Weekly Razor Review

Errol said:
Delta Echo Gillette Slim Adjustable H1



I was fumbling through ebay when I came across this revamped Delta Echo Gillette Slim H1 for sale. It had my name written all over it, I’ll find room to shoehorn it into my collection somehow, somewhere. I would never refurbish a razor that was in, or very near pristine condition, however if the old girl had seen plenty of use, I’d have no objection to having it revamped to give it a new lease on life. Now the colour scheme on this razor is not something I would normally consider, but it was already done and there’s little doubt that it will stand out in any crowd, black Cerakote with red highlights. A certificate accompanying the Slim is dated 2016 and the razor looks like it has not seen a blade since it was revamped, I’ll make amends to that pretty soon.

Gillette Slims are a common razor and are readily available on the second hand and BST markets, so I won’t go into too much detail on the razor itself. Suffice to say that it is a Gillette adjustable razor; anyone who has ever used a Gillette adjustable will know immediately the message I’m trying to convey. Slims are a twist to open adjustable with 9 different setting, the odd numbers are displayed and there is a dot for the even numbers. A positive click informs the user of their selected setting, ensuring that once set it is not going to be accidentally moved. As expected of a revamped razor everything has been tuned and works to perfection. At 10mm diameter the handle might look thin but in practice the razor was easy to control and affords good grip.

It’s a long time since I’ve used a Slim razor but I have fond memories of that encounter so I’m really looking forward to sampling the Slim again. Position #6 seemed like a good place to start but as it turned out the result was under Karve CB Level #D efficiency; up to position #7 and there was a corresponding increase in efficiency but it was not till I switched to position #8 that I found what I was looking for – Karve CB level #D efficiency. At just over Karve CB level #D efficiency, position #9 may be too mild for some but for me I don’t require any more aggression. There is a noticeable step in efficiency as you progress through each setting and a proportional increase in positive blade feel as you reach the higher settings. At no time does the blade feel become overpowering, it remains well matched to the efficiency level right through the range. I’m sorry to say but all other makes of adjustables are pretenders, all playing catch up in the adjustable razor world; Gillette got the formula right and never strayed too far from what they knew worked. Get yourself a mint, a low milage or a refurbished Gillette adjustable, there’s ample out there, you won’t be disappointed.

  • #1 – Too mild for me
  • #3 –Karve CB Level #B – pleasant blade feel
  • #5 –Karve CB Level #C – pleasant blade feel
  • #7 – Just under Karve CB Level #D – pleasant blade feel
  • #9 – Over Karve CB Level #D – pleasant blade feel
Blades Used – Gillette Super Thin and Gillette Super Stainless
Material – Brass
Weight – 70.6g
Blade Tab – Exposed
Head Width – 43.7mm
Handle Length – 80.76mm
Handle Diameter – 10.08mm
Availability – Out of production
Final Word – A pleasure
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Miss the Delta Echo work, they made vintage razors look like a work of art. Lovely review @Errol
 
Errol said:
Yaqi Ultima OC SS



I recently commented that Yaqi had turned a corner with the polished finish on their Ultima adjustable razor and that the finish was quality all the way. Their Ultima OC version must have been produced at a different place in time, because in what I have come to expect from Yaqi, the polish job has again been over-cooked, not just a little, but by one large margin. This is particularly evident on the handle, where what would have been excellent grip has been polished to a point where it is provides limited grip with dry hands. It’s also back to the Yaqi way with thread engagement; in its delivered condition the thread engagement was grabbing and not at all smooth, it required an application of oil to free everything up and then it was a loose engagement. There are no position indents or clickers on the adjuster, it rotates from position #1 through #6 and almost back to position #1. Spring loaded bottom plates provide the adjustability for the razor in the familiar Gibbs style. Other than being a two piece, adjustable, open comb razor there is very little else that can be said about the design and manufacture of the Ultima OC.

My favourite part of using any adjustable, if there is one, is deciding which setting I’m going to use first, setting #3 seemed as good a place as any. Great idea, but the family was staying and I was advised that the two young grandsons had never seen a shave, I don’t remember their father ever shaving. With the audience (including the daughter in law) in attendance I explained the blade, the razor, the soap and shaving brush and went on to demonstrate the process but never checked the setting. Bloody hell, that’s a bit severe; it was on setting #5 – well over Karve CB level #D and more positive blade than I will ever require. My audience went missing after the first pass, so I dropped down to setting #4; that was better, just over Karve CB level #D efficiency but still more than ample positive blade. Setting #3 delivered a shave just under Karve CB Level #D efficiency so somewhere between #3 and #4 would be my preferred setting, though, even there, the shave was a long way from being comfortable. Yaqi mass produce razors that appeal to many based purely on their lower pricing, defiantly not on quality or consistency. Many of their product’s results leave a lot to be desired. There are any number of far better adjustable razors available.

  • #1 – Useless
  • #2 – Karve CB Level #C
  • #3 – under Karve CB Level #D – not comfortable
  • #4 – over Karve CB Level #D – positive blade feel
  • #5 – well over Karve CB Level #D – excessive positive blade
  • #6 – a weapon
Blades Used – Gillette Minora and Derby Extra
Material – Stainless steel
Weight – 100g
Blade Tab – Covered
Head Width – 43.52mm
Handle Length – 79.6mm
Handle Diameter – 11.95mm
Availability – AliExpress
Final Word – Another adjustable
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Found this one a bit aggressive too but do enjoy using it with a Voshkod. another excellent review @Errol
 
Errol said:
Q Shave Adjustable – Magnetic Clip



Q Shave call it a clip, I would refer to it as a cap, but they built it, so they ought to know. An increasing number of manufacturers are using magnets to retain the cap on their razor, but this is the first adjustable I’ve seen with a magnetic cap. It’s a smooth, flowing two piece designed razor with three magnets positioned in the cap mating with three in the plate. They do not appear overly strong, as the cap is quite easily removed, though some credit for its easy removal must go to the extra length of the cap which affords good leverage. I had nothing to do with the purchase of this razor; it simply turned up in the mail from none other than @Bladerunner7 That was back in 2024 so I haven’t exactly set the keyboard alight in my eagerness to test it. Like all Q Shave products, the Adjustable is zamac and plated in a satin finish, it certainly looks strong and workman like. With dry hands and no machined grip area, the handle is smooth and quite conducive to slipping so I can only hope wet hands improve the grip. Around the top of the handle section, the settings are engraved #1 through to #8 but they are very difficult to read, it will be a nightmare trying to identify the numbers early in the morning without glasses.

I was correct in my assumption that I would need my reading glasses to read the adjustment levels; I had to make a quick dash from the bathroom to retrieve them. I failed starting on position #3 with the last razor, so this time. Position #3, that’s not bad; almost Karve CB Level #D efficiency, a well adjusted amount of blade feel, and very comfortable. Take it up to position #4; what’s going on, it feels less efficient than at position #3. Up a couple of notches and there is a definite decrease in efficiency as the numbers increase in value, there’s always one model that’s going to be different, and this is one of them. I can live with the reversal of efficiency levels as the numbers increase, but my problem with the Q Shave is that every time I tested the razor, its results varied at the various settings throughout the range. A wiggle of the cap in the hope of seating it and even removing and reseating the cap failed to achieve any consistency, the results remained all over the place like a dog’s breakfast. There seemed to be no pattern to the efficiency level I was getting, if only I could screw that cap down I’m sure the results would have been more consistent. Stronger magnets may assist to stabilize the results, but as it stands now, this razor is best left for someone else to buy.

Blades Used – Derby Extra and Polsilver Super Iridium
Material – Zamac
Weight – 71.5g
Blade Tab – Covered
Head Width – 52.20mm
Handle Length – 98.17mm
Handle Diameter – 15.59mm
Availability – Aliexpress
Final Word – Very disappointing
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@Errol , the rise and fall of the QShave adjustable:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
 
Errol said:
Natu Shave (Portugal)



I may not be the brightest jellybean in the jar, but I’ve never tried to shave a watermelon, but that’s exactly how the Natu was launched on Kickstarter, a razor shaving a watermelon. What a waste of a watermelon, and then they go on about saving the planet; someone could have eaten the bloody watermelon before it was destroyed by some idiot trying to shave it. There was very little information about the razor, but it didn’t take long to deduct that it would be machined from aluminium, it would be available in a range of pastel colours, it used one half DE blade and has a pivoting head, you know, to follow the contours of your face. Pivoting head! Bullshit! It’s just a fancy way of saying that it’s another bloody floppy. Hook swallowed, I bought one, and I just loooovee floppies, like hell I do. Since it’s all about saving the planet, I ordered a green one, it matches the watermelon.

Things must be slowing down in the Tatara shaving world because it was their engineers who designed and manufactured it. One thing I didn’t foresee though, was the use of magnets to secure the cap; I should have, Tatara used magnets to retain the cap on their SE razor. Natu has devised a hinge system allowing the cap to swing down to provide simple blade loading; two magnets then clamp shut and hold everything in place. First inspection and one of these cap hinge pins is protruding, a small tap and it completely fell out. I’ll have to work out if I can do something to retain the pin otherwise this review will be cut very short; the pin is small enough to be easily lost and disappear down the sink before I even know it’s done its disappearing act on me. The offending pin was placed on a larger hammer and tapped with a small hammer. This flattened the profile a little and provided some interference when put back into the razor. I already know this razor will never become my daily go to razor, so if it lasts for the next week all will be sweet. There is another pivot point between the handle and the head, a lightweight spring in the handle pushes the head back. Supposedly shaving pressure is going to stand the head to a more upright position. It’s fitted with a simple round handle with flats milled on the top and bottom. The whole razor is then anodised, six different colours and there is even a pink, women are one of the targeted sales groups.

Enclosed in the package were some ½ DE Derby Premium blades, what a great first up blade. Surprise, surprise, the Natu worked well, just under Karve CB level #D efficiency and enough positive blade not to be disappointing. I always use down strokes for shaving under the nose and at the first attempt there were whiskers remaining just under the nostrils but with a change to my procedure I was able to remove the offending whiskers. As soon as there is pressure on the head it rotates up against the stop and shaves like any fixed head razor. So if it only shaves when the head is resting against the stop, the floppy head, spring and hinges are just over-engineered pieces of garbage that have no bearing on the quality of the shave. Get rid of all the superfluous junk, it does not need to be there. Go back to the basics, whether that be DE or SE, both formats are far superior to a floppie. There is no way I’ll be taking up shaving with this, or any other floppy, but it done the job.

Blades Used – Derby Premium and Leaf
Material – Aluminium anodised
Weight – 42.45g
Blade Tab – Covered
Head Width – 47.01mm
Handle Length – Approx 104mm
Handle Diameter – 12.82mm
Availability – Natu Shaving
Final Word – Another floppie
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@Errol, wasn't surprised with your review of this one. I know that the lads at Tatara worked overtime on this project but its a far departure from their other razors.
 
SpeedyPC said:
@Errol FYI two peice Merkur 11 INOX coming soon
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Mate, this was released in April. Have shaved with one, milder than the 34 Inox on the skin but similar efficiency.

For someone who was not a fan of the 34 C HD, the Inox offerings are outstanding. My first shave with the INOX 34 and a new Kai SS blade took off six days of stubble in two passes. Was probably one of the best razors I shaved with this year. The Inox 11 is even gentler but produces similar results. For all those that complained about them being MIM and not CNC machined etc, they really need to shave with one first.
 
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