[riverrun]

riverrun can we get a few pictures of the assembled razor?

Here is one from the pass-around (closed comb left, open comb prototype different handle right)

[riverrun]

Fourth shave - update

9 hours later and one half of my face is still smooth, while the other half starts giving a slight sandpaper feel ATG.

The results are therefore in and the clear winner is - to my astonishment - the Micromatic Open Comb.

Food for thought.

[Dave in KY]

Fourth shave - update

9 hours later and one half of my face is still smooth, while the other half starts giving a slight sandpaper feel ATG.

The results are therefore in and the clear winner is - to my astonishment - the Micromatic Open Comb.

Food for thought.

Thanks for the honest and thorough review 

[GAW9576]

riverrun can we get a few pictures of the assembled razor?

Here is one from the pass-around (closed comb left, open comb prototype different handle right)

Thanks. The head definitely has a unique design. I like the handle on the right.

[Wchnu]

Fourth shave - update

9 hours later and one half of my face is still smooth, while the other half starts giving a slight sandpaper feel ATG.

The results are therefore in and the clear winner is - to my astonishment - the Micromatic Open Comb.

Food for thought.

AWESOME!!!!!!