nsavage
nerroneous at best.
- Joined
- Nov 17, 2015
- Location
- South Australia
I received this razor a couple of weeks ago and have used it around 7-10 times. Normally I would put the razor away for a week or two and come back to it for another week of shaves before posting a review but I feel that even after this short period of use I can post a meaningful review of the razor. I am omitting pictures as I am sure that everyone has seen these razors somewhere by now.
The razor is very well made. It is solid stainless with a good amount of heft to it. Some time ago I would have said that this razor was too heavy for me but since I have really dialled in a nice light touch I can confidently wield a razor of even this weight (funnily enough and on a complete side note I learnt how to use a really light touch from two extremely light razors the Merkur Bakelite 45c and the Fine Superlite).
The head of the razor is a nice slim profile and the top and bottom cap fit together like a glove. Loading a blade in to the razor is a dead easy affair with the blade aligning perfectly every time. The ends of the blade are fully enclosed by the head. The head holds the blade firmly in place and there is absolutely no flex or chatter in the blade. The handle is extremely hefty and this is where the bulk of the weight comes from. The handle itself is probably a little long for my liking but having said that it has not caused me any problems either.
Now on to the shave. A lot of people have labelled this razor as being aggressive. I think that the majority of people that have made this claim are comparing the razor directly to Joe at IB's previous Stealth Slants and I do not believe that this is a fair comparison. Personally I do not feel that this is the case. For me the razor is extremely efficient and I get a nice close shave in two passes and an easy BBS in 3 passes.
As aggressive as the razor is I still find it to offer a nice smooth shave. It does remind you that there is a blade in the razor but in a nice non threatening way. I am not saying that you could not cut yourself with this razor (I think you could pretty well cut yourself with any razor really) and you do need to use a nice light touch and give the razor some respect but all in all it provides a nice easy, close and comfortable shave.
My V4 Stealth Slant by comparison also offers a very very easy, close and comfortable shave. Although the V4 Stealth is the most aggressive of the aluminium Steath Slants produced I do not have to put a lot of thought in to shaving with it. If I use a little too much pressure it is no big deal, likewise if I go over the same spot a few too many times I am less likely to get any form of aggravation from the Stealth Slant.
The V1 Stealth Slant is even more forgiving again and from my understanding requires zero concentration. What I am saying is that they are completely different razors. I feel that a lot of people have purchased the Wunderbar thinking they will get a razor similar to the Stealth Slant and this is not the case. The Wunderbar requires a significantly better technique in order to get a good result.
I have used a variety of blades in the razor (Voskhod, Astra Platinum, Polsilver SI and Rapira Swedish Supersteel) and all have worked well with the razor.
The razor is a reasonable investment in terms of cost. Currently they sell form IB for $130 USD + Shipping (when they are in stock and available, lets not start a conversation about this please, I personally feel that this is a poor and frustrating business model but do not want to go in to a long discussion about it once again) and you would be hard pressed to find one on a BST for less than retail price.
Initially there were the usual types that were trying to flog them for 2-3 times their retail price but thankfully this has stopped. I thought long and hard before biting the bullet on this razor and was very concerned that I would have buyers remorse when I received it. Thankfully this has not turned out to be the case and I am very happy with the razor. It will be staying in the den for a long time
.
What use is this review without everyone getting a good understanding of what razors I like?
My top razors (no order):
Mergress XL (set on 5)
Razorock Stealth Slant v4
Merkur 45c
Weber PH (still early days for this razor but still snuck in to the list)
EJ DE89
The razor is very well made. It is solid stainless with a good amount of heft to it. Some time ago I would have said that this razor was too heavy for me but since I have really dialled in a nice light touch I can confidently wield a razor of even this weight (funnily enough and on a complete side note I learnt how to use a really light touch from two extremely light razors the Merkur Bakelite 45c and the Fine Superlite).
The head of the razor is a nice slim profile and the top and bottom cap fit together like a glove. Loading a blade in to the razor is a dead easy affair with the blade aligning perfectly every time. The ends of the blade are fully enclosed by the head. The head holds the blade firmly in place and there is absolutely no flex or chatter in the blade. The handle is extremely hefty and this is where the bulk of the weight comes from. The handle itself is probably a little long for my liking but having said that it has not caused me any problems either.
Now on to the shave. A lot of people have labelled this razor as being aggressive. I think that the majority of people that have made this claim are comparing the razor directly to Joe at IB's previous Stealth Slants and I do not believe that this is a fair comparison. Personally I do not feel that this is the case. For me the razor is extremely efficient and I get a nice close shave in two passes and an easy BBS in 3 passes.
As aggressive as the razor is I still find it to offer a nice smooth shave. It does remind you that there is a blade in the razor but in a nice non threatening way. I am not saying that you could not cut yourself with this razor (I think you could pretty well cut yourself with any razor really) and you do need to use a nice light touch and give the razor some respect but all in all it provides a nice easy, close and comfortable shave.
My V4 Stealth Slant by comparison also offers a very very easy, close and comfortable shave. Although the V4 Stealth is the most aggressive of the aluminium Steath Slants produced I do not have to put a lot of thought in to shaving with it. If I use a little too much pressure it is no big deal, likewise if I go over the same spot a few too many times I am less likely to get any form of aggravation from the Stealth Slant.
The V1 Stealth Slant is even more forgiving again and from my understanding requires zero concentration. What I am saying is that they are completely different razors. I feel that a lot of people have purchased the Wunderbar thinking they will get a razor similar to the Stealth Slant and this is not the case. The Wunderbar requires a significantly better technique in order to get a good result.
I have used a variety of blades in the razor (Voskhod, Astra Platinum, Polsilver SI and Rapira Swedish Supersteel) and all have worked well with the razor.
The razor is a reasonable investment in terms of cost. Currently they sell form IB for $130 USD + Shipping (when they are in stock and available, lets not start a conversation about this please, I personally feel that this is a poor and frustrating business model but do not want to go in to a long discussion about it once again) and you would be hard pressed to find one on a BST for less than retail price.
Initially there were the usual types that were trying to flog them for 2-3 times their retail price but thankfully this has stopped. I thought long and hard before biting the bullet on this razor and was very concerned that I would have buyers remorse when I received it. Thankfully this has not turned out to be the case and I am very happy with the razor. It will be staying in the den for a long time
.What use is this review without everyone getting a good understanding of what razors I like?
My top razors (no order):
Mergress XL (set on 5)
Razorock Stealth Slant v4
Merkur 45c
Weber PH (still early days for this razor but still snuck in to the list)
EJ DE89
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