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Wilkinson Sword blades & razor = pulling

I've got a cheap WS razor (black plastic one in yellow blister pack) which is apparently pretty good.
I've tried these blades (which are absolutely terrible) Then tried the wilkinson swords (the ones that came with the razor, and also the ones that come from a cardboard tube in individual cellophane packets).
As far as I can tell, both WS are both the same, and they are just no good. I've used them for the past month or so, and they make a noise like pulling velcro when I do my neck and really pull bad, my cheeks are not as bad but I still get a fair amount of stubble after several passes.

Today I decided to use my Wilkinson sword quattro on my neck/chin and it glided really well and left my neck/chin BBS, I never remember it being so good.

I think I am using the correct angle, I never use a blade for more than 3 shaves, so I guess I need to get a blade sample pack (or new razor?). Will changing to a Merkur HD make as much (or more?) difference than just getting different blades?
 
I believe that it's a fine razor though blade choice is very personal. I find the yellow pack wilkinson's & merkur's to be the best, maybe the only, blades for me. Feather's for example tear me up, other's swear by them... Yes, you need a sample pack.
 
The WS razor is ok, but it's no more than OK. The Laser blades are blunter than my backside... I couldn't even salvage them to use in my paintscraper - they're that useless.

A different razor would be a good thing to try - needn't cost a bomb - I'm sure someone here will be flogging a shave grade 'cast off' in the Buy/Sell/Trade forum - might not look too pretty, but will give you a different shave altogether.
 
I'm using my Wilkinson Classic til Santa brings my HD. I'm in no hurry either as I'm getting great results with the Wilkison.

Again... It's a personal thing.
 
I think a sampler is what you need. Those blades may just not be the right ones for you.

As far as a better razor, you can try posting a WTB in the BST (I believe you can do that before you hit 50 posts). Just ask for a shaver grade razor. If you want to start mild and cheap I would post a WTB for a Tech or '40s or '50s Super Speed. Don't forget to mention what country you are in. Perhaps a fellow countryman can help you out and save on postage.

Otherwise, go ahead and peruse the BST until someone posts some cheap razors for sale and pick one up. I have been successful at acquiring each of my shaver-grade razors for under $10 US so far. Granted I"ve been sticking to the cheaper Gillettes but I get a mighty fine shave from my Super Speeds.

Good luck!
 
I have also one of those Wilkie Classic razors, with which a Gillette or Derby blade will give one adequate shave.
Avoid the White Label Wilkies - I disliked them so much I wrote an ironic "review" of them.
Blade sampler is the answer.

Cordially, AvT.
 
Speak of the devil. A fella by the name of Yanner over at SMF has a bunch of low priced vintage gillettes for sale in the UK. I am not Yanner and I am not affiliated with Yanner. Just pointing out some cheap razors are available.
 
I've had great success with WS blades, but only in my vintage Gillette razors. I've never tried any of their other products. Have you tried the blades in another razor?
 
It's interesting that the White Wilki's are mentions as being bad... Not the first time I've read this... I find the yellow pack ones great. I reckon I should hold off before I buy more blades in bulk though, because I've a HD on the way and my current choice might not work so well with it... Correct?
 
What is your prep like? Are you using a brush and cream? Are you shaving with, x or against the growth?

For the most part I can get a decent shave with any blade/razor combo provided I prep for the occasion.

It is possible you got a bum blade or 2 but not likely. You will hear the hair being shaved off (velcro sound..I like that) but you should not experience hard pulling.

The mention of remaining hair may indicate your razor positioning is off a bit. The neck area is the trickiest. Just recently I got razor burn in this one neck area by shaving too close. Lesson learned :redface: Coz of my hair growth I can't go east-west-east on my neck.

I would not recommend changing your equipment until you get a better handle on your technique. It takes time. Check out Mantic's videos on you tube.

Definitely don't go to a less forgiving blade. All you'll do is cut yourself. I've used Wilkis successfully. Not my preferred blade but not the worst.

If you want to try a different razor I'd recommend a gillette super speed or tech. The HD is highly regarded but not your only option. Try a different razor with the blades you have. For all we know maybe the razor is defective?

Check out the BST forum. Plenty of stuff to buy :biggrin: You can receive but you can't sell until you meet the B&B minimums. Check out the BST rules for details.

Cheers
 
It's interesting that the White Wilki's are mentions as being bad... Not the first time I've read this... I find the yellow pack ones great. I reckon I should hold off before I buy more blades in bulk though, because I've a HD on the way and my current choice might not work so well with it... Correct?

Definately check out westcoast shaving http://westcoastshaving.com/ You can try their blade sampler packs with out having to buy anything in bulk. It can give you a better idea of what type of blades you like.
 
Have you tried the blades in another razor?
I have another old metal WS razor, I've not tried the WS blades in it yet though, I'll give it a go before I change anything else though.
What is your prep like? Are you using a brush and cream? Are you shaving with, x or against the growth?

The mention of remaining hair may indicate your razor positioning is off a bit. The neck area is the trickiest. Just recently I got razor burn in this one neck area by shaving too close. Lesson learned :redface: Coz of my hair growth I can't go east-west-east on my neck.

Definitely don't go to a less forgiving blade. All you'll do is cut yourself. I've used Wilkis successfully. Not my preferred blade but not the worst.

If you want to try a different razor I'd recommend a gillette super speed or tech. The HD is highly regarded but not your only option. Try a different razor with the blades you have. For all we know maybe the razor is defective?

I'm using this WS soap which I can get into a decent lather after a few mins.
Pre-shave: rinse face, facial scrub, prep soap, hot flannel for a couple of mins, lather, shave, then I use moisturiser.
I go once WTG on my cheek, then WTG on my chin/neck (which pulls), then XTG on my cheeks, WTG on my neck again (which still pulls/leaves stubble on my chin), then ATG on my cheeks, then ATG on my chin/neck.
The reason I don't think it's my prep is because the other day, after doing all of this my chin still had stubble, so I grabbed my quattro and once pass on my chin and it was BBS.
I think my technique is pretty good, I found it difficult to get the correct angle with the plastic WS, because you can hardly feel it (I was using more like a 50 degree angle for a while! :blushing:)

I'll try my other razor with the WS blades next.
 
:eek: thats a lot of prep. More than I do that's for sure. Prep is good but the technique with the safety razor may need some fine tuning. Modern blades are designed to lay on one's face at the correct angle. Since you can get a clean shave with a quattro, I'd would bet the same is possible with a safety razor.

It's great you have another razor to try out. This will help id the problem. Definitely check out the Mantic videos. It's been about a year for me and I'm still learning. My beard growth may not be as heavy as yours so your prep might be right on target.

Cheers,
 
I tried my other razor and it was still bad, maybe slightly better but still not as good as my quattro.
Time for more blades :yesnod:
 
I tried my other razor and it was still bad, maybe slightly better but still not as good as my quattro.
Time for more blades :yesnod:

The quattro and a safety razor are different breeds. I'm unsure of the time you've spent learning to use a safety razor but it's not uncommon for newbies to still rely on their prior razor until they get it down. I did it that way.
 
My first DE shave was terrible. Stick with it though. My second and subsequent were amazing... Maybe I was just lucky with blade choices or mastered my technique quicker, but you'll soon realise how terrible cartridges are by comparison!
 
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