Micro Touch One
- Thread starter Shutterbug57
- Start date
I read through quite a few reviews of this razor on Amazon and it seems as if the number one complaint wasn't the quality of the shave, but numerous instances of users reporting the TTO mechanism would jam and refuse to open. Multiple postings of this nature throughout with more than a few reporting using pliers in an attempt to open it but to no avail.
I bought this over Christmas on an impulse as I have hated the price of Mach Three razors for years. I shave my face and head daily and thought for twenty bucks it was worth the gamble. Today, I have five safety razors and am a wet shave lover. This razor is VERY MILD it took me several passes to get a good shave and the blades it comes with are my least favorite of any I have since used and tried. That said, the thing is made decent and has become the razor I use to shave my head as its mild and the minimal blade exposure compared to a 1930's Gillette comb razor makes it perfect for this application. It also teaches technique in wet shaving without a huge worry of terrible cuts that might turn new wet shavers off. I have a heavy beard and it did give me a decent shave on my face but required several passes to do so. I don't think its a bad deal, especially if it leads to guys like me appreciating wet shaving and taking the practice further. This was a great first safety razor. It should be appreciated for what it is. A decent made product that is inexpensive that introduces people to wet shaving without a fear of major nicks and cuts as they learn to shave "the right and best way"
I started with straight razors. I appreciate their history and some of the craftsmanship that went into them, but they're such a bear to maintain (sharpening, stropping). Some enjoy that kind of ritual as much as some enjoy using a French press over an automatic coffee maker.
The straight razor left me with a perspective that DE's were for wimps (I know, way too judgmental on my part), but I tired of all the SR maintenance and fell back to cartridges.
One night, I'm in a discount store and see the MicroTouch for $12. "Why not?" I said.
It came with two tucks of Dorco ST300's. At the time, I knew nothing about the variety of blades available. My first shave with it required more passes than a cartridge but was good and economical.
Since then, I've learned that the MicroTouch is really a Weishi and, by most standards, gives a very mild shave. If you search through the razor (not blade) sharpness charts available here, you'll find the Weishi is comparable to classic Gillette TTO's. I've also purchased and use a 1953 Gillette SS, so I can verify that they are very similar. I've read the Weishi was modeled on old Gillette patents, so it wouldn't surprise me. The Weishi is chrome plated brass (not 'pot' metal) and the quality is excellent, especially for the price.
I went through the Dorco's, tried some Gillette Platinum Plus's, Merkurs, Van Der Haggen's, Voskhod's and Personna Blue's. The Gillette PP's and Personna's are amazing in it, the Voskhod's are good after the first shave and the others are 'fair'.
I switched to the 1953 Gillette SS as my daily, mainly because I like the history behind it and the idea of repurposing an item rather than disposing of it, but I think the Wieshi/MicroTouch is definitely a good introductory blade for any new DE user.
Aside from the incredible overall savings, I also love the variety of blades and country of manufacture. Buying them is almost like baseball card or stamp collecting. The irony of using a Russian Voskhod in a McCarthy era U.S. razor (my '53 Gillette) isn't lost on me.
The straight razor left me with a perspective that DE's were for wimps (I know, way too judgmental on my part), but I tired of all the SR maintenance and fell back to cartridges.
One night, I'm in a discount store and see the MicroTouch for $12. "Why not?" I said.
It came with two tucks of Dorco ST300's. At the time, I knew nothing about the variety of blades available. My first shave with it required more passes than a cartridge but was good and economical.
Since then, I've learned that the MicroTouch is really a Weishi and, by most standards, gives a very mild shave. If you search through the razor (not blade) sharpness charts available here, you'll find the Weishi is comparable to classic Gillette TTO's. I've also purchased and use a 1953 Gillette SS, so I can verify that they are very similar. I've read the Weishi was modeled on old Gillette patents, so it wouldn't surprise me. The Weishi is chrome plated brass (not 'pot' metal) and the quality is excellent, especially for the price.
I went through the Dorco's, tried some Gillette Platinum Plus's, Merkurs, Van Der Haggen's, Voskhod's and Personna Blue's. The Gillette PP's and Personna's are amazing in it, the Voskhod's are good after the first shave and the others are 'fair'.
I switched to the 1953 Gillette SS as my daily, mainly because I like the history behind it and the idea of repurposing an item rather than disposing of it, but I think the Wieshi/MicroTouch is definitely a good introductory blade for any new DE user.
Aside from the incredible overall savings, I also love the variety of blades and country of manufacture. Buying them is almost like baseball card or stamp collecting. The irony of using a Russian Voskhod in a McCarthy era U.S. razor (my '53 Gillette) isn't lost on me.
I PIF'd my first Weishi TTO, (The brass and chrome one, not the aluminum) and recently received it's replacement.
I've used it once to take a break from the Fatip which is in rotation this week, and got a surprisingly good shave out of it, much better than I remembered. They're nice razors - and for something like $11 shipped through Ali Express, certainly worth the investment. It shaves like my Blue Tip, and with the "aged bronze" finish, it makes a nice addition to my modest collection.
I've used it once to take a break from the Fatip which is in rotation this week, and got a surprisingly good shave out of it, much better than I remembered. They're nice razors - and for something like $11 shipped through Ali Express, certainly worth the investment. It shaves like my Blue Tip, and with the "aged bronze" finish, it makes a nice addition to my modest collection.
If that's true and the MTO1 weighs 49g (because in a youtube comment i read someone else saying it's 58g), then i would suggest someone to buy the original Weishi F or C instead. Because the Weishi F weighs 63g (and the long handle 75g). And the heavier the razor, the better for the efficiency, especially in a mild model.
Apparently, Weishi was making various models (designated with different letters), of different weight, including an aluminum model. The MTO one, seems to be an underweight Weishi F from all that i 've read.
EDIT: As for shaving under the nose, i have the exact opposite experience. Because the Weishi is flatter than the SuperSpeed, shaving under the nose is actually easier than say my EJ DE89, which, having a more bulbous head, has more trouble to shave under the nose. The cutting angle is let's say narrow, because of the small blade exposure, but it's a matter of habbit. I had no problem constantly cutting with the razor already on the 1st shave. It was a matter of instinct.
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