Thread: ZY chinese razor.

First impression after first shave.
I have to say this blade is a razor, not a razor like object.
On arrival the razor looked pretty fair.
The injection moulded scales cracked at the pivot soon after the first opening. Oh well, the scales do not make it shave better.
The edge felt sharp enough to shave in the center third of the blade..
So I got out my slate stone and proceeded to hone the edge. It took a fair time to get a good edge indicating the steel was hard enough.
The cheap vinyl sheath is OK for what it is.

My first shave was as good as the best of my old blades
The crack in the scale is visible, one side only.
I will be shopping for some nice handle material.

For the price I am well pleased with it, better than the Gold Dollar.
I can't say if the quality is consistent in the general run of the ZY blades.
.

Originally Posted by dkwflight

My first shave was as good as the best of my old blades

Let us know how the 20th and the 30th shaves feel compared to a vintage blade

I'm not a huge fan of new Chinese razors, but I sure like to read how other members experience these razors.
Would indeed be nice to hear how well the edge holds Dennis. Anyway, have fun with your ZY!

Was yours one of the ones honed by the much praised Master Shifu?

I can't say who did the work on it.
No papers with it.

I will continue with it and see how it goes.
Some of my old blades don't do as well.
I am sure the quality varies a lot.
My two magnetics do very well.

I am learning a lot about honing these straights.
The hardest to get a good edge on is my wedge. That is a work in progress.

Mine has at least 25 shaves and the edge is just fine with linen and leather. Many times I want to go and use my old vintage razors but this darn cheap thing is sitting on the counter where I would never store my expensive stuff. It's just looking at me saying use ME. I treat it like dirt because its almost disposable at that price and it's a good shaver.

Hi
I just had my second shave with it. Even better than the first with some stropping.
THe ZY is well worth the $8 shipped from china.
I sort of considered one of Mastro Livis cheap production razors at 300+ euros. I don't think I will!

I have a handful of shaves on mine and it shaves as well or better than my other razors with my usual stropping routine.

Originally Posted by handjam

I have a handful of shaves on mine and it shaves as well or better than my other razors with my usual stropping routine.

How an edge feels and performs has to do with how it was honed. Stropping on leather does not affect the edge like a hone does, it does not remove steel.

I got one a few months ago. Old Master Shifu was pretty good at sharpening about 1/2 the blade on mine. Like you, I honed it and it shaves just fine. The blade laid flat on the stone, so that was a big plus. You are correct, the scales are pitiful, but heck it was $7 shipped from China. Worth every penny of $7.