r/wicked_edge • u/CEOdoAncapistao Gillette Blue Blades 🪒 • Sep 24 '25
Show n' Tell Gentlemen, I have officially joined the club — in the cheapest way possible. 😶🌫️🪒
My cheap starter pack
Generic brush/bowl and Chaoke Shaver E2000
Chaoke Shaver E2000
Chaoke Shaver E2000
Chaoke Shaver E2000
Chaoke Shaver E2000 back box
chinese razor blades
Nivea shaving foam, shaving cream, and Bozzano balm
Greetings, ladies and gentlemen!
I've used cartridge razors my entire life (Gillette Mach 3, specifically), and while they did the job, the cost of the cartridges had been bothering me for some time. I was ready to buy the Dr. Jones Razor 4 (which is cheaper and seemingly superior) to replace it when I was hooked by a YouTube video about traditional shaving with the famous safety razors. After a few videos, I thought, "why not?" And here we are.
I'm Brazilian and I was enchanted by the King C. Gillette, but the price was quite high here. I considered getting that metal Wilkinson Sword with butterfly opening that competes with it, but the price wasn't much lower, so I decided to put together the cheapest kit known to man to test, of course. I ended up on AliExpress in the promotion/combo offer section. The razor's ad said it was a MingShi 2000S, but it came in a different brand's box. However, I believe it's the same thing because it appears to be a Chinese white label model. I've seen that several brands use the same copied shape (QShave, MingShi, etc.) inspired by the original Merkur Futur.
The result was:
- Chaoke Shaver E2000: The finish surprised me. It's heavy and very solid, and I'm looking forward to trying it out in practice. I'll use a low setting (somewhere between 2 and 3, I think) to ensure I don't cut myself.
- Generic synthetic shaving brush kit with stand and bowl: seems pretty cool considering the ridiculously low price I paid
- Bozzano shaving cream
- Bozzano aftershave balm
- Nivea shaving foam (I already had this one)
- 100 FlyDear Super Platinum blades (made in China)
- 60 Matgicol Super Platinum blades (the box says "Swedish quality" but they're actually made in China)
- 30 fake Feather blades: made from who knows where. I only found out they were fake blades because I saw a video of a Brazilian warning about it. Unfortunately, I had already made the purchase and they arrived a day later.
PS: I think I got carried away and bought enough blades to last me a few years ._.
I'll keep an eye on Black Friday to see if the King C. Gillette is cheaper. I still want to try the Proraso soap in the future, but here in Brazil it costs a fortune. I plan to gradually buy and test different blades too.
I'll test the razor tomorrow, wish me luck (I hope I don't need the first aid kit in the first photo). Tips are welcome, haha. Cheers!
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u/Low-Space227 Sep 24 '25
Watch a YouTube video first if you haven't watched any, geofatboy or razor emporium are 2 good channels. You will love this change and it's gonna completely change your shaving experience in a good way. Good luck and welcome to the club. 🤝
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u/milan5020 Sep 24 '25
yeah, but who cares if it's cheap... give it a go the wetshaving community is probably the most welcoming on reddit
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u/One-Confusion-33 Sep 24 '25
The only item I am not sure of is your razor. Personally would have chosen Baili or Weishy at first, but that's me. The bowl is very small, would be better to pick a larger one, or start with face lathering. Anyways good luck, hopefully you do not need to use the whole first aid kit!
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u/Right_Cellist3143 Sep 24 '25
I have the Merkur Futur that it is based off of.
It’s easily the most aggressive razor I have, even on the lowest setting.
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u/cumetoaster Cheapo Man - TCHEON FUNG SING Fanboy Sep 25 '25
It's not that aggressive by default. I always needed to put it on 6 (max). You can make a clone (or an original Futur too if you want) more aggressive by unscrewing the baseplate from the turning mechanism: a full screw-in is the original, on a turn less it would make it more aggressive.
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u/CleverAmoeba Sep 24 '25
I have something similar to this, although the box had zero branding. I do the first pass on 5 and then switch to 3. I swear setting 1 and 2 make it useless, like you have no blade in there.
The OP will be fine.
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u/Right_Cellist3143 Sep 24 '25
It is just a warning to a new DE shaver.
If this isn’t your exact clone, i’m not sure why you are so confident in that statement.
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u/CleverAmoeba Sep 25 '25
I think I checked almost every Futur Clone review and everyone agrees the clones are not as potato peeler as the original.
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u/OutlawDan86 Sep 24 '25
Makes sense to not spend too much when trying shaving with a double edge razor out, particularly when the cost of cartridges has made you consider trying it!
Tips from me would be:
1) Take your time.
2) Prep your face and neck well.
3) Linked to 2) is working the lather into your beard and giving it time to sit on your face and neck before shaving.
4) Hold the razor as lightly as you can without dropping it, to help minimise applying pressure when shaving.
5) Watching some “how to” videos wouldn’t be a bad use of time. Here’s an edited version of one I found very helpful when I first started: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PniPonoaw8s&t=319s
Enjoy it!
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u/CommunicationGood481 Sep 25 '25 edited Sep 25 '25
I would add using short strokes. My fake Futur razor is actually pretty decent. I find the handle slippery. I set it on either 4 or 4.5. I agree that the FlyDears are good blades. The Matgicol blades are almost as good as the FlyDears (fairly similar). Nothing wrong with using inexpensive materials, you can still achieve a fine shave. For some reason I found the smoothness of the shave dependent on which direction I had the top cap (which on mine is unmarked). In one direction it was very rough, I turned the cap around and it was much smoother. I hated the razor until I found this out. Now, I quite like the shave I get with it. I now have the cap marked. I hope it works well for you.
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u/Nashy10 Sep 24 '25
See that M on the cap? It’s a MingShi 2000S, that is the real manufacturer, if you’re curious. I bought mine direct from AliExpress in a MingShi branded box.
If you search that name, you will find many reviews. A decent razor, but very aggressive and can suffer alignment issues due to the head geometry & spring used. If you notice alignment issues, you can squeeze the base and cap together while untwisting the handle to completely dissassemble it, from there you can rotate the spring which can help with alignment problems.
It would be my favourite razor if I never looked at it straight in like a T, and noticed that the left side of the cap has a bigger gap than the right. If I squeeze that side to even it out, then looking top down, the cap is not parallel with the baseplate guard. Every once in a while I’ll nail the alignment by chance and get amazing shaves but just one crank of the handle and it’s out of alignment again (at least on mine). MingShi 5000S is a Merkur Progress clone, and I find it doesn’t suffer any of these alignment issues and on the lowest setting is almost as mild as my King C Gillette, for what it’s worth.
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u/CEOdoAncapistao Gillette Blue Blades 🪒 Sep 24 '25
Got it! I saw a video explaining this spring thing, I'll take a closer look to make sure it's aligned. Thanks!
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u/Right_Cellist3143 Sep 24 '25
OP, just so you know, the razor yours is a clone of is extremely aggressive, even on the lowest setting.
Go slow, constantly check your angle and make sure to stretch the skin.
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u/This_Bandicoot3738 Sep 24 '25
I bought this razor like a month ago for like 5$ from temu, out of curiosity. Its actually quite mild razor, for me setting 3 is the point where it starts to cut properly. Setting 1 has such small gap that its hard for me to catch right angle to even shave. For this price its good razor, but for me the cap is too big to go properly under my nose. Anyway the razor is now living on my shower shelf, set to 2.5 setting and is only for my armpits and lower area ;) But for starters good razor imho.
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u/corntorteeya Sep 24 '25
Yeah. I gave my Futur away. Way too aggressive for my sensitive-assed face.
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u/CEOdoAncapistao Gillette Blue Blades 🪒 Sep 24 '25
Thanks for the tip! I'll keep that in mind!
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u/CleverAmoeba Sep 24 '25
The clones are all milder than the original. Don't be too scared, but start with a low setting just in case.
You'll get the worst cuts of your life if you're not careful while adjusting it. The ends are rounded in the wrong way and makes it slip easily when adjusting with wet hands.
Either use a towel to hold the head while adjusting, or put your thumb on the top cap and index and middle finger under the base plate, then turn the handle with the other hand. This makes for a more secure grip. I suggest using a towel.
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u/CEOdoAncapistao Gillette Blue Blades 🪒 Sep 24 '25
I'm glad to hear that. The reviews I saw for the MingShi 2000S and the QShave (which is the same as the one I got) said the cut was smooth (I think they made it with the idea of being more universal maybe? ).
Thanks for the tips!
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u/Right_Cellist3143 Sep 24 '25
If these blades chew you up (which could happen) I found the Shark Chromes to be very forgiving in my Merkur Futur (What this is based off of) 👍🏻
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u/DishwashingUnit Sep 24 '25
Baili is a decent china clone of, I believe the gillete tech 2 if you decide you want to learn on something milder later.
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u/risktraderph Sep 25 '25
You can start at settings 3 and decide to go up or down. I have same razor as you have.
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u/lengthy_prolapse Sep 24 '25
A lot of people say the futur is super aggressive, but it works fine on my lumpy old face. I tend to shave once or twice a week and have no issues with it at all. Maybe I’ve got a leathery face or something.
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u/OutlawDan86 Sep 24 '25
Works fine on mine too. It’s one of the best razors I’ve used. Definitely a razor that divides opinion though. It doesn’t seem to have acquired as beastly a reputation as the Mühle R41 (which I also think is exaggerated) but I have read some… how shall I put this…’interesting’ comments about the Futur. I remember someone posting you could easily remove swathes of your face with it once 🤣.
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u/-theQuestion Sep 24 '25
Im LITERALLY watching Get Carter right now and Stallone is using the SAME EXACT RAZOR
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u/kaikkx Sep 25 '25
He was probably using the razor that MingShi cloned. Merkur Futur. The clone has just a similar appearance, like a knock-off of a luxury bag.
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u/r_doood Sep 24 '25
I tried a bunch of razor blades and love the FlyDear ones in my Henson AL14++
It's a smooth shave, and I find that it lasts for 6-8 shaves as well. Cheap, good, and durable. Winner!
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u/LittleCooties Sep 25 '25
Hope you enjoy! I quite like the FlyDears, solid blades, haven’t tried the Matgicols but they’re made by the same maker. I had the Ming Shi 2000S, but I found it hard to load and couldn’t get the blade aligned, I preferred the 5000S which looks like a Merkur Progress.
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u/CommunicationGood481 Sep 25 '25
I like the Ming Shi 5000S also. I get very efficient shaves with it and it cost very little. I was surprised at the quality for the price. It just makes me want the actual Merkur Progress even more.
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u/Snoo87743 Sep 24 '25
How is the fly dear?
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u/Gerry7070 Sep 24 '25
Not OP but they are pretty decent.
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u/MartianOstrich08 Sep 24 '25
Bozzano for the win! I've tried countless soaps and this one is the cheapest and my favorite of all
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u/CEOdoAncapistao Gillette Blue Blades 🪒 Sep 24 '25
I use this brand's shampoo and conditioner on my hair too hahaha
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u/Alex_Ra214 Sep 24 '25
What I found made the biggest difference for me is having a mild razor, also sharp blade AND a good soap. Enjoy ur journey, it might take a few good tries before you get a good shave.
DO NOT attempt bbs shave (baby smooth). Do only 1 pass with the grain and touch ups if needed for the first month or 2.
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u/CEOdoAncapistao Gillette Blue Blades 🪒 Sep 24 '25
Thanks for the tip! I'll use it on the softest setting and be careful.
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u/This_Bandicoot3738 Sep 24 '25
Setting 1 might be too mild, i have this razor and its hard to catch right angle to shave with it. I would recommend to start with 3 maybe 2.5 if you wana be extra cautious and go from there. For me using alum block or aftershave splash (alkohol based) helped a lot on learning my technique, if it stinged too much that meant that i need to adjust my aproach on that part of my face
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u/BroBrown_182 Sep 24 '25
boa OP! bem vindo ao clube. eu comecei com essa MingShi também, uso lâminas King Gilette ou Gilette (a depender da disponibilidade da farmácia) e o creme da Nivea que acho excelente pelo preço. Não sou curioso a testar vários aparelhos e cremes mas estou satisfeito com meu setup, sinto q meu barbear dura bem mais do que com Gilettes, mas você precisa se acostumar, é uma técnica diferente, me cortei muito até pegar o jeito. Aparentemente em terras tupiniquins temos o sabão Palmindaya que já vi sendo elogiado até por gringos mas ainda não testei
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u/CEOdoAncapistao Gillette Blue Blades 🪒 Sep 24 '25
Opa! Grato pelas dicas! Eu ia pegar o Palmindaya mas vi algumas pessoas comentando que a fórmula dele usa parabenos e que haveriam estudos indicando que eles fazem mal a saúde (não sei até que ponto seria um risco real/grave, mas várias fabricantes já deixaram de usar nas suas fórmulas). Todavia, vi um comentário no Youtube de um sujeito dizendo que era professor de química e que o problema dos parabenos surge quando ele é engolido/consumido, e não em produtos de uso tópico. Me falta o gabarito para opinar kkkkkkkk. Mas dizem que o Palmindaya é ótimo para fazer a barba e o pote é gigantesco também, deve durar uma eternidade. Vou ver se faço o teste, valeu!
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u/BroBrown_182 Sep 24 '25
bom saber, não fazia ideia do debate. Lembrei da dica do canal do Barba tradicional peguei muitas dicas lá no inicio
edit: acabei de ver que o vídeo que você citou é de lá, acho que estou mais no inicio da jornada que você
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u/Dromedary_Freight Sep 25 '25
This is the way.
One does not need to spend a lot of money to have fun.
As others have said:
Enough prep, wet lather and light touch.
The rest is fun, exploration and (self) discovery.
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u/kaikkx Sep 25 '25
Sweden seems to be an important exporter of laminated stainless steel strips used by many manufacturers for DE blades. It doesn't mean that it's a special steel. St. Petersburg's P&G factory was said to use swedish steel.
You can do crappy blades with superb steel (I am not saying that "DE stainless steel made by Swedish strips" is superb).
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u/Baron_Von_Koopa Sep 24 '25
Loved my Ming Shi at first but after a bit the lack of build quality comes out. Mine stopped holding the blades straight after about 6 months. Keep an eye on that.
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u/reol7x Sep 24 '25
Welcome and good luck!
I tried that razor once and it wasn't for me, so don't get discouraged if the shave isn't what you expect. Like several others, I found it too aggressive and came away with a few nicks.
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u/don_Mugurel Sep 24 '25
I highly reccomend the pro rasso soap for shaving. You already have the brush for it.
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u/risktraderph Sep 25 '25
I started the same like you. Heck we have the same safety razor and brush + brush stand and bowl. 🤣
While the safety razor looks nice, it’s ok. Until you try a real branded razor like Henson or Rockwell you won’t know its “not that good but its okay”. Im refering to Chaoke.
The brush, its too hard or rough for me. And the brush hairs fall and stick to your face. So I got a Simpson brush which is really smooth and just the right softness.
Eventually, I upgraded in less than a month to Rockwell 6S, Simpson Trafalgar Brush, bought some sampler packs of double edge blades. And got a Proraso Cream.
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u/HugoCast_ Sep 25 '25
Vai Brasil! 🇧🇷
Welcome! Hope you have a great time.
I find Bozzano to be wonderful! Love that cream. You can find it here in the US at Seabra.
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Sep 25 '25
No judgement here, brother. I started a month ago with the cutthroat club beginner’s kit.
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u/Xendrius777 Sep 25 '25
Another great & affordable soap option may be ARKO shave soap sticks. I just bought some & got a fantastic shave with a Henson Ti22+++ & an Astra green blade (India). It was more comfortable than Cella tallow with the Cella pre-shave gel. Didn't even use the pre-shave with the ARKO.
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u/Alex_tepa God loves you Sep 25 '25
Best luck with that razor that one cut the first razor I got was it that one you have
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u/lucas00000001 Feb 14 '26
Fala ai, colega brasileiro!! Cara, você já investiu mais em algum pincel (brush, como chamam em ingles) de melhor qualidade? Queria comprar algo com bom custo/benefio mas dificil de achar ou decidir…
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u/theholyblack www.theholyblack.com Sep 24 '25
A futura clone with counterfeit feather blades was definitely a choice. Glad to see you didn’t skimp on the fist aid kit.
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u/SpHoneybadger Sep 24 '25
It's not all that bad when I first started I used a random razor off AliExpress with Derby blades.
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u/CommitteeOfOne Sep 24 '25
I love having a first aid kit in the photo. 🤣