Yaqi Top Open Comb Slant Safety Razor with Black Handle Grip

I've retired now, so I'm not on public display every day. After a lifetime of daily shaving, I now only shave once a week. This means that the stubble is quite long and it clogs up the plastic multi-blade razors. I'm a funny old bugger: I never use soap when showering/shaving and haven't done for almost 40 years. (Instead, I use a very abrasive loofah.) When shaving every day, I used to shave in the shower. Now I shave over the sink before my shower and I use baby oil as a lubricant instead of shaving soap. The shave is much closer than the multi-blade razors. I need to work on my technique a bit to prevent nicks, but it's worth doing.

I got the current Mühle R41 and really like it, but was wondering if there is a razor that is even better. The Yaqi is in fact quite a bit more aggressive than the R41. Maybe it's as aggressive as the original 2011 R41, I don't know, but IMHO this has to be one of the most aggressive safety razors in existance, period. I shave with it the same way: no pressure, shave quickly but carefully. The Yaqi has tons of blade feel and is very "loud": you can hear the hears go off. Just like the R41, but even louder. And it is efficient: one swipe and everything is gone. I usually do a one pass shave with the grain with the R41, and I did it with the Yaqi. Both shaves are good but with the Yaqi the result is almost like 2 passes with the R41. The skin feels very clean and smooth, not bbs but very very close - after 1 pass with the grain, that took like 12 minutes! Just like the R41 the shave was very smooth, given enough and good lathering. Even though the Yaqi got quite a bulky head, it was easy to navigate under the nose. The handle has a very good grip. Then entire razor is well built, has a very good weight balance and looks great (though scary!). This is one hell of a razor, it is very different from mild razors, the slightest error will result in a cut. If you look for a forgiving razor that even beginners can use blindly for the trade of needing 6 passes plus touchups: this one is not what you're looking for. It's certainly not for everyone - but if you love the R41 and look for an even more efficient razor, I can recommend it. EDIT: I use it daily now for like 2 weeks. It is an incredible razor that is, IMHO, highly underrated. The shave you get from it with just one single pass is just amazing. I ordered another handle (same as the one that shipped with the head, but different color - yaqi produces really nice handles) just to mix things up a bit. This razor is a truly reliable, powerful workhorse for your fine everyday shave! ANOTHER EDIT: got my pistache colored handle now and loving it. Of course the shave doesn't change. It is and always will be an extremely demanding, but also extremely efficient razor. UPDATE on 6.8.2023: I'm using this razor now daily. I also own the Yaqi Beast and the Yaqi Knight Helmet, both are less aggressive than the D.O.C. Slant, therefore also much more forgiving but yield inferior results. I was on vacation for 3 days and couldn't take any blades on the plane so I skipped shaving for the entiety of the trip, after I came back it was a 6 days of growth I had to shave off. With my facial hair growth, 6 days is quite a bit of hair to remove. Well, the D.O.C. Slant didn't seem to be impressed by it at all, it just went through it like a hot knive through butter. No clogging, super easy to clean, no tugging, etc. Just for info, I'm using Astra Super Platinum blades, and Taylors of Old Bond Street (Grapefruit and "Shaving Shop") as well as St. James of London (Tonka & Tobacco Flower), the latter being superior in any way. With such blade exposure, using a super slick shaving cream or soap, is very important. The head also burns through blades quickly, I'm changing blades after 3 times of usage.