Henson Aggressive and Yaqi Tile

[spacemonkey42]

I have all the Al Hensons, mild, medium, and aggressive. Since I've supported Henson well, I wanted to try the knockoff/inspired-by Yaqi Tile. Following are some initial thoughts.

Aggressiveness - just from shaving it is clear that the Tile is more aggressive than the Henson mild or medium, so the remainder of the comments will be in comparison to the Henson aggressive.

Exposure/Gap - Henson lists the aggressive specs as Exposure: 0.0045" (0.11mm) - Blade Gap: 0.039" (0.99mm). Yaqi does not list the exposure, but lists the blade gap as 1.15mm. Visually, the Tile exposure appears to be less than the Henson, look at the attached pictures for comparison. So it seems the Henson aggressive has a little bit larger exposure and smaller gap than the Tile.

Weight/Materials - the Henson Al aggressive head is aluminum and weighs 14g and the Yaqi is stainless and weighs 43g. The total weight of the razors depend on the handles you pair them with. While many find a heavier razor feels better in the hand, it is the quality of the shave that matters, not the heft. With a solid stainless handle the Tile is quite heavy, to get no/little pressure I actually have to counter the weight of the Tile. With the lighter Henson it is easier to get no pressure.

Henson is Better - Overall the Tile has similarities to the Henson aggressive and is quite a bit more aggressive than the mild/medium. At this point I like the Henson aggressive a bit more. Part of that is because it is light, I can more easily apply no pressure, I have to think a bit more with the Tile. Both have a locked-in shaving angle, which I like. Henson also gets points because they offer their razor in three levels and two materials. I have also read that the quality control is not good on the Yaqi, mine seems to be OK, but ymmv.

I do not like that Yaqi constantly copies or clones razors that other companies worked so hard to dream up and produce. I was quite hesitant to buy a Tile head and even more to post in our community about it. But because I've supported Henson and also find their razor to be better, I wanted to share my thoughts with y'all.

 

[APBinNCA]

When I considered getting a Tile to compare, I went and looked at it and realised that it's a relatively standard base plate with a Henson shaped cap added on. This sort of felt like I had peaked behind the curtain when I saw this. The Henson is a holistic rethink of what a safety razor is and has a different blade geometry as well. I suspect the reduced exposure is due to putting that chunky cap on a standard base plate, moving the blade closer to the neutral shave plane(raising the plane on the cap side).

All that said, many people like these Yaqi razors for different reasons and everybody should use whatever they like. I also know that some people would like to see a stainless Henson, but they have explained before why that isn't happening and the Ti is a bargain when it's in stock. I appreciate that you did mention their reputation for cloning popular designs.

 

[Kix]

Excellent write up, spacemonkey42!
I'm not tempted to buy a Yaqi Tile. The Henson Aggressive is very close to perfect, IMO.
And, you're right, APBinNCA, the Henson is a holistic rethink of the DE razor, and they have done a great job in producing them.

 

[Ron R]

Interesting review, I was curious about this razor so bought one months ago.
I also have the Yaqi Tile razor and it is a mild to tame mid range IMO, the construction 316 stainless steel has good tolerances that are OK when flipping the razor 180 degrees the razor seems to shave similar on both sides.
Folks who like a tame mid range razor it works great, I like to put a Kai blade in it to give a boost in blade feel sometimes( I like blade feel), a brand new GSB blade used also performs very well for myself, it depends on the blade a person enjoys, a person has to find their blade that works well in this razor IMO.

Have some great shaves!

 

[StewB]

And to add another somewhat similar razor, the Winning is a stainless steel razor made by Yates for the Wet Shaving Club that had a somewhat similar head design. Sadly, WSC decided to cease production of the Winning in July of 2022.

The Henson and I didn't get along (I didn't like the light weight and the inefficiency) but I still have the Winning and enjoy using it. If you like the idea of the Henson but it's too light and/or inefficient, the Winning might be a good option if you can find one.

 

[awk_m4]

I have all the Al Hensons, mild, medium, and aggressive. Since I've supported Henson well, I wanted to try the knockoff/inspired-by Yaqi Tile. Following are some initial thoughts.
Henson is Better - Overall the Tile has similarities to the Henson aggressive and is quite a bit more aggressive than the mild/medium. At this point I like the Henson aggressive a bit more. Part of that is because it is light, I can more easily apply no pressure,

Great write up!
In my experience the best razor is the one that the individual uses the most.
The Henson Aggressive works best for me and is my daily driver.

 

[Angler]

I have all the Al Hensons, mild, medium, and aggressive. Since I've supported Henson well, I wanted to try the knockoff/inspired-by Yaqi Tile. Following are some initial thoughts.

Aggressiveness - just from shaving it is clear that the Tile is more aggressive than the Henson mild or medium, so the remainder of the comments will be in comparison to the Henson aggressive.

Exposure/Gap - Henson lists the aggressive specs as Exposure: 0.0045" (0.11mm) - Blade Gap: 0.039" (0.99mm). Yaqi does not list the exposure, but lists the blade gap as 1.15mm. Visually, the Tile exposure appears to be less than the Henson, look at the attached pictures for comparison. So it seems the Henson aggressive has a little bit larger exposure and smaller gap than the Tile.

Weight/Materials - the Henson Al aggressive head is aluminum and weighs 14g and the Yaqi is stainless and weighs 43g. The total weight of the razors depend on the handles you pair them with. While many find a heavier razor feels better in the hand, it is the quality of the shave that matters, not the heft. With a solid stainless handle the Tile is quite heavy, to get no/little pressure I actually have to counter the weight of the Tile. With the lighter Henson it is easier to get no pressure.

Henson is Better - Overall the Tile has similarities to the Henson aggressive and is quite a bit more aggressive than the mild/medium. At this point I like the Henson aggressive a bit more. Part of that is because it is light, I can more easily apply no pressure, I have to think a bit more with the Tile. Both have a locked-in shaving angle, which I like. Henson also gets points because they offer their razor in three levels and two materials. I have also read that the quality control is not good on the Yaqi, mine seems to be OK, but ymmv.

I do not like that Yaqi constantly copies or clones razors that other companies worked so hard to dream up and produce. I was quite hesitant to buy a Tile head and even more to post in our community about it. But because I've supported Henson and also find their razor to be better, I wanted to share my thoughts with y'all.

This has been my experience with the Tile as well. Slightly less efficient/aggressive than the Henson +++, but an overall nice, drama-free shave with Feather blades. Unlike you however, I went for a slightly longer handle than the Henson.

General curiosity, stainless steel design plus Yaqi selling at half price are all factors that contributed to my picking one up, but to be honest, I went back to my Henson, it has a precision feel to it that I can't find with anything else.

And to add another somewhat similar razor, the Winning is a stainless steel razor made by Yates for the Wet Shaving Club that had a somewhat similar head design. Sadly, WSC decided to cease production of the Winning in July of 2022.

The Henson and I didn't get along (I didn't like the light weight and the inefficiency) but I still have the Winning and enjoy using it. If you like the idea of the Henson but it's too light and/or inefficient, the Winning might be a good option if you can find one.

Speaking of the Winning razor, perhaps the reason they discontinued it is that the Chinese copied that one too. The cap anyways. Have a look here

 

[Captainjonny]

IMHO, the key to the Henson versus any copies...is Henson quality and manufacturing tolerances, which no copy can duplicate. I prefer lighter razors, and the fact that you can apply pressure with the Henson and not get cuts or irritation...due to the minimal blade exposure. I have said many times...If you like heavier razors, you will most likely not like the Henson. Most new wet shavers with a Henson, are coming from lightweight cartridges and disposables, therefore they are used to a light weight razor and have no experience with heavy razors. Those new Henson wet shavers usually have success with the Henson. I personally use the AL13+++ as my favorite daily shaver, and I do apply pressure when shaving with it.

 

[StewB]

I used cartridge razors for basically 25+ years until February of this year and found I prefer heavier razors. I personally don't like how the Henson feels so much like a cartridge razor. I appreciate the manufacturing quality of Hensons, but for me the tight tolerances don't translate to a better shave. My recommendation for those that try the Henson and don't get a quality shave: Try a heavier more "traditional" DE razor, don't apply pressure, and you will probably get a better result.

 

[100pctFragranceFree]

Great comparison spacemonkey42.

Saw a YouTube video recently that said the Yaqi Tile and the Henson aggressive shaved identically. Why not get stainless steel, and hence a heavier razor which I'm accustomed to, in the Yaqi for less money?

 

[spacemonkey42]

Thanks, @100pctFragranceFree!

Why not get stainless steel, and hence a heavier razor which I'm accustomed to, in the Yaqi for less money?

Probably a rhetorical question, but I'll answer it anyway.

Because I think the Henson is better, it is more precise and you are guaranteed to get one that is perfect. The Yaqi has had QC issues. Because I think the lighter Henson is better. I used to like heavier razors, but with the Henson the lightness works and allows one to have an even lighter touch and better shave. It has a significant positive blade exposure, so you do need a light touch.

Also, given what you said in your other thread, you may want to try the Henson ++ first. You can get that with a money back guarantee. The +++ and Tile are a significant step more aggressive, and listening to what you said, might not be what you are looking for.

Either way, I'd love to hear what you do and how it goes. Happy shaves!

 

[100pctFragranceFree]

Thanks, @100pctFragranceFree!



Probably a rhetorical question, but I'll answer it anyway.

Because I think the Henson is better, it is more precise and you are guaranteed to get one that is perfect. The Yaqi has had QC issues. Because I think the lighter Henson is better. I used to like heavier razors, but with the Henson the lightness works and allows one to have an even lighter touch and better shave. It has a significant positive blade exposure, so you do need a light touch.

Also, given what you said in your other thread, you may want to try the Henson ++ first. You can get that with a money back guarantee. The +++ and Tile are a significant step more aggressive, and listening to what you said, might not be what you are looking for.

Either way, I'd love to hear what you do and how it goes. Happy shaves!

It was semi-rhetorical. Thanks for answering it. Thanks for pointing out the step up in aggressiveness. I think the Tile has a 1.5 blade gap. A part of me thinks I should just get the + again and live with a little extra buffing (and no razor burn or cuts).

 

[cavediver]

It was semi-rhetorical. Thanks for answering it. Thanks for pointing out the step up in aggressiveness. I think the Tile has a 1.5 blade gap. A part of me thinks I should just get the + again and live with a little extra buffing (and no razor burn or cuts).

My Yaqi Tile has very sharp edges, it should never have left the factory like that. When I received it in March, I didn't think it would be an issue at first. That is until i cut my finger badly while wiping down the base plate... Both the cap and the plate have seriously sharp corners and edges.
Others have mentioned it too, it's definitely not just mine.
Other than that is shaves ok, has a fair amount of blade feel and seems to be a mildly aggressive razor.
Other razors in my den, even some less aggressive ones like the GC .84, are more efficient for me, which is why the Tile is sidelined here. As you probably guessed, I wouldn't recommend buying it.

 

[Bobovata]

Others have mentioned it too, it's definitely not just mine.

My Tile head needed cleaning up before use. Had some burrs, sharp edges and corners.