Interesting write up. I was wondering how it might turn out for you. I wasn't totally in love with the Yuma either, but thought it could provide good shaves. The blade life comment is thought provoking.
That is another aspect of the Big Ben blade it is smooth but it sacrifices sharpness so if a razor is not up to par, it will quickly provide that feedback on shave 2.
Because I may have owed it to this thread, I grabbed one of the two un-tested Yumas and loaded a Bolzano. I also tipped my hat to Bestshave.net and used the Kapo shaving cream (from Bulgaria) and the Number 1 turkish brush. Final result: great 1.5 pass BBS. Yeppers... 1.5. It wasn't a one-and-done with touchups, but not quite a real 2 pass, either. However, to keep myself honest, I gave this shave the trial of fire: Pinaud Virgin Island Bay Rum. Believe it or not, it could have been the least amount of AS burn I've ever felt from that fiery brew! But what of the actual shave? I don't know it it was this thread making me hyper-aware or my time away from the Yuma, but I really noticed some idiosyncrasies. Though the blade exposure looked "pretty close" on both sides, I had a milder side and a "I feel more blade exposure" side. The blade exposure side seemed a little more efficient, though it was also fairly mild. Neither side clogged. The razor itself had an even rougher finish than my previous "good" Yuma. I did note a little grip slippage one time. Fumbly fingers or inherent in the design? I'll abstain. So what did I get out of this, besides a really good shave? As of today, I am thinking about the journey as well as the destination. I like a BBS. I have chased the baby to my detriment a time or two! I also like efficiency, but rank comfort way above ringing the one-and-done bell. That said, I noted I enjoyed driving the Yuma a little less than the FaTip Grande, the RR Jaws, or the Utopia (I still have several razors out on loan, but these are enough to compare, I think!). I am now altering my official position on the Yuma, even though it saddens me just a bit. I still defend the quality of the result, but I no longer think it suitable for noobs. They should start with a good driving machine (if you can't afford a Utopia, then grow a beard). However, I can heartily recommend it to anyone for the novelty. Crud razor. Great shave. Usual four letter acronym disclaimer applies.
Hmm. Quickened blade death was not something I experienced in my three days with the Yuma. I used a new blade every time, so this problem never presented. It is interesting that Yuma 3 has good alignment. I wonder when it was made. I think we can assume the two travelers were manufactured recently, at roughly the same time. However, research indicates to me that the Yuma has been being produced for a significant amount of time... I guess the obvious question is, has the quality of the Yuma always been random, or is the quality falling as time passes. Further, it makes me wonder how they are produced... is the razor produced from a steel mold? Are they cast in sand trays? I assume sand based on the soft detail in the handle and other detailed areas. Also the fact that sand casting is significantly cheaper than die casting... not to mention it requires almost no high tech machinery. One thing we can agree, the Yuma is not exactly a crisply executed piece of engineering. It appears to be cast, and that is about it. I don't see any traces of further milling, buffing. In fact, if it has any final cleanup at all, I could not detect it. Man, I have put way to much thought into this!
You are not kidding brother! I happened to find some Pinaud Bay Rum locally this week. I used it for the first time this morning... whoo boy! You can definitely tell that it is working! And I think I agree with your findings. I got decent results out of the Yuma. But if I was a beginner, I don't know that I could have. The Yuma sort of requires that you have enough experience that you can alter your technique as the shave progresses... to be able to roll with the tiny Yuma punches. I had fun with it, and honestly, I will probably buy one. I may even spend the extra money and get the cased one. It will make it even funnier. I don't think it will ever be in my rotation, but the novelty of the Yuma is strong.
I felt like this in my first shave. This is not really a newbie razor. It can shave ok, but inconsistently. I wholeheartedly second the Utopia as a newbie razor...it's still my main razor. Not enough Data to make a judgement about blade life. The pleasant surprise of this was IdC soap. It was a big change of pace for me and I dig it. I have a little clump left and am already looking forward to trying it once with the Utopia.
I agree. I wish I would have hijacked a little bit more of the soap. I was pretty impressed with it as well.
That's the IdC mystery soap I reviewed with the Yuma. Try it, be sure to keep an extra clump to try with your Grail setup! ☺
Looks like I'm next in line! Excitement is building. Can't wait to try the "awesome scented soap". Enjoy!
What is this other soap that's in the plastic bag? Should I open it and use? I can't quite read the name on it.
Mine was probably made four years ago at least maybe more. To see if the blade would take a pounding was one of the reasons why I used the Big Ben because it will quickly lose its edge using a suboptimal razor.
It is a soap called 'master'. I bought eight of them in a cardboard tube for $8 at the Korean beauty supply I frequent. I thought that a $1 soap puck would pair up nicely with the Yuma. I have not tried any of the Master soap either. I actually forgot I bought it until I saw the picture. Oops. I have a soap problem.
Think I'm gonna fire up a YUMA here shortly. With cheap master soap. Writeup forthcoming. Wish me good shave juju
