Yaqi adjustable razor

[GlazedBoker]

Unfortunately, Yaqi reimbursed my purchase of the Yaqi Ultima as I was one of the last ones to place an order. I lucked out as they sent me an email shortly after they confirmed my purchase that it was no longer in stock (there were 2 left when I placed mine but, I guess they were already accounted for and there must have been a lapse of some sort) yet, they were gracious enough to offer me either a Brass TFC or Chrome at a nice discount but, I responded that I’d prefer the refund as I have both already. I asked about availability in the near future and they were noncommittal stating that it wasn’t in the works for now but, could be some time down the road. Just have to wait and see. Bummer.

In the meantime, I got my shave on with the Brass version with a Gillette Minora blade installed. A very nice shave indeed that went from 5 to 3.5 and down to 2 for the final pass that was mostly for touch ups and a buff around the chin. BBS result without a single mishap or irritation. Though I’ve had my eyes set on a SS version, the Brass will fill in nicely until that day comes and the Ultima is available again, I hope.

 

[Iridian]

I got the Yaqi Ultima. In the end it's now likely to have any significant differences to the brass version and little to the zamac design known as Yaqi Final Cut.

I like it enough to have ordered a pound stand for it, likely to arrive with a Yaqi Mellon head by Friday.

I got it with the Yaqi Harlequin which I just like way better.

Dialed up or dialed down, the exposure of the razor is positive and always works nicely. In fact the gap is playing 2nd fiddle for this design.

The razor was of best flawless quality, I had to fiddle a bit to match the zero/minimal setting exactly to the metal dot on the handle. This is done just like for the Rex Ambassador and all Gibbs based designs.

Disassembly is relatively easy, but for a full disassembly what every shave it is too much nevertheless. That's an advance of 3 piece design.

The razor is tiny, both handle and head. The Rex Envoy has a way grippier handle.

The Envoy was always a bit rough to me, so maybe it's not really an Ambassador on setting 3-3.5. For I can dial up the Yaqi Ultima to max and it feels milder. Mist be an exposure thing, not sure about that.

This is one of my few adjustables and my first non zamac adjustable.

The feature to adjust the gap did little to me. Exposure and other characteristics stay the same.

So while I found more appreciation for the Gibbs based adjustable designs, I must say that I find it rather gimmicky. The only adjustable that also adjusted the exposure and not just the gap is the Tatara Muramasa. Or something like that, might have butchered the name.

I know for some slants don't work nicely. For me it's rather the opposite, I get along with slants really well but have no real appreciation of adjustable razors.

 

[Convencional]

Perhaps that Ultima is available again, right now only 8 left...

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005614261526.html?

 

[edw]

Perhaps that Ultima is available again, right now only 8 left...

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005614261526.html?

Just ordered one.

1 left.

Hope it worth.

 

[Ron R]

DE SOTD, Friday, August 18th 2023

Razor : Yaqi TFC adjustable- Mfg 2021>, all ranges, interesting design based off the Gibbs 1930's adjustment design but takes regular Gillette blades. I usually get some nice shaves with this simple razor and it is affordable which is even better IMO. Had a close shave this morning.
Blade : Gillette (P&G) Perma sharp(2) sharp and smooth with reasonable longevity.
Soap : Cyril R Salter Wild Rose cream- nice scented rose scent 6/10 with excellent lather qualities.
Brush : Yaqi "Casino clubs" 26mm Timber wolf knot, excellent lather generator, luxury cloud like soft tips, nice splay scrubber + excellent lather painter. One of my favorites for sure.
Pre shave : (Dedicated Cashmere synthetic)Brush wash whole face with CeraVe hand bar cleanser with a dollop of clear Aloe Vera on the cleaned beard area.
Prep : Cold water rinse after each pass of 2 + pickups. WTG(3) + ATG(3) + pickups(4 setting).
Post shave : Witch hazel soap residual cleanse + Nivea refreshing AS lotion + a dollop of CeraVe moisturizing lotion(scentless).
Results : or CCS,DFS,BBs + no irritation + 2 blemish weepers= Excellent shave this morning with my Yaqi TFC adjustable with a Perma sharp blade.

Have some great shaves!

 

[GlazedBoker]

Just came in today but, can't give it a run as I shaved earlier today. Most certainly though on the shave ticket for tomorrow morning. Ordered and delivered in under two weeks. That's good for me being on the US east coast. Box is huge for this little thing but, it was protected well and looks spotless with a very nice mirror like polish.

Stay tuned.....

 

[Asktm]

I had tried the final cut and liked it much but I could only use it setting 1. I hope the Yaqi will do these adjustable razors more mild.

 

[GlazedBoker]

Initial shave is done and went better than expected. Much better actually. I won’t go into a whole breakdown and explanation of tolerances, quality, build or alloy make up as those attributes have been spoken and explained exceptionally well in this thread. Further shaves will be needed on my part just to get a good overall feel for the Yaqi Ultima before I sing or denounce its praises. The things that I will comment on are on initial feel of the tool in hand, the quality in process of adjustment through its gap/size ranges and most importantly, blade fitment and its preciseness. One other thing, this tool is a fingerprint magnet. The quality of polish on this razor by Yaqi is world class. I must admit at seeing this high nature of a polish I was feeling rather apprehensive that the fitment of the blade could be in question if the grade of polishing wasn’t done uniformly especially within the head and cap area. Fingers were crossed.

Feel = This is a small razor in hand. It’s actually quite close to the original Gibbs Reglable in physical stature. But, it has excellent weight that is balanced just right under the head giving a neutral feel on weight bias, neither head or handle heavy. Small in my hands yet, still workable and comfortable to hold. When wet though, it changes things a bit but, we’ll get to that later.

Workings = The adjustment mechanism and the range of that adjustment was very smooth and seemed consistent without any grinding, skipping or overall roughness through its complete movement from setting #1 all the way around back to setting #1 (technically setting #7 or #7.5). The adjustment plate gave no indication of being canted or off tolerance with a blade installed that to my naked eye I could perceive. The whole movement was fluid, smooth and consistent. Big plus for me there.

Blade Alignment/Fitment = As I touched on briefly in the paragraph above, the blade fitment was spot on, at least to my naked eye. No fiddling, meddling or holding the blade precisely to keep it centered and aligned properly. The tabs did their job as expected and gave a near perfect alignment on both sides of the working ends with identical exposure and reveal at every minute movement of the dial going up or down on the ranges, left - right on the knurled adjustment knob. Kudos to Yaqi for precision and quality of that aspect.

The shave was quite good. I did 2 full complete passes with no touch ups, pick ups or buffing. Reason is I went for broke and ripped it wide open on setting #7-7.5ish. At that setting, it’s got some significant blade feel but, not a ferocious or harsh feeling in my first go. That said, it will slice a few layers of epidermis if you slack for a moment. After the first pass I brought it down to setting #3.5 or abouts and it felt really good with a nice trio combo of smoothness, efficiency and blade feel. I used a Polsilver Iridium for this shave and it was an excellent choice. The razor was easy to use and wield around the face and contours of the skin & neck area as well. Only issue I had in this first shave was with the handle itself. The problem is knurling or better yet, the lack of it and the near nonexistent fact of tactile feel once the razor goes into full shave mode with lather, soap and hair hanging on one’s hands. Perhaps I’m a bit of a weirdo but, I enjoy good tactile feel whether by knurling, serration, ridges or what have you on a handle that would provide ease of use and adjustment within the hands that gives me near thoughtless maneuverability within the shave. Maybe I’m just spoiled with the excellent handles that are now offered from these razor manufacturers and handle makers that I take it for granted. Nonetheless, though not a nullifying factor in disregarding and classifying this tool as useless, it does contribute initially that slippage and moments of error are more easily attained by no one’s fault of their own. A couple touches on the alum block helped alleviate that issue but, the minor inconvenience that this situation causes still has to be noted and spoken of for the sake of transparency. One minor detail is the numbering on the dial. Some color would have helped here. Black and a red marking point would have done wonders on the aesthetics side and visually helped equally.

Overall it was a good performing shave and I look forward to getting in a few more and putting the Yaqi Ultima through its paces with some heavy whisker growth in the coming days and weeks. I think it will excel in that department as well.

Great shaves to all….

 

[Iridian]

I cannot help but feel disappointed. You focused exclusively on the razor.

They did not send you a Yaqi steam mask for the eyes?

 

[GlazedBoker]

I cannot help but feel disappointed. You focused exclusively on the razor.

They did not send you a Yaqi steam mask for the eyes?

Oh No! They actually did....

 

[walpan]

It appears that Yaqi also has an SS Adjustable Ultima with a different handle. This one has knurling similar to the Envoy. Also, more expensive.

 

[bdehne]

I used my TFC this week. I had not used it in a long time. When I first tried it, it always felt rough. This has happened to me with other razors over the years, they are rough at first, I let them set and think about what they have done then I use them months later and everything is different. This time around, the TFC delivered. Smooth and very close. Started at 2.5 for the first pass and 1.5 for the second pass and touch ups. Sometimes, you just have to let a razor sit and stew for a while.

 

[GlazedBoker]

Went ahead with shave #2 this morning though hair growth was minimal. Yesterdays shave with the Ultima & Polsilver pairing gave me nearly 16 hours (I shaved at about 4:30am yesterday and finally felt some whiskers peeking through at nearly 8pm) of whisker free face feel rubbing. No small feat and I was very surprised by the longevity of the shave. Didn’t think it was that close but, I was proven wrong. Today I set it at 2.5 and just did an ATG pass with a touch up/buff on the chin. Good as new and smooth everywhere on both face & neck. No irritation to speak of and just 2 small weepers near the stache area. No issues with the handle and grip as I kept my fingers on the alum when needed. Damn, I sure wish it had some knurling though. Maybe Yaqi will offer just handles for their Ultima owners so one can swap out to their liking. Probably not but, one never knows.

Another great feeling shave by the Ultima.

 

[GlazedBoker]

3 days of whisker growth as I wanted to see how the Yaqi Ultima would take on some decent stubble fully wide open and ultimately how my skin would feel at the end. I still had the Polsilver Iridiums blade installed with this shave being its 3rd. Cracked it wide open a full turn back to 1 (7) after a full shower threw on some Fine Platinum suds and it was off to the shave races. 2.5 passes later, it was a complete BBS finish that rivaled some of the best results I’ve had in the past few months. Super nice and efficient feeling shave with some nice face feeling smoothness as I dialed it down to 4.5 then 2.5 for the final 1/2 buff-pick ups pass. A really awesome shave that was top notch in feel & comfort. No nics, cuts or irritation to discuss and just the tiniest of weepers at the corner of the stache. The razor and blade combo felt firmly planted on the skin with no skipping or blade deflection which can give a sort of skittish feel as the razor glides across a particular area. It cut through the he whiskers with ease yet firm authority on each stroke. It felt really good and balanced transitioning from North to South and also left to right and vice-versa. Overall an extremely pleasant shave from start to finish that just raised the question in my head “Are these Asian made razors really closing the gap on quality & performance against their US & European counterparts?”

The Yaqi Ultima is making a case so far. At least in my shave den. Great shaves to all…

 

[Ron R]

DE SOTD, Tuesday, September 19th 2023

Razor : Yaqi TFC adjustable- Mfg 2021>, all ranges. Based off the Gibbs 1930's adjustable razor mechanism, well built and uses a standard Gillette blade. I enjoy this affordable adjustable and use it in my large rotation. Had a close comfortable shave this morning.
Blade : GSB (3) sharp and smoooth with reasonable longevity.
Soap : Razorock Santa Maria del Fiore, nice mild tobacco scent with vanilla + excellent lather qualities.
Brush : Yaqi :Moka Express" 26 mm Husky knot, excellent lather generator, heavenly luxury cloud like soft tips, gentle scrubber + excellent painter.
Pre shave : (Dedicated Cashmere synthetic)Brush wash whole face with CeraVe hand bar cleanser with a dollop of clear Aloe Vera on the cleaned beard area.
Prep : Cold water rinse after each pass of 2 + pickups. WTG + ATG + pickups.
Post shave : Razorock Santa Maria del Fiore AS with witch hazel + a dollop of CeraVe moisturizing lotion(scentless).
Results : or CCS,DFS,BBS + no irritation + no weepers= Had a close comfortable shave this morning with my Yaqi TFC with a GSB blade.

Have some great shaves!

 

[Tonikallinn]

Want to add that i have the cheapo TFC from Yaqi. It is an absolutely fantastic razor. My first razor was the Muhle R89. I'd say setting 1 on the Yaqi is ''similar'' to the R89 but it's wayyy more efficient. With the R89, i had started to use a lot more pressure for it to be more effective. With the Yaqi, i have it set at 3 for the WTG pass, let the razor do all the work and my face is almost smooth after one pass. This is with the german Wilkinson Sword blade

My only gripe with the TFC, is that the handle is not grippy enough!

I really want to try Rockwell's T2, now....

 

[GlazedBoker]

Pulled out one of the better performing “cheap/budget friendly” adjustables made today. Set it at #3 and finished on #2 for a really smooth yet very effectively efficient 2.5 pass shave. I have very little negative to say about the Chrome TFC V3. The tightening knob on the bottom of the handle gets a little squeaky and does offer some slight resistance from time to time. The #’s on the dial might be a bit hard for some to read especially in the early mornings for me and blade rigidity could be slightly better for my tastes but, it works well enough as is. But, it’s mostly aesthetics and on the performance end of it, it just simply delivers a very satisfying shave. It works really well with most any blade I’ve used, primarily Feather, Gillette’s (Minora, Green, Yellow, Black Ninja’s, Platinums) Bic Chrome Platinums, Shark Platinum & Rapira Lux’s. I can’t say that the razor has ever given me a bad shave. It can be aggressive and bitey if one happens to get a bit nonchalant or lazy in their shave if the TFC is opened up in the upper ranges but, it’s not a scary shaver nor intimidating if one goes about a normal shave routine and is aware that there is a sizable gap with some blade exposure. In the end it’s a much better option than any of the other sub $50 Asian made adjustables out there and has proven to be quite reliable in almost the 2 years since I’ve owned it.

It works and I enjoy the heck out of it. Great shaves to all…

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Pulled out one of the better performing “cheap/budget friendly” adjustables made today. Set it at #3 and finished on #2 for a really smooth yet very effectively efficient 2.5 pass shave. I have very little negative to say about the Chrome TFC V3. The tightening knob on the bottom of the handle gets a little squeaky and does offer some slight resistance from time to time. The #’s on the dial might be a bit hard for some to read especially in the early mornings for me and blade rigidity could be slightly better for my tastes but, it works well enough as is. But, it’s mostly aesthetics and on the performance end of it, it just simply delivers a very satisfying shave. It works really well with most any blade I’ve used, primarily Feather, Gillette’s (Minora, Green, Yellow, Black Ninja’s, Platinums) Bic Chrome Platinums, Shark Platinum & Rapira Lux’s. I can’t say that the razor has ever given me a bad shave. It can be aggressive and bitey if one happens to get a bit nonchalant or lazy in their shave if the TFC is opened up in the upper ranges but, it’s not a scary shaver nor intimidating if one goes about a normal shave routine and is aware that there is a sizable gap with some blade exposure. In the end it’s a much better option than any of the other sub $50 Asian made adjustables out there and has proven to be quite reliable in almost the 2 years since I’ve owned it.

It works and I enjoy the heck out of it. Great shaves to all…

View attachment 1775502

To me the Yaqi adjustable is okay, but I prefer the shave of the ultra inexpensive Asian, the SNMR. I've forgotten exactly what it cost me, and couldn't find the information, but, as I recall, it was in the $10 to $15 range including shipping and the stand. The top cap is held on with magnets. It delivers a very nice shave.

I can't easily find the SNMR offered anywhere at the moment, but didn't look on the Chinese vendor sites.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Ron R]

DE SOTD, Thursday, January 25th 2024

Razor : Yaqi TFC adjustable- Mfg 2021>, all ranges. Well made and finish is great + very affordable. It is one of my favorite adjustable razors with no blade tab overhang. Had a close comfortable shave this morning.
Blade : Gillette Perma-sharp (1) sharp and smooth with great longevity. Top tier in my shaving space den.
Soap : Cyril R Salter Wild Rose, nice scent of rose with excellent lather qualities.
Brush : Yaqi "Lucy dice" 26 mm brown whiskers synthetic fan knot. Excellent lather generator, luxury, heavenly cloud like soft tips, nice splay scrubber + excellent lather painter. Another large handle + 26mm Yaqi synthetic knot makes my day!
Pre shave : (Dedicated Cashmere synthetic)Brush wash whole face with CeraVe hand bar cleanser with a dollop of clear Aloe Vera on the cleaned beard area.
Prep : Cold water rinse after each pass of 2 + pickups. WTG(2) + ATG (3) + pickups (4 setting).
Post shave : Razorock Amici splash with witch hazel + a dollop of CeraVe moisturizing lotion(scentless).
Results : or CCS,DFS,BBS + no irritation + no weepers= Had a close comfortable shave this morning with my Yaqi TFC adjustable with a Gillette Perma-sharp blade.

Have some great shaves!

 

[Ron R]

DE SOTD, Thursday, February 22nd 2024

Razor : Yaqi TFC adjustable- Mfg 2021>, all ranges. Based off the Gibbs 1930's adjustable razor mechanism, well built and uses a standard Gillette blade. I enjoy this affordable adjustable and use it in my large rotation. Had a close comfortable shave this morning.
Blade : Gillette Nacet (2) sharp and smooth with great longevity.
Soap : Razorock "The Dead Sea", nice unique upscale scent with excellent lather qualities.
Brush : Yaqi "Artic sky" 24mm 3band silver tip badger. Excellent lather generator, Luxury pillow like soft tips, nice splay scrubber + great lather painter. Very nice brush to work the beard IMO.
Pre shave : (Dedicated Cashmere synthetic)Brush wash whole face with CeraVe hand bar cleanser with a dollop of clear Aloe Vera on the cleaned beard area.
Prep : Cold water rinse after each pass of 2 + pickups. WTG + ATG + pickups.
Post shave : Razorock The Dead Sea splash with witch hazel + a dollop of CeraVe moisturizing lotion(scentless).
Results : or CCS,DFS,BBS + no irritation + no weepers= Had a close comfortable shave this morning with my Yaqi TFC razor with a Gillette Nacet blade.

Have some great shaves!