This question is for @ischiapp. Is this thing really a Wolfman clone, and how close did they get it? Comes in two aggression levels, from what I can tell. I did a search on this forum and turned up nothing. Edit: Looked around on other forums, and it is a WR2 clone. Haven't yet found someone who owns both razors, to do a comparison. Those who own a WR2 are too snobbish to buy a clone, and those who buy a clone are too broke to buy a WR2.
No. Wolfman is the inspiration. So, not so close. In these days wetshaving online communities has changed words. Not aggressive, but efficient. So they're beating us to our game. Easy. Simple. Clear.
I've been saying for the last five years that if any manufacturer started making the more unusual old style DE razors in stainless they would end up dominating the market. Yaqi is going to hurt the premium razor manufacturers badly if they keep this up.
To have an almost perfect replica, combine Yaqi Sentinel head with DScosmetic Destroyer handle. http://www.ilrasoio.com/viewtopic.php?p=394877#p394877
@PLANofMAN Did you see the Yaqi Sputnik? It's the child of Tatara Masamune and Hone 15. With huge 1.25 gap and +0.05 exposure. Light. Long. Efficient. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804912776970.html
I know that head is the hone 15, but I'm wondering if Yaqi makes a different head that is a masamune clone.
Looks a lot like my $6 Baili upgraded head that encloses the blade tabs. I'd guess this one isn't as mild as the Baili.
Yaqi just came out with the Sentinel 1.35 gap recently. I just bought their 316 slant razor. I have not seen this design before and I like slant razors. It is also true slant with the torqued blade also. Looks like the safety bar keeps the same even gap the length of the slant. Their are some videos on this slant in use so took a chance. Blade clamping is the best because of the design. I don't think it is aggressive from the videos watching folks shave with it mostly carefree. Have some great shaves!
I saw that slant too. What nomenclature are people using to distinguish this from the prior Yaqi slant with the open-comb top cap? Anytime I see someone refer to Yaqi slant now I need to look at the date to determine if it was released before this one, though I'm not sure exactly when this one was released.
They still make that version of Yaqi "The Top Aggressive Chrome" slant. It shaves well with a steep angle(riding the bar) with a short handle for less leverage and weight + more maneuverable. It has a lot of blade feel and I like to put a blade shim underneath the primary blade also to give more blade support. The old slant looks totally different than the new 316SS version slant.(old archived photos of Yaqi Top aggressive chrome slant(L) Have some great shaves!
Thanks. I have both of those heads you pictured. I bought them about 2 years ago but haven't tried them yet. They are so inexpensive that they are hard to pass up, especially during one of their live sales. I have 4 slants: FOCS, the Yaqi just mentioned, Parker semi-slant, and a PAA Crimson Ghost. To date, I have only tried the FOCS and the Parker, and probably have just 2 shaves on each. Since putting a shim beneath the blade makes it more aggressive, shouldn't you also put one above the blade to counteract it? This way you get the blade rigidity without making it more aggressive. Or I guess you can make the one shim extra narrow.
Properly made slants don't need shims. The blade torque imparts more stiffness to the blade than any shim. This only applies to torsional slants. Now if you need the shim for aggressiveness, then you own the wrong slants. Edit: even mild slants are usually pretty efficient razors.
A lot of what you said makes sense but this razor blade is slightly torqued (torsional) but blade support over hang underneath primary blade on the Yaqi High aggression chrome slant razor is a lot more than my other slants so with so much blade exposure and the bottom side of primary blade support overhang it likes to sing more than my other slants so a shim underneath dampens it slightly. Once you figure this baby out the shave is just stellar with lots of blade feel as needed has been my experiences using it. You do not need the shim but shaving is just rewarding if figuring what a person likes to shave with so many different razors I have accumulated. (Old archived photo- not shimmed in this photo) I like to use a steep angle approach(riding the bar) with a short handle(2 3/4 to 3 inches length) for less leverage and weight + very maneuverable for quick response on my aggressive razors. The best way to describe this razor is like a auto adjusting but live and I just tilt a little for more blade feel as needed and just seems to work well for myself. Not for Newbies just learning shaving but a good challenging razor that can perform well IMO. Have some great shaves!
So, does anyone know if a Yaqi Sentinel is at least close to one of the following: a Wolfman, a British Flat Bottom Tech, a British Raised Flat Bottom Tech. Or if a Sentinel is better than a U.S. pre-war or post-war Tech? I mean in terms of the overal shave, not looks, or whether or not it is considered to be a clone or copy.
You could go to Aliexpress, type in Yaqi, it will show items (make sure it from the yaqi store on bottom of listing) once in store go to headings on left of page under razor heads and that will take you to razor you want and read reviews from folks from all over the world. Some reviews are simple stars and some are more detail with photos is what I seen . You-tube has some reviews to look at also that are reasonable videos. Yaqi sends razors and shaving products to some folks who have their site and they put them through the their shaving routine and might suggest their opinions on the products.
