I was surprised, because from the looks of this Chinese-made DE, it seemed like it could be a fairly aggressive razor. Now, it's not as gentle or forgiving as a Weishi, but with care and a good blade, it will give you a good, close, and comfortable shave, and I believe it would even be quite satisfactory for a beginner to learn with.
After reading this thread talking about the scalloped edges on the silo doors, my interest was piqued in this razor, so I had to try one out. I ordered mine from Shave A Buck. It includes a nice looking plastic travel case with small mirror inside, but unlike a Weishi, there is no cleaning brush included. Fit and finish on the Ming Shi is very good, easily as nice looking as a Weishi, with very nice weight and balance. The TTO knob works smoothly, and is located on the bottom of the handle. There is no knurling on the handle, and as such it can get a little slippery, but that really hasn't been a huge problem. I was a little surprised at how aggressive it was since I had read several sources that claimed it was an extremely mild razor, but Jeff's review above is spot on, it is more aggressive than a Weishi. Yes, a newbie could use one as long as they paid close attention to what they were doing. Someone looking to get a new razor, and didn't want to go the vintage route, this may be just what they were looking for. Oh yeah, what about those scalloped doors that I mentioned earlier? They must be for looks only, as I can discern nothing different about the shave they give from that of any other razor.
Sorry for brining back the dead; however, I finally tried one of these today. I concur! The scallops are just for looks and it is a higher build and finish than I expected. It shaved well and is not super mild and certainly not super aggressive. Not a bad razor at all.
Sorry for the 2nd resurrection but I bought one today. Reviews are dead on. It's worth $12. Only thing I'd add is the surprisingly LOUD feedback. It's louder than any DE I can recall ever using, easily equal to if not louder than some SEs. A good razor.
I do like the ming shi's/derby, and with the right blade, depending on who you are/YMMV/etc.., it can deliver a great shave. The reverse is exactly the same as well. For me it was the Treet Platinum, my last shave with it almost had me looking like the Joker, emphasis on the red makeup if you know what I mean.
