QSHAVEAdjustable Double Edge Classic Safety Razor (1 Razor & 5 pcs Titanium Coated Blades)

Qshave ReviewSafety first, this is a razor handle that requires more caution than most other razor handles. Inserting or removing the blade and adjusting the blade position can be tricky. And if you fail it could likely result in sliding a finger over the blade.The instructions show the razor head removal using the thumb and index finger grabbing each side of head and lifting up. I found this requires a good grip with your fingers and if they slip they tend to want to slip over the blade. I believe there is a much better way to do this.It helps to lower the blade number down to the lowest setting first, which is one. Hold the handle in one hand then using your thumb to push up on one side of head. If you look closely at the razor head, one side has a slight edge, see picture. Use that side to push up with the thumb. This way gives more control and less chance of slipping over the blade. I can do this with wet fingers and no slippage. But always be careful doing this. Test out the technique without the blade.I found that adjusting the blade number is even more prone to slipping and moving the finger across the blade. My handle requires a bit of force to turn to adjust the number. The best way I found to adjust this while shaving is to hold the razor by the handle and put the head squarely on the counter top. Then with a little bit of downward pressure, adjust the setting by turning the handle. This can be done one handed and there is no chance of hitting the razor edge. It is also quick to adjust.The review of the shaver:The shaver goes from very mild to aggressive. I have read other reviews indicating the razor was aggressive on the lowest setting. I do not find this the case at all, no matter who’s definition of aggressive that you are using. The only way I can see this is if the handle was not fully screwed in.There is a video on the web on how to take the razor apart for cleaning. Basically you remove the head cap and razor. The turn the adjuster to the max setting, which is 6. Then push on the head, against the spring. when you do this the handle will push out slightly and you can keep turning the adjuster past 6 and remove the handle all the way off. Then you will have the head, spring, and the handle separated.Installing is the reverse. You do need to make sure you fully screw the handle in. You could stop one full revolution short and that still gives you 6 settings but the razor blade starts out more aggressive on 1, actually a 1 would be like a 6 or even slightly more aggressive. In that case the razor is very aggressive on 1. Perhaps this is why some say the razor is very aggressive on a setting of 1. However if you keep turning the handle full in while assembling it will bottom out at 1 and if you look at the head from a side angle, the head will be fully seated in the groove. In this position a setting of 1 is very mild, basically no blade sticks out. I have absolutely no hair cutting on this setting. I tried the various settings while running the razor across the edge of a sheet of paper. At 1 the the blade makes no contact with the paper edge. I compared it to a Feather ASD2 and the Qshave setting of 3 is about the same as the ASD2. Making adjustments is not exactly consistent, the blade moves up while adjusting so that exposes more blade but also changes the angle of the blade. So the blade works different at different settings. The angle to hold the razor changes slightly with the setting.I had a great first shave but it dwindled after that to a terrible shave by the end of the week. When I shaved it seemed like the blade didn't cut at all or cut very little. Repeated shaving the same area didn't cut much and roughed the skin up each time. I could not figure out why that was, so I waited a while before writing the review.But I think I finally figured it out. There was a few things going on that caused the problem. First, the razor blade needs to be sharp. This razor handle does not work well with a blade that is starting to wear down. This is true for all razor handles but it is more noticeable with the Qshave. The Qshave razor does not have as much exposed blade (at lower settings) than other razor handles. So a change in razor blade sharpness is more noticeable but I believe the end result is the same in any razor handle, it is just more noticeable in the Qshave.The other thing I noticed is that one side of the razor cuts different from the other side. When I look closely at the razor it is not even, see picture. The blade gap differs on each side. I tried resetting the blade and moving the head a little but it is difficult to get it exact. With a few tries I can get the blade to sit parallel to the razor edge but the gap differs and I cannot get that to equalize easily, maybe once or twice I had it even. I think it has to do with the torque on the spring that causes the head to push to one side or the other. Adjusting the setting causes the spring tension to change and you can sort of center the head by moving this setting prior to putting the head cap on. I could not get it to work every time but I can get it to center after a little bit of effort. See the side angle pictures of the head. The play where the head connects to the handle differs on both sides and it is just enough to cause the head to be off center. But in the end it didn't really matter, you end up with two different cutting edges. I found this random blade setting to be a big factor in getting an efficient shave.However, having two different blade angles does have some advantages. I use the less aggressive side shave the jaw line and neck area. It is like adjusting the handle setting but easier to do. So it is not all that bad. You just need to remember which side is aggressive. In my case it is always the same side, the side opposite where you read the set number. The play in the head along with the single spring tension causes this.Over time of using the Qshave I have found I can more consistently get the blade in the same position which means a setting of 3 is the same each day, or close to it. When the setting is close each day the shave is great each day. When the razor edge varies each day at the same setting it is more difficult to use because you don’t know what a 3 really is, too aggressive or too mild or is the blade worn out ?The steps I follow to get the blade to sit close to the same position each day is to clean the razor and blade then put the razor head on in the same position while holding the razor handle at an angle so that the blade wants to slide to one side with the play in the razor blade. If you look closely at the razor handle top, where the blade goes, one side is marked. And if you look closely at the razor head, one side is slightly larger than the other, you can see this in the picture and you can easily feel the difference when you pick up the razor head from the ends. Line these two up the same each day and I can get the head to sit close to the same. Sometimes I can push on the head a little one way or the other to get the gap to look the same too. A little extra work but the shave is worth it, much better and consistent shave over my other razor handles.I compared the razor blade play in the razor with other razor handles I have. The Feather ASD2 has a tighter tolerance, not too tight but sits perfectly when assembled. The Feather Popular also has a tighter tolerance. And I have a Weishi and it too has tighter tolerance. Not a lot but apparently just enough. But given the face skin surface is not exactly flat all this does not seem to matter when using the razor.I found I get a very good shave if I use a new razor blade and start with a setting of 3 to 3.5. And spend a little time to get the razor head to sit the same way each time. For all this, it is worth having a Qshave in the collection.

I've been a loyal user of the Edwin Jagger DE89 (https://www.amazon.com/Edwin-Jagger-Double-Safety-Regular/dp/B003LW4L2W) razor for eight years. At the time that I got into double-edged shaving, I considered the Merkur Futura, but it seemed way too pricey. When I saw the Merkur's patent had expired, and that I could buy a copy for around $16, I figured "why not?".So here are my thoughts after several shaves with it. The body appears to be brushed stainless steel with a nice finish. It has nice weight and balance in the hand, and the weight of it is all that's necessary to get a close shave. I started with the #1 setting, quickly switched to #3, and am now using the #4 setting with Astra Platinum Blades (https://www.amazon.com/Astra-Platinum-Double-Safety-Blades/dp/B00P33OASW/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1044ZWTM54GLJ&dchild=1&keywords=astra+platinum+double+edge+safety+razor+blades&qid=1586974538&s=beauty&sprefix=astra+%2Cbeauty%2C229&sr=1-3) which have become my everyday favorite after trying several others (Derby, Dorco, etc.). I also use Van Der Hagen scented shaving soap (https://www.amazon.com/Van-Hagen-Luxury-Scented-3-5-Ounces/dp/B004L4AMIG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=44080BAEHXQG&dchild=1&keywords=van+der+hagen+deluxe+shave+soap&qid=1586974658&s=beauty&sprefix=van+de%2Cbeauty%2C240&sr=1-1) which I have found is a very good quality soap at a very reasonable price.OK, enough of that, let's talk about the quality of the shave. I am very impressed with the shaves that I've gotten with this razor using my Astra blades. The shave is much closer without skin irritation! If I wanted that close a shave with my Jagger razor, it would take at least two passes and would often leave me with red and irritated skin.While I have only had the Qshave razor a few days, I am so pleased with it that I've put my Jagger razor away as my back-up. That says a lot!If you're a double edge razor shaver, or are tired of paying ridiculous prices for blades that wind up in the landfill, do yourself a favor and buy one of these. If you're thinking about making the transition to double-edge shaving, get yourself some Astra Platinum blades and Van Der Hagen soap to go with it, along with a decent shaving brush. Start with a low setting (1 or 2) and work your way up to your comfort level. You won't look back!To be clear, I paid full price for this product and the other products that I mentioned, and am sharing this information in the hope that it will help others make good shopping choices.

I wanted to try shaving with an old style safety razor. I was told it was the best shave one could get. I can't say I concur with that, but I will say this: Despite my beard being pretty coarse, I am able to get more than two weeks use out of a 5 cent blade, even with daily use. Your mileage will vary.The adjustable handle is a nice feature, especially for a novice. Has the usual heavy feel of this style of handle. Looks pretty good. Easy to load blades in it.Other reviews I've read seem to indicate that for the best experience, you need high quality shaving soap and other accessories. I have not tried any of that. The goal for me was to save over using more expensive cartridges.To sum it up, the shave is adequate, but not better than three+ blade cartridges, but the price is nice.