The name of this razor seems to be quite a mouthful. Here's the full name on the AliExpress site, Yaqi Top Cap Aggressive Gunmetal Color Slant Safety Razor Head. It's a double open comb slant that I decided to give a try when it was only $5 and change delivered during the 11/11 sale. It arrived yesterday and my first reaction was, "Wow, this is attractive, well-made and very scary looking!". I paired it with a stainless steel handle from an Edwin Jagger razor. One thing to note is that the Yaqi has a long threaded top cap and some handles will not fit. Based upon a recommendation from @Bondage007, I will be picking up a gunmetal handle to match the Yaqi head.
In any event, this morning I lathered up with some Mike's Orange, Cedarwood and Black Pepper using my Yaqi 26 mm 2 band brush and gave this DOC slant a try. I had no problem finding the right angle of attack, but I have to admit that I started out very cautiously, a bit worried that this razor might bite. It did not. Yes, there is a fair amount of blade feel, but not uncomfortably so. What is quite remarkable is the auditory feedback, or just plain noise from this razor. No other razor I have used comes close. My MMOC is a distant second. Does this indicate "blade chatter"? I don't know, but perhaps it does. What I do know is that this razor produced as close a shave (perhaps a closer shave) than any other DE razor I have used to date. I did my normal 2 pass, WTG and ATG, shave and skipped the touch-ups because there was nothing left to touch-up. Post shave the alum block produced no additional sting and I have no nicks, cuts or irritation.
The only question that I still need to answer is whether this is a razor I can use daily without causing irritation. Time will tell on that one. I've posted a couple of picture for those of you who haven't see this razor before.
In any event, this morning I lathered up with some Mike's Orange, Cedarwood and Black Pepper using my Yaqi 26 mm 2 band brush and gave this DOC slant a try. I had no problem finding the right angle of attack, but I have to admit that I started out very cautiously, a bit worried that this razor might bite. It did not. Yes, there is a fair amount of blade feel, but not uncomfortably so. What is quite remarkable is the auditory feedback, or just plain noise from this razor. No other razor I have used comes close. My MMOC is a distant second. Does this indicate "blade chatter"? I don't know, but perhaps it does. What I do know is that this razor produced as close a shave (perhaps a closer shave) than any other DE razor I have used to date. I did my normal 2 pass, WTG and ATG, shave and skipped the touch-ups because there was nothing left to touch-up. Post shave the alum block produced no additional sting and I have no nicks, cuts or irritation.
The only question that I still need to answer is whether this is a razor I can use daily without causing irritation. Time will tell on that one. I've posted a couple of picture for those of you who haven't see this razor before.