Chinese Razor Month

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No, this isn't a little known celebratory month.

I'm about to conduct a month using only my Chinese razors. The collection consists of:

Ming Shi 2000s
Ming Shi 3000s
Weishi Adjustable
Yaqi DOC
Yaqi Monster Hybrid
Yaqi Chrome Scalloped

IMG_20200323_160809.jpg

Unless a bloodbath ensues, each will be used for 3 shaves with a Gillette Winner blade. This will be the only common element.

I'm also going to give all my 'cooling' soaps and creams a run out so the following will be used for the first 8 shaves:

LEA Menthol
ESC Fuar Ach Snog
Extro Freddo
Proraso Green
Dead Sea Shave Maelstrom
Signature Soaps Eboracum
P&B Denali
Ingram Green

I'll report on my findings here.

What do we hope to learn from this endeavour? No idea. I doubt this thread will be of use to anybody but I haven't really got a lot better to do in these days and evenings of lockdown. If somebody reads this and is enabled to buy a Chinese razor and a 'menthol' soap, my work here is done.

Also worth noting that I'm easily distracted and there's every possibility I won't see this through.
 
No, this isn't a little known celebratory month.

I'm about to conduct a month using only my Chinese razors. The collection consists of:

Ming Shi 2000s
Ming Shi 3000s
Weishi Adjustable
Yaqi DOC
Yaqi Monster Hybrid
Yaqi Chrome Scalloped

View attachment 52907

Unless a bloodbath ensues, each will be used for 3 shaves with a Gillette Winner blade. This will be the only common element.

I'm also going to give all my 'cooling' soaps and creams a run out so the following will be used for the first 8 shaves:

LEA Menthol
ESC Fuar Ach Snog
Extro Freddo
Proraso Green
Dead Sea Shave Maelstrom
Signature Soaps Eboracum
P&B Denali
Ingram Green

I'll report on my findings here.

What do we hope to learn from this endeavour? No idea. I doubt this thread will be of use to anybody but I haven't really got a lot better to do in these days and evenings of lockdown. If somebody reads this and is enabled to buy a Chinese razor and a 'menthol' soap, my work here is done.

Also worth noting that I'm easily distracted and there's every possibility I won't see this through.

A nice selection of Menthol/Cooling soaps you have there Boyce.

What's the MingShi adjustable first on the left like? I have the other MS adjustable, which isn't great. My particular one has uneven blade exposure (more of a gap on one side than the other).

I really like the Yaqi heads I own though, aside from my Techs the DOC is my most used razor head; I've found it works well for a day's growth as it does for a few.
 
A nice selection of Menthol/Cooling soaps you have there Boyce.

What's the MingShi adjustable first on the left like? I have the other MS adjustable, which isn't great. My particular one has uneven blade exposure (more of a gap on one side than the other).

I really like the Yaqi heads I own though, aside from my Techs the DOC is my most used razor head; I've found it works well for a day's growth as it does for a few.
I've yet to use the 3000S on the left - it arrived last week. I've been pretty lucky with the 2000S as it seems pretty well built and the alignments are all ok. You can have the 3000S once I've used it (and Boris lets me go to the post office). I don't have the space for it and bought it solely out of boredom and curiosity.

The 2000S will be the first razor I use in this challenge/endeavour/thing.
 
Which is the one that is 3rd from left Chris ? ( Next to the tyre lever :) )
That is the Yaqi Chrome :

#Aliexpress ï¿¡9.24 26%OFF | Yaqi Chrome Color Wet Shaving Double Edge Safety Razor Gift

I've used an orange coloured version of this razor before and it was a good razor. I'm expecting similar performance from this.

The blue razor is the Yaqi DOC (used before with excellent results) and the beast on the right is the Yaqi Tony Monster Hybrid. All three of these have brass handles and zamak heads. The monster's handle weighs 200g - I've no idea how that's going to shave!
 
Today's SOTD: 28/03/20

The first of China month!

IMG_20200327_174845.jpg

Razor: Ming Shi 2000S
Blade: Gillette Winner (1)
Brush: RR 400 Silver LE
Soap: Signature Soaps Eboracum
Pre: Proraso Green
ASL: Proraso Green
ASB: Proraso Green

Two weighty bits of metal here in the form of the RazoRock 400 and the Ming Shi. I've only used the Ming Shi once before in my early days of this shaving style. I recall it being a bit assertive so I started with it on #2. As my skills have obviously improved, I found this a little lacking so increased the setting to #2.5 for the remaining two passes. A DFS finish was the result and it's a decent razor - especially since it can be had for £7.50 delivered from AliExpress at the minute.

The RR 400 performed brilliantly with the Eboracum and seems to be a very good brush. Signature Soaps always deliver so I opened with this to set the bar for the remaining soaps/creams. The Eboracum has a nice cooling effect - it won't be enough for 'Menth Heads' but it's very pleasant among the other ingredients within. I find the Signature Soaps unique in the scents they offer and I'm convinced I could identify one blindfolded in a line up. I'm no olfactory database but there's just something nice and natural about them.
 
Today's SOTD: 29/03/20

IMG_20200328_163001.jpg

Razor: Ming Shi 2000S
Blade: Gillette Winner (2)
Brush: Yaqi Chianti
Soap: Extro Freddo
Pre: Proraso Green
ASL: Floïd Suave
ASB: Floïd

Freddo means cold in Italian. It's also the name of a cheap frog shaped chocolate in the UK which is often used by prestigious universities as the benchmark product for understanding the impact of inflation. You've learnt two things reading this SOTD - Italian and Macroeconomics.

The Freddo croap is scentless meaning there's a bit of a cooking oil smell when on your face. That said, it has a very nice cooling effect that takes a while to arrive but is most noticeable when it does. Usual great slickness from an Extro product. I'm liking the Chianti brush as well.

The Ming Shi pairs well with the Gillette Winner and I'm enjoying this combination. It's a very good cheap razor - even of it is a rip-off of a Futur.
 
Today's SOTD: 30/03/20

IMG_20200329_164619.jpg

Razor: Ming Shi 2000S
Blade: Gillette Winner (3)
Brush: FS 28mm Silvertip
Soap: Ingram Green
Pre: Proraso Green
ASL: Pitralon Polar
ASB: Creightons

Final shave with the 2000S and I've enjoyed using this razor. To try and end on something educational I've looked on AliExpress today and derived proof you can have a great shave set-up for less than £20:

Yaqi 26mm Timberwolf: £7.20
Ming Shi 2000S (River Lake): £6.70
Palmolive Cream (Lloyds Pharmacy): £1.80
50 Gillette Winner blades (eBay): £4

Most of us knew this already but it's a worthwhile reminder.

Egyptian Ingram is a nice cream. Has a nice smell. Much nicer smelling than the Freddo but not as cooling.
 
That is the Yaqi Chrome :

#Aliexpress ï¿¡9.24 26%OFF | Yaqi Chrome Color Wet Shaving Double Edge Safety Razor Gift

I've used an orange coloured version of this razor before and it was a good razor. I'm expecting similar performance from this.

The blue razor is the Yaqi DOC (used before with excellent results) and the beast on the right is the Yaqi Tony Monster Hybrid. All three of these have brass handles and zamak heads. The monster's handle weighs 200g - I've no idea how that's going to shave!
200g plus the head! That's some morning work out, just don't drop it in the sink! :)
 
Today's SOTD: 31/03/20

IMG_20200330_090405.jpg

Razor: Yaqi Tony Monster Hybrid
Blade: Gillette Winner (1)
Brush: FS G4 24mm
Soap: LEA Mentolada
Pre: Proraso Green
ASL: L'Oréal Ice Impact
ASB: LEA

Continuing with the language lessons and the cooling soaps/creams. LEA Mentolada was used today. It's not immediately obvious but Mentolada is Spanish for Mentholated. With no clear cognate and the striking green packaging, one could be forgiven for thinking this would be an apple scented cream. It's not. It smells like normal LEA but with a mentolada effect señor. That's a good thing. It also performs as well as normal LEA - which is also good.

I was ready to write off the Yaqi Tony Monster Hybrid as a gimmick but it shaved surprisingly well. It's a little counterintuitive to use initially as you need to hold some of the weight off the head to reduce pressure but this gives a surprising amount of control, allowing you to add a bit of weight as required. The handle is grippy but too weighty to be a daily driver I feel. I competed three passes for a faultless face-feeler finish. I'm looking forward to using this razor again and also trying the head on a different handle in the future.

The FS G4 has actually improved after a few uses. The fibres appear to have softened which offsets the glue bump somewhat. I'm less disappointed now and this may turn out to be a good brush after all.
 
Today's SOTD: 01/04/20

IMG_20200331_145112.jpg

Razor: Yaqi Tony Monster Hybrid
Blade: Gillette Winner (2)
Brush: Yaqi Moka 2 Band
Soap: P&B Denali
Pre: Proraso Green
ASL: Williams A/V
ASB: Boots Freshwood

The Denali is ice cold. I hadn't noticed it before in use but using some other cooling soaps in precession to this has really shown me how cold this soap is. Very nice!

The Monster Hybrid is actually a really nice razor to use. I'm still quite shocked given my initial assumption of how it was going to perform. The handle provides plenty of grip and the hybrid head is a good performer.

If anyone is interested in the Hybrid head (I think Mellon-Cob is the correct name), this is it:

#Aliexpress ï¿¡3.69 | Yaqi Mellon-Cob Safety Razor Head
 
Today's SOTD 'Heavy Metal': 02/04/20

IMG_20200401_143358.jpg

Razor: Yaqi Tony Monster Hybrid
Blade: Gillette Winner (3)
Brush: RazoRock 400 SE
Soap: TOBS Peppermint
Pre: Proraso Green
ASL: Boots Freshwood
ASB: Boots Freshwood


A quick morning shave as I try and find a more work-like routine to help with the days and working from home.

Usual TOBS performance and a nice, but not overpowering, peppermint smell. I'm still enjoying the RR 400 brush.

The Yaqi Tony Monster is a keeper. I didn't think I'd be saying that before I started shaving with it. It has now been cleaned and placed back in the den for future use.
 
Today's SOTD: 28/03/20

The first of China month!

View attachment 52933

Razor: Ming Shi 2000S
Blade: Gillette Winner (1)
Brush: RR 400 Silver LE
Soap: Signature Soaps Eboracum
Pre: Proraso Green
ASL: Proraso Green
ASB: Proraso Green

Two weighty bits of metal here in the form of the RazoRock 400 and the Ming Shi. I've only used the Ming Shi once before in my early days of this shaving style. I recall it being a bit assertive so I started with it on #2. As my skills have obviously improved, I found this a little lacking so increased the setting to #2.5 for the remaining two passes. A DFS finish was the result and it's a decent razor - especially since it can be had for £7.50 delivered from AliExpress at the minute.

The RR 400 performed brilliantly with the Eboracum and seems to be a very good brush. Signature Soaps always deliver so I opened with this to set the bar for the remaining soaps/creams. The Eboracum has a nice cooling effect - it won't be enough for 'Menth Heads' but it's very pleasant among the other ingredients within. I find the Signature Soaps unique in the scents they offer and I'm convinced I could identify one blindfolded in a line up. I'm no olfactory database but there's just something nice and natural about them.
Love the phrase Olfactory Database!
 
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