What's new

Yaqi "SLOPE" 316 stainless steel slant razor head."Torsion Type"

Ron R

I survived a lathey foreman
I like slants because in theory and my personal experiences they are more efficient possibly because of the angle and the blade torsion makes ideal for shaving and found them efficient. I have 4 slant razors now the Razorock 37 German slant, RR Wunderbar 316 slant, Yaqi top aggressive slant and now the Yaqi 316 SS torsion slant. All the slants mentioned are torsion types and they all shave differently or at least 3 of them do.
The Yaqi simplified their slant by machining from a flat slab for the base plate and incorporated the torsional twist for the blade to seat on top and then just machined a tapered safety bar at 2 degrees to keep a even gap of .9mm to keep things simplified in description.
The machining is impressive and top cap would of been a challenge for any top notch machinist or CNC programmer to create it from my experience as a machinist who worked making parts of all sorts & as a maintenance machinist in oil and gas, Pulp and paper and a jobbing shop also.
The finish is adequate for shaving but any sharp corners I stoned them slightly so not to nick myself(use your discretion) with my half asleep strokes in the morning shave routine.
I have not used the Yaqi 316 slant yet and watched a few You tube video's and read a few reviews because its such a new product and indications are it is smooth and not aggressive but efficient.(It looks like a standard razor but far from it!)
I have never seen a slant like this and the clamping of the blade to blade edge could be another level up in from past slants I have used!
I will use it for a week as a daily driver, with 4 days using my Standard Gillette Astra SP for testing my new razors and 2-3 days with another excellent blade the Kai extra wide blade and then kind of give a opinion where it stands in aggression and efficentcy. Chime in if you have any questions.
Yaqi Slant 316 stainless 2023 model.jpg
Yaqi slant razor.jpg

Have some great shaves!
 

Ron R

I survived a lathey foreman
If they had polished this, I would have one.
I thought about that also but it would have to be hand polished carefully I'm thinking, I have Yaqi Tile razor with a similar finish & it works fine.
I might polish it down the road if I like it a lot. It adds the cost of the razor to increase also when you get the super polished version but it adds value no doubt, they are aiming for a price point to enter this razor possibly in the marketing of this slant. It so competitive out there in razors. Maybe if it becomes successful they will offer a polished version also who knows with Yaqi marketing.
 

lasta

Blade Biter
I thought about that also but it would have to be hand polished carefully I'm thinking, I have Yaqi Tile razor with a similar finish & it works fine.
I might polish it down the road if I like it a lot. It adds the cost of the razor to increase also when you get the super polished version but it adds value no doubt, they are aiming for a price point to enter this razor possibly in the marketing of this slant. It so competitive out there in razors. Maybe if it becomes successful they will offer a polished version also who knows with Yaqi marketing.
Understandable. From the prices I see in China, the slant is more than the stainless Melon, which is mirror polished!
 

Ron R

I survived a lathey foreman
Understandable. From the prices I see in China, the slant is more than the stainless Melon, which is mirror polished!
When machining the top cap it would of been the hardest part to perfect with a slant razor and I can tell you they did not get it right on first try from my experience and scraping a few also adds cost when making a whole new slant design from scratch so they add into the costs per unit.
Once they get fixtures made for holding parts and have tested it then it is marketed.
Another thing these big manufactures do is make proto types out of 3D printing out of plastics before they would even try making it from stainless steel. It is amazing such a recent invention like a 3D printer can save a lot of money for small manufactures & large companies that come up with ideas and can make some top notch equipment. It is sort of like the car industry that would get talented people make models of proto type cars out of plaster putty(plaster of Paris) and let the marketing big wheels decide if it will work decades ago. 3D printing lets them acutely make a working razor and see how it looks and works in hrs now a days! Making it from metal is another thing totally but they know from experience what to use and what area to machine first......... to reach a fine product and no easy task I'm thinking.
 
Last edited:
Are you sure about it being machined from a solid steel block? Maybe they created a rough blank from sintered stainless steel and put that though a CNC machine and polisher? You could not get a mirror finish that way, but it would be smooth.

1677205533173.png
 
Last edited:

Ron R

I survived a lathey foreman
Are you sure about it being machined from a solid steel block? Maybe they created a rough blank from sintered stainless steel and put that though a CNC machine and polisher? You could not get a mirror finish that way, but it would be smooth.

View attachment 1610924
It has fine machining marks in the inside of parts and their is no sign of sintering or porosity from castings that can give tell tale signs of process used( it was machined from a small slab of 316 SS pretty sure of it). It is hard to keep up with new processes out there no doubt.
 

CzechCzar

Use the Fat, Luke!
I'll be honest I am in the annual restraint but I am thinking of using my exception on this. Just need to wait awhile for more reviews to come in
 

Ron R

I survived a lathey foreman
DE SOTD, Friday, February 24th 2023

Razor : Yaqi 316 Stainless steel torsion slant with Yaqi 316 tear drop "cannon" handle- Mfg Jan 2023>, mild to tame mid range, this is my first use outing with this razor and was impressed with the slant performance for being on the tame side but the results are stellar, very efficient whisker snipper.
I just shaved like I usually do and I felt not threatened by any overly aggressiveness like some razors. The machining was tested if the blade was equal on both sides when shaving and that was a very accurate feel and very satisfied + finish was adequate for shaving ( I did stone a few sharp edges with care before, use your discretion on that because its owners call). It mowed down my one days stubble with no problems using my simple routine of 2 passes WTG & ATG and any pickups felt and it passed with flying colors for my desired type razor.
As for a slant razor enthusiast over the years it is not like other past slant razors for design and is more on the simplification design & Yaqi set a good example IMO so far. The blade clamping is excellent with no chatter other than whiskers getting snipped and loading and unloading blade is normal for a tab covered razor type IMO. Just use care like normal handling of sharp objects of any kind. The Yaqi Tear drop handle worked well also and l like tapered handles from years ago also using them.
Other razor manufactures will copy this design over the years more than likely because it is a great simple slant design & compact size possibly for them to manufacture (looks like Yaqi can think outside the box making slant razors at least & especially their 2 slants they offer are just different performers on the aggression scale(1 tame & 1 aggressive) + different designs for their 2 slant offerings).
Kind of long winded review of my first impressions. But some fellows are curious no doubt and like to know what it was like to use!
Blade : Gillette Astra SP(1) sharp & smooth with excellent longevity + my standard blade for testing new razors I have used over the years.
Soap : Razorock XXX, nice unique clean scented soap with excellent lather qualities.
Brush : Yaqi " lucky dice" 26mm fan type brown whiskers Mew synthetic- excellent lather generator, velvet cloud like soft tips, gentle splay scrubber + excellent lather painter. Won this proto type brush in the raffle sale 3 weeks ago.
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 XXX with witch hazel + a dollop of CeraVe moisturizing lotion(scentless).
Results : CCS,DFS,BBS + no irritation + no weepers=:a17: Excellent shave with my new Yaqi 316 SS slant razor with a Astra SP blade.
SOTD Feburary 24 2023 .jpg

Have some great shaves!
 
Last edited:

Ron R

I survived a lathey foreman
DE SOTD, Saturday, February25th 2023. Day #2 of shave testing the New Yaqi 316 SS slant.

Razor : Yaqi 316 stainless steel torsion slant with a Yaqi "teardrop" cannon polished 316 handle- Mfg Jan 2023>,mild to tame mid range, Very high efficentcy for any razor I have used( I used a lot of Razors), interesting design that is just different and compact and it will be used by other manufactures in the future I'm almost certain.(simpler design for CNC machining?)
Blade clamping is to another level in the slant razor category's IMO because of the lather port design that make bridges to support blade closer to blade edge & on top of that they incorporated torsion to blade (2' degrees gentle helical twist) to make it even more ridged close to blade edges.(click photo to enlarge if having hard time ready text.)
Yaqi 316 slant base plate 4, 2023 (2).jpg

Had a great drama free shave this morning mostly and enjoy that for those drowsy mornings.

Blade : Gillette Astra SP(2) sharp & smooth with great longevity. My standard blade for testing new razors.
Soap : Tabac, flowery clean scent with excellent lather qualities. It is classic soap for lots of folks.
Brush : Yaqi " Artic sky" 24 mm silver tip badger, excellent lather generator, heavenly pillow like soft tips, gentle splay scrubber + excellent lather painter. Nice handle to grip + knot is High Density(HD) type I believe for a silver tip.
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 : + a dollop of CeraVe moisturizing lotion(scentless)
Results :CCS,DFS, BBS + no irritation + 1 blemish weeper=:a17: had a excellent close shave this morning with my Yaqi 316 slant with a Gillette Astra SP blade.
SOTD Feburary 25 2023 .jpg


Have some great shaves!
 
Post shave : + a dollop of CeraVe moisturizing lotion(scentless)

A bit off-topic:

I am wondering about the CeraVe moisturizing lotion. Why this instead of a thicker balm? Classic lotion is too thin for me and my face and, moisturizers are better but seem a bit thin too. The balms I have used are thicker and for me spread much better on my face and neck, and the better ones get absorbed quickly and seem to last well on sunny or cold blustery days.

Why is the CeraVe moisturizing lotion your choice? Is it one of the versions with Hyaluronic Acid or something else that works better for you?
 

Ron R

I survived a lathey foreman
A bit off-topic:

I am wondering about the CeraVe moisturizing lotion. Why this instead of a thicker balm? Classic lotion is too thin for me and my face and, moisturizers are better but seem a bit thin too. The balms I have used are thicker and for me spread much better on my face and neck, and the better ones get absorbed quickly and seem to last well on sunny or cold blustery days.

Why is the CeraVe moisturizing lotion your choice? Is it one of the versions with Hyaluronic Acid or something else that works better for you?
Hello Sid, I do not find CeraVe any thinner than my other balms I have used. You are correct at guessing why I switched to CeraVe from others it is because it makes my skin feel better after a shaves, it is formulated better with the Hyaluronic acid and the other ingredients and does not leave my skin oily is the main reasons.
I used Nivea sensitive skin balm for years and it was OK and then I got on this Hyaluronic acid kick that other members where claiming about its wonders for healthy skin, so I bought a small bottle and found it really did nothing I thought and then one day I decided to try some with a dollop of my Nivea balm and it was amazing the difference in skin improvement just from a shave so was sold on that idea.( you should add Hyaluronic acid in a small percentage to main lotion.)
I knew others where using CeraVe moisturizing lotion with good results and was already using the CeraVe hand bar cleanser as a pre shave wash and it is a very good product also from 3 + years of using it.
About 2 years lather Nivea has come out with their version of the Hyaluronic version of their balm have not had a chance to use it yet, knowing Nivea they got it right so if price is decent might have to try some.
CeraVe as per cost of use is really decent and other manufactures will struggle to meet that price IMO. Hope that helps you, CeraVe is used by millions of folks from women to men & children around the world so they have earned a great name for skin moisturizing cream and other products.
 

Ron R

I survived a lathey foreman
What is the item number of this "torsion slant"? Is it the "Yaqi SLOPE"?
You have to go to AliExpress to find it, just type in Yaqi in search and click any product from the Yaqi store and then to the left side look of page under Razor heads is more accurate if your interested!
West coast shaving sells Yaqi products also, contact them also.
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom