No Holds Barred Review: Why The Wahl Shaver Shaper Needed to be Replaced

Yo Hommie! What is Good!? Today's post is going to cover everything you need to know about the Wahl Five Star Shaver/Shaper. 

I’m the son of a barber and a lifelong fan of American barbershops. When Covid hit, I started giving my buddies some tips on how to keep their hair looking fresh while stuck at home. ... Long story short, we are now writing this blog. Its become an obsession lol

In this post, we are looking at one of the classic heavy hitters in a category I call micro foil shavers: the Wahl Five Star Shaver/Shaper.  

Your barber is almost guaranteed to be using a micro foil razor on you. Ever stop to think about why the professionals use this tool?  

This review is going to tell you everything you need to know about micro foil shavers. We are also going to open the pandora's box of why the Wahl Five Star needed to be replaced. This is a no holds barred review. 

Capiche? Scroll down NOW

When to Consider Getting a Micro Foil Shaver 

Do you want that crisp, clean fresh from the barber look?

Micro foil razors are designed to provide a close shave with less irritation. The blades are made of surgical-grade stainless steel, so they won’t rust or dull over time. Plus, the design makes it impossible to cut yourself no matter how close you get. You are gonna wanna use your micro foil razor for cleaning up and keeping your lines looking sharp.

What are you waiting for, bro? Say goodbye to those days of fuzzy stubble. Say hello again to feeling confident about your appearance every day without having any worries about nicks or cuts! Your skin will thank you too because these blades glide across the surface of your skin effortlessly without tugging at hair follicles like disposable razors do.

For guys like me who are styling their own hair, it would be a mistake to overlook the importance of keeping your cheeks looking fresh and clean (like a baby's bottom).  If you also want cheeks that the ladies immediately want to kiss then you have to put in the work. But, of course, you also have to have the right tools. 

Scroll down to find out more about micro foil razors including the six secrets that you absolutely need to know when choosing between the various micro foil razors on the market.

What to Consider When Getting a Micro Foil Shaver 

You deserve to look your best.

You know it may be time to ditch your rusty, Gillete razor and upgrade to a micro foil shaver. But you are not sure about the best manufacturer for said micro foil shaver - I got you, bro. 

The Andis ProFoil is frankly the leader in the micro foil category. We've reviewed it here. Wahl is also a heavy hitter in the micro foil game. It manufactures both the Wahl Five Star Shaver Shaper and the Wahl Five Star Finale. (There is also Babyliss who are coming straight out of the old country -- Italia, Viva Italia!) 

All three of these manufacturers are putting out micro foil shavers that are succesful in the market and respected by real barbers. These are products that deliver both quality and value. 

You have choices, bro. 

Today's post is going to review the Wahl Five Star Shaver Shaper. Because Wahl puts out both the Shaver Shaper and the Finale under the Five Star line, things can get a little confusing. Don't worry. I'm going to break down for you what is going with the Wahl Five Star Shaver Shaper specifically. 

In future posts, I will be comparing it to the Wahl Five Star Finale as well as comparing it to the competition from Andis and Babyliss. There is no 'home court advantage' on this blog. I have respect for all of the real deal manufacturers.

So here is the real question: how do you evaluate the various micro foil shavers that are available to help you take your facial hair game to the next level. 

That is kinda like asking what makes you, YOU? You have your own  preferences and priorities. But when it comes to micro foil shavers like the Wahl Five Star Shaver Shaper, I am pretty sure that the following five points will be useful for you 

Battery

Looking for portability. In that case, battery life is critical. 

There are a couple points here. 

First, how long does it take for the thing to charge up? Second, how long does it stay charged for?  

Corded and Cordless

It is more and more difficult to find an electric shaver that can be used both corded and cordless. 

A foil shaver that can be used both corded or cordless really is the second key aspect of portability. 

Size

Let's get one thing straight up front: size matters, bro. 

Yeah, I know what you are going to say: it is all just down to personal preference. Maybe.

But, size also has functional implications. 

Some of the smaller foil shavers on the market are simply too small to be used on a daily basis. 

A key consideration here is the number of 'shaving elements.' Scroll down to discover what we mean by a shaving element.

Power

My facial hair is relatively thick and coarse - what can I say. It must be the massive amounts of testosterone swirling around in our familial gene pool. Thanks, dad! 

Some small foil shavers -- think 'travel shavers' often with a single shaving element -- cannot hack it. The result? They get caught in my beard and either stop working or jerk mercilessly on my growth. 

I don't want this to happen to you. That is why it is so important to consider the overall power of any smaller foil shaver, such as the Wahl Five Star. 

Made in America?

This one is a wild card. 

Not everyone is going to really care about place of origin. For me it is important. As much as possible, I prefer to get my equipment made by skilled workers in factories that provide decent working conditions. 

The Wahl Five Star Shaver/Shaper

Allow me to introduce you to the Wahl Five Star Shaver Shaper.

The full name of this bad boy is the Wahl Five Star (5 Star) Cord/Cordless Shaver/Shaper.  

Yeah, that is a mouthful.

The Wahl Five Star Shaver Shaper comes in a red, plastic shell that is sometimes called dark brown or burgundy. The plastic shell delivers a  lightweight -- only 8 ounces -- rectangle, i.e., 3 x 6.5 x 10 inches.

The ON/OFF button is situated in the middle and it is large, and black. The foil guards are gold tinted. 

The Wahl Five Star Shaver Shaper is a classic in the American barbershop game. But, it is only recently being marketed to civilians. As we will describe in this review and other direct comparisons, the Wahl has introduced the Five Star Finale which is a newer and more expensive competitor (replacement?) for the old school Shaver Shaper. 

For either one of the Five Stars, you are definitely not getting a ‘jack of all trades’ (master of none) gadget. You do not want to be using the Shaver/Shaper to shave your entire face. Instead, a micro foil shaver like this can be a good fit for two types of guys:

• the young guy who is just getting started in his facial hair grooming journey (and has only light growth); and, 
• the more established gentleman who wishes to ensure that his lines are crisp and clean.

For the teenagers out there, I've written a specific post here. If you are an established dude who is starting to build your barbering at home arsenal, now might be the time to bring in some specialized tools.

The Wahl Five Star Shaver Shaper, could be an good move in that game. Let’s look at the features and benefits in additional detail below. 

Discover the Wahl Five Star Shaver Shaper’s Best & Worst Features 

Let’s dig in to why the Wahl Shaver/Shaper was a classic and what are the exact features that it could bring to your home shaving game. 

Staggered foil guards 

Like other micro foil shavers, the the Wahl Shaver Shaper has two staggered foil guards. 

There are  actually four elements of the design that you want to understand:

First, the rounded foil guards are thin. 

Second, the staggered arrangement of the foil guards keeps the razors at a sharp, 45° angle.

Third, the holes in the foil are just the right size. This allows stubble to slip easily in to the cutting chamber so that even very short hairs are cleaned away.

Fourth, the foil guards use gold titanium. This material is hypo-allergenic, it is yet another reason why the Five Star delivers irritation-free shaving.

The end result is that you are gonna get a very close shave, that is practically guaranteed to be closer than what you get with a normal electric shaver.

But, that is not to say that the closeness of shave from the Shaver/ Shaper is perfect. Both the Andis ProFoil and Wahl's own Five Star Finale deliver a shave that is consistently closer.

Powerful motor, but its kinda loud

If your facial hair is relatively thick or coarse, you already know that not all small shavers will be able to get the job done. You don’t want to be left with patches of stubble. A sufficiently powerful motor is gonna go a long way towards getting you a comfortable shave.

The Five Star’s motor is surprisingly powerful and gets up to a maximum of 9,000 strokes per minute (SPM).

By way of comparison, high-end shavers from Panasonic and Braun, i.e. the Arc5 and Series 9, respectively, feature motors in the low ten thousand strokes per minute. (of course, those tools also have more shaving elements.)

The motor on the Wahl Five Star Shaver Shaper is sometimes a little loud, tho. Please do beware that are some negative comments on Amazon about people who find the motor not to be quiet enough.

Decent NI-CAD Battery

The Wahl 5 Star Shaver Shaper is powered by a rechargeable NI-CAD (Nickel Cadmium) battery.

The battery will deliver 60 minutes of run time on a full, one hour charge. This is significantly less than either the ANdis ProFoil or Wahl Five Star Finale, which both run Lithium-Ion batteries.

NI-CAD batteries are an old technology. They are no longer seen as best in class having been surpassed by L-Ion technology. Also, the battery itself is toxic. But, they do have certain advantages, such as tolerating being decharged for a long time without dying completely. 

Corded / Cordless Operation 

Not only does the battery last a long time, but the Andis ProFoil was designed to be used either corded or cordless. This means that if, for example, the battery dies and the shaver powers off while in use, you can simply attach the power cord and BOOOM continued shaving.

Do be aware that the shaver’s battery will not charge while it is in use. 

Does Size Really Matter?

Size is a matter of personal preference perhaps, but it also has functional implications. 

Some of the smaller foil shavers on the market are simply too small to be used on a daily basis. 

A key consideration here is the number of ‘shaving elements’. In case, you don’t know: the number of shaving element is determined by the number of foil guards. There is going to be a real difference between shavers with one, two or three shaving elements. 

On the one hand, two shaving elements is definitely preferable to a single head. But, on the other hand, two shaving element devices such as the Wahl Shaver / Shaper are simply going to come up short when compared to a Braun Series 3 or a Panasonic Arc3, at least in some regards.

Why? What you need to know is that a three shaving element shaver is going to have two foils for shaving plus a third foil for trimming. This third, third trimming foil is going to take care of the ‘first pass’ -- it will quickly and efficiently get your facial hair down to a uniform, short length that can be tackled by the shaving elements. 

Precisely because it was originally designed for helping barbers to quickly finish off their clients, the Wahl Shaver / Shaper does not have the third foil designed for trimming. 

Price

This is the Shaver / Shapers main strong point. It clocks in at a price that is significantly cheaper than the Wahl Finale and slightly cheaper than the Andis ProFoil

Street Cred

While researching this post, I scoured the internet to see what other guys had to say about the Andis ProFoil. 

Most of the buzz is positive. From barbers posting videos and tutorials about how they use this little bad boy to ordinary Joes who are now using the Andis ProFoil at home.

For example, 

Alternatives

Don't worry if you are not sure that the Wahl Five Star Shaver Shaper l is right for you. Here are a couple other small shavers for styling a masculine beard with sharp and clean lines.

• Wahl 5 Star Finale
• Andis ProFoil
• Braun ProSkin Series 3

The classic competitor to the Wahl Five Star Shaver Shaper is Andis ProFoil . The Wahl Five Star Shaver Shaper is a bit more powerful but also less forgiving than the Andis. Furthermore, it is going to be more expensive than the Andis.  

You may also want to consider Wahl's newer product in the Five Star line: the Finale. We have reviewed the Wahl Finale and are just putting the finishing touches on that post.

If what you want is a three element shaver then I would point you in the direction of either the Braun Series 3 or the Braun Series 3 ProSkin. The third shaving element will be a trimmer that will make it more practical to shave your whole face.  This might well be a better fit if you are looking to shave your whole face. 

Conclusion

If you are tired of fuzzy facial hair and want to take your at home barber game to the next level, you need a micro foil shaver.

Wahl's Five Star Shaver Shaper was Wahl's first play in this category. It remains a decent choice, but has not really grown with the times. 

It could be a decent choice in specific circumstances, but I would suggest you check out either the Andis ProFoil (which both outperforms and is cheaper), or Wahl's own Five Star Finale which is the highest performing product in this category. 

We are working on a comparison review.