Yaqi Telstar? Good, bad or other?

[sidpost]

What are the thoughts about the Yaqi Telstar? At a 1.15mm gap, with no specified blade exposure, it looks like it might be right up my alley for shave performance.

For reference, my daily drivers are the EJ 3One6 and Muhle Rocca at the moment for DE Safety razors. The Wolfman Guerrilla 0.99mm was also a favorite from a recent "test drive" and will be headed my way soon.

The Telstar looks like it will have a lot of blade clamping force to stop blade chatter and the large gap should clear the swarf well.

So, what are people's experiences with this razor head?

TIA,
Sid

 

[Iridian]

Anybody got the Yaqi Telstar?

I just ordered a Yaqi Telstar head from AliExpress. I have no idea what to expect. Yaqi doesn't say anything about the blade gap. I just thought it was cheap ($48.40) and it looked cool - kind of a RazoRock Lupo but different. Anybody tried it? Pictures are from AliExpress:

www.badgerandblade.com

The short of it, many people liked it and the original head they copied could not be identified yet. It was not the Lupo.
A few reports stated it to be slightly inferior to the Lupo it was often compared to.

 

[ivan_101]

What are the thoughts about the Yaqi Telstar? At a 1.15mm gap, with no specified blade exposure, it looks like it might be right up my alley for shave performance.

For reference, my daily drivers are the EJ 3One6 and Muhle Rocca at the moment for DE Safety razors. The Wolfman Guerrilla 0.99mm was also a favorite from a recent "test drive" and will be headed my way soon.

The Telstar looks like it will have a lot of blade clamping force to stop blade chatter and the large gap should clear the swarf well.

So, what are people's experiences with this razor head?

TIA,
Sid

I have the ZAMAK and the SS Telstar. Any comparison to Lupo is irrelevant. People see four cut corners on the cap and plate and think this is a Lupo imitation. The bending is different. Also we have more area of the blade clamped on the Telstars compared to the Lupo.

Exposure is bigger than your 3ONE6 and Rocca. And both Telstars are more aggressive than them. Closeness of shave is also better. The thing is with Telstars I shave neutral or shallow and I get cuts. When I shave steep everything is excellent.

Here @Ron R did some measurments DE pics with blade, interesting? - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/de-pics-with-blade-interesting.628574/post-11923434 He measured the exposure on the ZAMAK Telstar to be 0.13 - 0.15mm. The SS Telstar has a tad smaller gap - roughly 0.10 - 0-12mm. Especially with the ZAMAK head there is some light chatter. Probably because of the bigger exposure.

 

[Pinto90]

Compared to an R41 razor, could you classify the Telstar as more aggressive or the same?

 

[Ron R]

I have the ZAMAK and the SS Telstar. Any comparison to Lupo is irrelevant. People see four cut corners on the cap and plate and think this is a Lupo imitation. The bending is different. Also we have more area of the blade clamped on the Telstars compared to the Lupo.

Exposure is bigger than your 3ONE6 and Rocca. And both Telstars are more aggressive than them. Closeness of shave is also better. The thing is with Telstars I shave neutral or shallow and I get cuts. When I shave steep everything is excellent.

Here @Ron R did some measurments DE pics with blade, interesting? - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/de-pics-with-blade-interesting.628574/post-11923434 He measured the exposure on the ZAMAK Telstar to be 0.13 - 0.15mm. The SS Telstar has a tad smaller gap - roughly 0.10 - 0-12mm. Especially with the ZAMAK head there is some light chatter. Probably because of the bigger exposure.

Aggressive razors for myself work better with a Steep angle(riding the bar) with a short handle gives me a better way of regulating the blade feel and quicker to correct around the chin area +shorter handle has less weight. Shallow angle(riding the cap) seems not to give me ease of corrections quickly with any aggressive razor. Shallow angle shaving makes more sense to shave with but not always for myself IMO!
(Old archived photo)Yaqi Telstar(Zamak head) reasonable estimation on blade exposure.

Have some great shaves!

 

[Pinto90]

Aggressive razors for myself work better with a Steep angle(riding the bar) with a short handle gives me a better way of regulating the blade feel and quicker to correct around the chin area +shorter handle has less weight. Shallow angle(riding the cap) seems not to give me ease of corrections quickly with any aggressive razor. Shallow angle shaving makes more sense to shave with but not always for myself IMO!
(Old archived photo)Yaqi Telstar(Zamak head) reasonable estimation on blade exposure.

Have some great shaves!

The exposure of the blade seems excessive to me.
If so I don't like it, I will exclude it from my purchases, this head will not be decidedly aggressive, it's not for me.

 

[ivan_101]

The exposure of the blade seems excessive to me.
If so I don't like it, I will exclude it from my purchases, this head will not be decidedly aggressive, it's not for me.

If 0.15 exposure is excessive, then what is the the Green Cult 1.0 with a 0.25mm exposure?

 

[ivan_101]

Compared to an R41 razor, could you classify the Telstar as more aggressive or the same?

Don't know who you are asking.
It depends on which R41 you have. The latest ZAMAK heads from the last 4-5 years are milder than the 2013. And the R41GS is closer to the 2013 but a hair milder than it.

Comparing aggression of an open comp and closed comb razor (especially the Telstars that have a completely smooth bar) is not objectively possible. Even on the latest ZAMAK R41 you will have quite the blade feel on your skin. But it will not shave as close as the Telstar. I think I prefer the feel of the Telstar on my skin.

Anyway since you consider a 0.15mm exposure "excessive", do not buy a Telstar. Problem solved.

 

[Pinto90]

If 0.15 exposure is excessive, then what is the the Green Cult 1.0 with a 0.25mm exposure?

I don't know, I don't own Green cult 1.0 because I'm not a fan of particularly aggressive razors.

Don't know who you are asking.
It depends on which R41 you have. The latest ZAMAK heads from the last 4-5 years are milder than the 2013. And the R41GS is closer to the 2013 but a hair milder than it.

The R41 2013 model, yes that!

 

[ivan_101]

I don't know, I don't own Green cult 1.0 because I'm not a fan of particularly aggressive razors.



The R41 2013 model, yes that!

R41 2013 is definitely more aggressive than Yaqi Telstar. And will give a closer shave than both Telstar models.

 

[Ron R]

The exposure of the blade seems excessive to me.
If so I don't like it, I will exclude it from my purchases, this head will not be decidedly aggressive, it's not for me.

Some fellows like some blade feel with this sort of razor and it works well for myself but not my favorite, RR Lupo.72 is a smoother shave with similar end results at the end of the shave IMO!

 

[Pinto90]

R41 2013 is definitely more aggressive than Yaqi Telstar. And will give a closer shave than both Telstar models.

I want to clarify by writing that I don't understand about blad gaps and blade exposure levels, so visually it seemed to me that the blade was over exposed.

To get an idea and reference I asked if it was more aggressive than the R41 for this very reason.

When you write 0.12mm, 0.13mm , 0.15mm, 0.23mm, etc. it is not easy for me to understand if the blade is very or slightly exposed.

 

[ivan_101]

I want to clarify by writing that I don't understand about blad gaps and blade exposure levels, so visually it seemed to me that the blade was over exposed.

To get an idea and reference I asked if it was more aggressive than the R41 for this very reason.

When you write 0.12mm, 0.13mm , 0.15mm, 0.23mm, etc. it is not easy for me to understand if the blade is very or slightly exposed.

Do you have an R41?
For you to get the idea it would be better to say what razors you have and then I will tell you how the Telastar compares to them.

 

[Pinto90]

Do you have an R41?
For you to get the idea it would be better to say what razors you have and then I will tell you how the Telastar compares to them.

Hadn't I already written in post #9 answering a question of yours that I have the R41 2013?!

 

[ivan_101]

Hadn't I already written in post #9 answering a question of yours that I have the R41 2013?

Yes, sorry about that.
But I keep wondering. You say the exposure you see on the Telstar photo is excessive. And the 2013 R41 has a siginificant exposure. Are you sure your R41 is the 2013 ZAMAK version?

 

[DesertIguana]

No Razor is perfect for ALL faces, and beard types.

Be happy you got choices.

 

[sidpost]

I want to clarify by writing that I don't understand about blad gaps and blade exposure levels, so visually it seemed to me that the blade was over exposed.

To get an idea and reference I asked if it was more aggressive than the R41 for this very reason.

When you write 0.12mm, 0.13mm , 0.15mm, 0.23mm, etc. it is not easy for me to understand if the blade is very or slightly exposed.

There is more to it than just blade gap and blade exposure, or open comb versus closed comb. Blade chatter is another one that most don't consider.

Head shape and top cap shape along with safety bar differences all have a significant effect in many razors.

And, we haven't touched on the effects of the blades themselves! Some are thicker, some are wider, some are narrower and, some are just 'different'!

 

[ButterfaceX]

Compared to an R41 razor, could you classify the Telstar as more aggressive or the same?

Apples to Oranges...R41 is a must closer and efficient tool. For me the Telestar (have zamak & stainless )is a good shaver, efficient but no where close as the R41 ( for me). BFX

 

[Pinto90]

Yes, sorry about that.
But I keep wondering. You say the exposure you see on the Telstar photo is excessive. And the 2013 R41 has a siginificant exposure. Are you sure your R41 is the 2013 ZAMAK version?

The guy who sold it to me in the Italian shaving group told me it was the R41 2013, I don't know anything about it so I couldn't understand the differences between one head and another.

Certainly not razors like the aggressive ones that I use very little, I got it because I wanted try to use something different and see how an aggressive head would work on me.

It doesn't cause me any injuries, wounds or irritation, but it's too aggressive for my skin and I can use it a couple of times a year.
It would not make much sense for me to buy another razor head even slightly less aggressive than R41 but use it little, I will see.

 

[Pinto90]

Apples to Oranges...R41 is a must closer and efficient tool. For me the Telestar (have zamak & stainless )is a good shaver, efficient but no where close as the R41 ( for me). BFX

I watched on Youtube a video of a gentleman who was shaving comparing the Yaqi Mercury heads with the Testlar.

Using the Mercury head to shave he had no problems, with the Teslar he was full of cuts and blood all over his face that I feared the worst for him.
He commented writing that he did not like the Teslar because he had not encountered these injuries in in his previous shaves.

Can you recommend which handle in combination with the Testlar to handle it well?