is it true that wapienica razors do not have any logo's or trademarks on them? if so how do you know that it is a wapienica? does not sound good to me.
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is it true that wapienica razors do not have any logo's or trademarks on them? if so how do you know that it is a wapienica? does not sound good to me.
I don't think anything else really looks like a Wapi......and some of them do have an "SFK" (I think thats what it is) marking on the tang.
A Wapi will sometimes have a tang stamp. Lately, they do not. However, anybody who has handled or used a Wapi will immediately recognize them Making a knock off of a Wapi would be like counterfeiting nickels. It wouldn't be worth it for just the metals content.
Here ya go.....one of mine that is marked....
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h1...rked_15001.jpg
Ah, so these are the Wapis I've seen mentioned here on the forum. Made by the same Wapienica company that makes saw blades, drill bits, and such? Just curious, what kind of reputation do they have, and what about them makes nothing else look like a Wapi?
(Now I've got South Pacific echoing in my brain. "There is nothing like a dame, Nothing in the world. There is nothing you can name, That is anything like a dame!")
~~Rich
I couldn't tell you about the tools....I don't know much about their history. With the original scales Wapi's stand out like a sore thumb, but even with custom scales the blades themselves have a pretty unique look and shape to them.
They can be bought NOS (New Old Stock) off Ebay for about $21.00 including shipping. The company had gone out of business (thats my understanding) back in the 1970's and the inventory was stored and forgotten about until fairly recently. They have a reputation (despite the low cost) of being very good shavers. Many of the members here have one if not more. The quality is (usually) good although some junkers have been known to show up. Every now and then one with the SFK stamp will turn up as well.
IMHO you can't go wrong with a Wapi purchase - I have 4 myself and I know of another member who is making a 7-day set with them. A pretty well-recommended purchase.
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h1...arked_1500.jpg
^^^ I will second the "Great Shaver" comment. I just bought one and am loving it so far!:tu
ok thanks guys for all the info. there are some for sale on ebay so i thought i would ask before i bought.thanks
never mind. they are already gone.all 15. must be a good choice
Send a PM to Mike_ratliff.....he bought a bunch and was honing them and selling them to members for an excellent price. He may have ordered more than he needed (he took orders first from interested members). Mike is a real stand-up guy. I've bought quite a few razors from him. He always makes sure they are nice and sharp before he sends them out, so no worries there!
Just chiming in that I used the Wapi as a cheap entry to shaving, it seems a good deal.
I like the simple metal scales, but it'd be nice to put new scales on it, as I've handled a couple other razors and liked the balance on the others better. I think some folks also drilled holes in their stock Wapi scales.
I grabbed one of Mike's Wapis, and they are great shavers. The cold surgical look they have is kind of neat, though the scales are a bit heavy. He had such a huge response, he is gonna start accepting orders from a website somewheres...I guess keep an eye on the B/S/T wapi thread for more info from him.
I think the seller generally lists them in sales
of a certain number. When they're all gone I think he
reposts more. The seller I bought mine from
on ebay was stamps222. Mine doesn't have a logo,
but hey, for $21.00 you can't expect much, although
I agree it gives a great shave.
John
I just bought two of these on EBay and they look so nice, I can't wait to get them and see them in person....it will be sad when I have to send the away right after I get them to get them honed.
My one complaint about straight razors so far in my research is how boring and uninspiring all of them are in apearance, which is what drew me to these. (that and the recomendations and price)
But I guess its the fact that they can make us look that much better that makes up for it.
The Wapi is a real sleeper at its price. Mine is a great close shaving blade. I put wooden scales on it and the balance is perfect. I found it very easy to hone to a fine edge.
Other folks sell the shave ready ones too. :tuQuote:
Originally Posted by p379
I already mentioned that the Wapi is a great shaver and value. Here's how it looks in dark scales.
I know I've seen Wapis with a different stamp somewhere on the site here, but maybe that was before the crash.
I recently came across 2 of these, check out the one on the left...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y17...s/S5300484.jpg
Right now these are not for sale, I've only seen a couple of these out of probably 150+ Wapis that I've handled.
I was wondering if anyone knows anything about them... likes dislikes compared to other Wapis?
I'm planning on keeping 1 of them for myself, and if they are well thought of, adding the second to my drawing.
I have quite a few (I do sell them shave-ready and very popular they are too). I think the logo on the left in the above post is a later SFK logo. I have also seen 5/8 and 9/16 Wapis and the blades are different - the 5/8 are more of a wedge. All take stinkingly good edges! I've never noticed any difference between non-stamped and stamped blades in terms of quality and I do have quite a few logo'd ones in stock.
Mike, I have one of those too. It's now in my rotation it's that sharp! It has taken an edge better than any of the SFK's I've had.
I think the stamp says 'SFM'
I'm sure there was more than one manufacturer making this type of surgical razors for the Soviet Union Hospitals.
But the SFK is the only one I've seen that comes with the original manufacturers document in the color cofin from the Wapienica Factory
Documents, colour coffins?!
What is Wotjec doing with all these accessories?!?!? :D
This pix was posted by Wojtec
http://img211.imagevenue.com/loc497/..._122_497lo.JPG
Hi
I am relatively new to straight shaving,and am currently using a Shavette with good results. I have a shave ready Wapi in the post. How would you approach it,to keep it shave ready. What process would you follow. I have a good strop, 0.5 to 3.0 micron diamond balsa paddles,a yellow and blue coticle. I am determined to use a proper straight and keep it shave ready,unfortunately my first straight was a disaster.
Regards
I think if you have all of that, and you are already getting it shave ready, you are well ahead of the ball game. Chances are you will be fine with just your plain strop for some time, and then perhaps just a touch up here and there on your pasted strop. It could be quite awhile, depending, before you need to take it to the hone.
On another topic, perhaps our own Wojtec can answer this one, as he's the one who found these and got us all into them in the first place...have any of the ones shown up with the plastic scales? I know when he first found them there were some "regular" ones available, but those went fast and I've not seen them since.
Wapienica also is not the only manufacturer to make surgical razors, the first straight I bought, probably 1999 or so, was a French army surgical razor which was manufactured quite similarly, albeit in France. I did not know anything about care of straight razors at the time, but was simply curious. I ended up destroying the razor unfortunately.
Still, they were made to be used as tools, likely sent in bulk to the hospitals/army/etc and "looking pretty" simply did not matter. Nor, in most cases, did trademarks. Not like the world of communism was exactly a capitalist heaven, with one manufacturer wanting to identify itself from another. Although I could be wrong....
John P.
Just as a slight aside - Wapienica is of course not the maker, it's the town in Poland they come from. I guess it would be like calling every razor made in Sheffield 'Sheffields' - not a bad idea but SFK are the makers in this instance, not 'Wapienica'. The unbranded Wapis are still like as not made by SFK - in any event, I find them exactly the same as to blade spec and they hone identically.
well
Wapienica come in three different "flavors":
1 - a reversed triangle with letters SF on top and K on bottom
usually plastic box have a same logo ( reversed triangle and letters the same way as the razor)
2 - stylized letters FSM , where SM is a part of letter F
plastic box should have a logo of reversed triangle and letters FS on top and M on bottom)
3 - not marking at all, plastic box usually have a logo as a reversed triangle with SF on top and K on the bottom
I know this is an old Thread but i couldnt find a more actual one.
Got this nice Wapi at Dec. 31st. and thought it could be intersting for you that it has a german written Box alltogether with the newer type of SFM Marking, its 11/16".
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