New adjustable razor won't shave

[Antuan]

Hello, I'm new here. Thank you for having me.
I've 56 yrs old. Been shaving for decades with my Gillette Sensor, until about a year ago I finally got tired of the cartridge prices, while the price of clones is also constantly rising, and I decided to switch to DE shaving.
I have an antique Twist-to-open Gillette from the 1950s and I'm really happy with the results. I've been looking for a more aggressive razor lately, and I decided to check out a cheaper option first. I really want to continue with the TTO style and also want an adjustable razor, so I purchased this YINTAL on AliExpress, which I've attached some pictures of here. I was surprised by the fit and finish of it and the weight. It had good reviews on the web.
But, it does not shave.
No matter what blade I tried, what angle or geometry. No matter how I calibrated it, 3 or 9: the most it manage to do is lower the height of the bristles. Going back to my Gillette and voila, all is good.
I looked at the device carefully under a desk lamp and with a magnifying glass. I couldn't find any imbalance, unevenness, misaligned or failure in the mechanism. Everything seemed fine.
It seems like the blade itself is too far from the skin. This is very strange, since the razor has received good recommendations and I haven't found any similar complaints online.
I would be happy to receive any help and ideas.
Thank you very much!

 

[Spider]

Welcome to The Cadre!

Not knowing anything about this particular razor, all I can say is that when you buy cheap razors from other countries like that, you frequently come across defects in workmanship. Some just aren't built to the same tight tolerances that old school American razors are.

I'm a big fan of the Gillette adjustable razors and would suggest seeking out a Fatboy or a Slim.


Be sure to head to the Newbie forum and introduce yourself!

 

[CBLindsay]

Well, having a razor that trims your beard reather than removing it is kind of cool. The perpetual 5 o'clock shadow is a good look for some.

My guess would be the base/safety bar portion is too large relative to the size of the blade. This in combination with the geometry of the top cap could be hiding the blade.

 

[Jaro1069]

Just an idea , and it may be wrong , BUT , Have you tried putting a shim under the blade to see if that helps ? Sometimes raising the blade seems to help on some razors.... Good luck with it. Also contact the seller and see if he has any suggestions and / or if it might warrant a replacement as defective...

 

[Sara-s]

Really sorry you are having trouble with it. I agree with @Jaro1069 about shimming. It’s worth a try? BTW, how long have you had it? Is it returnable?