I’ve had a chance to use the Qshave for a few shaves now and wanted to share some of my thoughts. It might be helpful to others contemplating whether or not to buy this razor. This review pertains to the Qshave I purchased from AliExpress costing $6.98 (including shipping).

First off, you’d be crazy not to try this razor! I mean, at a price of less than ten bucks, you can’t go wrong.

Finish

I found the finish to be quite good. Top notch, in fact. I was really surprised at how nice it looks. It’s a matte finish and gives a very smooth, clean appearance. While some might prefer a highly chromed razor, the matte finish seems to fit the razor’s design. It evokes a space-age, high tech quality.

Weight and Build Quality

Well, folks report that this is a bit lighter than the Merkur Futur. I cannot compare it as I don’t own a Merkur Futur.  (Note, since writing this, I’ve purchased the Merkur Futur.  A review is coming soon!)  However, when I removed the Qshave from the box, I was really surprised at the heft this thing has! It really has a nice weight, balance, and feel to it. Very nice!

It feels well built and robust. A very solid razor! It doesn’t feel flimsy or cheap in any way. I commented to my brother that I could purchase ten of these at seven bucks each and give them as Christmas gifts to nephews telling them that it’s a 60 dollar razor…and they would believe me!

Grip

It’s a smooth handled razor. The indentation in the handle body lends itself to a sure grip. Also, I think the matte finish offers some gripping quality.

Blade Loading and Adjustment

This is very straightforward. Pop off the cap, drop in a blade, pop the cap back on. Blade alignment was even and quite precise. Blade exposure appeared and felt even on both sides of the razor head.

To adjust, simply grab the ENDS of the razor head and turn the entire handle to increase or decrease the blade gap. However, be careful and cautious when adjusting or blade loading. If you’re asleep at the wheel, you may nick a finger due to accidentally mishandling it.

(Note:  The Qshave gives a terrific shave! Very nice! Close and smooth. No nicks, no cuts, no irritation.  Again, if the Qshave is misaligned, it’s a very, very, very, VERY small misalignment. Barely noticeable, if that. Which is why I err on the side of saying alignment is fine. If it is off a miniscule bit, then it’s no harm, no foul. Really, flip a coin.)

The Shave

I found the shave to be on the mild side, yet highly efficient. It is somewhat deceptive, though. At the lower settings, you don’t get much audio feedback. Turning it up a bit, you do get the audio, but really not much.

Again, this is deceptive. I think the blade guard quiets the shave while still giving good performance. Because of this, you feel as though you need to dial up the aggression to make sure you are cutting the whisker. However, the final result tells you that you are, in fact, getting a very good shave!

Just to emphasize, blade exposure felt even on both sides of the razor head. My face didn’t feel as if the razor had missed spots having used one side of the razor head versus the other side. Both sides of the razor head shaved identically.

I haven’t had a nick or cut. There’s absolutely no irritation or redness on the neck. After the third pass and final cold water rinse, a pass or two of the alum block tells me my face has been shaved. Very nice!

I used the “increase method” when shaving with the Qshave. I started at a low setting and moved up a half-click with each new shave pass. My first shave had me start at setting 2, then 2.5, and moving up to a final setting of 3. This gave me a fine shave, but I wanted a bit more efficiency. My next shave started at 3, then 3.5, and finally, 4. I received a better, closer shave. This is probably where I’ll stay for the foreseeable futur. (see what I did there?:))

I’m thinking the shortfall of audio feedback coupled with the overall smoothness from the blade guard, might lull me into a false sense of confidence. From this point, I’ll need to be more observant. This razor still shows the potential to be decidedly aggressive at the highest settings. The question remains, at those higher settings, will the shave still be smooth and irritation free?

Minor “Blemishes”

These aren’t flaws or defects. These are just a few minor issues I noticed while shaving with the Qshave. Let’s be clear. There are no deal-breakers here.

The razor head really is a bit larger than most traditional safety razors. The ends of the cap extend farther than the size of the blade and base plate. This extra length makes it a bit more challenging to get under the nose and trim whiskers just below the nostrils. It’s not impossible. However, you will have to use two hands. One to move the schnozz out of the way and the other, holding the razor, to shave the area.

Additionally, I found the shave angle to be a slightly more narrow than most other razors I’ve used. So, you have to adjust your technique a bit to really hit the sweet spot. Obviously, it becomes a bit easier to find as you increase blade exposure. Still, at setting 3, you need to adjust to hit the proper angle. It isn’t hard, and again, not a deal-breaker. Once you find the proper angle, and you will, the shave is really very nice.

One last point and, perhaps, it’s just me. But, the razor really builds up a lot of lather along the guard as you pass it across the face. More so than any other razor I’ve used. So, I find myself rinsing a bit more frequently. Still, this is a good indication that the razor is doing its job.

Final Words

So, how does Qshave stack up against other adjustable razors? The only adjustable razor I have for comparison purposes is the Merkur Progress.  (Note, since writing this, I’ve purchased the Merkur Futur.  A review is coming soon!)

The differences I’ve noticed is in maneuverability and blade exposure. The razor head on the Progress is a bit more compact than the Qshave, so it does a better job at getting under the nose. And the Progress becomes more efficient, for me, at a setting of 2, whereas the starting point for the Qshave is 3. Both are efficient in their own way, but I got more audio feedback from the Progress than I did from the Qshave. Thus, with the Progress, I was more easily able to gage where efficiency started.

Which should you buy? At the insanely low price of 2 to 6 bucks for the Qshave, you can buy BOTH!

My final word is, buy this razor! You cannot possibly go wrong at these insanely low prices!  (However, be aware that the Qshave is a bit more expensive on Amazon).

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One more point I forgot to mention, The Qshave also comes with five razor blades!

Qshave adjustable safety razor from AliExpress: https://goo.gl/cFjdIB

Qshave from Amazon: http://amzn.to/2r3eS2E

The Shave Stop: https://goo.gl/JE4FeG