Russian (Russia) 
English (United Kingdom) Continuation of the History of choosing a safety razor or a comparison of the Rockwell 6C (clone), Parker 55SL GR and Yaqi Ghost 0.9 razors.
A significant number of wet shaving enthusiasts have gone through the trouble of searching for a razor specifically tailored to their stubble. It would seem that reviews of this razor claim it's effective and aggressive, but it turns out that while it's suitable for some, it's a toothless tiger for me.
There's no point in making an article about each machine, since they usually contain about three parts and there's not much to write about in an entire article. And, I repeat, this is just my experience, and someone else might see it completely differently.
I will describe it in the order of purchase.
YAQI Ghost 90SB
I didn't find the aggression in either the Liveben or the Parker 68S enough, so I continued my search for a suitable head.
I thought it would be foolish to buy a European or American stainless steel head without knowing whether it would suit my stubble, so I bought the YAQI Ghost 90SB head based on reviews that said it was extremely effective yet gentle.
I consider the CNC machined stainless steel craft head kit to be luxurious: it includes a box, a sticker, and even a washer.
The Ghost model comes in two sizes: 0.7mm and 0.9mm. I chose the 0.9mm size because I already knew the 0.7mm size wouldn't work for me.
GAP is the distance between the blade and the razor head. There are also many other parameters that determine the aggressiveness and effectiveness of a razor.
YAQI Ghost 90SB is available only with a closed comb.
Thanks to the long projections on both sides of the threaded rod, virtually zero play between the plates relative to each other is achieved.
The photo clearly shows the absence of metal powder particles. It's likely that the head is made from a solid piece of metal.
Don't forget that if you want to extend the life of your machine, you need to use a plastic washer. These can be made of various materials, including rubber.
There are no markings on the surfaces of the slabs, but the company name is laser-etched.
The top plate is flat, which gives the impression that the head is narrow.
The head workmanship is simply perfect.
The blade ears do not extend beyond the edges of the slabs, and this is good.
Even though the head is too soft for me, I really liked it. I alternate it with an aggressive head, because shaving with one razor is unhygienic, and shaving every day with aggressive heads is uncomfortable.
Parker 55SL GR
People have also written about the effectiveness of semi-slant (slant is a screw-type slab). I was attracted by its low price.
The machine was claimed to be made of stainless steel and chrome plated.
As is often the case, the machine is most likely made entirely of ZAMAK alloy, consisting of: Zink, Aluminum, Magnesium, Kupfer (copper) and coated with chrome.
Unfortunately, I was unable to find the abbreviation for the machine's name, and the box itself does not indicate what it is made of.
The box only contains advertising. This situation occurs even on German machines, as if the manufacturer is embarrassed to reveal that the machine isn't made of stainless steel.
In general, I suspect that the boxes were made locally on the sales market.
As a result, it turned out to be an underseller. Allegedly, its efficiency is higher than that of simple machines, and aggression is at the same level.
However, the efficiency of the machine turned out to be slightly higher than that of the Parker 68S, and the aggression was higher.
Sellers can call it whatever they want, but this machine has a closed comb.
I don't like closed-comb razors—if you run a razor over your face with a closed-comb razor, it removes soap lather or gel, and to go over the same area a second time, you need to reapply more lather or gel. Open-comb razors, however, leave some lather on the combs, reducing the risk of skin damage. This is especially noticeable when shaving long hair.
It cannot be said that the Indians have a high industrial level - it is clear that the geometry of the machine is not ideal.
In addition, in this example the blade protrusion is skewed on one edge and it is impossible to return it to the normal position.
If you have the opportunity, then when receiving the goods or in the store, install the blade in the machine and check the blade projection geometry.
This photo clearly shows the use of powder metallurgy. I don't like it. Some people love it, and others don't care.
All Parkers have a coating defect on the threads.
All this fascination with powder metallurgy reminds me of Chinese disposable silumin products.
There's a flash on the comb. It doesn't seem to affect anything, but it spoils the impression.
The weight of the bottom plate is 19.5 grams.
The weight of the bottom plate is 13.9 grams.
The total head weight is 33.4 grams.
This photo clearly shows the blade's warp.
Moreover, the blade's ears protrude from the body. Chinese craftsmen have long understood that modern users don't want to deal with parts that are ineffective and can cause injury.
Of all the Parker razors, I consider the Parker 68S to be the best. It offers a comfortable shave and is suitable for everyday use. If you don't bother with the BBS, it's a perfectly good razor.
The Parker pen on the left is stainless steel, while the one on the right is chrome-plated alloy. The stainless steel pen offers significantly better grip.
Вес ручки из сплава составляет 61,9 грамм.
The weight of the stainless steel handle is 77.4 grams.
The Parker 55SL GR's thick comb makes it more difficult to shave under the nose than the Parker 68S.
The Parker 55SL GR appears to be more massive than the Parker 68S, but this is not the case.
The weight of the complete Parker 55SL GR machine is 95.4 grams.
The complete Parker 68S machine weighs 113.5 grams.
How does the Parker 55SL GR compare in terms of shaving? It's a regular razor with a massive closed comb. I just never really fell in love with it. It likes soap, its effectiveness is average, and its performance isn't great. Its saving grace is its price.
Rockwell 6c клон
And finally, a sensation on the Russian market – a clone of the famous Rockwell 6C machine.
The machine is sold on Ozon at a price that is simply ridiculous compared to the original.
The price of this machine is equal to the price of an inexpensive razor handle.
In addition, unlike the original, the clone comes with all three double-sided plates with aggression from 1 to 6.
Plus, the included pack of blades is a plus. I didn't bother trying the blades—the time when that was interesting is long gone, and I've settled on three brands of blades for my regular use: Rapira Lux Platinum, Feather, and Astra.
The seller claimed that the machine is a clone of the Rockwell 6S, but the machine is most likely made of alloy and has a galvanic coating, so it belongs to the Rockwell 6C machine.
Since the original Rockwell 6C machine is now produced in China, it is not difficult to assume that the Chinese simply copied the matrices and technology, unless you assume that everything is done on the same conveyor.
This idea of having several plates with different aggression is ingenious; even more ingenious is the creation of double-sided plates, which, by turning them over, can change the aggression of the machine from none to significant.
One of the main advantages of this machine, compared to the original, is the elongated size of the plates that cover the blade ears.
Unlike Parker machines, Chinese machines do not have defects in the coating on the threads.
The machine's aggressiveness number should point downwards, as each platen has inconsistent aggressiveness values. For example, aggression level 4 is on one platen and 5 on another.
One of the most challenging tasks when switching from cartridge razors to precision razors is choosing a razor or head specifically for your beard and skin. With this razor, you won't have to spend hours choosing a razor and be disappointed if it doesn't fit. Many razors are already compared to Rockwell plates in terms of aggressiveness, and once you've determined which plate is right for you, you can choose a different razor. Or stick with your current one. Thousands of people are satisfied with the capabilities of this razor.
The slabs are quite thick and the assembled head looks and feels massive.
I don't know if the original Rockwell razors have an arc, but the Chinese ones have rounded combs. This doesn't affect the shave in any way.
I can't say the razor had a wow effect on me, as I've tried a ton of different razors over forty years of shaving, and I see that there's a tradeoff in shaving comfort. It's impossible to create a razor with such a dual-plate geometry that it offers the same comfort as Muehle razors.
The handle does not have a stainless steel bushing and the inside is clearly corroded.
The pen weighs 64.8 grams.
The head weight is 44.8 grams.
The total weight of the razor is an impressive 110 grams, which allows you to shave comfortably without any pressure.
Anyone switching from cartridge-based machines or who is plagued by vague doubts about the correct choice of aggression for their machine simply must buy at least a clone of the Rockwell 6 to determine the required aggression.
It was thanks to the Rockwell 6C clone that I decided to buy the Dscosmetic DS-Z0 - an improved head of the famous Muehle R41, which will be discussed in the next article.