I was looking for a supply of Derby blades here in the UK, and between B&B and Ebay, decided to try the user derbyuk on Ebay.



I was just about to by a bunch of blades, when I noticed he was selling an inexpensive razor + 15 blades for £7.49 (+£3 p&p), so I decided to buy it and try it.



The first thing I noticed is that it comes in a fairly sturdy box - it certainly seems rigid enough to take on my travels. The 'only' problem with the box is that there are some moudlings inside which look like they designed to take spare blades, but the space is either too small (for a box of blades) or too large (for single blades - so they are loose in the case, not really a big proplem).



The first thing I noticed was the weight. I currently have a short-handled Merkur 34C, and the new long-handled razor was noticeably lighter, however it did not feel flimsy. I would have preferred a bit more weight, and maybe shift a bit of weight to the head.



The Ming Shui razor is a 'butterfly' type, which I prefer, so it was no problem to load it up. The 'wings', when open, seemed a little loose, but once it was tightened up, it felt snug and secure. There was a fair bit of blade showing, but I wouldn't describe it as 'aggressive.



Shaving with a new Derby blade, and D.R.Harris Lavender shaving cream was a breeze. In terms of quality of shave, I don't think it was that much different from my Merkur. What I preferred was the long handle, which felt like I could have more control.



The head seems a little flatter than the Merkur, so the under-nose area (always has been a problem for me) seemed to be a little easier.



Overall;



What I liked;



Case included; Butterfly Loading; Long Handle; Shave Quality; Value



What I would change;



More weight (overall, and shift balance toward the head); Re-design the case to hold blades.



User12345

Used it for the first time yesterday and concur with your review, although I was happier with the balance than you seemed to be. Over all a terrific razor, which would be especially suitable for beginners.



Greaham

I just used the Ming Sui for the first time yesterday, and I concur with your review although I seem to be a little happier with the balance. This is a good gentle razor, very suitable for beginners.



Graham

Agreed, it was a good first DE shave.



My merkur was a bit too heavy for me so I switched back to this, and its alot more user friendly.

I got one of these for free with my purchase of 300 Derby blades. As I had read that these were a cheap sorta-copy of a Super Speed, I knew I'd need a super sharp blade.

I loaded it with a Bic and was pleasantly surprised by how well it shaves.

It's not aggressive at all. It took 4 passes to get BBS, but I had no irritation.

Very mild. Good starter DE. Can get slippery when wet, due to the shiny plating.

I don't think you could cut yourself with this one if you tried.

The metal is thin, my only real complaint. If it were as thick as a Gillette, it'd be great. But then it wouldn't be free with blade purchase.

Quality is pretty darned good for a Chinese made product.

It's a great, cheap way to get your feet wet in wetshaving. If you don't like it, you haven't invested much money.

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Some people play hard to get. I play hard to like.

I bought the razor so I could get the 100 Derby Razor blades that came with it. With the razor, the blades came out to like 16 cents a blade, which I thought was a good price considering you got a razor. I was planning to use it as a razor for gym use, so I could leave it in my locker. Came with a nice plastic case.



Tried using it a few times. The worst shave ever. Way too mild, could not get it to cut anything. After first pass the few times I used it, I had to switch to my Merkur to finish. Would not recommend this. Don't waste your money if you are new to DE shaving. Just purchase a basic quality Merkur 24 to get started.

very goodforprice

Very good value, I bought this for $ 1,73 and it came with an Ming Shi MP036 blade.