Thread: Heribert Wacker Straight Razors?

I am sure Wacker razors are nice. If you would like some options, though, take a look at this razor:

6/8

Originally Posted by bmf2001

I purchased a 6/8 Wacker and was supposed to receive it shave ready. It shaved fine to me but when I sent it out for custom scales I was told that it looked like it was honed poorly with tape because the bevel had two angles on it, especially at the heel on one side. Being new I probably would have never known but it still made me upset because that's not what I paid for. Once the bevel was reset and it was rehoned it has been one of my top shavers. I've been shaving for ten months now and now prefer larger blades. So I sold the 6/8 and purchased a 7/8 which despite purchasing it on the 13th I won't receive it till after Thanksgiving. I'm not too happy about that but I just hope this one is properly honed because if it is you can't go wrong with a Wacker.

I don't know how the razor was honed, but you can't assume that a razor was improperly honed merely because it's got a double bevel coming out of the factory. Let me explain. First and foremost, if a razor shaves quite well, the honing did what it was supposed to do. But more important to understand is that people who buy new razors expect NEW razors. And factories and resellers will tend to hone with some protection to the spine in order to preserve the look. This might cause a bit of a double bevel, but that's irrelevant if the razor shaves well. In microanalysis, simply stroping creates a double bevel, rounding the very tip somewhat more than the honed edges. At any rate, you need to understand that any seller or honer has a dilemma on his hands. If you don't use tape, there will be hone wear and some people may say unkind things about that and possibly harm your business. If you do use tape, the customer may you of using tape on a perfectly honed razor that's extremely keen and truly shave ready people may say unkind things about that, too, possibly harming your business again.

The shaving quality is the real way to tell if a razor is honed well. You don't know how the factory honed. You don't know how the retailer honed. You don't know how the honemeister honed. And it really doesn't matter because the effectiveness in shaving is the sole arbiter of how well a razor was honed in the end. I feel sorry for some of these guys selling and honing. They can get a blade that some nitwit burned up on a buffer and will NEVER get shaving sharp and still get beat up by word of mouth about his honing skills. In spite of the fact that there are so many different ways to do things and get a good result, it is all too easy to think any way but the one you favor or know about or trust is wrong. And that's not always the case. So I tend to give these fellows a break. The test of the honing is the shaving.

Thanks guys


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I picked up a Wacker in an eBay lot that was sans scales (I still wonder how a relatively new razor ended up in a junk razor lot, but I digress). After making some nice horn scales for it I honed it up with a vintage coticule and it really takes a very nice edge (Shaved with it the other day). I agree with Gugi in that it is nothing like a Dovo. The only "new" razor I've come across similar is the Breidor 3 crosses that came in the purple scales that you saw for some time awhile ago on eBay. Both of these razors have a similar grind and shave nearly identical to me, but nothing like a new Dovo does. I do like the Wacker very much though and had no real issues honing it, but the Breidor actually took a couple times to dial it in so I could see how the Wackers could as well (I swear these are identical razors with different blade etches....).

I have several including the French point at the beginning of the thread. I hone all my razors even if they are 'shave ready' from the vendor. I like all of them, in fact my round point wedge is one of, if not the best shaving razor I have and I have quite a few custom and vintage blades.

I bought the 1/4 grind Spanish point unhoned. Honed it up, I thought it honed pretty easy, and it took a wonderful edge.