Birthday Shave 2019
Wolfman WR2-.125DC/WRH7XL
Elite Razor Fender w/30mm Declaration B6 Knot
B&M Cool Reserve Soap and A/S (a gracious gift from a fellow member)
Feather (1)
It was a few days late, but it was well worth the wait. The reward was the...best...shave...EVER!
James smashed it out of the park here my friends. The WRH7XL is large and heavy. A giant leap forward from the std size which I have but find too dainty. Paired with the WR2 head, it balance at the heel of the knurling allowing head extension from the grip point. It was plenty grippy and the additional length allows me to rest the butt on my pinky. In my hand, it's perfect. It felt a little lighter than my WRH1 100mm but just as present.
1st pass - XTG face, WTG neck open comb side on 4 days growth. It's smooth like the WR2-95SB, so yes, the head will maintain that buttery smooth feel across the blade gaps. I'm thinking WR1-86+in efficiency with blade feel closer to a 74. This razor took everything down in 1 pass. I could have stopped and been presentable for a full work shift, date, church, etc.
2nd pass - XTG face, ATG neck safety bar side. I immediately prefer the SB face feel. If there is a slight efficiency gain with OC, I don't care. It's not worth the difference in face feel to me. Plenty of blade feel but it's just butter smooth. The head is slightly taller/rounder than the WR1 and feels like it. My neck is 80% BBS and that is a better result than average.
3rd/4th pass face only WTG/ATG - Essentially clean up passes, very little to do although I knew exactly where the blade was the entire time. My face map is odd. It's easier to do full WTG/ATG passes if I want to be as smooth as possible. I end up with a better shave.
With only 1 shave, it's the best razor I own. No question. The WR1's are great pieces of hardware but the WR2-125/WRH7XL is in a class by itself. If I am going to be super picky, I'd trade it for the SB head. The DC was the easiest way for me to confirm which I preferred but that is settled now. SB is the only way for me. It eliminates the real or imagined effects of uneven blade wear.
I'll give it a weeks worth of shaves and report back. Happy shaves my friend.