Should I return these Wackers?

Hi,

I just received the Wacker 1/4 hollow and wedge and and have some questions.

The Wedge is very unevenly ground at the nose:

Attachment 80756
Attachment 80752
Attachment 80753


It's also more of a 1/4 grind than a wedge in my opinion.

Joseph Rodgers Wedge

Attachment 80761

Wacker Wedge

Attachment 80758

Le Grelot Quarter Hollow

Attachment 80755

All 3 for comparison:

Attachment 80754


The 1/4 Hollow also seems more like a 1/2 Hollow.

Le Grelot Quarter Hollow:

Attachment 80755

Wacker Quarter Hollow:

Attachment 80757

ERN Half Hollow

Attachment 80759

All 3 for Comparison:

Attachment 80760


Would existing owners of this set be able to reply if this is a normal grind for these razors?

Also, would the unevenly ground nose be sufficient reason to return the Wedge for another one?


Many thanks!

Wai

The uneven nose is common with almost every razor I have ever seen, a non issue in my opinion. As for the slight discrepancy in the grinds I have to ask, does this really bother you, or was it simply unexpected?

Wait a while and some of the more serious Wacker people will show up with their opinions and ideas. I own one Wacker, and love it.

Im not a wacker guy but it doesnt seem too far off the mark to me. A near wegde and looks like a 1/4 hollow to me.

Contact the vendor with your questions.

Where is this uneven nose?

Thanks for the replies and help.

I'll try using a proper camera :-)

Wackers, my two anyway, are really good shaves. The term wedge is almost a misnomer IMO. All have a certain amount of concavity to them or they couldn't be honed. I was never good at figuring that half, quarter and what have you stuff. I mean like when is one a quarter and another a half. If the cosmetics bother you that much send them back. OTOH, as long as the grinds are correct visa vis the spine and edge they are undoubtedly stellar shavers.

You could always send them to me.....:fim:

This looks to be a great set. I have been eyeing for awhile.

If it was me, I'd hone them and enjoy the shaves! :)

Edited Original post with new pictures.

I LOVE Wackers. I have 6. 2 large hollows, two 1/4 grind, the stosser mod 4, and the Kielschliff. They take more fussing on the stones than some, but deliver shaves I just love.

Of the 6, 3 have what I would call flaws. The two hollows have some warp. 'Not really bad, but If I were in a store and saw it, I would decline the purchase. The Stosser has scales that are misaligned. The Kielschliff and 1/4 grinds are flawless, and my fav. shavers. I could repeat that last line alot.

Now that said - I think such flaws are to be expected more in a production razor at production prices. It detracts from pride of ownership, and would be reflected in any resale price. I recently purchased a new razor from the manufacturer. It arrived with chips in the inside edges of the scales, and the blade is quite warped. I am working with them now, having returned the razor. My orientation is that customer service is easy when everything goes right. When there are issues, its an event that will have strong influence for good or ill. When Toyota had a recall on the Lexus 400 in the mid-90s, they handled it with overwhelming class, and no one remembers the recall. They remember the class. When I was cleaning up a member's razor that had a crack in it, a sizable chunk fell away from the blade. We both knew it was walking wounded, and was acquired without much expense. I sent the member a blade I knew he loved, and it was the most beautiful production razor I've ever handled. It was critical that anyone trusting me with their gear could do so with full confidence. I don't regret doing that at all. If the seller or manufacturer took this approach, can you imagine the lavish praise that would be seen by so many for their excellent performance? The story would be retold to others many times, and prospective buyers would buy with confidence. I would like to see more of this kind of performance.

Wai,
If you are uncomfortable with these razors, you will continue brooding over the problem. For a peace of mind, therefore, return them to the vendor for a replacement. Explain you expect more of a quality razor, and for the money you've paid for it.

As has already been pointed out, there is some variation in grind from different manufacturers. The older Sheffields were always chunky regardless of how they were defined by grind. A Case Red Imp wedge & a C-mon wedge would look different to each other also.
The nose grind is cosmetic & easily remedied by the maker or a 3rd party.

If it bothers you, yes. I don't think it's uneven grint, it seems that it's just the rounding at the tip that's uneven. If you want to convince yourself just cover the profile of the razor in the picture in solid color, so that the reflections don't trick you. It's a fairly easy thing to fix too, can be done even with just sandpaper or hones, but it's not your job and if you want it symmetric you should arrange that with the vendor.

As far as whether it's quarter hollow, or half hollow, I bet it'll shave much more like a quarter hollow razor rather than a half hollow razor - the grind is pretty stiff. And of course the denomination is only an approximation.

My first razor was a new 5/8 Wacker and I am a little disappointed with the wood scales as they are a bit warped looking and I think the razor pin is misaligned as the razor closes unevenly and the monkey tail comes in contact with the scales when opening. When I close the razor I have to put pressure on the end of the spine so it does not start cutting into the wood and when closed there is about 0.5mm gap between the edge and the scales but about 2-3mm on the other side.

Well wood being a natural product it can warp over time but I think the pinning could have been more central.

I guess being a manmade product it can show manmade flaws but being a relatively expensive (for me) razor I was expecting perfection or perhaps I am just too fussy and expecting too much for my first razor.

The razor itself seems high quality and the grind looks even which is the part that comes in contact with your face so I have no issue there.

I have learnt to live with the above but I guess if you are not truly happy you should contact the vendor ASAP before you use the razors as others have said you will probably never be content with your purchase otherwise.

Few months ago I bought Wacker "Stosser" Mod.4 which was advertised as a wedge. When I recive the razor, I saw that it is not wedge at all (more like 1/4 hollow if we compare it with old sheffild wedges). I was little bit dissapointed and think about returning it back to the vendor but I did not do that. Now, I am glad that I did not return the razor back. It becomes one of my gratest shavers. Pretty easy to hone also. So, my advice is to keep those razors, give them a shoot, you will be sattisfied for sure and if you want true wedge you have to go with vintage sheffields.

Contacted H Wacker and he told me to send the wedge back. He also assured me that the profiles are correct.

Just received the wedge from him and the "grob" had been ground a bit straighter.

Hurrah ;-)

Good to hear that Herr Wacker's customer service is excellent.

The Wedge nose is simply... beautiful!!!
(at least from what I can see from your pictures, of course...)
But if you don't like it, we can discuss how to dispose of it :rofl2::angel:

It doesn't look so bad to me but of course it's not mine.

True wedges are really rare and mostly found in razors from the 1800s before they knew about hollow grinding.

It's good to see that kind of customer service, If you are not happy with the product you should send it back. I think you did the right thing.
Sam

Wai,
Congrats! Now you can shave with confidence and peace of mine.
Cheers