Wilkinson Sword Revisit

I last used Wilks more than 20 years ago and they tore my face up. It was so bad that I've joked just walking past a package of them would make my face start weeping blood.

I worked up the courage to give them another go and picked up some this weeked at the local Walmart - 10 blades for under $3 in the black package. Tried one this a.m.

Not too bad! No where near a BBS, but these blades would definetly serve if I was on vacation and ran out of "good ones". I paired it this morning with Pacific Shaving Co. All Natural Cream. I don't think anyone would rate this as a superior lather build, so I'll give the blade another go tomorrow with something else to see if I can get a closer shave.

Who knows...blades have improved, my technique is better, my skin has toughened, all of the above....at least my sink didn't look like the scene from a slasher movie!

I didn't think very much of them when I tried them originally but I hadn't been using a DE razor for very long (they were possibly the first blades I tried, in fact). I recently tried them again and have been getting excellent shaves with them. They're not quite as sharp as some of my favourite Gillette blades but they give a lot of feedback when shaving (they don't pull but I can feel resistance), which makes it easier to be meticulous when using them.

The ones you used twenty years ago would have been made in England as I understand it. Older blades can be less forgiving than current ones in my experience and the Wilkinsons made in Germany are fairly forgiving by modern standards.

The current Wilkinsons seem to last a decent amount of time too.

I have a pack of these that I'm going to try next. I got them as a gift, I was talking to my family about my new hobby and how my new place has 2 full bathrooms upstairs, we've got the "his and hers" route...and I am making mine...Shave Den.

So I got a couple pucks of soap and these blades and some towels from my mom. She's a sweetie.

I'm currently using Crystals (they're the generic of something right?) and I find them to be a lot better than expected.

Awesome, I actually get great results with the Wilks from vendors, and Wal-Mart.

I've had some mixed results with Wilkonsons. It seems to go along with the packaging. When I first tried the Walmart variety, they were in the bulky white plastic dispenser, these weren't bad. Then they changed the packaging so it was in a smaller black plastic dispenser with individually wrapped blades. That worked as well, but the last two times I bought the same kind, they were marginal at best. I'm all about some inexpensive blades, but they need to work too.

White case ones terrible. In a DE89 and the WS Classic plastic handled thing

Black case ones merely bad, better than a DE but worse than an israeli, in the same two razors

YMMV of course

Wezard said:

White case ones terrible. In a DE89 and the WS Classic plastic handled thing

Black case ones merely bad, better than a DE but worse than an israeli, in the same two razors

YMMV of course

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I have found no difference between the white and black case dispensers made in Germany. Other members have confirmed that they are the same blade.

For some reason, the Israeli Personnas produced for the UK market are sharp enough not to drag but I still don't get a close shave with them. Perhaps it's the angle of the grind but I just don't get good results from them. The Personna Platinum Chrome is less sharp but gives a close shave.

I bought some Walmart Wilkies when I first started a few months ago, I guess I'll give the remaining ones a second chance .... in a few more months!

First time I tried a Wilkinson blade, I was not impressed, but a year later I decided to give it another go, and wow one of the best shaves I have experienced. The blades are very sharp and give me a very smooth shave. They triple coat the blade with chromium to resist corrosion, ceramic to maintain a sharper edge longer, and PTFE for a smoother shave. Not sure if the triple coat really does all the things it describes but this blade does work for me and on the bonus side I can purchase it at several Wal-Marts and Krogers in my area.

mctmatt said:

First time I tried a Wilkinson blade, I was not impressed, but a year later I decided to give it another go, and wow one of the best shaves I have experienced. The blades are very sharp and give me a very smooth shave. They triple coat the blade with chromium to resist corrosion, ceramic to maintain a sharper edge longer, and PTFE for a smoother shave. Not sure if the triple coat really does all the things it describes but this blade does work for me and on the bonus side I can purchase it at several Wal-Marts and Krogers in my area.

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I'm finding that they last a good amount of time. Four shaves is about average but the Wilkinsons can top that if need be.

Hey guy's, if they seem a little rough at first try corking them. It will smooth out the rough edge on them and you will get a better shave.

Clayton

Chevyguy said:

Hey guy's, if they seem a little rough at first try corking them. It will smooth out the rough edge on them and you will get a better shave.

Clayton

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When you cork a blade that has been coated let say platinum feathers or wilkinsons triple coating, is that coating then removed by corking the blade. I understand that your not suppose to wipe a blade because it removes the coating?

mctmatt said:

When you cork a blade that has been coated let say platinum feathers or wilkinsons triple coating, is that coating then removed by corking the blade. I understand that your not suppose to wipe a blade because it removes the coating?

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Corking is something that seems to work for some people and not for others, and it also depends on the blade. Personally, I have never tried it on the basis that there are plenty of blades available and if I have to resort to something like that in order to make a blade usable (or improve its performance), I'm better off choosing a blade that doesn't require it.

In addition to corking, some people also find that palm-stropping a blade extends the blade's life. I haven't tried that either.

There was an analysis someone did not terribly long ago that suggested that the coating is delicate enough that most of it is gone after the first shave. I don't have it to hand, unfortunately.

The Wilkinson Sword blades seem smoother after the first shave, but I wouldn't describe the first as being at all rough.

I think the Walmart Wilkinson Sword blades are better than the Personnas they used to stock. They're really not bad for the price and considering that they're available locally.

I've found that putting blades away that were not so good to me has proved to be a good way to go.

As my technique and more experience has improved, so have the shaves from those not so good blades. The only exception has been the Merkur blades. While I can get an O.K. shave from them now, I still just don't care for them.

Well day two went even better. I used some Proraso cream and worked up a fine lather. Closed it with some Lucky Tiger AS. Not a BBS, but still a DFS. I wouldn't consider these my go to blades as I think my Sharks and 7 O'Clocks do MUCH better, but they are not the killers I was previously thinking of either. Since these are the only blades I can buy locally, its nice to know I can at least get by with them!