I just received my Yaqi Final Cut and had my first shave with it today. To eliminate as many variables as possible, I used a badger brush, Shibusa 2 tallow soap (which is incredibly slick), and 3P pre-shave cream, so the razor had every chance to glide as smoothly as possible.

Honestly, it was one of the harshest shaving experiences I've ever had.

Even on setting 1, it felt incredibly aggressive. The moment I put it on my face, all I could feel was the blade. I thought I might have the wrong angle, so I tried adjusting it several times, but no matter what I did it still felt extremely harsh. It's honestly more aggressive than some of the open comb razors I own.

For comparison, my daily driver is a Rockwell 2C with the R3 plate, and I've never experienced anything remotely this rough or blade-forward.

One thing I'm wondering is whether the blade could be the culprit. I used an Astra Superior Platinum (green) for the first time, and it was also its first shave in the Final Cut. Could the Astra Green just be a particularly bad match for this razor, or does this sound like something else (alignment, defect, user error, etc.)?

I'd love to hear from anyone who owns a Final Cut. Is this normal, or should setting 1 be much milder?

After 3 years of buying from Divain, I thought I'd share my experience with every fragrance I've purchased. This isn't sponsored or anything like that—just my honest opinion as someone who has bought quite a few bottles over the years and recently read some posts with mixed opinions.

Divain 628 – Inspired by Tom Ford Fucking Fabulous (Bought 3 years ago)

I've smelled the original Tom Ford Fucking Fabulous multiple times in stores. Unfortunately, this one doesn't really resemble it. It's much more floral and sweeter than the original. It evolves quite a bit throughout the wear, but it lacks the depth that makes the original interesting.

Similarity: 4/10

Longevity: ~4 hours on skin

Divain 639 – Inspired by Tom Ford Tuscan Leather (Bought 3 years ago)

I've tested the original in stores. This one definitely reminds me of Tuscan Leather, but once again the opening feels too fresh compared to the real thing. The resemblance is there, but performance is disappointing.

Similarity: 7/10

Longevity: ~3 hours on skin

Divain 196 – Inspired by Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille (Bought 3 years ago)

This one is absolutely spot on. To my nose it's identical to the original. The tobacco and vanilla balance is perfect, and the longevity is incredible.

There were times I'd apply it around 5 PM and still wake up the next morning with vanilla on my skin.

Similarity: 10/10

Longevity: 12+ hours

Divain 385 – Inspired by Tom Ford Ébène Fumé (Bought 2 years ago)

I actually owned the original and completely fell in love with it. This clone is about 90% identical. The opening is slightly sweeter than the original, but once it settles, it's extremely close.

Funny enough, I've received more compliments wearing this than I ever did wearing the real Ébène Fumé.

Similarity: 9/10

Longevity: ~5 hours

Divain 323 – Inspired by Tom Ford Oud Wood Intense (Bought 2 years ago)

I've never smelled Oud Wood Intense, but I do own the original Oud Wood. Surprisingly, I often prefer wearing this Divain version over my actual bottle of Oud Wood.

Rich, smooth, and long-lasting.

Similarity: N/A (never smelled the original Intense)

Longevity: 6–7 hours

Divain 560 – Inspired by Tom Ford Neroli Portofino (Bought 3 months ago)

I've never smelled the original, so I can't comment on accuracy. What I can say is that I really enjoy it. The opening is fresh and bright for about an hour before it develops into something softer and more rounded.

I've applied it in the morning and still noticed it before my evening shower around 9 PM.

Similarity: N/A

Longevity: 8–10 hours

Divain 386 – Inspired by Amouage Interlude Man (Bought 2 years ago)

I've smelled the original and this is incredibly close. One of my favorite fragrance-related moments happened while wearing it: a sales associate at a luxury perfume store (where I usually buy Tom Ford fragrances) recognized the scent as Amouage Interlude without me telling her what I was wearing. She mentioned they were trying to bring Amouage into their store.

The amber is massive, dark, and extremely winter-oriented.

The performance is absolutely insane. Sometimes I'd still smell it the next morning, and even after showering it could be difficult to fully remove.

Similarity: 10/10

Longevity: 24+ hours

Divain 239 – Inspired by Bvlgari Wood Essence (Bought 2 years ago)

I've owned two bottles of the original and it was one of my favorite fragrances for years. This clone is about 95% there.

The opening is almost perfect and the overall character is extremely close.

Similarity: 9.5/10

Longevity: 4–5 hours

Divain 332 – Inspired by Penhaligon's Endymion (Bought 1 month ago)

I've never smelled the original. It's very pleasant, easy to wear, and I've already received compliments on it.

Similarity: N/A

Longevity: ~4 hours

Divain 326 – Inspired by Penhaligon's Agarbathi (Bought 1 month ago)

Never smelled the original, but this might honestly be one of my favorites from the entire collection.

It develops beautifully on my skin, and the dry down is fantastic. Every time I wear it I find myself smelling my wrist.

Similarity: N/A

Longevity: ~8 hours

Divain 428 – Inspired by Creed Absolu Aventus (Bought 1 year ago)

I've smelled the original and to my nose this is basically 1:1.

It's one of my go-to fragrances for picnics, beach days, and warm weather in general. Fresh, uplifting, slightly floral, and ridiculously enjoyable.

My only complaint is that, just like the original, performance isn't amazing. Also, I still need to figure out how to get a gin and tonic that smells like Absolu Aventus.

Similarity: 10/10

Longevity: 3–4 hours

Overall Thoughts After 3 Years

My best purchases:

Tobacco Vanille (Divain 196)

Amouage Interlude Man (Divain 386)

Ébène Fumé (Divain 385)

Agarbathi (Divain 326)

Absolu Aventus (Divain 428)

Most disappointing:

Fucking Fabulous (Divain 628)

Tuscan Leather (Divain 639)

Overall, I've had a surprisingly positive experience with Divain. Some fragrances completely miss the mark, but some are so close to the originals that I genuinely struggle to justify paying niche prices. The biggest surprise for me has been how inconsistent the performance can be: some disappear in two hours, while others survive showers and are still detectable the next morning.

Curious to hear if anyone else has had similar experiences with Divain, especially with newer releases.

Razor: Wilkinson Sword Classic

Blade: Gillette Perma-Sharp

Brush: The Gentlemen's Smile Vortice

Cream: The Shave Factory Ginseng & Black Pepper

Aftershave: Marmara Barber Vintage

Post: Hipsterix Sensitive Lotion

A very enjoyable shave today despite the Wilkinson Sword still not being my favorite razor. It's a bit too light, the handle feels longer than I'd like, and it shaves on the aggressive side for my taste.

The star of the shave was undoubtedly the Gillette Perma-Sharp. Normally this razor gives me at least some irritation or a small nick, but the Perma-Sharp delivered a smooth, comfortable shave with zero irritation.

The Shave Factory Ginseng & Black Pepper continues to impress. The slickness is incredible—almost like shaving with oil—and the scent is pleasant without being overpowering. Easy to lather and excellent performance throughout.

The Vortice brush was excellent as always: soft tips with just the right amount of backbone.

Finished with Marmara Barber Vintage, which remains one of the most unique and difficult-to-describe aftershave scents I've encountered. Once that settled, I applied Hipsterix Sensitive Lotion. Great skin feel and refreshing performance, although the baby talc scent isn't really my thing.

The moustache got a quick trim with a pair of AliExpress scissors that are identical to a €35 pair I recently saw in a local shop.

Today's shave proved once again that great results don't always come from the most expensive gear. The Rockwell 2C fitted with the R3 plate was the perfect match for a two-day beard, offering an excellent balance of efficiency and comfort. The razor felt intuitive and controlled throughout the shave, removing growth effortlessly while remaining remarkably gentle on the skin.

- The biggest surprise was the performance of the Dorco Titan blades (Made in Vietnam). These blades delivered a shave that rivaled some of my all-time favorites, producing a smooth, irritation-free BBS finish that I usually achieve only with Gillette Nacet or Permasharp blades. In my experience, they outperformed even premium options such as Kai or feather, combining sharpness with an impressive level of smoothness and forgiveness.

-For lather, Proraso Red once again demonstrated why it remains a classic. The combination of sandalwood oil and shea butter provided excellent glide and protection, allowing the razor to move effortlessly across the skin. Compared to Proraso White, which I sometimes find lacking in slickness unless paired with a pre-shave cream, the Red formula offered superior lubrication straight out of the bowl.

- The Goodfellas' Smile Vortice synthetic brush continues to impress as one of the best values in its price range. It strikes an ideal balance between backbone and softness, loading soap easily while remaining comfortable on the face. The knot has enough resistance to work the lather effectively without ever feeling harsh.

- To finish, I applied Vitos Aftershave ''Rinfrescante'', the updated version of the classic Vitos Tobacco aftershave. Its distinctive spicy and pungent fragrance is unlike anything else in my den—bold, characterful, and memorable, leaving behind a refreshing sensation.

For today's shave i went with my trusted Rockwell 2c on the R3 plate since i have sensitive skin (i cant do against the grain or my face becomes a mined field), and decided to give a try to the laser ultra triple coated blades. Wow these give me permasharp or nacet vibes, you can't feel the blade and it was so smooth. For soap i used the shave factory ginseng and black pepper, with the beautiful gentlemen's smile vortice as a brush.

Also first time trying the Marmara Vintage aftershave and i was actually surprised of the fragrance. It smells like an oak table being waxed while you have a bunch of flowers in your nose. Quite a unique circumstance but yea you get the comparison. And then i finished it off with cella's aftershave lotion.

Now, there's a discussion going on between me and my girlfriend on wheter to keep the moustache or not. She likes it but I don't think it's good enough. I see lots of people here having a thick moustache while mine looks like a 20 year old forgot to shave. Let me know your opinions...

Rockwell 2c paired with Gillette Perma-Sharp, 3p as pre shave, proraso red, for post a random korean face mask, denim classic and cella balm