Weishi Safety Razor Review: A Very Cheap Safety Razor

by Garrick Dee | Last Updated: June 30th, 2020

Most of the razors I’ve featured here cost between $20 to $60, which is pretty reasonable when you compare it to the price of replacement cartridges.

But there is one brand that is less expensive than any of the top brands out there like the Merkur, Edwin Jagger, and Muhle.

This is the Weishi safety razor made in China.

Consumers in Amazon generally like this razor, saying it is a great budget alternative for newbies since it is so cheap and mild.

But the real question is the quality and craftsmanship. Can it hold up in a damp bathroom environment?

In terms of aggressiveness, this razor is pretty mild, even with the sharpest blade you will still need at least three passes to get a BBS (or baby butt smooth) shave.

The Weishi comes in 2 varieties – a long and short-handled version.

Other differences are purely aesthetic (more on that below).

All Weishi DE razors use the same twist to open (TTO) butterfly head. This design can be tough to clean, so (in some models), they’ve included a cleaning brush to help you clean it.

A quick look at the features

• Utilizes a twist to open butterfly head
• The handle has vertical and horizontal grooves to prevent slippage
• Most variants come with at least the Ying Jili blades
• The 9306C comes with a cleaning brush and 5 Dorco blades in addition to the Ying Jili blades
• Comes with a traveling case (a great razor for traveling)
• Length: 3.5″
• Aggressiveness: 5/10
• Blades included: 10

Pros

• This is a really cheap option for men looking to try out wet shaving for the first time (heck, it’s cheaper than a replacement Gillette cartridge)
• TTO head makes it easy to load the blade
• Gives you a really mild shave – great for beginners (not so great though for men with wiry beards)
• Pretty good balance if it’s lightweight

Cons

• Butterfly hinges are a little bit flimsy and loose (maybe an issue in the long term)
• You’ll need more passes to achieve a smooth shave

What to expect from this budget razor?

First off, before anything else, let’s set expectations. I’ve read reviews about people disappointed with the quality of this product and rightly so, but you have to put everything in context.

The price of this product (depending on the variant you choose) ranges between $12 and $16. So it is pretty hard to expect it to be on par with other brands that costs 2 or 3 times more.

Don’t compare this to an Edwin Jagger or even a Merkur, both of which are made in Germany. If you want to compare this, compare it to something like a Parker (which is made in India).

Let’s start with product construction.

This razor is primarily made from lightweight metal, so expect this to be light.

It weighs just 2.25 ounces, according to Tyler from Prime and Prep. Here’s a screenshot of the balance point.

Screengrab from Youtube

Basically, it comes in two variants, the long-handled version measuring around 4.33 inches, and the short-handled version is about 3.5 inches.

The other differences are basically aesthetic. You’ll have the option to get one in chrome, gold or black.

All of these products use the same TTO butterfly head to save on production costs (hence the low price point), and this is where problems could arise with this product.

The hinges that hold the “doors” in place are slightly loose, which should not be an issue if you take care of it, but it could be if you don’t.

The grip is pretty good, thanks to the horizontal and vertical ridges that will provide you with a pretty secure handle even in damp conditions.

The head opens after around 3 turns and closes at the same amount of spins, so loading a blade should not take too long.

Is it easy to load the blade?

Like it’s twin, the One Touch razor, the Weishi utilizes a twist to open head, which makes it very easy to load the blade.

Loading is easy. Just twist the lever at the bottom part of the handle to open the butterfly doors on top. Slide in the blade then tighten the lever.

This is a big reason why TTO razors are popular with beginners because of this feature. But of the different types of safety razors, this is the easiest to break. The hinges are made from thin metal that has a tendency to break over time.

Aggressiveness

Despite being a twist to open razor, this is a relatively mild one.

On the scale of 10, I’d rate it a 3, which is a good option for beginners, but don’t expect this to give you a BBS shave even with 3 passes and a sharp blade.

This isn’t an option for men with though or wiry beards because of the mildness.

Grip

The grip is pretty solid thanks to the deep grooves that go vertically and horizontally. These grooves are pretty even so no matter how you hold it – it will not slip from your fingers even in wet conditions.

Here’s close up of the handle…

Length

The Weishi has a long-handled and short-handled version. The long-handled version measures over 4 inches while the short-handed version measures around 3.5 inches.

Choosing one will boil down to personal preference. For men with larger hands, the extended handle version would be more suitable to them.

Both of these have the same head design, so shaving quality will not differ just the length of the handle.

Razor Specifications

What do consumers think?

One consumer explained in detail how this safety razor is great for newbie wet shavers. He looked mentioned that the blade gap of the Weishi has a 0.022″ gap while the Merkur 23C and 28C has a gap of 0.025″.

To put that in perspective, let’s compare those blade gaps to the different settings in a Gillette Super Adjustable.

The 0.022″ gap of Weishi is almost the same as the 0.025″ gap of the Merkur (setting 3 or 4). This gives you an idea of how mild it is.

While mild is suitable for newbies, if you use it to shave 2 to 3 days of beard growth, it can take more than 3 passes to get a clean shave, as you’ll see in this demonstration by Geofatboy.

This may not be for African American men with coarse beards because it lacks the aggressiveness because of the super mild design – it may even cause irritation because of the pulling and tugging it can cause.

In terms of craftsmanship, don’t expect too much as one reviewer pointed out.

Weishi used brass as the frame and aluminum as hinges to the butterfly doors.

For it to last for years, you’ll need to dry this thoroughly by shaking it well and putting oil to prevent it from rusting and prevent the hinges (weakest link) from giving out.

As with all Chinese made products, there will be a percentage of junk products that come out of production.

That is the risk when buying a China-made product, but heck this is a budget razor, you get what you pay for.

But for consumers who’ve tried this, they like how it performed. Even with Dorco and Yingjili blades included.

Where can I buy this?

You can buy this safety razor from Amazon, and it’ll be eligible for their 2-day free shipping if you join Prime.

To wrap up

This razor is as mild as they come, even with the sharpest blades, you will still need more than 3 passes to achieve a BBS shave which is excellent for people who are just starting out because it has more room for error.

You can also use this as your travel razor because it is light and cheap. It won’t hurt as much if you lose it while traveling, and it comes with a traveling case and a cleaning brush (if you buy the 9306C) with a mirror inside it.

If you have big hands, opt for the long-handled version. Otherwise, the short-handled version will do.

In terms of value for money, it is hard to beat the Weishi for just $12 to $16, you can own a decently made safety razor that will do an excellent job in removing facial hair.

Just remember that this is a mild razor that gives newbies a tool to learn the art of wet shaving without having to endure a bloody mess every time they shave.