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True Beast!

The other day, I finally had the chance to run the Beast, the true Beast, the Yaqi Beast -- against my grail razor, the Ikon Tech. Please note that, unlike last time when I mistook the Matador that showed up in the post for the YB, this time I'm sure it's "the real MacKay".
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Unlike the unreal McCoy, which showed promise but I was not able to master, this thing was easy to run. Like the iTech, it shaves best at a steep angle. Perhaps just a hair shallower but still steep. It also offers outstanding blade feel. Again, not quite as much as the iTech, but for most people that's a good thing. The iTech is both extremely "blade forward" and extremely smooth. This is a bit less blade forward and a bit less smooth, but still nicely balanced between the two.

The shave was excellent. Nothing so far has been quite up to par for me with the iTech, but this is one of the few razors that comes close. It's also wonderful to shave with. The only downside is that the bulbous head makes it a bit of a challenge under the nose.

In terms of the shave experience, running it with an Ikon Bamboo handle felt just about perfect. Nice heft and also nice balance. Will try it with the OSS sometime. I think the Bulldog would have been a tad too light and too short for my taste given the weight of the head, though the the Bulldog seems ideal with the R41. Perhaps the Beast head is heavier.

What's most remarkable with this thing is cost. Ali Express has it for $4.50 plus shipping. They run occasional sales but, at that price, don't bother waiting. Shipping adds almost as much as the cost of the razor (think I paid $4.11 for mine, which came to $7 total with shipping). Far more than fair considering the quality of the head and the distance from China.

Given the price, I'll add there were no obvious defects. In fact, the finish seems nice. Of course it's plated Zamak and one shouldn't expect it to last forever. But at that price, who cares. Moreover, it doesn't feel at all like junk (as many low-cost razors do). It's satisfying to hold, behold and use. A whole bunch of fellas have spoken highly of the Raspira but I found it truly unsatisfying because it's constructed of cheap pot metal with a resin handle. My Raspira wasn't nearly as aggressive as promised either (but given the low quality of the build, perhaps it differs from one to another). The Beast is very much a beast. And the build quality is solid, though not something one should expect to hand down to one's children. I have no doubt that yours will be exactly the same as mine.

For $7, it has to be the best value out there for the guy who likes aggressive razors. If you don't have one, buy it! Don't think about it; it's not worth your time. Don't pass go; don't collect $200. Just buy it!
 
Hello,
I received mine last week along with the “non-Mellon” head which also is labeled as “aggressive.
The beast is a dam fine razor for the price. I shave my head, face and prefer aggressive razors.
The Beast is lives up to its name with the “non-Mellon” head being a close second. Not quite as aggressive but still very efficient. Can’t go wrong for the price.

Cheers
John
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Looks pretty similar to the Yaqi DOC DLC. The DOC was a bit on the milder side to me. Glad to hear the beast lives up to its reputation.
 
One of my favorite low budget razors is the Dollar Tree Assured razor. It is $1.00 at the Dollar Tree store. The razor comes with a pack of 5 DE blades.

It's a TTO clone of the VDH/Weishi razor. I have the VDH razor. This razor is far more efficient than the VDH in my opinion. I like the blade feel on it. I rate it on the higher end of the mid-aggressive category. The VDH is very mild and has virtually no blade feel. Not so with this razor.

It doesn't get a lot of love in here but I love it. I run it at a steep angle like the Ikon Tech and it gets me a very nice DFS. I'm using it right now while I'm on my business trip for training.
 
Is the supplied handle brass or zamac?
Don't know. Didn't buy the handle. Just the head. I really like the Ikon handles so I tend to use them. Just picked up a couple of Webers and like them almost as much as the Ikons. I love the handles that came with my ATT razors but they're way more expensive than the Ikons and Webers and there's not much difference. In fact, perhaps none at all. It seems one can get a heck of a good handle for $15 or $20, and that doesn't include Maggard handles (which I've not tried yet).

Have one gorgeous Charcoal Goods handle and nothing good enough to run it with. Tried it with my beloved Ikon Tech the aluminum head looked silly on the fancy copper handle. So it sits in a drawer for now. An impulse buy. Have been tempted by a few others but managed to hold off.
 
One of my favorite low budget razors is the Dollar Tree Assured razor. It is $1.00 at the Dollar Tree store. The razor comes with a pack of 5 DE blades.

It's a TTO clone of the VDH/Weishi razor. I have the VDH razor. This razor is far more efficient than the VDH in my opinion. I like the blade feel on it. I rate it on the higher end of the mid-aggressive category. The VDH is very mild and has virtually no blade feel. Not so with this razor.

It doesn't get a lot of love in here but I love it. I run it at a steep angle like the Ikon Tech and it gets me a very nice DFS. I'm using it right now while I'm on my business trip for training.
For $1, I'll have to pick one up. But I don't have high hopes. Another cheap pot metal razor. Zamak is pot metal too but the Beast head is substantial and nicely plated. So while it may degrade over time, it doesn't bend and warp the way the Raspira, which is made from thin sheets of cheap metal, does. I'm guessing the Dollar Store razor is more like the Raspira than the Yaqi.
 
I have my Yaqi Beast head, though still untried. Hopefully, I'll rectify that tomorrow morning. For 7 bucks USD, I also bought the nickel over solid brass 12 x 70 mm Piccolo style handle from them. Together, they look great! Solid, small, compact, with good heft. I really like this handle, and it also works on my Piccolo (slightly less handle length than Piccolo, but most importantly it's a slightly larger diameter).

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I must admit, I'm growing quite fond of this handle. And it's quite the value, too.

So how do you like it, on your Fatip OC head?
:blushing: I must admit that I haven't tried it yet CC.

I have used its Yaqi brother (same dimensions, different design) numerous times on my RazoRock GC84.
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And I like my Phoenix 3¼" aluminum Bomb Tip handle on my iKon Tech (though I would prefer it to be shorter [you can see my pencil marks where I'm considering shortening it]).
 
:blushing: I must admit that I haven't tried it yet CC.

I have used its Yaqi brother (same dimensions, different design) numerous times on my RazoRock GC84.
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And I like my Phoenix 3¼" aluminum Bomb Tip handle on my iKon Tech (though I would prefer it to be shorter [you can see my pencil marks where I'm considering shortening it]).
Thanks for the reply Cal, and sorry about the delay in my response. Busy weekend, and even busier Monday.

I really like the Piccolo styled larger diameter Yaqi handle! It goes well on the Piccolo head, and I like the additional heft. It looks great, too. I'm betting you're going to like it on the Piccolo head.

And lucky you! I'd love to have that Yaqi handle you have on your GC, and have had my eye on it. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be available in the short length anymore, that I can see. Unless I'm looking in the wrong place on the website?

And also, sadly, the Yaqi Alibaba Express store seems to have change their price structure this week! All the razors and razor components seem to be 5 bucks (USD) higher, but now shipping (to U.S.A.) is free.
 
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