Do Chinese (Baili, etc.) "Tech Clones" Shave As Well As the Original Gillette Techs?

I purchased a rose gold Baili tech clone. It is beautiful and provides smooth shaves, no matter what blade I use. It is a mild razor and can be used as a daily driver. It is an excellent razor for a new traditional wet shaver who is transitioning from cartridges.

I have never used a "real" Gillette Tech vintage razor, which many users and collectors swear is the greatest. I have heard that the BBS-1 and Feather AS-D2 have similar dimensional architecture, based on the vintage Gillette Tech. If that is true, I suspect there is something to all the fuss.

Question: For those of you who have shaved with both the vintage Gillette Tech and a newer Tech Clone razor...
Can you tell the difference, and if so, what are the differences in the shave? Is one really that much better? Could you tell if shaving blindfolded?
Forget build quality, politics, price, sentimental attachment, USA vs China, etc. I am only asking about the shave.

Question: Has there ever been a technical study which compares the Chinese versions to the original Gillette's "dimensionally"? Materials are important, but dimensions are more important.

I am relatively new to this shaving world (2 years), and have a lot to learn.

The Gillette Tech has been around for a long time and has gone through many changes, some which slightly changes the shave characteristics. Baili came out with two Tech clones. The earlier one with the very thin cap shaves closer to the original triangle slot Tech - slightly on the aggressive side, but very efficient. Their current offering, which is sold as a RR DE1/Teck II is closer to the later Techs. It is much milder but will give a good shave with patience. I actually prefer the Baili design only because they use what they call a "microcomb", which actually works quite well and adds to the comfort of the shave.

Personally in a totally blind test, I couldn't tell the difference between the later Tech and the later Baili and I really wouldn't care. They are both very good razors.

Clone means a copy, with different geometry and covered blade tabs the upgraded Baili/RR Teck II/DE1 is not therefore a clone but a razor that stands on its own. With a good handle I prefer it to my Techs. It does take attention to angle to get the best from it.

The Gillette Tech has been around for a long time and has gone through many changes, some which slightly changes the shave characteristics. Baili came out with two Tech clones. The earlier one with the very thin cap shaves closer to the original triangle slot Tech - slightly on the aggressive side, but very efficient. Their current offering, which is sold as a RR DE1/Teck II is closer to the later Techs. It is much milder but will give a good shave with patience. I actually prefer the Baili design only because they use what they call a "microcomb", which actually works quite well and adds to the comfort of the shave.

Personally in a totally blind test, I couldn't tell the difference between the later Tech and the later Baili and I really wouldn't care. They are both very good razors.

They have a lot of versions, don't they? I have the Baili 171... Not certain This is akin to... Old triangle or new smooth Gillette. Any idea? Thanks.

The Gillette Tech has been around for a long time and has gone through many changes, some which slightly changes the shave characteristics. Baili came out with two Tech clones. The earlier one with the very thin cap shaves closer to the original triangle slot Tech - slightly on the aggressive side, but very efficient. Their current offering, which is sold as a RR DE1/Teck II is closer to the later Techs. It is much milder but will give a good shave with patience. I actually prefer the Baili design only because they use what they call a "microcomb", which actually works quite well and adds to the comfort of the shave.

Personally in a totally blind test, I couldn't tell the difference between the later Tech and the later Baili and I really wouldn't care. They are both very good razors.

They have a lot of versions, don't they? I have the Baili 171... Not certain This is akin to... Old triangle or new smooth Gillette. Any idea? Thanks.

Baili has just two three piece heads. What they have is a lot of model numbers. The second head with covered tabs to kick this dead horse is not a Tech clone so I'm not sure the value of arguing which Tech it's more like. It's as effective as the post-war Tech for me which i prefer over the earlier model.

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Thanks to everyone for their replies. Great information and opinion. Now I know why my Baili shaves smooth and with patience can do a great job. I was recently given a Rimei to try. It appears to be another Gillette Tech copy. IMHO it was more efficient than my Bali, with more chatter and blade feel, and not as smooth as the Baili. It appears to be zamak with chrome coating, and is very light weight. I believe the original Gillette Techs were made of brass (correct me if I am wrong).

Question (not to beat a dead horse to death): Is the "Rimei razor" closer to the Gillette Tech, in terms of the "shave" and nothing else?

Is there a reason why you just don't buy a Tech and judge for yourself? It's not like we're talking about more than three or four beers/lattes to sacrifice.

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