QShave Futur Clone - Issues!?

[gary_dexter]

QShave Futur clone users!!

First shave with mine tonight, and going from previous experience with an actual Merkur Futur I started shaving on setting 2.5 with a brand new Feather blade.
And it felt like it was cutting nothing, just smearing the lather around.
So I finish up, rinse, and lo and behold, patchy prickly stubble left behind.
Since it was late at night I finished off by going over again with my DE89 with a 2nd use Feather and got a clean smooth shave.

What went wrong?
Blade alignment etc is fine.
Angle was my usual shaving angle.
Is the blade gap on the QShave less aggressive than the Futur - I remember shaving with a Futur on 2.5 and cutting myself to shreds!!

HELP!!

 

[GlazedBoker]

The Q-Shave & Ming Shi 2000s are little bit more milder than the Futur imo. Just turn it up a setting or half and will give you a comparable shave.

 

[adamchur]

I tend to use mine on #4 for WTG, #5 for XTG and #6 for ATG

 

[cyberdog]

There seems to be a little variance from example to example of the QShave/MingShi razors. I find mine work really well at a setting of 3 with any blade. At times, it's the assembly of the razor, the blade plate *might* be rotated 180 degrees, which results in the settings being off. With the blade removed, hold the plate against the lower base, rotate the handle off, rotate the blade plate, hold it down against the lower base and screw the handle back on. - That may put the settings to where your expecting them to be.

The only minor quibble with these razors, which I personally LOVE, is that they can have some wiggle or play in the adjustment mechanism. Adding some thin soft copper, brass, or even strips of an aluminum can apparently, can tighten them up nicely, making them an even nicer shaver. I shimmed mine, and now there's absolutely no slack or wiggle, and the shave it fantastically smooth and close. I'm so tempted to order a couple more, just in case I loose one, or break one, just to have a spare. (I have both a QShave and a MingShi, only difference is handle is slightly different in the recessed area between them).

 

[hsbbs04]

The clones are quite a bit more mild than Futurs. I use my Futur at 2.5 and the Clone around 4.

 

[jldallas]

I have a QShave and a DE89. I'm guessing using the same angle with the QShave and the DE89 may be the problem. The QShave gives a lot of sound feedback. Were you hearing much during your passes?

 

[Mark Szorady]

Like others said, I've found that the efficiency of the Merkur Futur starts at about level 1.5 or 2.0. The Qshave starts at about level 3.

 

[nav]

IME it has nothing to do with efficiency or mildness.

I have two of the clones and due to alignment problems, one side cuts nothing, just moved lather around the face!

The other side shaves really well but I've shelved both of them as my other razors are perfect so no point stuffing around with the dodgy futur clones.

 

[Mark Szorady]

I have two of the clones and due to alignment problems, one side cuts nothing, just moved lather around the face!

Sorry to hear this. I call this the "Razor Lottery." Sometimes when you purchase these ultra-cheap razors, you get one where it shaves and feels like a 50 dollar razor. But, most times, instead of getting all six numbers, you get four or five. Sometimes, you don't get any numbers.

 

[pogonophic]

I can confirm that a Feather blade in the Ming Shi clone produces a very mild shave even at a 4 setting. The resulting shave is similar to using a Phoenix DOC - very mild but prickly stubble even after 4 passes. An Astra or Silver Blue works fine in the clone. I used the same sub performing Feather in a Progress and got a great shave ending at a 3.75 setting.

After a careful examination of the Feather in the clone, I found that after head removal, the Feather blade was stuck in the head in a concave fashion. As such, this much flex may have reduced the blade exposure - just a thought.

It's the Feather blade not the razor.

 

[smu]

I use my Ming Shi on 6 and get a close shave. Today I tried my Merkur Futur on 6 and it was about the same as the Ming Shi. I used an Astra blade.

smu

 

[RobberBaron]

I just received my Qshave yesterday. I used it this morning and it shaved pretty good - but not great - with one side and more or less pushed lather around with the other. No denying, though, the comfort of the shave was exceptional.

I will try to adjust the blade plate per cyberdog’s suggestion and see if that helps. If not I guess I’ll shim (first time) and if that doesn’t work it’s going back to Amazon.

Yes, I overpaid. Didn’t know any better.

 

[smu]

| have the Ming Shi version and get great shaves. To adjust just pop one side of the head off and reconnect. When you hear a tactile click, you are good to go.

smu

 

[RobberBaron]

Shave 2 update. I reset the base plate per above and that tightened things up a bit and seemed to help. I’ve determined that loading the blade is critical. Had to do it several times before it looked ok. Seems the key for me is to press the cap down with as much even pressure from end to end as possible. That helped the most.

The blade btw was a 3rd pass GSB. Will try Astra green next.

I was able to coax a pretty decent shave out of it and both razor sides cut more but not exactly even. Still, it took a lot of buffing.

Better, but still no cigar. Not ready to strike the colors just yet.

 

[pogonophic]

Feather Update.

I disassembled the Ming Shi and reassembled it with the blade plate with the two dots to the left of the vertical alignment mark. Voilla .... aggression has returned. The peg on the bottom of the base plate stops the handle from tightening the razor to lower and very mild positions.

 

[SmurfK]

What went wrong?

The problem is that you can't and shouldn't use it as a Futur. Just because it looks like one, it does not mean that it is one. The top cap it's different, you need to tilt the razor in order for it to cut. As Futur it's designed to cut when you hold it at the natural angle, and you don't need to tilt it in any way, Qshave is designed to look like a Futur and pretty much that's it.

Tilt it a bit and you'll get an angle where it will cut. It kinda defeats the whole point of having such a massive razor if you ask me, but that's the way these razors are built.

 

[weekly]

The problem is that you can't and shouldn't use it as a Futur. Just because it looks like one, it does not mean that it is one. The top cap it's different, you need to tilt the razor in order for it to cut. As Futur it's designed to cut when you hold it at the natural angle, and you don't need to tilt it in any way, Qshave is designed to look like a Futur and pretty much that's it.

Tilt it a bit and you'll get an angle where it will cut. It kinda defeats the whole point of having such a massive razor if you ask me, but that's the way these razors are built.

When you say tilt , do you mean
Lower/ raise the handle or are
You talking about something completely
Different.

 

[SmurfK]

Raise the handle (move it away from your face).

 

[Nick Jagger]

What is up gentleman? I have some news:

I just got two Ming Shi 2000S and two bases. Shave was great but had to turn it up all the way to 6! Grey wire stubble here I guess. Zero errors. I got about the same baby smooth closeness on the first shave with it that I usually get with my RazoRock "Mentor" head. I'm used to shaving easy angle on my neck and it was interesting to turn the Ming Shi down for neck and ATG instead. I'm sure with a little more getting used to it the BBS will be the same. Shaved off a full beard BTW. So more working it than the normal two days. But...

I'd rate their build quality a 9.9 and a 9.2 out of 10 with a new Edwin Jagger being a 10. Not perfect but close. One had something like glue stuck to #3 on the dial and it was hard to get mostly off. That 9.2 one had the most minor dot like blemishes; it seemed on each of its main parts. I'm mostly nit picking though.

What I'm here to tell you is I had them all apart and leaned much about how to fix some alignment and dial depth issues!

We all know there is supposedly a next level up and more aggressive scale you can trick it into; but alignment was worse and a proper regular level should suffice mild to wild I think. So speaking of the base normal level then I thought I received two terrible ones but fixed them.

Looking at each side with the cap off the balance was far off. It was as if one side was on level 1 and the other maybe level 4. Also the top cap looked canted more also. I found that if I put the side of the top cap with the thumb release on the left (with dial mark toward you) then the cap aligned better. Mainly though for the side noted misalignment (cap off) you can do two things! First; as if dissembling then try turning around the bottom plate and recheck. Secondly unscrew it completely and rotate the spring around (on the thread) to affect a change to equal side balance!

I also made sure each of the two handles I bought matched best with each head. You can only do that if you have two; but I assume they were each matched when I got them.

I found that if these these things are not sorted then I would get the issue of either not being ably to turn it all the way down to 0.5 (because it was already bottomed) or it either would not bottom out to 0.5 completely (causing 6 to be more aggressive) or a miss balance between side especially at 6. Again, when I could not get it all the way mild (bottomed with no gaps) it seemed not to screw all the way in with no slack. Pushing the top down caused a slight gap in the handle below the guild numbers then.

Also when in one advantageous combo (spring up side down perhaps?) the range seems to go from mild (mostly bottomed) to far to aggressive at six. Like it progressed to quickly and more. Strange.

So four things to do. 1) Turn spring upside down? 2) Rotate spring for alignment side to side. 3) Turn the bottom plate (with the springy things) around into the other of it's two choices. +4) Then try the top cap in it's two choices also.

With that I went from foul up beyond all recognition to most perfect. Almost no side differences now and I think well within tolerance for absolutely excellent even shaves. Even at 6 where it seem like I can barely lean it be press on one side. I just don't do that. Press it on. Check alignment and it's good.

I used a Gillette Sharp Edge (yellow box) BTW and on 6 (fixed on what I think is normal). I think with this razor there is definite differences in settings per unit variation. What I told you above may limit differences; but one Razors 3 is not likely to be exactly the same on another Ming Shi. Just start on 1. It's all good.

Now with all that I'm not sure I understand how some of you are shimming or if it's necessary with some spring finagling. Please advice exactly what you did.

Oh yeah. I tried only squirting alcohol to clean it without opening. It's looked like a tiny mouse had taken up residence in there. LOL. Full beard shave; which it did even on 1 and to 6. However once I popped the top it rinse instantly. You just have to pop it to rinse (and I then add cheap rubbing alcohol quickly for the blade).

Best wishes all.

 

[Nick Jagger]

The EJ DE89 type head is to mild for me. I was just saying the EJ build quality is the best. I use an EJ shorty handle for my three pieces also(that Mentor head). EJ is a great mild razor; but not best for me.