Sept 2022—Is Wolfman still such a hot commodity?

I reserve my Judgment on this..but agree with JimmyH on his response to some extent right YMMV..

I think Wolfman is beautiful finished Razor Superb Craftsmanship hands down, worth the price well imao yes owning 1-2 is enough for me even one I’m happy with it, knowing it’s “Right Gap” on baseplate  gives your great shaves and your happy with it. Knowing money is well worth spending on it & not to be a “queen on shelf” collecting dust…

I don’t know James but he does great Job no doubts here..

For me personally owning 4-6 razor in Den is plenty in good healty & happy rotations  same for brushes..

Best Regards

Alan H

He cannot keep interest high by selling same products over years and increasing the price often.
It became a company which is trying to sell a simple aluminum shave brush over $300.

'Same' is the key word here...the design doesn't change or evolve....like sailor or iPhone.
But the prices just rose and rose....the premium is for perceived value and excellence
of craftsmanship. And he actually created a lower standard of finish...that sounded like
a downgrade, with lower price and expectations. Quite unprecedented for an aspirational
brand.

Navigating the wolfman experience is now not as straightforward as before. Many folks,
me included, needed to try many gaps before deciding which is "the one". I personally ran
through 7 or 8 new mirror polished razors just to settle on 1.35. Back then, these razors
were easy to resell without losing money....now Im not so sure. And reselling a used mirror
polish razor today would be a challenge. I consider myself lucky to have been able to
experiment without too much downside financially.

He cannot keep interest high by selling same products over years and increasing the price often.
It became a company which is trying to sell a simple aluminum shave brush over $300.

'Same' is the key word here...the design doesn't change or evolve....like sailor or iPhone.
But the prices just rose and rose....the premium is for perceived value and excellence
of craftsmanship. And he actually created a lower standard of finish...that sounded like
a downgrade, with lower price and expectations. Quite unprecedented for an aspirational
brand.

Navigating the wolfman experience is now not as straightforward as before. Many folks,
me included, needed to try many gaps before deciding which is "the one". I personally ran
through 7 or 8 new mirror polished razors just to settle on 1.35. Back then, these razors
were easy to resell without losing money....now Im not so sure. And reselling a used mirror
polish razor today would be a challenge. I consider myself lucky to have been able to
experiment without too much downside financially.

It does seem though that a lot of people posting are talking about the secondary market for Wolfman razors, and if one can make their full cost back by reselling it used. I’ve always though that was an odd concept/expectation because there haven’t been many other products that I’ve ever seen do that. And for me, I realized early on that the likelihood of me buying a used Wolfman for full price was virtually zero because of all the customization options a buyer would have. If I’m going to spend that much on a razor, I’m not going to buy the blade gap or dual comb or finish or handle that someone else chose and paid that much for; I’m going to pick what I want. “Skipping the line” isn’t really that interesting to me if it’s not getting me what I want for the full cost.

Some configurations are a white elephant for sure....like dual combs and
mixed gaps (1.45/1.15)...too specific to move easily.
There was a time one could get back ones money in full, perhaps even a little
extra, no problem. Now, tricky.

I got so into wolfmans because I knew I could sell and get all my money back.
I had my eye on a polished Ti 1.35....now it gives me pause because the
hit will be 750-800 easy (haven't checked)....and if I want to move it on,
discount will need to be 100 or so to get a bite on BST. Plus condition will
need to be like new.

I dunno. I'm thinking that beyond $100 or so you're paying for jewelry, not something to give you a better shave.
Just like wristwatches that cost more than $50.

I dunno. I'm thinking that beyond $100 or so you're paying for jewelry, not something to give you a better shave.
Just like wristwatches that cost more than $50.

For sure...some of my best razors have been the old Gillettes...were pricey on eBay but way below $50
when they were introduced. Inflation plays a big role I suppose and limited numbers. I was never able
to justify a Toggle to myself at $500.

Simply moving from zamak to stainless steel provides heft and a more solid feel in the hand.
Plus I think its not cheap to make these boutique pieces cheaply and at scale. Guess they charge
for labour, time and equipment...plus they need to make a decent profit to keep going.

The Lambda guy released a decent premium product at a decent price....I saw an Overlander
going for $125...sounds like a bargain in todays climate. With energy costs etc rising, I think a lot
of that disposable income is going to be diverted to more pressing needs.

no it is not a hot commodity. That ship has sailed. You can easily fill-in a google form to get a spot, wait several months then place the order. Some folks on BST are still placing ads for basic polish for more than market value which makes no sense. Why pay more for a used razor when you can wait a few months and get something new for a lower price? The Wolfmans on BST are going to have to be discounted in order to sell.

I've heard that the Wolfman Razors guy isn't even part wolf. False advertising!

If I had a time-machine, I'd tell myself a few years back the following:

"Just stop buying dozens of razors, it is not worth it. Keep one or two that suits you and stop buying more. You don't need them, you won't live for centuries, you have one face."

I've spent a few thousands on razors. I must have bought and sold around 60 razors during the last decade, which is not extreme for the hobby but certainly not an average number. The two Wolfman razors I own are BY FAR the best shaving tools I've used. I'd have saved much more money if I had not bought all these vintage and zamak razors through the years.

People that have dozens or hundreds of vintage and other inexpensive zamak razors, even duplicates of vintage, say that Wolfman prices are very high, even though they have spent much more money on more items, which for me makes no sense. Anyway.

Less (and more quality razors) is more (enjoyable shaves) This is my motto in the hobby.

Some find happiness in buying hundreds (mostly cheap items), some like me nowadays find happiness in buying two perfections and stop there.

He cannot keep interest high by selling same products over years and increasing the price often.
It became a company which is trying to sell a simple aluminum shave brush over $300.

'Same' is the key word here...the design doesn't change or evolve....like sailor or iPhone.
But the prices just rose and rose....the premium is for perceived value and excellence
of craftsmanship. And he actually created a lower standard of finish...that sounded like
a downgrade, with lower price and expectations. Quite unprecedented for an aspirational
brand.

Navigating the wolfman experience is now not as straightforward as before. Many folks,
me included, needed to try many gaps before deciding which is "the one". I personally ran
through 7 or 8 new mirror polished razors just to settle on 1.35. Back then, these razors
were easy to resell without losing money....now Im not so sure. And reselling a used mirror
polish razor today would be a challenge. I consider myself lucky to have been able to
experiment without too much downside financially.

Looking at the price increase I think it was justified. For instance, when James offered two SS finishes, mirror and, IIRC, Satin (?) the mirror was much more expensive. James worked alone, and did all the finishing by himself.

Now a premium polished head is $625 Cad, and premium satin is $525 CAD. The whole razor didn't cost that before the prices increased. Now a basic brushed matte razor head is $300 CAD, and basic polished $325 CAD.

Say all this to say, James is finally getting paid for the work he was 'giving away' in the past. Imagine his looking at a razor he was selling (years ago) for $400 CAD going on ebay for $800 USD ! Anyway, I'm not happy he increased his prices, but I understand it. Surprised he didn't do so years ago.