H&S P076 316SS DC Passaround – New Standard in SS Artisanal Razors at a Bargain Price

First Impressions from Sunday Night Shave



Wholly Kaw -  off-the-puck first impressions:

I was already a fan of Wholly Kaw: I have King of Oud (tallow base) and 1776 (vegan base). Both lather easily, have exceptional slickness, and delightful scent. Like music and wines, I lack sophistication to describe the qualities intelligently, but I do recognize excellence when I encounter it. The soaps included in this package  do not smell like anything I ever encountered, but they are beautiful. (I have the same reaction of KoO and 1776; I can’t describe them, but they are sublime). As a former pipe smoker, I will say that out of the container I detect the tarry resins of tobacco in La Supérieure. (I preferred cavendish; in my youth my Dad was a Prince William in a can man).

I passed them around the dinner table to get initial impressions off the puck. I just had to share some of the comments.

Valentyka (universally the favorite among all)

• reminds daughter of Ariana Grande perfume
  
• The lobby of a luxury hotel with marble floors and gold gilded columns
  

Vor V (close second)

• Flowers, then smoke
  
• Flowers, then woody
  
• Faint essence of deli turkey
  

La Superieure (not a favorite among family members)

• Pumpkin gourd
  

The Actual Shave

I selected the Vor V as the first, as it was my favorite from the first sniff test. It lathered quickly and easily, and I hydrated to a high level of "bloops." It lives up to high Wholly Kaw standards. Excellent slickness and glide, very tasteful level of scent. (I do NOT detect any deli turkey).

In principle I am not a fan of dual comb razors; the lack of symmetry just kinda violates my feng shui. The first pass was dedicated to the OC side, two subsequent passes used the SB. The razor is quite efficient, and very smooth. Angle was intuitive, and it shaves beautifully. No irritation or weepers at all. No touch ups were required. 

Next was the head shave. Like the face, I the first pass used the OC side. I was nearly finished after only one pass. That is quite a feat. I performed the second pass ATG, also with the OC and only had a few touch ups. The razor was astoundingly efficient and comfortable on the head. I also discovered a benefit of the dual comb: it was very nice to use the SB on the thin skin on the top.

I look forward to a few more shaves with this razor, and will provide a more thorough review of my experience. So far, this is a great start to the week with a great razor.

Shave #2

Tonight I used the Valentynka. I went to the website to learn what notes are there, but the notes were not helpful to me. All I can say it is floral and very much to my liking. 

I used only the standard bar side tonight. I find the weight perfect and well balanced. The shave was very smooth and efficient. I was done at two passes, but performed a third to luxuriate in the soap. To what can I compare the H&S P076? It puts me in mind a little of the Edwin Jagger 3one6, but the H&S is much more efficient and also much more comfortable. I appreciate the slight blade feel, but am amazed at how comfortably it shaves. I had absolutely no irritation.

The Wholly Kaw Bare splash/toner felt very good. I was left with skin as slick and smooth as a dolphin.

Shave #3


Tonight I enjoyed the La Superieure Dolci Tobacco cream. It lathered quickly and easily, and provided a thicker, creamier lather than the other two. The hint of tobacco resin disappeared upon lathering, developing a pleasant, sweet but not floral scent. Like all Wholly Kaw scents I have experienced, the Dolci Tobacco is expertly blended and elegant. Would I purchase a full tub of this? Yes, as well as Valentynka and Vor V.

For the razor, tonight I focused on the open comb side. Again, two passes on the face were a complete shave. I did a gentle ATG pass using the standard bar side. Head shave was the same, with open comb on sides and fringe, standard bar across the solar panel. Another successful irritation-free shave.

Final Thoughts

H&S P076 Razor

I had one last shave this morning. Perfunctory shave, not a luxury shave as I needed to get to the PO. Three easy passes on the face, two on head, no touch ups. Open comb side is smooth, provides more blade feel, but there is no sharpness or discomfort from the open comb tines. Straight bar side is smooth; not Rockwell/Karve butter smooth, but very comfortable. Although I should not have been, I was surprised that BBS had found me. The efficiency and smoothness of this razor is outstanding. Well-crafted, beautifully polished.

Personally, I would go with a straight bar. I really like the aesthetic of an open comb, but my experience with this and other razors tells me my skin prefers SB. Although I got outstanding BBS results on the dome, I prefer a razor lighter in weight. I would be very happy if and SB head were my only face razor.

Wholly Kaw Soaps

I used each soap twice. Each of these scents appealed to me greatly, and I cannot pick a favorite. Aside from great slickness and ease of lathering, I would describe the lather as "silky." I am going to miss these soaps.

Razor and soaps have been cleaned, packed, and sent to the next fortunate recipient. I feel truly privileged to have spent a week with such excellent shaving tools. Many thanks to DanLaw whollykawand Aji.

First, I want to really thank Dan, Aji, and Sri very much for making this Passaround happen.  This kind of event is a fantastic way to allow people to try out items that they may not have had access to without making an outright purchase.  For me, if I really love an item that I tried out in a Passaround, I usually purchase it.  If it is an expensive item, I save my pennies for a few months until I can comfortably make the purchase. 

This is the second Passaround that I participated in with DFS. The first one was for the Alpha Outlaw razor. Guess what, I fell in love with the razor and purchased one.  That would not have happened if I was not introduced to the razor in the Passaround. 

So let’s start with Wholly Kaw. 

I am not new to the brand. I have the following:  Tempest, Iced Tea, Vor V, and 1776. All impressive. I have not tried a cream yet, so I was very interested in using the La Superieure Dulci Tobacco shave cream.  I used just a little and effortlessly created an exceptional bowl lather. Performance was excellent and the scent was exquisite. On my list to purchase. 

I followed up with the Bare Naked toner. I picked up no scent at all.  Not greasy. Skin feel was very nice. 

Now for the Haircut & Shave PO76 316SS DC razor.

The case protects the razor well and provides a top shelf presentation for the razor. Very easy to travel with if that’s something you want to do. The razor is flawless. Especially with all of the use that it had during this Passaround, it looks like I was the first person to use it. I love how the handle looks and feels. The gnarling is sharper or rougher than other razors I have used, but like the feeling in my hand. Talk about a “mirror” finish, it is a mirror all over, even under the cap. 

I used a new Astra blade.  First pass with the open comb. Second and third with the closed. The shave was extremely smooth, but efficient. It was one of the closest shaves I ever had. No irritation, cuts, redness, perfect. A razor like this just makes you feel good!  It’s the kind of razor you just love to look at. 

I am a bit of a newbie when it comes to premium razors. I only have two of them (Alpha Outlaw and Timeless SS 0.68). I can certainly tell the differences between them. 

A few suggestions for the H&S…. I have seen it mentioned before, but a stand would be great for this razor. Also, I would love to see the H&S logo engraved somewhere on the razor. I will definitely be getting one in the near future  

Hi guys!

I have a question for you owners of a P076.

I really love this razor aesthetically. It’s really a beauty!

But I’m not sure if it will suit me or will be too aggressive for daily shaves.

Can you compare the P076 with other razors in terms of aggression?

Hi guys!

I have a question for you owners of a P076.

I really love this razor aesthetically. It’s really a beauty!

But I’m not sure if it will suit me or will be too aggressive for daily shaves.

Can you compare the P076 with other razors in terms of aggression?

The P076 has some blade feel so you know exactly where it is, but not excessive or aggressive feelng. Judging by your SotD posts, I think you have a Carbon Cx and a Blackbird - the P076 feels less aggressive and less blade-forward than those. You have a Vector Ti too - to me the P076 feels closer to my Vector - present blade feel but not aggressive.

In terms of efficiency, I’d say the P076 is below the Blackbird but more efficient than the Carbon Cx. Again, probably close to the Vector with a Schick blade.

Also, if you like the ultra slim head profiles of your Carbon Cx and Vector, you will enjoy the P076.

My opinion.

Hi guys!

I have a question for you owners of a P076.

I really love this razor aesthetically. It’s really a beauty!

But I’m not sure if it will suit me or will be too aggressive for daily shaves.

Can you compare the P076 with other razors in terms of aggression?

The P076 has some blade feel so you know exactly where it is, but not excessive or aggressive feelng. Judging by your SotD posts, I think you have a Carbon Cx and a Blackbird - the P076 feels less aggressive and less blade-forward than those. You have a Vector Ti too - to me the P076 feels closer to my Vector.

In terms of efficiency, I’d say the P076 is below the Blackbird but more efficient than the Carbon Cx. Again, probably close to the Vector with a Schick blade.

Also, if you like the ultra slim head profiles of your Carbon Cx and Vector, you will enjoy the P076.

My opinion.

Thanks for your opinion mate, and for looking for what I’m using. Great info!

For example the Blackbird is a bit too much for my skin to use daily (unless I do WTG-XTG avoiding ATG). But it’s a pleasure to use with 2 or 3 days growth.

Easy; squarely ever so slightly above Wolfman WR1 0,61, say a 0,64.  With an Astra, would be about spot on to 0,61 Wolfman WR1