Or I bet it may be to some. I've had a Weishi 9306 for a bit, and like the mild shave. I won a '62 Gillette Super Speed, and just got it this weekend. Putting them both side by side, I'm guessing this model of SS is the one the Weishi is modeled on. It's almost a perfect duplicate. I even weighed them, and they both dropped in at 55 grams. I'm pretty sure if I were blindfolded I'd have a hard time telling them apart. The main difference is the SS has a bit rougher handle. Tonight, I put in a Voskhod blade in the 'new' Gillette, and took it for a spin. My initial thoughts? A little more aggressive than the Weishi, but not by much. Otherwise, pretty much exactly the same. I think I like the Gillette better, but only because I paid $10 + shipping for the Weishi, and I paid $10.25 shipped for the Gillette. Otherwise, I'd call them even.
Interesting. I always heard the Weishi was a much cheaper feeling version of the Gillette. Thanks for the info. Might have to give it a try
I've heard (!) that the Weishi's can differ a lot in QC and therefore also the feeling of quality. I've never held one myself.
There are various Weishi's out there. The 9306 is the quality one. Those come in various finishes, some of which aren't as nice as others. Also, there are a couple of other Chinese manufacturers that are knock offs of the Weishi and are pot metal handles with tin TTO's. I've had 2 of the knockoffs, both under different Chinese brand names, that internet forums swore were really Weishis, and they were not even close. So I think there's a lot of misinformation out there. Also, I've had an earlier Weishi which was a TTO, but was not a 9306, which was useable, but less than inspiring, and I believe a lot of the negatives come from that model. It was like a 2400A or something similar. The minute you send me a tetanus shot and a vintage first aid kit, I promise to do so! I've been thinking about it this morning, and I think I'll probably give the Weishi to a friend, there's no reason to have it now. And like Lutebro pointed out, the Gillette has vintage cool. But really, that's about all it has over the Weishi. Before I do that, I may run a 'shave off' between the two with identical everything to see what works best.
Interesting.... I have a 67 black handle SS arriving this week. I started with the VDH TTO razor, which most here think is a rebranded weishi. I'm hoping the SS is a bit more aggressive as I found the Weishi too mild... Either way I will probably keep the Gillette. It's probably the closest I will come to owning a Black 67 SS...
I can tell a HUGE difference between the aggression factor of my Weishi and a SS. The Super Speed is the more aggressive. The Weishi could be rubbed on my face all day with 0 concerns, but it doesn't feel like I'm shaving when I use it. Who wants that?
Mr. Shaverman. Have you given the Ri Mei three piece safety razor a try? It is a chinese razor you can buy for around 2.00 and is actually a pretty good value for money. I've had one for a few months now and it has served me pretty well. Not my favorite, but it does the trick.
I've ordered two Ri Mei's in the past, and ended up getting entirely different Chinese razors. Both times the seller assured me that they were the Ri Mei's that I was looking for, even though both were very different from one another and had different brand names. One was so cheap I could've bent the face plate with my hands, it was so thin. The other one couldn't hold a blade properly so that one end was sticking way out and the other not so much. Try not gouging yourself with that one! So I've tried and failed. I've heard Ri Mei's were really good. Both times I'd ordered them I had done so in hopes of getting a workable razor I'd be able to hand out to friends, not unlike Jack Chick tracts at a bus station.
You would be correct sir! One of the dumbest things I ever did was sell my Z28 when I started college. I did get the razor, and will get a picture up. It gave me a shave that I can only describe as "meh". Sort of similar to my FH tech, but not quite as good. The fatter head is also less maneuverable and harder to get into tight spots. So far the Cadet open comb is numero uno, and the tech should have a place in my rotation as well.
Sorry to hear. I was looking forward to your review. They could be great travel razors, especially for me as I tend to be hard on my things on trips...
With some research and due dilligence you can probably find a seller with actual Re Mei razors. I just had bad luck. Peope like them, so they must have good ones out there somewhere, I just gave up after 2 strikes. Another shaving board had a thread with a link to someone on Ebay selling new old stock of Gillette travel techs for $15 or so, free shipping. That's probably a safe and inexpensive bet.
