Yaqi Top Aggressive Slant - First Shave

[CzechCzar]

I have mixed feelings about the Yaqi slant. It is VERY efficient, and being an OC slant it makes quick work of even 10 day old stubble. What I don't like is the chatter - way too loud, sounds very aggressive and a bit cheap. I wonder if I should just add a shim to reduce the chatter. It's been mentioned before that it looks like it could take the skin right off your face. To be honest, I have not had any nicks so far but I'm very careful using it. I got some bad irritation on my neck the first time using it, but I wasn't paying attention and got a little sloppy.

I am not a daily shaver, maybe 1-2 times a week, sometimes once in 2 weeks (work from home these days.) The Yaqi slant is perfect for the first pass to get all the long stubble off. It is excellent / efficient at doing that - best razor I own, hands down, for mowing down long stubble. For the 2nd pass, I then switch to the SNMIRN adjustable razor I picked up on Amaz0n, set on 7 or 8. The SNMIRN is SO SMOOTH, it is perfect for the finishing pass (but not for removing long stubble.) Best 9 bucks I spent on a razor ever!

I also acquired a Yaqi TFC, but haven't used it all that much. The combo of Yaqi Slant + SNMIRN adjustable is my go-to setup for now...

I'd say the Yaqi Slant has its place in my rotation. For 5 bucks (after coupon + free shipping) you just can't go wrong!

Very good to hear. I agree I couldn't shave every day with it. Have to take a few days off here and there.

What is the SMNIRN? Never heard of it.

 

[pgriffin]

Very good to hear. I agree I couldn't shave every day with it. Have to take a few days off here and there.

What is the SMNIRN? Never heard of it.

It's a clone of the Merkur Futur with some upgrades - magnetic head to hold blade in place, and the handle shape is nicer. It was reviewed here quite a bit last 1-2 years (search for Futul, with an L), but hasn't gotten much attention lately. A forgotten gem IMHO... VERY SMOOTH shaver.

 

[Silky Glide]

This thread inspired me to order a Yaqi aggressive slant a month or so ago, and if finally came in the mail last week. I have a lot of experience with slants (I have about 8 other slants, but none as aggressive at the Yaqi). One of the earlier posts suggested that the Yaqi slant works well with a blade that is milder than the sharpest of blades, so I loaded a Voskhod and used it 4 times this week with a thin long SS handle I picked up a while ago from Ikon.

I got some of the closest shaves I have ever had with this razor head, which, you can tell from the looks of it, demands respect. I used no pressure - I just let the weight of the razor do the work and I paid very careful attention. Each day I did 2 passes and did not need much in the way of touch up. In fact, I think I could have gotten away with a single pass. In four shaves, I once got just the tiniest nick just below my lip - it didn't gush, but when I put on aftershave, I could feel it. I consider that to be a wake-up reminder to pay attention with this bad boy.

So my opinion? Definitely an efficient razor (one of the few that can give me a bbs with two passes), but I am a mostly open comb guy. I think because I had to pay such close attention so as not to cut myself, the fun factor was missing. It is good slant, but I would not recommend it to anyone as their first slant razor - better to build a bit of confidence with a Merkur 37C first. I am going back to my open combs. I also ordered an SS open comb with the slant - sort of a three panel top. I am going to try that one next.

 

[CzechCzar]

This thread inspired me to order a Yaqi aggressive slant a month or so ago, and if finally came in the mail last week. I have a lot of experience with slants (I have about 8 other slants, but none as aggressive at the Yaqi). One of the earlier posts suggested that the Yaqi slant works well with less than the sharpest of blades, so I loaded a Voskhod and used it 4 times this week with a thin long SS handle I picked up a while ago from Ikon.

I got some of the closest shaves I have ever had with this razor head, which, you can tell from the looks of it, demands respect. I used no pressure - I just let the weight of the razor do the work and I paid very careful attention. Each day I did 2 passes and did not need much in the way of touch up. In fact, I think I could have gotten away with a single pass. In four shaves, I once got just the tiniest nick just below my lip - it didn't gush, but when I put on aftershave, I could feel it. I consider that to be a wake-up reminder to pay attention with this bad boy.

So my opinion? Definitely an efficient razor (one of the few that can give me a bbs with two passes), but I am a mostly open comb guy. I think because I had to pay such close attention so as not to cut myself, the fun factor was missing. It is good slant, but I would not recommend it to anyone as their first slant razor - better to build a bit of confidence with a Merkur 37C first. I am going back to my open combs. I also ordered an SS open comb with the slant - sort of a three panel top. I am going to try that one next.

Glad that you got such efficient shaves! I encourage you to stick with it for just another week or two! Eventually your hand will learn how to work with the razor, and the shaves become 2nd nature.
L

 

[Silky Glide]

Glad that you got such efficient shaves! I encourage you to stick with it for just another week or two! Eventually your hand will learn how to work with the razor, and the shaves become 2nd nature.
L

Thanks for the suggestion - maybe I will give it another week!

 

[Ron R]

DE SOTD, Tuesday, May10 2022

Razor : Yaqi slant, Mfg 2019> This razor has that jaws look and looks a aggressive and it is, a seasoned technique and with a steep angle and short handle I like to use when riding the bar when using this shaving angle method .
The razor likes a gentle touch with good placement and it just works wonderfully IMO. This razor is for those fellows who enjoy blade feel and it will not disappoint. The 1st shave with it was fairly smooth with no issues at all. Good challenge for myself, I placed a shim underneath also to support blade better for any chatter and I guess it adds a little more aggression in theory. Not a daily driver for most folks IMO. Newbies might to avoid using this razor until their technique has matured IMO.
Blade : Gillette 7oClock SP(2) sharp & smoooth with reasonable longevity.
Soap : Razorock Lavender, nice scent with excellent lather qualities. (discontinued )
Brush : Yaqi 22 mm 2 band badger Sagrada Familia, excellent lather generator, soft pillow like tips, nice scrub, excellent lather painter. This little brush is just a joy to use and not a lather hog at all + one of my favorites.
Pre shave : (Dedicated Cashmere synthetic)Brush wash whole face with CeraVe hand bar cleanser with a dollop of clear Aloe Vera on the cleaned beard area.
Prep : Cold water rinse after each pass of 2 + pickups. WTG + ATG + pickups.
Post shave :Alum test showed minor stinging + Razorock King Louis lavender with witch hazel + a dollop of CeraVe moisturizing lotion(scentless).
Results :10/10 or CCS,DFS,BBS + no irritation + 1 blemish weeper= Excellent shave with my 1st use Yaqi Slant with a Gillette 7oClock SP. You can not get a closer shave using this razor blade combination even with a shavette with a naked blade possibly IMO.

Have some great shaves!

 

[Ron R]

Some more information that I posted on another thread that might be of interest for Yaqi slant users.

Have some great shaves!

 

[CzechCzar]

DE SOTD, Tuesday, May10 2022

Razor : Yaqi slant, Mfg 2019> This razor has that jaws look and looks a aggressive and it is, a seasoned technique and with a steep angle and short handle I like to use when riding the bar when using this shaving angle method .
The razor likes a gentle touch with good placement and it just works wonderfully IMO. This razor is for those fellows who enjoy blade feel and it will not disappoint. The 1st shave with it was fairly smooth with no issues at all. Good challenge for myself, I placed a shim underneath also to support blade better for any chatter and I guess it adds a little more aggression in theory. Not a daily driver for most folks IMO. Newbies might to avoid using this razor until their technique has matured IMO.
Blade : Gillette 7oClock SP(2) sharp & smoooth with reasonable longevity.
Soap : Razorock Lavender, nice scent with excellent lather qualities. (discontinued )
Brush : Yaqi 22 mm 2 band badger Sagrada Familia, excellent lather generator, soft pillow like tips, nice scrub, excellent lather painter. This little brush is just a joy to use and not a lather hog at all + one of my favorites.
Pre shave : (Dedicated Cashmere synthetic)Brush wash whole face with CeraVe hand bar cleanser with a dollop of clear Aloe Vera on the cleaned beard area.
Prep : Cold water rinse after each pass of 2 + pickups. WTG + ATG + pickups.
Post shave :Alum test showed minor stinging + Razorock King Louis lavender with witch hazel + a dollop of CeraVe moisturizing lotion(scentless).
Results :10/10 or CCS,DFS,BBS + no irritation + 1 blemish weeper= Excellent shave with my 1st use Yaqi Slant with a Gillette 7oClock SP. You can not get a closer shave using this razor blade combination even with a shavette with a naked blade possibly IMO.

Have some great shaves!

What a wonderful review!

IIRC 7 o'clock yellows were quite good, although I chose Nacets as my daily driver. That may change depending upon availability.

I have the same experience as you, highlighted above. Even a professional barber cannot get me this close. I have been using this for long enough that the experience is second nature to me, so I am typically done in under 5 minutes.

One thing I have noticed is that, for me at least, preshave definitely makes a difference. I switched from GD to the Cube, and the comfort of the shave definitely took a hit. Next year I am hopeful that the baum.be cream and preshave will blow it out of the water.

 

[Ron R]

SLANTemper, Tuesday Sept 6th 2022

Razor : Yaqi Slant, Mfg 2019, Aggressive range, this slant when using a steep approach(riding the bar) is one of the smoothest slants out there, I do place a 1 shim under the blade because there is a lot of bottom blade reveal, lots of audio feedback and just a joy to use IMO. I like to use a short handle(75mm-80mm) with aggressive razors because less leverage + easy to manipulate quicker & less weight. The only time I get a weeper is when there is a blemish on my face sheared off + avoid plunking on face at start also because of blade exposure and it will perform very well. I get some of the best closest stellar shaves with this razor!
Blade : Gillette silver blue (5), sharp & smoooth + reasonable longevity.
Soap : Gillette Pure cream, nice 5-6/10 clean unique scent with excellent lather qualities. Make excellent ubber lather from left over hard soap remnants in shave bowl.
Brush : Yaqi Aqua High mountain silvertip badger, excellent lather generator, pillow soft hair tips, nice gentle splay scrubber + excellent lather painter.
Pre shave : (Dedicated Cashmere synthetic)Brush wash whole face with CeraVe hand bar cleanser with a dollop of clear Aloe Vera on the cleaned beard area.
Prep : Cold water rinse after each pass of 2 + pickups. WTG + ATG + pickups.
Post shave : Pinaud Clubman AS with witch hazel + a dollop of CeraVe moisturizing lotion(scentless).
Results :CCS,DFS,BBS + no irritation + 1 blemish weeper= Excellent shave with my Yaqi slant with GSB blade. (It does not get any better a shave then this for myself.)

Have some great shaves!

 

[thombrogan]

The Yaqi Store in AliExpress is now longer carrying this razor head.

Waited two and a half years to risk spending $7.50usd and this happened.

I’ve always heard strike while the iron is hot, but this is zamack.

 

[Ron R]

SLANTemper, Friday, 2022

Razor : Yaqi slant, Mfg 2019> excellent slant, aggressive range. This odd looking slant will give a person some of the best shaves of any slant made as long as a person goes steep angle(riding the bar) light touch and with a short handle the beard whiskers do not stand a chance at all. I have used this 6 times at least(recent purchase) and it is never going to be sold while I own it, a easy shave to master IMO. I also placed a blade shim under the primary working blade because of large blade reveal(not necessary?) adding some more blade exposure: laugh:.
A few things to remember not to plunk on face at start or come in hot + ride the bar, I can not get a better shave IMO.
Blade : Gillette silver blue(1) Sharp & smoooth with reasonable longevity.
Soap : Speick stick, nice mild spicy scent + excellent lather qualities. Triple milled and lasts a long time IMO.
Brush : Yaqi Black marble 24mm Tuxedo knot, excellent lather generator, cloud like soft tips, gentle splay scrubber + excellent lather painter.
Pre shave : (Dedicated Cashmere synthetic)Brush wash whole face with CeraVe hand bar cleanser with a dollop of clear Aloe Vera on the cleaned beard area.
Prep : Cold water rinse after each pass of 2 + pickups. WTG + ATG + pickups.
Post shave : Ach Brito after shave with witch hazel + a dollop of CeraVe moisturizing lotion(scentless).
Results :CCS,DFS,BBS + no irritation + no weepers= excellent shave with my Yaqi slant with a GSB blade. Dolphin skin smooth, can not get closer shave then this IMO.

Have some great shaves!

 

[CzechCzar]

SLANTemper, Friday, 2022

Razor : Yaqi slant, Mfg 2019> excellent slant, aggressive range. This odd looking slant will give a person some of the best shaves of any slant made as long as a person goes steep angle(riding the bar) light touch and with a short handle the beard whiskers do not stand a chance at all. I have used this 6 times at least(recent purchase) and it is never going to be sold while I own it, a easy shave to master IMO. I also placed a blade shim under the primary working blade because of large blade reveal(not necessary?) adding some more blade exposure: laugh:.
A few things to remember not to plunk on face at start or come in hot + ride the bar, I can not get a better shave IMO.
Blade : Gillette silver blue(1) Sharp & smoooth with reasonable longevity.
Soap : Speick stick, nice mild spicy scent + excellent lather qualities. Triple milled and lasts a long time IMO.
Brush : Yaqi Black marble 24mm Tuxedo knot, excellent lather generator, cloud like soft tips, gentle splay scrubber + excellent lather painter.
Pre shave : (Dedicated Cashmere synthetic)Brush wash whole face with CeraVe hand bar cleanser with a dollop of clear Aloe Vera on the cleaned beard area.
Prep : Cold water rinse after each pass of 2 + pickups. WTG + ATG + pickups.
Post shave : Ach Brito after shave with witch hazel + a dollop of CeraVe moisturizing lotion(scentless).
Results :CCS,DFS,BBS + no irritation + no weepers= excellent shave with my Yaqi slant with a GSB blade. Dolphin skin smooth, can not get closer shave then this IMO.

Have some great shaves!

That looks like a great shave! How is the ach British aftershave?

 

[Ron R]

That looks like a great shave! How is the ach British aftershave?

I really like the Ach Britio Lavanda aftershave, it is not a loud fragrance that drives every one out of a room IMO. Closest fragrance it comes close to would be my Proraso green but a little longer lasting IMO. Proraso green is more a projecting (loud) type of aftershave scent and slightly different and does not have Lavender in it that is amazing scent I enjoy + lavender is healthy for a person IMO.

 

[Ron R]

The Yaqi Store in AliExpress is now longer carrying this razor head.

Waited two and a half years to risk spending $7.50usd and this happened.

I’ve always heard strike while the iron is hot, but this is zamack.

I guess another saying I have heard "snooze you lose", who knows with Yaqi they might have some more being made for future needs down the road. They have been offering many new razor heads lately and just want them presented more for now for marketing?
They also have another new head called the Zephyr that might be coming out soon, neat looking modern head I saw on youtube.

 

[CzechCzar]

I guess another saying I have heard "snooze you lose", who knows with Yaqi they might have some more being made for future needs down the road. They have been offering many new razor heads lately and just want them presented more for now for marketing?
They also have another new head called the Zephyr that might be coming out soon, neat looking modern head I saw on youtube.

I saw the zephyr online and was intrigued. Sadly I can't find the top aggressive slant online. Yaqi Australia reformatted their website so they no longer have the aggressiveness rating. There are way too many heads to know what is what!

 

[thombrogan]

It’s back in stock at AliExpress!

And it’s easier to give them my money than last time I ordered doodads from them.

<Snoopy dance intensifies>

 

[fabled]

It’s back in stock at AliExpress!

And it’s easier to give them my money than last time I ordered doodads from them.

<Snoopy dance intensifies>
View attachment 1540763

The brass version?

 

[thombrogan]

I ordered the chrome plated zamack version. They might have a brass looking one as the full Agamemnon razor.

 

[Ron R]

I ordered the chrome plated zamack version. They might have a brass looking one as the full Agamemnon razor.

Enjoy, steep angle works for myself.

 

[Ron R]

The brass version?

Good to see they are going to make the head still.