Review (2/5): Inefficient Razor that's Rough to Use: There are much better value bargain razors out there.
The Acevivi Razor : A Test and Review
I only came across this razor very recently. It intrigued me because some seemed to like it and report that it was well made. Also, like the new Fendrihan razors, it has an unusual head: Closed comb on one side; open comb on the other. I think the idea is that it offers two levels of aggression. The Lutz slant offers a similar choice of two levels of aggression.
In use I found that both sides offered about the same level of aggression. Another reason for the test is that it's a low cost razor; under $13 currently on Amazon. I'm always intrigued by potential bargains!
A further unusual feature is the exceptionally long handle. Longer than the Futur, longer than my Mergress, Schick Krona, or even my long handled Gillette Starburst, (aimed at the ladies” market); longer in fact than any razor I own. To some this is a plus, to others not so. It may be useful if ladies wish to use the razor on their legs, or other parts. The razor is well balanced so the long handle presented no problem.
The razor comes with a box of five blades. I have no idea of their origin. But since the razor is Chinese, I expect China.
The Blade used for the Test
I chose to use the Rapira Platinum Lux. I've found this blade to be consistent and reliable in just about every razor (but there are some razors where it's an indifferent pairing, say with my RR Wunderbar), and it's always good for at least four shaves, often six, in just about any razor. It's sharp, smooth, comfortable, very cheap to buy, and easily available, and my personal favorite of the Rapira line. I've also used it every DE razor I own at one time or another, and I own over 50 DE safety razors . Not my favorite blade, but a very good one in most razors. I used a brand new blade
How I Used this Razor for the Test
When using an adjustable razor, (and following advice from others on this forum, including Jim Chandler, plus my own long experimentation) I've found the best way, for the smoothest and most comfortable shave is to INCREASE the aggression with each pass. It seems counter-intuitive at first but it really works best. It's like lowering the blade on a lawn mower to get a closer cut. I increased the aggression on each pass on this test.
Since this razor supposedly offered two choices of aggression I used the Acevivi in this way: Less aggressive WTG and XTG, then more aggressive ATG and for buffing. I'm assuming that closed comb is less aggressive, though as some have reported with the Fendrihan, this is not always the case.
Now in previous reviews, I notice that some people seem to miss this point. I really believe that this is the best way to get a very smooth, comfortable, and importantly irritation-free shave with an adjustable razor. I have a complete thread on this method. Please review the thread and give it a whirl, and report what you find please!
The Routine
For testing I go through the same routine. I clean my face and wet the beard by washing with a glycerin soap. I rinse off the soap, wet it thoroughly and apply two drops of a pre-shave oil.
By the way, I believe good pre-shave prep not only produces a better shave, but reduces irritation, and keeps you skin in good condition. I know of one rather famous reviewer whose skin frankly looks irritated, red, blotchy and awful, especially on his neck. I don't doubt he gets close shaves, but at what cost?
I use an Arko shave stick applied directly to the beard and lather with a Stirling Synthetic “Kong” brush. I rinse and lather again between passes. I thoroughly rinse the head of the razor between passes.
I remove the blade from the razor when I'm done. I dry it with a microfiber cloth. Naturally I dry the razor too when I'm done.
I finish with an Alum block, which is a good indicator of razor burn or irritation. Then after washing it off , I apply Thayer's Alcohol Free Witch Hazel.
The Shave
I shaved 22 hours before doing a test comparison of the Parker Variant and Ming Shi 2000s, so my face had a little less than average growth.
First Pass WTG: Closed Comb Side
Fairly smooth, reasonably efficient. Not good enough for a one pass shave.
Second Pass XTG: Closed Com Side
Not especially smooth and after the pass I wasn't especially happy with the hair removal. It still felt like there was a lot of hair, but I press on! Still not good enough even for everyday.
Third Pass ATG: Open Comb Side
Quite scratchy. I could feel the blade and I didn't enjoy the pass much. A lost of hair remained. Quite disappointing. Not a good shave at all.
Buff up and J-hooking
I would have had to spend an age buffing and cleaning up because the beard was still quite rough, and frankly my face already felt quite irritated. So I did not buff with the Acevivi. There are limits to my testing zeal!
Finishing the Shave:
Sometimes a specific blade is no good. In the interests of fairness, I took the blade out and put it in my most efficient razor, the RR Wunderbar slant (which incidentally is not a blade this razor likes a lot) and had to shave again, because the shave with the Acevivi was just not good enough even for everyday.
I then did another ATG pass, and boy, was there a lot to remove! The jawline and neck still had a lot of growth. The blade performed well in the Wunderbar, so I don't think one can't blame the blade.
Now I'm not comparing a $13 razor to a $130. That would be grossly unfair. I just wanted to see if the blade was to blame, and frankly I didn't want to irritate my face more than necessary.
I did a clean up and buffing pass, using the Wunderbar and got a BBS shave. However the feedback from alum block revealed a lot of irritation, not surprising given three indifferent and inefficient passes with the Acevivi, followed by another ATG pass and cleanup with the Wunderbar, though I don't blame the latter. No nicks, cuts, or weepers, but definite neck irritation.
Conclusion:
The razor is well made, and low in price, and I admire the innovation, but I cannot recommend the Acevivi, unless you want to get a very long handle that's well made for under $13. It's possible that it will do better with other blades, but my initial impression is that it's not really worth testing. It's a fairly mild and quite inefficient razor.
Is it good value? No! The Ming Shi 2000s Adjustable is cheaper (aroud $10 from China) and better in every possible way. The following razors, all under $20 are much, much better: The RazoRock (RR) German 37 Slant, the Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements Bakelite slant, the RR Slab, the RR Mission, the RR Old Type, the RR Jaws (if you can get it), and probably some others too.
It's a pretty poor razor, and even at the low price not worth it. I wouldn't recommend it to newbies, because it will put them off DE shaving. Here's one to pass.