This beautiful gold-colored Weishi was my first real introduction to DE safety razor shaving (aside from a disastrous and bloody experience with my father's Gillette portable when I was a teenager, but that's an entirely different story) and I have to say, I think I picked an excellent starting point. (This horrible photo doesn't even come close to doing this razor justice) There were a few qualities I knew I wanted in my first DE razor: First, it had to be gentle. My face is a bit on the sensitive side and I was tired of having it get hacked to pieces. Second, it had to be a twist-to-open (tto) model. I can be a bit of a butterfingers and I wanted to minimize the number of things that I could potentially drop while I was learning. Third, it had to be well-made, but inexpensive. I didn't have a bunch of money to dump into a DE razor. Fourth, it had to be new. I knew that there are literally millions of vintage Gillettes to be had at great prices, but I didn't want to worry about whether it had been cleaned properly or if there were any issues that I didn't know to look for. For a while I was considering one of the new Parker razors. I ultimately decided against going with a Parker after reading in a number of reviews that the quality of their tto models can be a bit sketchy. Then I read a bunch of glowing reviews of the Weishi. After much research it seemed that it was going to fit all my criteria, so I ordered one on Amazon. When it arrived I was not disappointed! The twist knob turned silently and without any dragging or binding. The barn doors opened and closed evenly and held the blade firmly in place. And the finish was flawless and polished to an immaculate shine. (Seriously, you can lose yourself in the finish of a Weishi.) The plastic travel case it came in, while not great, is certainly handy. (Weishi wisely concentrated their efforts on making the razor a quality piece.) The little mirror and clean-up brush that come with the case are also useful items to include. The razor also comes with a pack of five Dorco ST-300 blades. While they will get the job done, I quickly learned that a different blade would improve my shaves. Currently, I'm using re-branded American Safety Razor blades in my Weishi and they are working out much more nicely. Speaking of shaves, the Weishi has lived up to its reputation of being a very gentle razor. This can be a (pardon the pun) double-edged sword. While it should provide an irritation-free shave with little or no bloodshed for most users, it can also mean that quite a few passes may be needed if you are looking for that smooth-as-a-baby's-butt shave. This is why I gave the blade exposure rating a lower, albeit still admirable, score of 8/10. I'm thinking one of the super sharp blades, such as a Feather, would probably eliminate one of the extra passes needed. All other aspects, especially the price when the fit and finish of this razor are considered, are things that I have absolutely no problems with. All in all, I would say that the Weishi is a great DE razor to start with. Is there a chance that a Weishi owner might want to "graduate" to a razor with a more aggressive blade exposure? Sure, (I've recently become quite fond of a Feather Portable/Feather blade combo), but the Weishi is also a razor that I think most owners would be wise to hold on to for those days when they are pressed for time and need a quick, almost carefree shave. PS- Apparently, the gold, gun metal, and gold/gun metal combo colored models weigh a few grams more than the "standard" chrome-plated model, but I doubt that this makes any kind of noticeable, real-world difference.
