Walmart Wilkinson Swords

**OldSaw** · 02-02-2011, 07:51 AM

I have a theory on the whole YMMV thing with blades and have stated it before, but it usually ruffles a few feathers. However, I feel I must say it again.

There is no YMMV with blade sharpness. The blade is either sharp or it isn't. Whether or not you can shave with a not so sharp blade is the only thing that may vary. My brother has baby soft hair and only needs to shave about every other day. He might be able to use a less sharp blade to get the same effect as using a sharp blade. I believe, once the blade is sharp enough to cut your whiskers, anything sharper is really not noticeable.

So, anyone who requires a sharp blade, avoid the Wilkinson Sword blue/black blades from Walmart.

**mkornecki** · 02-02-2011, 08:32 AM

Originally Posted by OldSaw

...

So, anyone who requires a sharp blade, avoid the Wilkinson Sword blue/black blades from Walmart.

How do you define sharpness? Unless you are measuring the thickness of the edge, you are using a subjective measure.

**OldSaw** · 02-02-2011, 08:44 AM

Originally Posted by mkornecki

How do you define sharpness? Unless you are measuring the thickness of the edge, you are using a subjective measure.

It would be difficult to measure without some sort of instrumentation. However, when the general consensus goes a certain way, it is pretty easy for one to determine whether a blade is thought to be sharp for most users. Merkur blades are often thought to be poor performers by most of the folks that comment on them. So that is about all we have to go on at this point.

**Zarba** · 02-02-2011, 09:37 AM

Originally Posted by OldSaw

That's what I'm trying to figure out. I paid $1.79 for a 10 pack. Maybe I paid too much but I loaded my last Personna the other day. I have more at home, but I'm not at home.

When I can buy Derby's for $8/100, or Astra Platinums for $15/100, the Wally World Wilks ARE expensive.

They're convenient, but there are better blades for less money.

Besides, buying blades in bulk protects me from the dreaded Shavepocalypse. I'm up to 8 years' worth of blades. When I get to 20 years in stock, I'll back off.

**El Judio Bravo** · 02-02-2011, 10:26 AM

Well, fifteen minutes ago, I had my first satisfactory shave with a black-metal-dispenser Wally Wilk. I put a fresh shiv in my Treet Delrin razor (I don't know if there exists a more mild DE razor) and went for it.

Two days' stubble went down as well as I could ask. It felt ever-so-slightly harsh -as these have in the past- for the first two strokes and then smoothed out. I did my two WTG passes using a good tallow shave soap and all was groovy for a change. I may try the blade again tomorrow!

**mharris127** · 02-02-2011, 01:01 PM

I tried a Wally Wilkinson last week, it seemed to work fine on the first shave. I haven't tried a second shave yet. I can say that it seemed to be smooth in a Gillette Black-Tip.

**Dennis** · 02-02-2011, 04:26 PM

Well, I prefer sharp blades. I still horde my stash of Swedes. I picked up the Wally World Wilkinsons and had a fine shave with them. The test is the atg in the goatee area and they did pretty well but not as good as my favorite blades. A very, very serviceable blade IMO, and available locally.

**OldSaw** · 02-02-2011, 04:37 PM

Originally Posted by Dennis

Well, I prefer sharp blades. I still horde my stash of Swedes. I picked up the Wally World Wilkinsons and had a fine shave with them. The test is the atg in the goatee area and they did pretty well but not as good as my favorite blades. A very, very serviceable blade IMO, and available locally.

The best thing I can say about them is that they are fairly cheap and locally available. I could definitely get an acceptable shave with them, but I am so used to my usual BBS that anything less seems to bug the crap out of me. So maybe I am just overly demanding on how sharp I want my blades to be.

**bvance554** · 02-08-2011, 09:34 PM

I tried a couple a few months ago and thought they were ho-hum. This morning a tried one in a Parker razor which is a little more aggressive than a SS and I had a wonderful shave.

**GreekGuy** · 02-08-2011, 09:53 PM

I think these blades are decent. At this point, I'm just happy that a nationwide store carries DE blades in America. They aren't anything to write home about, but they are decent and give a good shave. We're talking about a blade you can walk into a store nearly anywhere in America and buy a 10 pack for 20 cents a blade, not order in huge quantities shipped from asia. I'm convinced these aren't the same as the german wilks you find online at double the price, but they are certainly MUCH better than the personna's walmart used to carry

**insomniac** · 02-08-2011, 10:04 PM

Originally Posted by GreekGuy

I think these blades are decent. At this point, I'm just happy that a nationwide store carries DE blades in America. They aren't anything to write home about, but they are decent and give a good shave. We're talking about a blade you can walk into a store nearly anywhere in America and buy a 10 pack for 20 cents a blade, not order in huge quantities shipped from asia.

Agreed, and we need to realize that this is a Good Thing. Anyone within driving range of a Walmart (which is pretty much everyone) can find decent DE blades at a decent price.

When I started DE shaving in 2009 - you couldn't get serviceable blades locally at any price.

**El Judio Bravo** · 02-09-2011, 08:24 AM

Ehh. As I posted elsewhere a few minutes ago, I just used one of those first-on-their-shelves Wally Wilks and it is my last.

Too harsh. I corked or foam-stropped the first few, a practice I'm not crazy about. Corked this last one, put it in my Feather Popular and got an uncomfortable result. At least I have no razor burn after the fact, but I felt sure I'd have it. A small miracle, I s'pose.

No more. Tossing out the last few in the dispenser; good riddance to bad rubbish. I just loaded the F Pop with my first-ever Bluebird to try tomorrow morning. These were comped to me by On-The-Edge when I scored a carton of Astra Plats from him. Finally, I get to see for myself what they're like; I'm hoping they'll do the job.

It seems pretty sure that the Wally Wilks, though German-made, are not, in fact, the same as the other Wilkinson brands in current production. Therefore, I'll eventually try those varieties. But the queue is long and these are not a priority for me.

Smooth shaving, friends!

**OldSaw** · 02-09-2011, 03:04 PM

I just returned the 4 unopened packs of blades to Walmart and probably should have tried to get a refund on the 4th as well, but I already threw the package away.

I tried a second shave with the Wilk blade and it was the most tugging I have ever had from any blade. I generally toss out better blades than this after they have been used for 2-3 shaves. I can even get better shaves with a Derby Extra.

**El Judio Bravo** · 02-09-2011, 03:21 PM

Dennis, you might want to try what I describe above. At least you'll get some use out of the things. And maybe you won't give up in disgust as I eventually did.

**OldSaw** · 02-09-2011, 03:27 PM

Originally Posted by El Judio Bravo

Dennis, you might want to try what I describe above. At least you'll get some use out of the things. And maybe you won't give up in disgust as I eventually did.

I'm going to be home soon and I will replenish my travel kit from my supply there. Then I can toss what's left.

**El Judio Bravo** · 02-09-2011, 03:32 PM

There you go!

**Trujillo** · 02-09-2011, 10:37 PM

I bought a pack - figure always good in case I need I run out of my Red Personnas. Not a bad shave, and definitely better than the old US-made Personnas that Wally World use to carry. I can get about 4 shaves out of the Wilkinsons, but easily get 6-7 out of the Red Personnas. Shave quality for me is ok with the Wilkinsons, but a few weepers are to be expected.