WEISHI Safety Razor Double Edge Nostalgic Long Handle Butterfly Open Razor

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN –IN REGARD TO DE RAZOR SHAVING IN GENERALI love seeing all the helpful reviews as it is absolutely a tidbit intimidating starting out. Women, I think, get a bit more worried as we have so much more real estate and curvy areas (for the guys who also shave all the bits, this is for you too, of course). HOWEVER, it would seem that many women only shave a few (or couple??) times a week (finding this out in my early 20’s, blew my mind) and I only found one review in all my reading that was written by someone who like me…absolutely abhors body hair. I shave every day, and have done so since I started shaving at 12 or something thereabouts. Now, it is important to keep in mind that everyone’s bodies are different. Skin types and…how your skin sits against your body, vary. For reference, I am 5’2 and 99.6 lbs with an athletic build. When I watched videos showing how women safely shaved their armpits I was confused because their skin laid flat with their arms upraised. I have a very deep indent when my arm raises, many angular points, so I had to figure out my own tactics. Shaving my calves was also a tiny learning curve because of grazing against the muscle line and not having a pivoting head. I would also NOT describe myself as having sensitive skin. I keep reading about people switching their blades every few shaves!? I used Schick men’s razors until I was probably 20 then switched to Harry’s. I replaced my blades every two months or so. Considering the cost as well as wanting something I could easily toss in my hiking pack or keep in a go-bag. (Yes, I will shave if on an extended hike (+4 days)) provided I find a water source). So, I wanted to write the review for the folks like me out there, and provide what answers I can.In short, maintain a 45 degree angle (like you have probably always done), do not press down, let the weight of the handle do the work, use short and slow gentle strokes when starting out (I absolutely am back to doing long strokes on my legs now that I am confident *not cocky*), watch some videos, pay attention to the curves of your body as well as to how your hair grows, never slide the blade horizontally, don’t slide your finger along the sharp part because..duh. The handle is literally made to protect you; it is not just the blade against your skin as there is a guard. When installing the blade, hold it by the dull sides (again, common sense but still), and be mindful.Now, I am pretty much recommending this to EVERYONE. However, please keep in mind that you do need to be mindful. If you are one of those people (ladies and fellas both) who can be an airhead (you know who you are, and there is nothing wrong with your quirk) then this is perhaps not for you. Like any instrument that can pose a risk, take care. I turned off the shower my first few times while shaving and used shaving cream so I could pay close attention. By week -2- I was shaving as I always have and am getting quicker. The only nick I really got was from a compression mark from socks and the blade (feather) bumbling over it in my first week. Besides that, it has just been a matter of being mindful. Brand new and aged blades can also require some more focus.Don’t be afraid to give it a shot, be mindful and take time for yourself. Enjoy!IN REGARD TO HANDLESI love my Weishi handle. I have now had the opportunity to test this against two other handles and I am staying firm. MY ONLY COMPLAINT is that the attractive anodized coating has come off the head of my razor in entirety and looks less snazzy which is just a bit disappointing. If Weishi reads this and wants to comment, I would be interested as to why this happened. Before my Weishi, my husband allowed me to use his Merkur 34C handle to see if I really wanted to make the switch and I definitely prefer my Weishi. The Merkur Handle has a classic vertical lines design on the handle and a classic spin top. The longer handle on the Weishi Handle is fantastic, and it is far grippier. IN FACT, SUBSTANTIALLY MORE GRIPPY. This matters greatly as some of those artistic and classical looking razors are aesthetically pleasing but I rather not risk a slip and wound myself for no reason. The longer Weishi handle is great for getting the correct balance while doing my legs and not applying too much pressure. In lieu of my switch my husband tested the Shaving Revolution Handle. It is both longer and heavier than the Weishi. While I enjoyed the added weight I found that the even longer handle made me wary when doing sensitive areas and was concerned about bumping the end of the handle, causing an incident. The head is almost identical to the weishi and I liked it, I just prefer more of a paring knife for delicate work than a longer chef blade. The Weishi handle is a perfect length balance between the classic short handle and the very long handle of the Shaving Revolution. This is purely personal though, my husband loves it.IN REGARD TO BLADESAs stated above we all have different skin. Please be careful as I have seen people have all sorts of different responses to different blades. Don’t be afraid to get a sample pack, it is cheap. Also, as stated above, I was used to being cheap and making my blades last what is probably a questionable amount of time…I learned the uncomfortable way that this does not fly with DE blades. I went two weeks and was getting nicked. Dubious, I went to my husband who proceeded to be somewhat mortified and tell me that I need to change my blade every week. My skin was grateful for the correction…I doubt there will be many of you who shave as much as I do, but to translate, change your blade every 5 to 7 uses at most apparently…haha. In the last month I have tested the Weishi Blades, Shaving Revolution Blades, FeatherLite Blades, and Derby Blades. My first blade was the FeatherLite which are renowned for being sharp. This was maybe not the best place to start but it was fine. Maybe that is why I got the nick over the compression sock dent? I will say my husband had an unpleasant time using this blade on his face, and even my tough skin got a bit dry in a few spots. He shaved half of his face with the Featherlite and half with a Derby. The difference was significant. It looked deeply uncomfortable at the very least. I mean, really uncomfortable. Poor guy. We both loathed the Shaving Revolution Blades, they felt weak and dull. The Weishi Blades were a step up from the Shaving Revolution Blades and probably a safe place to start but nothing to rave about. Again though, I think Weishi chose a safe start so I understand. Now, the Derby Blades were an experiment that my husband ordered as they are supposed to be a bit thicker and sturdier. We both love these. The other side of his face was gorgeous and unblemished. I am able to be far quicker with these blades as they feel more firm. I LOVE my Derby Blades and will probably stick with them for life. Go experiment; just always use a bit of caution with a new blade.Good luck, and happy shaving

I am a few shaves in with this razor (using the included YingJiLi blades), and it has been transformative. Highly favorable first impression.The razor is decently heavy in hand, and the mechanism to open/close the head of the razor seems to operate without any defect, locking the blade tightly into position. It’s a good looking razor, in my opinion. I have big hands, so I thought the long handle would be the way to go, but in practice I don’t really think it matters much.The razor came well packaged in a box with a small packet of 5 DE blades which were each individually double-wrapped in a paper envelope. I have no complaints about any of it, and would recommend this to anybody that wants a clean, close, shave. If you have any facial hair (moustache, beard, chinstrap, etc.) this razor works really well to cut a nice sharp/straight line when grooming. Obviously, this single edge is easier to control than the sloppy cartridges.For less than the price of one small refill packet of cartridge razors, you can have this razor and save tons of money by buying DE blades. Even “expensive” blades are only twenty-something dollars for 100 blades, with most brands being half that cost. That will likely get most folks through at least a year, I’d bet.I’ve ordered different blades to try, as it is widely accepted that a blade that is liked by one person may not be suitable for another. The included blades with this razor are generally not very well-liked, so I’m hoping that with different blades that this whole experience will become even better.Haha, I couldn’t seem to stop writing so, fair warning, SUPER LONG story/ continuation of review below:I started shaving with an electric foil razor as a teen. Quickly decided that it was worthless, and switched to single blade disposables. (In retrospect, those were probably the best razors I have used, until now.) As I got older, I followed the 2, then 3, then 4… 5… etc. cartridge blade progression. I’ve tried all of it, different electrics. All of it.I’ve always hated shaving. I have a very full, coarse beard, but very sensitive skin. Obviously that is not an appealing combination for a person that needs to shave every day. I’ve tried every different trick and potion and lotion and whatever else, but my neck always looked like (and felt like) it had been attacked by a cheese grater. This led to not shaving every day, which led to ingrown hairs. It was a vicious cycle. I eventually went to using a set of electric hair trimmers and sporting the 5 o’clock shadow look. It kept my skin from being irritated, but it wasn’t as nice as a clean close shave.A couple of weeks ago, I was talking to my father and he mentioned off-hand that he had bought himself a new safety razor. He commented that he had forgotten how great they were. (I remembered his razors and soaps and everything from when I was a kid. I had loved it all.) For some reason, this conversation rattled around in my head for about a week when I decided to pick myself up a razor. Of all the hair-removal things I have endured over the years, I cannot explain why I’ve never tried a simple safety razor. After three decades of shaving, I finally have one.In researching razors, I kept seeing Weishi as the manufacturer of this, that, and the other brand of safety razors. It seems like just about any twist-to-open razor under twenty dollars is probably made by them. Reviews made by reasonable people all seemed favorable enough.I currently have a beard (winter tradition. For the rest of the year, I have a moustache/goatee), but I do shave my neck and groom my cheeks above the beard.My routine:-Hot shower, scrub skin thoroughly with soap.-Pat neck with towel, but don’t dry completely.-Apply pre-shave oil (I use Shave Secret. Wlmrt has it for about a third of the price of what it is sold for on Amazon, FYI)-Load shaving brush with hot water and build lather with shaving cream (I’m using Proraso green shaving cream).-Work my stubble up with the brush/soap.-Smooth, straight strokes with the razor, rinsing blade with every stroke.-Cold water rinse on skin when done.-Splash of witch hazel on skin.-Touch of styptic pencil to slight knick on my throat (Clubman styptic, again much cheaper at Wlmrt than on Amazon.)-Splash of aftershave (Pinaud Clubman, it takes me back to being a kid at a legit old-man barbershop. Delightful!)-Head out to conquer the world.{Side note: If you are able to enjoy a nice glass of bourbon while you are doing this, it really adds a certain flair. If you’re not a bourbon drinker, try a cup of coffee with a bit of the Irish in it. Maybe have your favorite music playing in the background, too. Have your boxers and a fresh undershirt warming up in the dryer to put on when you’re finished. Jazz up an otherwise dreary task. I assure you that you will feel like a million bucks when you’re done. It’s an affordable luxury!}So, after all of this blathering-on what’s my bottom line? I can shave again with a razor.I‘ve shaved multiple days in a row for the first time in… more years than I can remember. I’ve got a few slightly red areas on my neck, but they don’t hurt/aren’t irritated, and it is likely due to my current inexperience/technique. Shaving over those spots the next day gives me no discomfort, whereas the irritation from cartridge razors would not permit shaving the next day without an extreme amount of blood-letting and pain.

well designed razor, but I'm a little too impatient and found that I nicked myself pretty badly