Weishi DE Safety Razor Review

This is the one touch and Van Der Hagen razor and they're not bad. You can usually find them for about $10, but I wouldn't pay much more than that. I've seen them for twice that and I don't think I'd bite at that price. They work okay, I've had some blade alignment issues, but overall a very mild, cheaply made razor that can be found in most corner drug stores.

Without question and by far, the worst safety razor I have ever tried. Tried it twice, with two different blades. I won't try it again. It's so mild that it took me four passes to get a good shave with it, whereas I normally to two passes and a touch up. The increase amount of work, passes, and strokes led to irritation.

As far as build materials and quality, it's no better or worse than any of the other cheap consumer goods coming out of China, but seriously a razor designed to be this mild is functionally ususable, regardless of the price. If it were priced at one dollar, it would still be a waste of money.

In contrast, my three-piece Rimei, which is even cheaper to buy, can actually deliver a good shave and I use it often enough. As does my two dolla Yuma, as long as you are really careful with it.

This forum is a valuable resources, but in this case you see the drawbacks...I normally like mild razors so you read about the Weishi and you say, well, I'll give that a try. Seven dolla down the drain. Oh well...

My experience seems to be a bit different than a lot of people. I would not recommend this as a first razor. It was one of my first, and being so mild there is too much temptation to compensate by adding excessive pressure.
After a number of less than satisfactory shaves with it, I stopped using it for a few months and used a number of more aggressive razors. I have recently gone back to it, and find it to give me a very nice shave indeed. The key with this guy is angle. You really need to dial in the exact right angle and then not deviate from it at all (another reason why IMO it is not that great as a starter razor)
Perhaps some of the really bad reviews have been from poor products/batches, as a lot of things coming out of this country (China) have quality variance issues from batch to batch...or even within the same batch. Or perhaps I got lucky with a really good one. Or, I suppose most likely, it all comes down to (like nearly everything in this hobby) YMMV.

BTW: I use it with personna labs and can get about 75% BBS with 2.5 passes. (3 passes above the jawline, and 2 under with a few touchups/buffings)

I purchased the Weishi when my Yuma was not in after 10 business days as a back up. Let me just say, I switched the order. The Weishi 2003m is a very user-friendly razor and a good switch razor. If you log onto Badger and Blade, you hear Merkur and Edwin Jager when it comes to new razors or looking for older ones as a resale. I found the Weishi is a great razor to start off. It's not too aggressive, it's very easy to replace blades (I actually wash and dry both the razor and the blade whenever I shave.) The price point is MUCH easier to enter than most razors at around $10-$15 compared to double that for Merkurs and EJs to start. It's a great price to start with as you only pay a little more than a new cartridge handle with a few trial cartridge razors. Plus, the razor comes with about 5/6 blades each typically, allowing you to shave for an entire month or so without buy a sampler.

I purchased five of these, four of them for my boys for Christmas and one for me to try myself. My first impression when I opened the package was that they looked like chromed plastic and my heart fell to my stomach. Once I picked up the packaged razor, I noticed a nice weight to the pack and I felt a bit better.
Opening the package was a pain but once in my hand, I noticed that the plating was very even and smooth, even smoother and better plating then my SS. Opening the barn doors was smooth and they fully opened with no effort. A close inspection of the inside revealed no markings of any kind, I kind of expected the letter number stamping like my Gillettes, I would have liked that.
A soak in a jar of mineral oil, drip dry and buffing with a cloth didn't make the mechanism any more fluid but the final 16th of a turn to lock it down was a little easier although I do have some concerns about it opening while shaving.
Throwing caution into the wind, I used the blade that came with it, a DORCO 301 and lathered up with KMF. Immediately I found myself following the exact same angle as my SS but was a 3 for aggressiveness while my SS is about a 5 when compared with my SA Black Beauty.
I needed a little buffing after a three pass but it held well, was smooth, no nicks but it did irritate my neck but that's OK, every razor and blade combo does. I need to work on my form I guess.
All in all, I like my SA better but that's only because I can adjust it on the fly but it is on par with my SS and will be keeping it as a regular part of my routine. It was well worth every penny and was 1/5th the price of most razors I have bought.

Well I have heard that these razors were nicely built but extremely mild to be considered useless. Because of the later, I have put off buying one. I decided to pick one up just to have for the collection and get first hand experience with one.

The one I bought is the full aluminum version. Weight is merely 2oz if that. This thing is so light, it feels like you dont have anything in your hand. My first thought was uhh ohh Fit and finish was first rate. This thing is nicely built and finished. I am impressed so far.

I loaded it with a Dorco ST301 (my benchmark blade for trying new razors due to them being very sharp but gentle). I did my prep and lathered up with some Tabac with my trusty antique Fuller black and butterscotch super badger And then the shave began

The first pass WTG was very nice, easily as aggressive as my daily '66 Superspeed. The second pass ATG went without a hitch and finished up with no weepers. I got BBS in two passes and minor touch up. This is where I have to stress that I do mean BBS. I have so far shaved with razors ranging from Gem Micromatics, Gillette Slims, Superspeeds, Gillette Techs, Chinese Flying Eagle, Chinese Vincent . Malaysian Concords, Parkers. The best BBS was from my Gem Micromatic followed closely by the Slim on 4. This little razor was fantastic and compared very closely to my Superspeed. Although My Vincent looks like the same razor, it is not. Fit and finish was terrible and the plating missed many spots. There are alot of razors coming out of China that look just like the Weishi but are not the same.

This was an eye opener. We all must take reviews on products with a grain of salt. What is too gentle for some may be just right with others. I dont have a thick or tough beard, I rate mine as average. I will finish with syaing that if you enjoy a good shave from a Gillette Tech or Superspeed, you will also find this little razor just right. After I finish this post I will be ordering another one in the heavier chrome plated version.

Question for other Weishi owners. This model looks as though the twist knob is aluminum. Is this true or does Weishi make them out of plastic.

As cheap as these are, it should be a must for any razor collection. Plus comes with a nice case that will also fit your 1960s low profile head superspeeds.

Goodluck everybody.

I can't agree that this razor shaves like a superspeed. I have two SS from the 60s and 70s and although they are very mild shavers they are aggressive beasts compared to the Weishi. This one is ridiculously mild. Hence the 0 for aggressiveness. If you have tough dense black beard like mine, don't even think about the Weishi. No matter how sharp a blade I put in it I can't get even close to BBS. I would agree that this razor is suitable for 18-20 year old beginners who just start shaving. It would be fine to learn with, and there would be little if any cuts. But later on you'll have to move to something a bit more aggressive.

Great razor at a fair price.

In a nutshell, the Weishi is so mild it is entirely worthless.

I shave frequently with a Gillette Ball End Tech, and get wonderful results in 3 passes, plus mild touch-ups.

The Weishi in comparison took about 1/3 of the hair off in the first pass that the Tech would have. It would thus take 6 passes to accomplish the same quality of shave as I get with my Tech.

I wouldn't say this would be a worthwhile endeavor.

Build quality leaves a lot to be desired, as the razor actually rattles when in the locked position. The butterfly doors were also uneven, with one not fully seating.

I like mild razors, but the Weishi has taken mild into the realm of the ridiculous.

YMMV of course, but in my opinion avoid this razor like the plague. Far better options are available in it's price range (such as a Ming Shi, or a vintage Superspeed).

have use a Weishi for 18 month now and love it, also have a 38c...i always seem to pick the Weishi every day.

The best thing about this razor is its twist-to-open feature. Otherwise it's far too unaggressive forcing the user to make many passes or to apply extra pressure. When I switched to a Merkur 11C I finally realized how much pressure I'd been using with the Weishi. An even then I wasn't getting terribly good shaves.

This razor is certainly a step up from a Mach3-style razor but it's only a stepping stone to a better product.

Price: I picked this up for $15 as my first DE razor from Amazon.

Quality: The razor is a little light and has some play when the doors are open

User Friendly: I rated this as middle of the road. It's not difficult to operate, performs consistently. You need to try to cut yourself or get razor burn. That being said, it is also not a very close shaver without a lot of work, and someone seeking BBS could easily suffer from nicks and burn as a result.

Grip: more pronounced than some, has pretty deep grooves.

Ease of Blade Replacement: Just what you would expect with a twist-to-open (TTO) razor. I rated this highly because it is easy, and there is no chance of losing a part.

Aggressiveness: As I mentioned, not going to get BBS with this razor (YMMV). Very mild.

Balance: The razor is too light to be effective. You must break the rules a little and add a slight bit of pressure. Could be problematic with a noobie.

Overall: Not awful, but I would pass on this razor in retrospect.If you are a perfectionist in search of a BBS shave, you as well should likely pass. There are much better options out there. I think that this razor is similar to Williams- if you have perfect technique, time, and patience it will work well for you. At the time, I did not know I could do better. Compared to a ball end tech, this does not provide nearly as close and comfortable a shave.

ARG;778140 said:

I think you should look for something else

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I use it when on the road. I agree it is not a every day razor. There is much better out there.

Now i have used this razor 3 times in my rotation i think i can give a honest review and based mainly around the price, i dont mind this razor at all, it has good points-price, easy blade replacement, good grip, decent shave, comes with case, bad points-it does seem a bit flimsy and makes rattling sounds when i shave so perhaps not a long term razor, i always get a good first shave from this razor but the second is average and the 3rd poor which must be because it is a mild razor and when using a not new blade the quality does drop but having said that for the price and because as its in my rotation and not a everyday razor i can live with the bad points and keep it in my rotation.

The door on mine fell off after one week. The shave was lame. Why buy a rip-off when you can get the real thing for the same price. Don't waste your time.

OK, finally i got tired to my old Mach 3. About a week ago i took a step, small to mankind but pretty big for me, into a fashinating world of DE-shaving. Ending up in eBay, i purhaced Weishi. When got the thing, i was actually quite positively surpriced, since the quality of the razor was not only good, but excellent, especially for it is chinese product.

So, after a week, i have to say that the razor is good, but not so very good. Weight and balance is quite right, and it is pretty maneuverable, even for shaving my head.

But the looong minus is aggresiveness, as many had already said. You just can`t get a close shave, since the blade`s exposure is not big enough.

Anyway, i managed to make it little better: I took a used blade and cut off the edges with dremel, leaving only a center of a blade left. Then i placed this "finetuningpiece" on the top of a new blade, closed the doors and razor got little more aggressive! So, that trick made it better..

Price: I bought this razor 20 euros so it is relatively cheap.

Quality: Regarding the price, the quality is quite good but it's not a Muehle or a Merkur. Even if it's well constructed, I don't think it will last 5 years with a daily use.

User Friendly :Easy to use except that it just doesn't cut my hair.

Grip:The grip is good, no complain here. I would like the handle to be a little bigger and longer.

Ease of Blade Replacement: It's a TTO, so it's very easy to change the blade, just make sure of the blade alignment before closing the doors.

Aggressiveness: Here the problems come. I have a heavy beard and it's simply impossible to get a decent shave with this thing, the razor is TOO mild. When I shave with the Weishi, I have the feeling that there is no blade! I tried different blades including Feather.

Balance: This razor is not heavy but the balance is still perfect.

Conclusion: well, I wanted to like this razor: it's cheap, TTO, ease to use, quite well made but I can't get a decent shave. I think this tool will be perfect for a teenager (with a very light beard) to know how to use a DE but for men with a heavy beard, it just doesn't do the job requested.

Having done the circle of DE to cartridge to electric to multi-blade do everythings, I have now gone back to a DE razor. I have tired of paying the exorbitant prices for multi-blades and tired of the rash and "freshly sanded" feel of my electric.
I got out my old forgotten Gillette 3 piece DE and gave it another try and I began wondering why I had ever retired it in the first place. Perhaps it was the TV advertising and the promise of multiple blades etc. If I could get a good shave with one blade, more must be better, right?
However the old Gillette is somewhat head-heavy and its balance is not that pleasant.
Having come across a Weishi for $20.00 I felt compelled to try one. It is a 9306 model finished in a gun-metal grey, a rather attractive razor with its heavily knurled handle.
It balances nicely and has a nice weight overall. It is nicely finished and its plastic box complete with mirror and cleaning brush, while not elegant is useful and functions well enough.
The razor functions as it should and there is no difficulty in loading a new blade.
Shaving quality? This razor gave me a very good shave with only one pass. Others have questioned its agressiveness, well all I can say is that it delivered a very good shave first time and I guess that is as good a recommendation as I can make. Like motor cars there is plenty of choice for every taste and pocket. I shall be using this Weishi for a long time to come.

This is the only DE I own at the moment, because I went directly from my Mach 3 to straight razors. I whip the forgiving Weishi out on mornings when I have to RUSH through my shave and can't take the time to invest in a straight shave. I just don't want to go back to the Mach 3, so I picked this up as a cheap alternative. For those of you who want a fast, risk free shave on days when we can't afford to spend time shaving, the Weishi will be a nice addition to your repertoire.

This razor is the mildest that i have ever seen .
I like it and I would recommend it to a newbie
The only problem is finding the sweet spot (angle ) .A few degrees off and the blade doesnt touch your face anymore.
Once you have found it, it will give a decent shave, after a few passes.
Quality wise , how long will it last ... that is another question.

As a conclusion , for $15 it is not a bad deal for a newbie but it would not replace my daily Merkur HD