The Chinese Futur. A review and shave with the Ming Shi Shaver 2000s.
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- čas přidán 5. 09. 2024
- Today's review is of a good quality clone of the Merkur Futur adjustable razor: the Ming Shi Shaver 2000s which is, of course, manufactured in China. I was quite impressed, as you'll see and have included the link below to the eBay shop that sells them. Today's shaving soap is the lovely Cella, applied with a pure Badger, Hyde Park brush. A British brush manufactured on the Isle of Man. Today I'm finishing off with Nivea for Men sensitive after shave balm and a drop of Prorasso menthol and eucalyptus after shave lotion.
Trailer Park Blades and Beauty:
stores.ebay.com...
Hello. I did my first shave with a safety razor this evening. I bought a Ming Shi 2000S, with it I had a Voskhod blade. It works great! Thanks for all the inspiration, thank you for sharing! Best regards Marko.
Hello Marko. My apologies, for taking a little while to respond. You picked a good razor and a good blade for your first shave; I'm glad it went well for you. Messages like this one make my day 😃 Happy shaves, mate. 👍
I'm originally from Salem, Massachusetts where at least 2 sailing ships named "Friendship" sailed from in the 1700s. Thanks for the great video and the history lesson. Thumbs up!
+williamcass68 That is great to know; thank you very much indeed for passing that on. I shall look into it further and may be able to expand the description for the channel's Introduction video, where I talk a bit more about the Friendship (one of them). Thanks for watching.
When you get right down to it most Chinese razors are quite good. They are not marketed very well however by importers looking for a fast buck..
China has the most male adult shavers in the world (about 650,000,000 of them) They also produce the MOST safety razors in the world. So I would like to give you a rundown of my favourite Chinese brands. I deal with all of these companies. Most are incredibly honourable and really proud of what they do.
Baili has the most comprehensive model line, and has invested millions in plating and casting technology. They are perhaps the most expensive of all the Chinese manufactureres. Their quality is obsessive. They shave really well. That being said, the BT131 which is their least expensive all-metal model, costs about $1.20 to buy and is resold on Amazon under various brand names for up to $20. That is how nicely made they are.
The Baili Victory model is also inexpensive (about $12 - $18 on Amazon.) It is an amazing razor that is easily worth $25 - $30.
All Baili razors are made of 100% Zamac, a zink alloy. Baili builds the best TTO razor under $15 you can ever find, the Baili BT179. popular razors including "The Godfather" "The Rockwell "Rookie" and the Viking's Blade "Chieftan" are made by Baili," although in the case of the "Chieftan" Viking's Blade slightly modified an original Baili design.
Next comes Weishi.
Weishi has incredible build quality, however Weishi razors are so mild, that shaving with them is almost futile. I personally will not sell them.
Rimei is my favourite Chinese razor. They only make 2 models of 3-piece razors. Their most expensive (model 2008) is a bit aggressive (say 6 out of 10), but it is a wonderful razor, it gives a great shave. The head is heavier than many other Chinese models, and if you can find a genuine one, Rimei at about $10 or less is a genuine bargain and a great first safety razor.
The problem for consumers with Rimei, is that other Chinese companies have ripped off Rimei and produce clones with their name on them. That is how popular they are in China, and how difficult they are to get.
How to spot a real Rimei??
Rimei uses a Merkur style head. This is more expensive to manufacture. Many of the clones have Gillette Tech style heads. A Merkur style head has 3-posts that align the blade. A Tech head has 4 tabs, each at one corner of the head to align the blade. Also the chrome on the Rimei head is excellently done. Many of the clones are not well-plated. Also the Rimei cap is made out of heavier metal because the top cap is cast and not stamped.
Rimei makes a quality product that is easily worth many times what you can purchase it for.
YINGJILI - is a very old and established Chinese manufacturer. The unique thing about the YINGJILI safety 3-piece razor is that it is the only one in this list that doesn't use Zink (Zamac.) That makes the YINGJILI very durable. The handle is made out of a milled solid piece of iron. It is comparably heavy. The Gillette Tech style head although stamped, is very well made. Their chrome is so-so.
Yingjili also makes a very cheap razor with a plastic handle. Both razors provide excellent shaves, with the least expensive one costing about $2, and the more expensive varient costing about $7. They are both gentle razors and shave much like a Gillette Tech L4, which inspired the design. These razors have been made in the tens of millions and include customers such as the Chinese military.
Ming Shi 2003 (also Q-Shave variable.) I shave with this model a lot, but I do NOT sell it, here's why.
Razors that are made by Baili, Rimei, Yingjili and others, use Gillette Tech or Merkur style heads. These have been around for years and their patents have expired decades ago. The Merkur Futur design is still under patent. It costs a ton of money, R&D etc. to develop an original product. The Futur is a wonderful razor and is still produced under patent. I passionately respect the intellectual property rights of companies, especially those that I admire. So while I will happily try the product Ming Shi makes out of curiosity, I have taken a moral stand not to sell it!
Finally lets discuss the Jinjie for a second. There is a very good high volume manufacturer in China by the name of Curley. Their quality is really good, and their prices are rediculously inexpensive because of the volume that they do.
I am planning to give away 1,000 of their razors every month. All you would have to do is pay postage from Canada (about $3.50 for Canadians and about $4.50 for Americans.) I am hoping to have a Curley model available to PIF about April 8th.
My site is www.30blades.com. I can be reached best at Sheldon@cwinn.info. If you are interested in Chinese, Indian, or Pakistani safety razors, just drop me a line. I love to chat!
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REPLY
I got one too, did 2 shaves with it, very nice and efficient razor. For me as good as a Slim adjustable or a King C Gillette. I put my Slim on setting 5 and this Ming Shi on only 2, works really well (one shave with Derby Premium blade and one with Astra SP, both did great).
They are indeed a great razor, especially for the price!
Great video as always Mark. I'm glad you enjoyed the shave 😃
+1uheepwizard Thank you, James. I did enjoy it very much. It is the biggest, heaviest razor I've ever used. I imagine, if you had really big hands, rather than my slender fingers, it would be a terrific razor to hold. I've just had my second shave and turned it down to 2.5. All good. I'm glad you liked the video.
I'm getting mine today and I'm glad I found your channel. I may start off at 2 to see how it shaves since I never used the Futur before. Look forward to watching your videos, past and present. Cheers from Connecticut!
+Dan O'Brien
From Connecticut! Hey Dan, thanks for getting in touch. I hope you enjoy my videos and I'm sure you'll enjoy your new razor. Let us know how it goes. All the best from Torbay.
Loved the razor! Put it on 3 and got a great shave. I think I need to work on the angle a bit more. I found there were times that I thought I had a great angle and others, not so much. The razor is just fantastic for 13 dollars US from Maggards. Looking forward to more shaves with it. Thanks for the video again!
+Dan O'Brien
Hey, nice one. I had the same, too. When you get the angle, it flies. Thanks for letting me know and it'll certainly benefit anyone else who might get read this and be thinking of buying one. Happy shaves, Dan. All the best.
I can see why you like that one, me myselves use the Merkur Futur as dayly driver it`s a lovely razor indeed :)
The Merkur Futur has the extra weight to it and still looks very futurstic, even though it is an old razor now. Merkur knocked the ball out of the park when they invented the Futur. Cheers.
I own both an original Futur and a qshave razor.
The German original has a much heavier handle, it feels solid rather than hollow. This helps it feel more balanced.
The knockoff is almost as well made though, an unbelievable bargain :)
+unclefista
That's interesting. Thank you for letting me know; I wondered what the difference was, between the two. I would like to shave with a Merkur Futur, but it is too expensive to buy one and compare the two in a video. I wonder why Merkur never renewed the patent, all those years ago.
I ruined the finish on mine using a cleaning product that was far too corrosive, I still use it but it looks very doggy now.
I thought I'd take a punt on the Qshave and it's excellent. Thanks for your video, it helped make up my mind to order one :)
+unclefista
I know the feeling. I had a razor from a hard water area with some limescale damage. It was also really dirty. I decided, in my wisdom, to soak it in toilet cleaner, to remove the limescale. Let's just say it didn't really work out. Mind you, I had a germ free razor. True story.
qshave is uneven. I own 1, and when you place the blade, and set for example on 2,5 settings, 1 side shaves good, other is either too strong or too weak. u cant use it as a proper double edge razor :(
You obviously got a really bad one. It's horrible when that happens. Mind you there is a vintage Gibbs razor that is designed that way. It has an aggressive side and a less aggressive side. I wonder if it was popular? Cheers.
Thanks for the video! I really like your approach and demeanor. You've inspired me to try Cella too! Really great stuff and very educational. I've got a QShave and love it. Took me a shave or two to get the angle right, but man, what a razor, especially for the price. I found that starting it on "4" for the first pass, then "3" and "2" for XTG and ATG works best for my beard. I put it on "1" for cleanup, if required. Thanks again. I'm glad I found your channel. Cheers from Virginia!
+Mike Davis
Hi Mike, from Virginia! That's terrific. I used to watch a Western, on T.V. called the Virginian when I was little; Doug McClure starred in it. I can't believe I can remember that. How delightful that you've bought back that memory. Your family must have come from Wales, at some point in their history.
I'm really pleased you like my videos. I make them for my own enjoyment really but it is always good to know, what people like about them; thanks. You know, I usually stick on one setting but I might just try the reducing the setting for each pass. Have a great day. Oh, I forgot: I know Cella is a little one dimensional in it's scent but it is terrific soap. Cheers.
+Friendship Shaving
Yep, my dad's side is/was almost totally Welsh, and I married a lady with an Irish background. Our parties are great!
Have you tried the Fine Italian Citrus soap yet? That's a current favorite of mine and a terrific soap. Thanks and keep up the good work!
+Mike Davis
Not yet, Mike. I quite the sound of Fine's American Blend too. Take care.
Ming shi is the top chinese company to make razors. I have a ming shi TTO razor and it shaves nice.
Thanks. I didn't realise they made other razors. I'll look into that. Thanks for watching and commenting. Cheers.
This video was suggested to me for Some strange reason, id never heard of safety razors before. I just ordered one after Watching your video. Also, you have an amazingly relaxing and soothing aura about you. This a side effect of wetshaving lol?
Hello Rayn. Thank you for watching, I think you'll really enjoy your new razor. There is a little learning curve but it is a very enjoyable way to shave. Thanks for the compliment too 👍😃
Nice one! I bought one of these razors, will give it a go on Friday :-), excellent video!
+Mohamed Raj
I'm glad you liked the video, Mohamed. Thanks very much. I'm really enjoying mine at the moment and trying out a few different blades. Let me know how you get on, please. Mark.
Thank You for this video! Now i buy it to my headshaver.
great shave man,,,i just recieved my minshi merkur clone today,,,beautiful razor,,,ill be shaving with it tomorrow for the first time,,,,,,
Thanks, Will. How did the shave go? 👍
welcome...as for the shave,,,it went fantastic,,,,i posted a video if youd like to check it out....please comment like and share if youd like,,,,,
czcams.com/video/jlfzo3ficIk/video.html
Nice shave, Will. Your chin sure looked smooth. Have a good day.
The first time using a futur style razor and started with setting 3,that's brave.
The Suffolk Shaver. Ignorance is bliss 😃 Thanks for watching mate. I hope you enjoyed it.
Been using this for the past month and a half of so and boy!, is this good!? I've never used the real thing due to the price but if it's anything near this or better, well, I'll keep away from it cause this is simply amazing at a five away price. Beautiful piece indeed.
+NKHIWA
It's really good isn't it? You really cannot go wrong, for the price. I haven't used mine for a little while. I'll have to put that right :)
Friendship Shaving: It is the thing man!! I used to suffer from ingrown hairs when I was using the disposable razors, started using DE razors & there was a very big difference although still the rash would exist a little. Having switched to this razor, it is happy days man!
+NKHIWA
Thankfully, I've never suffered from ingrown hairs but I know they can be nasty. Yours is a common story, and although I've shaved on video (twice) with a cartridge razor, just for a bit of variety, I'd never go back to them. Have a good week, mate. Cheers.
Great review as always on the Ming Shi 2000S !
Thank you very much, Kit. I'm pleased you appreciate my videos. Thank you for getting in touch. Kind regards - Mark
Nice video, love your passion, great shave style and routine, I'm a Merkur progress fan but would try one of these for sure, cheers
+Sam Maglitto
Thank you very much, Sam. Your compliments are really appreciated. I do love this razor although I would really like to try a Merkur Futur to see how the original compares. I've not tried a Progress, yet. There are so many razors to try; I might be at this a while yet 😃👍 Have a great day. Cheers.
I had my 3rd shave with the qshave and an astra. a great combo. I don't notice the aggressive/passive sides others have complained about. this morning i did two passes. one on 3 and the second on 2. i did notice a difference between the settings but the shave was the same on both sides. one thought, one of the sides of the cap is dented, the dent in the cap's side should be facing left of the line on the handle that indicates the setting number.
Hi Rico. It seems you had a good shave with the Qshave razor and enjoyed it with the Astra. I slightly preferred the Ming Shi shaver to the Qshave, which I moved on but I will have to bring the Ming Shi back out for a shave. Thanks for getting in touch. Cheers.
I really have no interest in known "aggressive razors" but I looked up the prices of this clone and it's cheap enough that I might take a gamble and try it out. Thanks for making this information known. :)
+WolfRanger2008
I like it a lot.
Amazing video, love to watch, watching from Bangladesh ❤️
Thank you, Fahim. It's incredible that you are watching me in Bangladesh! What a small world. Be well, my friend.
Very nice shave Mark. The scent on Cella was phenomenal but unfortnately for me, i had a bad reaction from it.
+Stephen Davidson
Thanks, Stephen. It's horrible when you get a bad reaction to a soap. I don't get my Cella out as much as I should really but whenever I do, I tend to use it for a week or so.
Great review. I ordered one from Maggard's Razors. They just got them in for $13usd.
+J B Johnson
Great price. I think you'll really like it. Thanks for watching.
I find that a setting of 5 is good for a first pass. I use a 3 for all other passes. Anything below a 3 seems to have no effect. I find the shave of this razor is very very mild. The head cap is large but I think with use it will be less of an issue.
I have found that you get used to the larger head and it really doesn't get in the way, at all. Thanks for your comment. Have a good week. Cheers.
Nice review mate, thanks for uploading. I'm with you regarding the head, not really a fan of the Futur because of the design and how large the head is. Only found out about these Futur clones recently, very surprised that they seem to be good quality and extremely cheap. Have a good one!
+Nayem Khan
The one I have certainly appears and feels like it's good quality. Time will tell. I did think to get a Merkur Futur and do a direct comparison but even a second hand one was a touch under £45. Thanks for watching Nayem. Nice one.
Great video as always but I think you may be a little 'shell shocked' after doing a first shave with the Futur style on a number 3. By coincidence I used by own Futur today on a setting of 1 for a really beautiful shave. It was a regular daily shave for me so no need to take it up further than a 1.
A small word of advice I recently took my Futur apart for a cleanup and a drop of oil and somehow (unnoticed by myself at the time) I reassembled it incorrectly with horrifying results on the next shave. You can find the correct methods of doing this on CZcams. I enjoyed your video as I usually do.
+Gerard Phayer I was a bit shocked 😉 although it all calmed down quite quickly.Oon my shave today I took it down half a notch. It was good. Thanks for the advice; it's always welcome. I definitely don't want a horrifying shave. Thanks for your support.
I have the Qshave in black. It's a beauty. Using a Wilkerson Sword German blade, I do three passes on 2.5 and clean up pass on 1. BBS every time. My new favorite razor.
In black! Wow, I'll bet that looks terrific. It really is a great razor for the money.
Friendship Shaving ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1Z8rXmamgSKJjSsplq6yICpXay/Qshave-Cool-Black-Luxurious-Adjustable-Safety-Razor-Double-Edge-Classic-Safety-Razor-Men-Shaving-Mild-to.jpg
I like that a lot! Thanks for posting the link. I may have to have one of those instead of my brushed steel version. 👍
Friendship Shaving www.amazon.com/dp/B075XFRNC8/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_apa_tNYmAbS7JVJ0B
Thanks Patrick. 😃👍
Hi, I'm very sorry to hear you were ill. It doesn't show in your videos! Sincere apology and please disregard my comment and keep on doing what you do, it does you good! Keep good company and enjoy the festive season and A Very Happy New Year to you. I have subscribed to your channel as I do want to see what you are shaving with and what you recommend!
Thank you for getting back to me, Glenn. I realised that your original comment was constructive but I still really appreciate your apology. Thank you. Kind regards and best wishes to you, for the festive season.
Great Shave Buddy, I love that razor, I’ve got the Q-Shave version.
💈😁🤙🏼💈
The Qshave apparently is better finished than the Ming Shi and goes through more QC checks, according to the company. I wrote to them to ask.
Friendship Shaving
🤔👍🏼 Sweet!
Nice shave mark :->
+Chris James Thanks, Chris. Your comments are always appreciated.
Nice razor! it's a quality razor I use mine for headshave.
+kjk
Awesome. Thanks for commenting and watching.
You can actually twist and pull it past its highest number and it will in Theory go up to number 12 :)
I know Mike. Have you tried it? I wouldn't to give that go 😮
Just want to point out that the merkur futur is a lot cheaper now. Going for about £50 on amazon. Maybe better to get the original at this more sensible price.
+Omoruyi Onobhamiuko
Thanks, Omoruyi. I appreciate that. I haven't much money, at the moment but I would like to try a Merkur Futur and to do a side by side comparison. I'm hoping I might be able to get one second hand, at some point. Thank you, once again, for your input. It's much appreciated.
ROFL - with import costs, the Mingshi is available to me (Aliexpress ftw) for about 7. Quality is 95% same as Merkur - however, I'm also picking up new razors - I got a shock from a Yaqi brush - incredible and cheap - so I'm going for one of their fixed head razors.
I know Ben, they are so cheap. I've not tried a Yaqi brush yet and their razors do have a good reputation. I hope you enjoy it. All the best.
I have the same... really good.
It is really good. Thank you for watching.
Anyone else notice this Mingshi-Futur is slightly uneven, especially noticeable from higher/sharper settings 4-6? You can really tell on the 3rd pass, one side finishes to baby-bottom while the other side can't get that close?
I must admit admit I haven't noticed that with mine but I did buy a black Qshave razor the other day, thinking it would be the same as my Ming Shi. I've only had one shave with it, so far but it was definitely a different shave and I'll look out for that unevenness, now that you've mentioned it. Thanks 😃👍
it helps if you flip the spring around. it also helps if top part of springs end faces right or left instead of front or back of the razor. it helps with eveness when adjusting higher. I own 3 mingshi 2000s and 2 qshaves.
Oh, I'm going to be experimenting with that! I have a few slant razors to make videos about but I will come back to the Ming Shi and test this out. Thank you Issac 👍
@@FriendshipShaving thank you Frendship Shaving, I hope it works out for anyone who owns these razors.though I understand results ma vary. it has truly worked for me I can say because an uneven razor is what my wife describes "my OCD". cheers
A very nice OCD it is to have. All the best.
But your right he is calming
Thanks for the video! This chinese razor can also be find under name Qshave. Definitely will try it.
+kvaDrug
Thanks. That's good to know. I really enjoy using mine. Cheers
Great review. Where can I buy the menthol spray? Seems that it cools the burn.
+MarcTony
Thank you very much. It was a sample of the Prorasso Menthol and Eucalyptus aftershave splash; I've since bought a bottle. It is very light with a fresh fragrance. I think the menthol does soothe the skin. It's great. I bought mine here: www.connaughtshaving.com/400106.html
Friendship Shaving Thank you!
Only on CZcams can you watch grown men shaving like it was the 6 o'clock news.
Hi friend What did you think of the razor blades
I love those Voskhod razor blades they are super smooth for me, sharp and long lasting. They are my favourite blade. 😃
The new mr Rodgers everyone
Hi Mark. I had no idea who Mr. Rodgers was, as we didn't get his T.V. shows over here in the U.K. I don't think we did, anyway. I had to search for information about him. By all accounts, he was a successful man. Perhaps my little channel is the first step to stardom 😉 Have a nice week. Cheers.
Hi there! Well, I finally did it and I created my CZcams Channel and first lame video is up lol. (this is Jill Snoddon). Hope you don't mind that I added yours as a Featured Channel!?
Вещь хорошая качественная но с моей щетиной не справляется.
Понравился китайский станок?
+Bueno De Barcelona Большое спасибо за комментарии. Мне действительно нравится эта бритва.
Спасибо за ответ и привет из России! Saint-Petersburg
+Bueno De Barcelona
Добро пожаловать. Хорошего дня
has anyone tried the Qshave Futur clone?
Hey, it's nice to see you. I have only tried the Ming Shi Futur clone, as you've seen. Unclefista, comments on the Qshave, a couple of comments below, and gives it a good report. Has anyone else tried the Qshave?
+Stefan Lukendic
Thank you, Stefan. I really appreciate your comment. I must admit I was surprised too and it is a bargain. Thanks for the thumbs up. Have a great day. Cheers
I have a QShave and love it. Wanted an adjustable to go with my other good razors without dropping a lot cash and it has more than paid for itself ($17 US) in great shaves. I like to pair it with the Gillette Silver Blue or Astra SP, but the QShave blades that came with it (Personna, I believe) are also really good. Very, very happy.
Also, the customer service from the QShave guys is outstanding. I forgot to mention that.
+Mike Davis
I must try the Astra blades, again. I tried one as a sample a few years back and didn't get on with it. I have a packet so, I'll have to dig them out again. Sounds like your having great shaves. At that price, you can't go wrong. It's a great hobby we have.
cool
+aleksman1
Let me know if you want to be in the draw.
I apologize for bad English I'm Russian. I want to try to shave with such a razor.
I'm sorry. I need to apologise to you. I got you mixed up with someone else. Please ignore my last comments.
ок
👍💈
Stupid merkur.