I ended up looking for a cheapo TTO Gillette on EBay - I decided I didn’t want to travel with a razor that I’d ponied up some serious cash on, instead I was after something that would be o.k to use for a week or two and I wouldn’t miss if it didn’t turn up on the luggage carousel at either end of a trip.
I was lucky enough to find a Weishi 9306C. I’d seen the make got a mention on an old Sharpologist article I’d read sometime ago, but aside from that I knew nothing about them. I could see it was a basic TTO razor, made in China. it looked in good condition and had what looked like an excellent grip pattern on the handle. I took a chance and stumped up my £5.92 - with delivery it was £8.94 and so I bought a used Weishi 9306C. I thought it was worth a try at that price.
Cards on the table, I wasn’t expecting much, but in the hand, it seemed well constructed with the mechanism smooth yet deliberate and the fit / finish is very nice.
I soaked in hot water with disinfectant, then cleaned it with anti bacterial dish soap and a toothbrush, before finally soaking it in rubbing alcohol for a few hours. After that I rinsed it off left to dry and used it the next day.
I put in a new blade and had a very mild 2 pass shave, no issues, no surprises, very light and easy to use. Daft I know, but I wanted to find fault with the razor, but I couldn’t, it’s perfectly serviceable, I’ll use it to travel along with a Yaqi synthetic brush I also keep for travelling. Neither of which I’ll miss if my bags don’t turn up when I arrive at my destination.
Some pictures below with my Gillette Fatboy and Slim either side to show off scale. It’s about 62g in weight and about 85mm in length. I also had a go at trying to show the blade exposure.
I know it’s not for Gillette purists - but it definitely has a place in my kit and I won’t fret if it’s lost somewhere in transit.
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