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Review DSCosmetics DS-S9

Pretty impressed with the ds-s9 I received. Getting it on a sale, it's a serious value. Probably going to replace my 6s for daily shaving. I like the extra efficiency, enclosed blade tabs, and thin top cap for getting under the nose.

As previously asked though, does anybody know what the lettering on the bottom says?
 

lasta

Blade Biter
Pretty impressed with the ds-s9 I received. Getting it on a sale, it's a serious value. Probably going to replace my 6s for daily shaving. I like the extra efficiency, enclosed blade tabs, and thin top cap for getting under the nose.

As previously asked though, does anybody know what the lettering on the bottom says?
"Di Shi"

Literally means God's Poem.

I guess we can call it the bible razor :em3300:
 

lasta

Blade Biter
Has anyone done a comparison with the RazoRock version? I already have the GC84, thinking of picking up a 68 baseplate...are the baseplates interchangeable with RazoRock?
 
any function

I haven't had the chance to compare it to a normal top cap. But dscosmetics and our fellow forum members seem to be in agreement that it does provide a smoother shave.

@Iridian seems to find the Ds-S9 with scalloped top to shave smoother than his GC 84.

I was tempted to chose the Prism cap but chose the scalloped because of these "alledged" extra smoothness.
 
Has anyone done a direct comparison of the S9 to the Game Changer 84p? I just got an S9 in titanium and held up the baseplates next to each other and to eye, they seem identical in profile. I haven't had time to do a shave-off yet (though that would be subjective, of course).
 
Great review! The destroyer handle is better than any Razorock handle (I have most of them)
Here is my X2 (like the gamechanger.68OC). I still think it isn't a 100% copy as it shaves better than the .68p, .68 Jaws or .84p... could be a YMMV?
The finish is much better than any Game Changer and on the X2 the sides of the baseplate are straight. I find it funny my favorite Game Changer (I have four versions) is a "clone"!

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I
Great review! The destroyer handle is better than any Razorock handle (I have most of them)
Here is my X2 (like the gamechanger.68OC). I still think it isn't a 100% copy as it shaves better than the .68p, .68 Jaws or .84p... could be a YMMV?
The finish is much better than any Game Changer and on the X2 the sides of the baseplate are straight. I find it funny my favorite Game Changer (I have four versions) is a "clone"!

View attachment 1486881
I second the destroyer handle. I got it on my S9 and later my T7.
 
Great Review! Me I am more fondle of the DS-S8, like less blade feel but all in all, I think the DS line delivers better quality for the price than othe Aliexpress options. This is my DS-D8 collection in the 3 available materials : Brass (copper they say), SS and Ti
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Cheers
Have you tried the RR GC .68-P? If so, how does it compare (in aggressiveneds) to the Dscosmetic D8?
 
First experience with the DS-S9, which is a 316 stainless steel razor available from Aliexpress.

Price
I paid 46,98 euro's for this beautifully polished cheekscraper. I mention the price because, for anyone ordering from Europe, it is actually just a bit less than half the price of it's inspirator, which is the Razorock Game Changer .84 p.

Gap & head:
The gap is the same as the 84 P and the baseplate looks almost identical, blade exposure should be between 0 to + 0.01mm (but looks to be more to my untrained eye). It's clear they were inspired by Canadians.
Luckily Dscosmetics offer a variety of different caps, I chose the scalloped version because smarter shavingminds than myself already pointed out that they would provide a smoother shave.
I was tempted by the "Prism" head but this scalloped version looks very nice, is smooth and does make it easy to shave under the old sniffer.
Either way, it's nice to have some options to finish up your razor head. AND if I take a picture from above people might almost believe I own a scalloped Timeless, héhé. :)
For those looking for different materials entirely, the S9 is also available in Titanium and Copper.

One negative, for me, is that the outside corners of baseplate are POINTY. They are sharp, not "I'll punch a hole in my cheek sharp" but sharp enough to be an annoyance.
I haven't owned any razors of the Gamechanger series but I've been looking at (alot) of photographs and Razorock's seems to have more rounded corners.

Handle:
If you want the full Razorock experience you could opt for handle options "norl" or "dog" which are (at least visually) copies of the "HD" and "bulldog" handle. They also have a version of the super knurl, a take on the Kolibri's handle and something that looks to be an EJ 3one6 handle.
I chose the KVS-handle for my S9. I love the look but grip isn't the greatest.
Even turning from one side of the blade to the other can be a struggle.

While one may question Dscosmetics creativity the razor feels extremely solid, balanced and well made. It has also been polished like a piece of jewelery.
No boring warnings saying "this is a tool and not jewelery." Na-ha, this IS a jewel first and a tool second.
It also comes with a silicone washer to protect the handle from scrathing up your base plate. GREAT! First razor I bought that has this, even though I have bought quite a few. Will have to remind myself not to let it slip down the drain though.

Blade loading
The blade tabs are on the baseplate, also a novelty to me but again shouldn't come as a surprise to Gamechanger-owners. I always figured this would be an easier way to load but...I was wrong.
It works though and the blade sits very firmly between the thick posts, there is no misaligning this puppy.

The Shave
I wasn't going to review this before I've had four-five shaves under my belt with it, but here I am with some free time so it's my first shaving experience that I'll share and I will post updates later on.

I loaded up a Gillette Minora blade and lathered up with Taylor of Old Bond Street - St. James.
It's a slick cream but I don't find it provides the best cushioning. Actually a stupid choice for a first shave, because I'm not too fond of this cream, but the jar's almost empty and I need to make room.

The shaving angle was found almost automatically, I didn't experience much audible feedback but it was clear when the angle was what it was set out to be. The shave was smooth, my cheeks are soft even 6 hours post shave which tells me it's plenty efficient.
I had a proper sting from my SV 70th aftershave so there was some irritation but not alot.

Thoughts:
Overall I got a Game Changer-like experience for less than half the price and the bonus of some added tweaking options.
It looks like it's going to be a great shaver, it's visually attractive but it's lacking grip. If anyone was contemplating a similar purchase, I found the THS handle to have sufficient grip, but not as perfect as Razorocks offerings.

The corners of this head are the only thing that bugs me. It would be nice to get some feedback from Game Changer .84 p owners. Are those well rounded or pointy like this one?

Given the fact that you can tweak this razor using different materials, different topcaps, the added washer(!) and the fact that the corners of a Game Changer ARE most likely well rounded/blunt then perhaps we can no longer call this a Chinese copy of it's Canadian counterpart? :)

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The Destroyer handle clings to your hands like a gecko's feet... I love my DS-S9.
 
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