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Battle of the All Stainless (Wapi vs Dovo vs Bartmann)
On the chopping block:
1. Dovo All Stainless, 5/8
2. Wapienica 11/16 NOS (stamped, in case you wondered)
3. Bartmann 6/8 square point single bevel
(Note: no rating scores were entered for this review, as I'm comparing three separate razors.)
Recently, I was on the hunt for a new razor with the simple criterion that it be constructed wholly of stainless steel. On the SRP forums, I heard various suggestions -- and decided to take it upon myself to acquire the two top recommendations (Wapi & Dovo) as well as the one odd-ball -- the single-bevel Bartmann which many members warned me against... but more on that topic in a moment...
All three razors were purchased brand new in the box, never having been used nor seen the light of neither hone nor strop. As you know the Wapis are all NOS -- and typically sell for approximately $40-$50, WHEN you're able to find one. I picked mine up here on the SRP classifieds, sealed in its original box from the 1970s. The Dovos are a contemporary product, available from many dealers - and tend to cost $150 to $200 (though I lucked out through a dealer who was having a massive sale and picked mine up for under $70!). The Bartmann, as far as I know, is only available at this time from ShavingShop.com (the exact link is 6/8 Original Bartmann Japanese Style Single Bevel Square Point - stainless steel handles : Shaving Shop - luxury classic wet shaving products - straight razors). These sell for $99.
Onto the review. I'll first let you know my own bias. I am one of those purists who doesn't believe in the HHT. I approach straight razor shaving from the standpoint that a good razor should give you a good shave; there's only one test that matters in my book: the GST -- the Good Shave Test. Shave with the razor. Was it a great shave? Great. I'll thus comment briefly on aesthetics, and then move on to the shaving experience.
AESTHETICS
Scales:
As you can see from the photo, these three razors are kissing cousins. Next to the 6/8 Bartmann and the 11/16 Wapi, the Dovo's blade seems rather slender beside them. That 1/16 of an inch really makes a difference even at a casual glance. But the Dovo has bigger issues. The Wapi and Bartmann both have shiny, mirror-finished stainless handles of sturdy construction -- they feel like a nice hunk of metal in your hand. The Dovo's scales are of a satin finish, which somewhat diminishes the gleaming aesthetic of an all-stainless product. But the real fault of the Dovo is the construction of the metal scales -- they are flimsy and pliable. Hold yours too firmly and you'll bend the scales to the extent that the blade will no longer close perfectly centered. Nicking a brand new $200 Dovo blade is not something you want to do, so you'll need to take extra care to make sure your scales remain stiff. Expect some routine re-bending to keep this Dovo in tip-top shape.
Points:
The Dovo has a classic rounded point. The Wapi its trademarked acquiline nose - angle-sloped to a nice curve. The Bartmann has a simple, efficient square point. Handled properly during your shave, I personally am of the opinion that the point makes very little difference - purely aesthetic - and I ran into no issues with the square point versus the round ones.
Weight and Balance:
The Wapi has such an almost "cute" blade -- so diminiuitively short -- and it weighs in at 1.865 ounces. That said, it's small scale factor is well-distributed, so the balance feels wholly natural in your hand.
The Dovo weighs almost 10% more than the Wapi -- 2.030 ounces. Here the Dovo again falls to the bottom of the bunch. The aforementioned scales start to feel like plastic in your hand. The blade is of absolutely magnificent construction - an absolutely brilliant work of heavy craftsmanship. But blade vs. scales is a losing proposition and as such, the balance is unwieldy, ungainly at best. Definitely takes some getting used to.
The Bartmann is the behemoth of the bunch, weighing in at 2.600 ounces. That's a full 40% heavier than the Wapi! Clearly, we're in a different league here. But, delightfully, and very much like the Wapi, the Bartmann's balance is excellent - the heaviness of blade vs. scales is a nice even draw, and although some will not want such a heavy razors, those of you who do enjoy a substantial razor will certainly enjoy the sense of confidence that comes from handling a razor with such sturdiness and purposefulness.
The Ground:
Normally I wouldn't figure the grinding of the edge into a review of the aesthetics, but since the Bartmann is one of the only razors you'll find -- apart from all those fantastic Japanese models -- with only a single bevel, this flat-backed plainspoken quality of the Bartmann certainly becomes part of its aesthetic. The other two razors have the double-bevel you'd expect, so they call no attention to themselves in this respect.
THE SHAVE
Spoiler alert: sacred cows will be slaughtered in this review...
The Wapi stands out in its tiny compactness. I understand why this razor has such a following. It really makes for a super speedy, near effortless shave. That said, I almost found this a bit off-putting, as though I were using a "lady bic." Ok, I take that back completely. That was far too severe of an overstatement. But it really would fall into the category of wonderful first razor. Something a dad should give his son for his first straight razor shave. It provided a great shave. (Passed the GST.) But the tiny blade fills up with hair and lather very quickly. I like this razor a lot -- but it had very stiff competition...
The Dovo -- which fell so flat in the aforementioned areas -- finally found a venue in which to justify its steep, steep price tag. What a blade! This is a razor that takes an edge and holds it. Although it's the smallest in height of the three (5/8), when shaving with the Dovo you have the sense of tremendous meat behind the edge -- the steel simply radiates power -- and the shave it produces is impeccable. Unfortunately, the awkward balancing act of the flimsy handle takes away from what should be a world-class shave. Passes the GST with flying colors. But this is clearly a flawed design overall.
The Bartmann. Ahh -- time to slaughter that sacred cow. Back when I was first shopping around, nearly everyone who replied to me in the forums warned me away. Some went so far as to say "this is not a razor," or "this was never meant to be used for shaving." Their point was that it is a microtome used for taking tissue samples. Having now shaved with the Bartmann I can finally reply: nonsense! This shave was revelatory! I confess I was fully expecting a lot of awkward facial choreography -- with only a single bevel, I was going to have to switch hands back and forth or stand on my head or... Not at all. Although I know this review will likely engender the wrath of senior members who will explain to me why what I'm saying is impossible, I'm here to tell you that I was able to shave as normal. Holding the beveled edge to my skin, OR the flat edge, produced a clean, extraordinarily close and comfortable shave. I'd heard about the extreme learning curve with Japanese single-bevel razors. What learning curve? I tried shaving with it just as I would any other in my rotation and the result was a superior GST. I love this razor! Heavy, 6/8, square point, balanced, strong, secure, and yet fully maneuverable. Yes, Virginia, there is a way to shave with the "back" of a razor -- same way as you shave with the front.
SUMMARY:
Dovo products are legendary and for good reason. But, due to the hefty price tag and flawed construction of the scales, I can't recommend the Dovo All-Stainless as highly as I would the other two.
The Wapi has a devoted following for good reason. Nice and compact, very well balanced, and super shiny. But I believe many will find the diminuitive size a bit off-putting. Especially someone like myself who was specifically looking for something of all-metal construction, industrial aesthetics -- to end up with such a small blade feels a bit off the mark.
The Bartmann, although only available (in limited quantity I believe) from the aforementioned shop, is really a fantastic addition to the rotation. It's exactly what I imagined in an all-stainless razor: weight, gleam, balance. And the one alleged deficit (single bevel) turned out to be a non-issue. I'll therefore be the first dissenting voice to tell you that there is NOT such an onerous learning curve with single bevel razors -- at least not THIS one. I'd highly recommend it -- it's an industrial looking beauty at a totally reasonable price point, in my opinion, for something brand new and in limited supply.
- Mark
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Originally Posted by mrgad
