Recommendation? Chinese QShave adjustable stainless DE razor

[roaduck]

I only have cheap shaving gear because I can get good results and I don`t think my face is worth it frankly - it`s been to war zones etc.
I don`t need a mirror or a light to shave with a DE razor I can do it in the dark - all I need is a cup of water and a sliver of soap - no brush needed.
I`ve only used a shaving brush or foam a couple of times in my life - the two brushes are for my girlfriend`s legs - I don`t need them.
I can put contact lenses in with no mirror and get `em out - no problem.Of course I don`t need a mirror to brush my teeth or comb my hair either.

I have a total budget kit - $12 Chinese no brand cut throat straight used with $5 no brand strop with green jewelers 1 micron rouge and 2 fine Ardennes coticles - no idea what grit but in the thousands somewhere - couldn`t find `em today.I have flat diamond stones to get `em flat.
Mmm I have a short handle vintage 1960`s Gilette travel DE razor in a leather case with a clothes brush built-in the bottom - for traveling.
I have a cheap Wilkinson Sword DE razor and a couple of stainless Chinese DE razors - don`t ask the price - haha !
My new acquisition is something called a QShave adjustable (on the strop) - from China and it is very good with feathers and my carbon razor blades - no nicks - no nothing.
Just had another shave with the budget adjustable and no irritation or blood anywhere - I set it to 2.5 so a medium setting.
Apparently this razor is a Chinese copy of a German or American DE razor - I don`t know about posh razors and for five dollars, it`s simply amazing - I think the original designs are about $50-$60 ? - I don`t know I`m just guessing.
Just found it - It`s a copy of a German Merkur Futur and it`s about $70 so at 1/14th of the price, one can`t really be churlish.It gets good reviews.
The Chinese QShave is infinitely adjustable whereas the Merkur Futur only has 6 settings; so it`s more customisable.
Just found the QShave vs Merkur video review on YT - the guy is smiling - I wonder why haha !
It`s a bit lighter than the German Murker but it has no chrome to chip or wear off because it is solid aluminium alloy and is matt so gripier with wet hands.
I used to use Lord Rainbow blades in Hurghada, Cairo and Alexandria, Egypt but now I mostly use Lieres Carbons which are not stainless - they`re a bit like Treet blacks or the old-fashioned Japanese Feather carbons.
I just treated myself to 100 Treet Black carbons and 100 Egyptian Lord Rainbows - job`s a good `un.
One reviewer said the Treet black carbons go rusty - haha - it makes sure your razor is perfectly clean and dry when you put it away or it goes brown LOL.
My razor never went rusty - I no wonder - it was 107 degrees at midnight - Charlie, my pet chameleon was always drinking my beer - it was so thirsty.

The razor was less than $5 and is heavy - 3.1 ounces or 88 grams - the Merkur is about 5 ounces - 129 grams which is a bit heavy for me.Brilliant value and no stubble left whatsoever - smooth.
I do have tough tanned skin and lived in China, all over Europe, The States, the Middle East and Egypt.
I rub feathers on my jeans to get the bite out of them - smoother then haha !
I use old style glycerine rosemary soap, Imperial Leather (in the silver soap dish) or whatever`s at hand - washing up liquid - dishsoap , shampoo, shower gel - it doesn`t matter.

 

[brough]

After seeing my stock of cartridges was a bit low and then seeing the price to replace them, I knew it was time to move to D/E.

Shortly after reading your post, I ordered a black one of these Q Shaves. I am just now trying a variety of blades with it. I find the weight and balance works well for me and have been getting nice comfortable shaves with it.

I think I have about 20 different blades to try, so I have a bit of homework to do.

Thanks for putting this up.

P.S. I run it also around that 2.5 range but will be judiciously moving up and down as I check out the various blades. Very glad I switched.

 

[KenHash]

I stick to my Merkur and Edwin Jagger. Preferred blade is Feather stainless. Saves me enough money that I don;t need to look for
anything else.

 

[roaduck]

After seeing my stock of cartridges was a bit low and then seeing the price to replace them, I knew it was time to move to D/E.

Shortly after reading your post, I ordered a black one of these Q Shaves. I am just now trying a variety of blades with it. I find the weight and balance works well for me and have been getting nice comfortable shaves with it.

I think I have about 20 different blades to try, so I have a bit of homework to do.

Thanks for putting this up.

P.S. I run it also around that 2.5 range but will be judiciously moving up and down as I check out the various blades. Very glad I switched.

Hello there brough I am glad that my post piqued your curiosity and you took a chance and got a QShave black anodised razor - I think they`re great - full-stop and not just for the money.
You`ll save a bomb on crappy cartridge razors which just irritate and give you rashes and razor burn plus they don`t get as close as a double edge jobby.
I first set my QShave on about 2.5 on the dial which works fine for me as well brough.
I got some new blades as well - I found a hundred Egyptian Lord Rainbows on offer for less than £4 all inc and a 100 Treet Black carbons - but they were quite dear.
I get about 3-4 shaves out of the Lord Rainbows so it only works out about a penny a shave and a hundred should last me a year - easy - so terrific value and better for the planet LOL.
I saw the locals sharpen the Lord, Shark and Bolzano brand razor blades from Egypt and they could get about 8-10 shaves out of one which is incredible.
I adore carbon razor blades just like my kurouchi carbon knives.
I love Lord Egyptian blades - they are close, comfy and cheap as chips - used `em in Egypt all the time.
I know from living in Hong Kong and Macau that the Chinese are brilliant imitators, innovators and inventors.
I have tried Edwin Jaggers, Merkurs and some Parkers and personally I don`t think they`re worth the price including the astronomical labour and marketing costs of England and Germany - I might as well buy a Japanese Feather DE razor.
In the second picture down there`s a Gilette DE S/S travel razor inside the upper part of the brush case which is very handy for traveling.

 

[brough]

Hello there brough I am glad that my post piqued your curiosity and you took a chance and got a QShave black anodised razor - I think they`re great - full-stop and not just for the money.
You`ll save a bomb on crappy cartridge razors which just irritate and give you rashes and razor burn plus they don`t get as close as a double edge jobby.
I first set my QShave on about 2.5 on the dial which works fine for me as well brough.
I got some new blades as well - I found a hundred Egyptian Lord Rainbows on offer for less than £4 all inc and a 100 Treet Black carbons - but they were quite dear.
I get about 3-4 shaves out of the Lord Rainbows so it only works out about a penny a shave and a hundred should last me a year - easy - so terrific value and better for the planet LOL.
I saw the locals sharpen the Lord, Shark and Bolzano brand razor blades from Egypt and they could get about 8-10 shaves out of one which is incredible.
I adore carbon razor blades just like my kurouchi carbon knives.
I love Lord Egyptian blades - they are close, comfy and cheap as chips - used `em in Egypt all the time.
I know from living in Hong Kong and Macau that the Chinese are brilliant imitators, innovators and inventors.
I have tried Edwin Jaggers, Merkurs and some Parkers and personally I don`t think they`re worth the price including the astronomical labour and marketing costs of England and Germany - I might as well buy a Japanese Feather DE razor.
In the second picture down there`s a Gilette DE S/S travel razor inside the upper part of the brush case which is very handy for traveling.

I really like the travel kit. That is a nice setup. I will use the remaining cartridge stuff for trips and that will give me time to pick up a nice kit too. It is nice not to have to rush that.

So far I have tried a blade that came with the razor, a Treat Platinum Super Stainless, and a Feather Stainless. All performed very well with the Feather having a nicer "feel" to it.

While I have a bit of time right now I am going to order another soap and a Lime style aftershave.

Thanks,

Brough.

 

[roaduck]

That sounds great brough - can`t go wrong with Feathers if you wangle the angle etc.
You can pick up a new old stock gents grooming travel kit with DE razor / comb / nail-file etc on fleabay for 20 bucks and upwards ; depending on condition.You can always substitute your razor and customise it with a mirror and soap inside etc.
Like these ones

 

[Ironbut]

I stick to my Merkur and Edwin Jagger. Preferred blade is Feather stainless. Saves me enough money that I don;t need to look for
anything else.

Yeah, I kind of settled on the Feathers about 10 or 12 years ago. A pack of 50 on the big river retailer site is just under $30, and they'll last me about a year. I see they also have 100 Astra blades for $8.60, and they get a lot of good reviews. Has anybody used them? For that price, I'm tempted to try them & if I don't like them, I'll just give them away. No big loss.

 

[KenHash]

Yeah, I kind of settled on the Feathers about 10 or 12 years ago. A pack of 50 on the big river retailer site is just under $30, and they'll last me about a year. I see they also have 100 Astra blades for $8.60, and they get a lot of good reviews. Has anybody used them? For that price, I'm tempted to try them & if I don't like them, I'll just give them away. No big loss.

I;ve been using Feathers for about 10 years now too. I tried several other brands prior. People were telling me that they come "excessively sharp" and when I started I did nick myself fairly often. But once used to them I never had a problem. I'm still using my 50 pack from ages ago.

 

[Ironbut]

I have five packs of Wilkinson Sword blades in the drawer that I picked up somewhere along the way. I'm using them up now, and they're pretty smooth. Since I retired 10 years ago, I don't shave every day anymore, so even though I change blades after two shaves, it takes a while to use up a 5 pack of blades.

 

[XJ-linux]

Derby Extra, Proraso cake and a Black Beauty is all I use. Not very original, but it’s worked great for a decade or so. Good luck.

 

[roaduck]

I have not treated myself to any aftershaves for donkeys years so I went shopping online the other day.
I got erm Marmara Quash Cologne Kolonya in a 150 ml - 4 pack clearance offer for £8 quid.It`s the stuff that Turkish barbers use - the scents are - lemon, cherry, tobacco and olive - I`m not gonna grumble for the pittance I paid.

I also got 50ml of lemon and 50ml of lime essential oil to make my custom aftershave with red cedar oil, red grapefruit, osmanthus, oakmoss, jaborandi leaf, tonka bean, geranium leaf, basil leaf, black pepper, cinnamon leaf, clove bud and cypress wood obviously with 100% isopropyl alcohol - I`m a trained medical herbalist.I can cook with the citrus oils as well as treat people (soon `cos the oils degrade fast therapeutically) so I`m chuffed.
I got a 1kg cake of handmade rosemary and peppermint cooling glycerine soap which is great for sharing with friends and clients.
Plus I got Proraso Firenze Azur Lime Cologne 100ml which I`ve never had before but should be okay.
I got the 50 Feathers `cos I have heard so many good things about `em and only just tried `em - in a word - fab - no rash - no nicks - close as anything.
I have tough skin living everywhere hot for years and don`t even use suncream in the English Summer - I just go straight to brown - no red or flaking - I`m so lucky in that respect.
I am loving my Treet carbon blacks and Lord Rainbows I got for £4 quid for a hundred all inc - I`m laughing and they go in my new Chinese razor toy a treat.
Now I`m having 2 shaves a day because my lady friend has noticed me more and now shaving is a pleasurable breeze.


The Turkish barbers smellies - Marmara Quash Cologne landed today - total bargain for 8 quid and they`re all gorgeous - my other Irish girlfriend loves `em and she just put them on and her face isn`t even hairy - they must be unisex or something haha !
The pink one is the cherry one, the brown one is the tobacco one, the green one is the olive one and the clear one is the lemon one.

 

[dodgy]

Hi gang,

I'm slowly de-acquiring some shaving gear and here's one I enjoyed using. No need to keep it since I have a back up Progress to use.

It's an older Mergress.....one with the multicolored dots.

 

[roaduck]

Hi gang,

I'm slowly de-acquiring some shaving gear and here's one I enjoyed using. No need to keep it since I have a back up Progress to use.

It's an older Mergress.....one with the multicolored dots.

Oh they are gorgeous dodgy - they put my cheapies to shame.
I don`t think my face is worth the money haha !

 

[Ironbut]

I have not treated myself to any aftershaves for donkeys years so I went shopping online the other day.
I got erm Marmara Quash Cologne Kolonya in a 150 ml - 4 pack clearance offer for £8 quid.It`s the stuff that Turkish barbers use - the scents are - lemon, cherry, tobacco and olive - I`m not gonna grumble for the pittance I paid.

I also got 50ml of lemon and 50ml of lime essential oil to make my custom aftershave with red cedar oil, red grapefruit, osmanthus, oakmoss, jaborandi leaf, tonka bean, geranium leaf, basil leaf, black pepper, cinnamon leaf, clove bud and cypress wood obviously with 100% isopropyl alcohol - I`m a trained medical herbalist.I can cook with the citrus oils as well as treat people (soon `cos the oils degrade fast therapeutically) so I`m chuffed.
I got a 1kg cake of handmade rosemary and peppermint cooling glycerine soap which is great for sharing with friends and clients.
Plus I got Proraso Firenze Azur Lime Cologne 100ml which I`ve never had before but should be okay.
I got the 50 Feathers `cos I have heard so many good things about `em and only just tried `em - in a word - fab - no rash - no nicks - close as anything.
I have tough skin living everywhere hot for years and don`t even use suncream in the English Summer - I just go straight to brown - no red or flaking - I`m so lucky in that respect.
I am loving my Treet carbon blacks and Lord Rainbows I got for £4 quid for a hundred all inc - I`m laughing and they go in my new Chinese razor toy a treat.
Now I`m having 2 shaves a day because my lady friend has noticed me more and now shaving is a pleasurable breeze.


The Turkish barbers smellies - Marmara Quash Cologne landed today - total bargain for 8 quid and they`re all gorgeous - my other Irish girlfriend loves `em and she just put them on and her face isn`t even hairy - they must be unisex or something haha !
The pink one is the cherry one, the brown one is the tobacco one, the green one is the olive one and the clear one is the lemon one.

Wow! That's some impressive stuff.

I usually use plain old Thayer's Witch Hazel for aftershave. When I want to get really fancy, I have a bottle of the cheap Clubman Bay Rum. I think you can get it for about $7 a gallon, and when you put it on after you shave, it feels like you just set your face on fire. But I remember that stuff from the old barber shops when I was a kid, so it's a nostalgia thing.

 

[dodgy]

Oh they are gorgeous dodgy - they put my cheapies to shame.
I don`t think my face is worth the money haha !

Hi there,

Never think you treating yourself isn't worth while. Shaving can actually be a treat as you know!

That Q Shave razor gets decent reviews. I have an old Hoffritz/Merkur one I will use occasionally with good results.

Thanks for the post.

 

[roaduck]

Hi there,

Never think you treating yourself isn't worth while. Shaving can actually be a treat as you know!

That Q Shave razor gets decent reviews. I have an old Hoffritz/Merkur one I will use occasionally with good results.

Thanks for the post.

Ah bless you - do you know what dodgy I didn`t look in the mirror for years because I didn`t dye my grey hair and I`m not the vain type and I didn`t recognise myself and I thought to myself "Who`s That ?"
My friends think I`m mint and not ugly but I don`t like myself and can just about tolerate myself - too much water has passed under the bridge - I`ve not got PTSD from getting blown up by a landmine at 17 in the West Bank and dying and coming back 5-6 times etc, but I`ve definitely been singed a bit by life haha !
You can`t beat old fashioned witch hazel Ironbut - it`s mild and effective and cheap - just what cosmetics firms and big pharma hate - sod `em all - haha!
Clubman bay rum is a classic - can`t go wrong with that mate.

 

[Greg King]

After looking at this post I thought I would give one of these QShave razors a try. I thought if I liked it I could always throw some real money at a Merkur. My results were mixed. I liked the adjustable aspect and after a conservative start dialed down to "1" I worked up to a happy, much more effective "3". The drawback with this razor is that the handle has no knurling or texture. With a little water and soap it is as slippery as an eel. I will be on the hunt for an adjustable razor with a handle that I can hold on to.

 

[roaduck]

Greg just get an engineers bastard file on the handle it doesn`t matter if it looks a bit rough - it`s only cheap and health and safety gripping it wet is paramount or just using rough sandpaper on it - make it more matt.Practicality wins over aesthetics and really it doesn`t matter if it doesn`t win any beauty contests for a beautiful razor.anyday haha! I couldn`t care less what it looked like afterwards mate.-
It could be the new ugly duckling - I couldn`t care less.
Get a dremel (mini craft drill) with a grinder wheel on it - that`ll sort it out.Ask an artist mate to do it or a mechanic/engineer.Nothing much to lose.
Two concentric circles 1/16th -1/8th apart with an opposite 30 degree overlaid medium grind will do - doesn`t have to be exact for me - it`ll lend it character.iron out the inherent design foibles.
Just pretend it`s old lol.Or you can put erm silicone filler on it - job`s a good `un; that`ll do it.Or waterproof tape, bicycle handlebar rubber , erm cut down glued innertubes - glued rubber shims glued paracord - the possibilities are endless.
As long as it works and it`s comfy - that`s the main thing - customise it a bit lol.
I`ll show you mine after I`ve breathed on it - you`ll laugh your heads off haha !
Before and After - decisions decisions haha - I`m not kidding - it was only four quid - nowt to lose
I`ll get mine gripier than a Merkur but won`t survive OCD scrutiny - nevermind...next.
I`m a caveman anyway so anything smoother than a full beard is a decided improvement lol.
Oh I`ve got a confession - I bought my brother a Q Shave clone called River Lake from amazon on Saturday for his birthday - no shit - with 100 derby extras and straight away he put a couple of winds of thin cloth tape around the handle - he loved it straight away.
We`re both happy now.

 

[Scuttlery]

Bought the Feather Razor just to get stainless steel. Bought the Derby blades just because they were the cheapest I could find (and the store that used to stock 5 blades for $1 was always out of stock).

Fortunately, no problems whatsoever with the Derbys for me so far (reportedly Swedish steel, made in Turkey).



Now British Steel, that's something different entirely... Got quite an edge - even in sterling:

 

[roaduck]

Yep Scuttlery - Sheffield down the road from me invented stainless steel and crucible steel - moved the goalposts - advanced the industrial revolution almost overnight - My hometown , Manchester, split the atom.
Lovely mate.I love Egyptian - Lords blades - lived in Hurghada, Alexandria and Cairo for years - 100 degrees fahrenheit at midnight - lizards on the wall etc.