Ming Shi 2000S

I guess I just have trust issues. I believe little of what I see and less of what I read when it comes down to marketing of products. The rules regarding country of origin on products are very loose and vary from country to country. For example in Canada if you buy a container load of widgets from China at 25 cents a unit and package/market them in Canada at a cost of 35 cents a widget you are able to label the widgets as being "Product of Canada". You may even produce video of your Canadian based widget factory which might produce a few widgets for public relations purposes. Am I being paranoid? Of course I am. After the strawberry incident, they all turned against me, you'd be paranoid too The point is, if its important to consumers that a product be from Canada or Germany and they are willing to pay a premium for such a product then its important to the manufacturer to make the product in Canada or Germany, however, if the manufacturer is able to make the product in China at a fraction of the price and still legally label the product as having been produced in Canada or Germany and price it accordingly, then economics requires that they do so. Lets put 60 Minutes' investigative team on this.

Furthermore, the differences mentioned by those who've seen both razors side by side may very well be considered to be improvements by Ming Shi and not done for reasons of cost cutting.

I just ordered a Ming Shi 2000S from Italian Barber.  Because I ordered other things (some needed, some wanted), shipping was free so the razor only cost me US$9.99 and for that price it was worth a try.

I guess I just have trust issues.  I believe little of what I see and less of what I read when it comes down to marketing of products.  The rules regarding country of origin on products are very loose and vary from country to country.  For example in Canada if you buy a container load of widgets from China at 25 cents a unit and package/market them in Canada at a cost of 35 cents a widget you are able to label the widgets as being "Product of Canada".  You may even produce video of your Canadian based widget factory which might produce a few widgets for public relations purposes.  Am I being paranoid?  Of course I am.  After the strawberry incident, they all turned against me, you'd be paranoid too   The point is, if its important to consumers that a product be from Canada or Germany and they are willing to pay a premium for such a product then its important to the manufacturer to make the product in Canada or Germany, however, if the manufacturer is able to make the product in China at a fraction of the price and still legally label the product as having been produced in Canada or Germany and price it accordingly, then economics requires that they do so.  Lets put 60 Minutes' investigative team on this.  

Furthermore, the differences mentioned by those who've seen both razors side by side may very well be considered to be improvements by Ming Shi and not done for reasons of cost cutting.

Don't know nothing about that "strawberry inccident", whatever that is, but...

Let's forget the videos, institutional or not. Dovo/Merkur facilities can be visited anytime by anyone willing to do so. That is something you can't say about other producers of shaving parafernalia.
They are not just producing videos to advertise on the internet, or setting up a scenario for the tourists to see - you can see the whole factory at work, they are actually producing what they sell.

But I agree with you: trust is something essential when I make business with someone. If I can't trust someone, I prefer to send my money somewhere else (example: PAA/HTGAM/PPF incident). There are so many good options out-there, that I do not care to bother with someone I cannot trust!

I just ordered a Ming Shi 2000S from Italian Barber.  Because I ordered other things (some needed, some wanted), shipping was free so the razor only cost me US$9.99 and for that price it was worth a try.

It's well worth a try, Freddy. I hope that yours is as good as mine, and that you like yours as I liked mine.
Even if it was twice or triple that price, It was still a good buy.

oversaturn the strawberry incident is a cultural reference to the pivotal scene in The Caine Mutiny, a Humphrey Bogart film featuring Bogart as the captain of a USN vessel - a classic depiction of paranoia and psychosis. I was making light of my own mistrust of pretty much everything

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-95QqBXLG2I

But I agree with you: trust is something essential when I make business with someone. If I can't trust someone, I prefer to send my money somewhere else (example: PAA/HTGAM/PPF incident). There are so many good options out-there, that I do not care to bother with someone I cannot trust!

I know the backstory. What is it that you don't trust about them now? Honest question.

But I agree with you: trust is something essential when I make business with someone. If I can't trust someone, I prefer to send my money somewhere else (example: PAA/HTGAM/PPF incident). There are so many good options out-there, that I do not care to bother with someone I cannot trust!

I know the backstory.  What is it that you don't trust about them now?  Honest question.

Let's not go there, please. PM the member if you are curious but this has been hashed and rehashed.

But I agree with you: trust is something essential when I make business with someone. If I can't trust someone, I prefer to send my money somewhere else (example: PAA/HTGAM/PPF incident). There are so many good options out-there, that I do not care to bother with someone I cannot trust!

I know the backstory.  What is it that you don't trust about them now?  Honest question.

Let's not go there, please.  PM the member if you are curious but this has been hashed and rehashed.

I don't think it ever got out of hand here though there was some honest discussion. Understood on your part being a mod though. He can PM me if he wants to answer. I'm not defending PAA either, but I am always curious to hear why. Some reasons are justified and some are not IMO.

I know the backstory.  What is it that you don't trust about them now?  Honest question.

Let's not go there, please.  PM the member if you are curious but this has been hashed and rehashed.

I don't think it ever got out of hand here though there was some honest discussion.  Understood on your part being a mod though.  He can PM me if he wants to answer.  I'm not defending PAA either, but I am always curious to hear why.  Some reasons are justified and some are not IMO.

Sorry Freddy, mods and everyone... I brought that issue here, and it is completely offtopic. Not the place or the time to discuss it. My bad.

Now, back to the Ming Shi razor...

My Ming Shi arrived yesterday and I have it ready to go for tomorrow's shave. I'm still deciding on blade gap but think I shall start quite low.  Even at 1 there seems to be a decent gap.  Since I have an "average" beard and usually do not need an aggressive razor, I think it might be better to start low and work up, if necessary.

My Ming Shi arrived yesterday and I have it ready to go for tomorrow's shave. I'm still deciding on blade gap but think I shall start quite low.  Even at 1 there seems to be a decent gap.  Since I have an "average" beard and usually do not need an aggressive razor, I think it might be better to start low and work up, if necessary.

I've used the Qshave a few times now and started off the same way. For me, it's working pretty well with a 2.5 or 3 setting. I too have an "average" beard but kinda like a little more aggressiveness. Hope you enjoy it!