The Origin of the Wolfman WR-1 Gaps ?

Converted to inches the .61 gap is .024"

Only James can answer this for sure. I believe he started with just the one gap .61 until a few people asked for something more efficient or milder?



As far I know the .74 was what James came up with when asked for something more efficient.

"So the standard design in inches is a .024" blade gap (.61mm) and a few customers have gotten a .005" increase to .029" (.74mm) and on this razor according to my personal blueprints for each .005" (0.12mm) change in blade gap it will add or subtract .003" (0.07mm) in blade exposure (that imaginary line tangent to the cap and guard).

So you're getting .003 more blade exposure if you go with the same increase others have gotten."

Eventually he added more options when ordering: 48, 54, 67, 74, 80, 86 and 94.

"I use a Wolfman dual comb with the OC side at .74mm and the SB side at .48mm. The OC is for roughing and SB is for finishing. This is how I do machining work also."    

"The Wolfman WR1 (standard gap) is medium aggressive. Not mild, also not very aggressive."

Thanks, that answers my question. I was pretty sure that those gaps, 48, 54, 67, 74, 80, 86 and 94, were the ones he came up with, and other variations were special requests from customers.

It later occurred to me that I could take a Gillette, or whatever adjustable and measure the gap based on the #s on the dial to get an idea of what 'standard' gaps are, at least according to Gillette, a company that did significant field testing on DE shaving razors. 

Interesting that .61 was "the" gap to begin with, and the others evolved from customer requests for more or less aggressive gaps. One of the coolest things about James, and his business model, is his willingness to accommodate the whims of his customers.

.61 is positive or it would say zero exposure. I think .54, .61 and .67 have the same exposure.

I'm not even sure .48 is negative.

I am pretty sure that at least the 0.54 is neutral.  My understanding was that the smallest gap razor was actually negative.  

I saw a chart of this recently, but I can't remember where.  If memory serves, the gap that starts with 0.4 was neutral or negative, the next three gaps (probably 0.54, 0.61, and 0.67) were all either neutral or very mildly positive, and that the exposure increased between the 0.67 and the 0.74.  

I wish I could remember whether the smallest gap was negative or neutral.  I want to say it was listed as negative, but I could be mistaken about that.

Do you mean this chart?

.86 = 0.25mm EFFICIENT
.80 = 0.17mm
.74 = 0.17mm
.67 = 0.10mm
.61 = 0.10mm STANDARD GAP
.54 = 0.10mm
.48 = 0.02mm MILD

If anything .48 is very close to neutral. I have tried all these gaps other than .86 and I agree with the changes from .48 to .54 and .67 to .74

Maybe, but I also found this from James himself on Reddit a long time ago, in which he states that the 0.61 exposure is meant to be neutral.


https://www.reddit.com/r/ShavingScience/...nd_lasscs/


But yeah, I'm pretty sure that's what I saw, and my memory was correct that blade exposure on the three going up from 0.48 was the same, but that it took a jump at the 0.74 gap razor, which is the one I have. Exposure is actually nearly double on the 0.74 compared with the 0.67, if the chart is accurate. Really wish I had bought the 0.54, 0.61, or 0.67 instead of the 0.74, which is a tiny bit too blade-forward for me.

Maybe, but I also found this from James himself on Reddit a long time ago, in which he states that the 0.61 exposure is meant to be neutral. 


https://www.reddit.com/r/ShavingScience/...nd_lasscs/


But yeah, I'm pretty sure that's what I saw, and my memory was correct that blade exposure on the three going up from 0.48 was the same, but that it took a jump at the 0.74 gap razor, which is the one I have.  Exposure is actually nearly double on the 0.74 compared with the 0.67, if the chart is accurate.  Really wish I had bought the 0.54, 0.61, or 0.67 instead of the 0.74, which is a tiny bit too blade-forward for me.

This may be the chart you're referring to ? I copied it chart from a post on DFS but not the link. Anyway, if it's correct it is interesting that I find the 0.80 more blade forward than the 0.74. The chart shows them having the same exposure. 

86 = 0.25mm EFFICIENT
.80 = 0.17mm
.74 = 0.17mm
.67 = 0.10mm
.61 = 0.10mm STANDARD GAP
.54 = 0.10mm
.48 = 0.02mm MILD

Well yes and no. Neutral would be zero not less than 0.10mm as per the reddit post? I feel the .61 is positive IMO.

Agree the jump from .67 to .74 is significant for some

0.67 seems to be the best choice for those that look for a daily driver, have a full beard and can handle a light touch of blade feel.

0.48 must be extremely mild, I mean sometimes I have to do an extra pass with the 0.67 to get the best out of it with some mild blades.

The .67 SB is my favorite Wolfman head/gap combo of them all. It’s the only gap I own doubles of (two different metals), which is sort of silly, but I really like it.

So just got home from Wolfman and chatting with James and the story goes he made prototypes and figured out what was too aggressive and what was to mild and settled on a middle ground for the .61. He works in inches so with the conversion and adding a thousandth of an inch for finishing you get the mm. The other gaps were 5 thousandths up or down then eventually split those for something in between to get things like the .67


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