Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I did a little research before jumping into DE shaving. I found out that this razor is a Chinese made Ming Shi clone of the Gillette Super Speed and a very mild razor. Mild sounded like a good place to start with DE. The same reputation applies to the Derby blades... mild and forgiving.
The razor was much lighter than I expected. It felt somewhat cheap and the doors have a lot of play when open, but close tightly with even and symmetric blade exposure. The grip is a bit slick and I did drop it in the sink once with lather on my hands. All in all, it's a pretty mediocre razor but will do the job and isn't a bad place to start.
The brush had an extreme case of boar funk (dead animal smell) even before the first drop of water hit it. It took three nights of brush break-in (allowing a fully lathered brush to dry, then rinsing the next morning). Most brushes only take one. That said, the extra break-in to get rid of the funk also soften the brush up more quickly. At first I was afraid it would be too course, but it has softened up nicely over 2 weeks while still having plenty of backbone for soaps.
After my first few shaves I was getting a lot of tugging and irritation. At first I thought it was my technique so I plugged along for a full week. Then I decided the razor was just too mild, so I switched to a vintage Gillette Super Adjustable I purchased outside of Amazon, but stuck with the Derby blades. I had similar results there and chalked it up again to technique. Then a blade sampler I ordered separately arrived. On a whim I tried the Gillette 7 o'Clock SharpEdge (Yellow) in the Gillette razor blade and it was an instant night-and-day difference. To confirm the Derby blades were to blame, I tried the SharpEdge in the Ming Shi razor with similar results. Moral of the story? Blade choice matters, it's completely subjective, and you need to try different blades to find what works for you.
I can't comment on the Arko soap as I made the mistake of trying to melt it into a bowl and ended up burning the tallow.
Overall I think this is a serviceable package for a DE beginner IF you try some blades up front. Yes your technique will change over time, but the differences in blades can become apparent even early on in the learning process. It's also possible to do better for similar money. For about $10 more something like the Van Der Hagen Premium Shave Set (Soap, Bowl, Brush) along with a Chrome Double Edge Razor #86C + 15 Free DE Razor Bladeswould get you started with a more substantial razor that may last longer and includes 3 different blades to sample and hopefully find one that works well for you.
There's nothing particularly wrong with this kit, but if I had it to do over again, it's not where I would start my DE journey. Only 2 weeks in, I've replaced every component with something better. If I'd started with just slightly better beginner tools, I probably wouldn't be upgrading for several more months or maybe even years.
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Shaving Factory Shaving Set (Derby Extra, Arko Shaving soap Stick, Jaguar Brush, SF Razor)
Click here for more information about Shaving Factory Shaving Set (Derby Extra, Arko Shaving soap Stick, Jaguar Brush, SF Razor)
