Wilkinson Sword Razor Blade Review
There are at least 2 different types of DE razor blades branded as a Wilkinson Sword – one made in Germany and one made in India (EDIT: At the time of writing this was my impression. As I am now writing the review for the other Wilkinson Sword, it appears to be made in China and imported to India as per the package). This Wilkinson Sword Razor Blade Review is on the one that is made in Germany.
Wilkinson Sword Double Edge Razor Blade Refills for Men - 5 Count
- DOUBLE EDGE SHAVE BLADE technology for classic, sophisticated shavers
- SMOOTH, CLOSE, and COMFORTABLE SHAVE
- FINE EDGES PROVIDE PRECISION
- DURABLE BLADES are coated with chromium and ceramic to resist corrosion
Before anyone points out that the white case in the picture isn’t actually Wilkinson Sword, let me be the first to confirm that is correct. It should be in a black plastic holder but I appear to accidently have put it in a Feather or Derby case. It was late and I already uploaded and edited this picture, and didn’t want to take another picture after the fact with a dirty blade.
I’ve wanted to try the Wilkinson Sword Razor Blade for quite a while, and was pleased when it was finally voted as the next razor blade to test. Aside from a friend of mine using it as his “go to”, I also really like the fact that I see Wilkinson Sword razor blades, shaving brushes and shaving soap in my local grocery and drug stores.
Although the blades are significantly more expensive at these places than buying online, it’s nice to know you can pick up a pack at really any time if you are in a pinch or want to fly with carry on only and are able to stop at one of the above places if your destination does not have a local shaving shop.
Fresh out of the pack the sharpness measured 46, which is right about average. For information on what this means check out Razor Blade Sharpness Testing. This post is being written as the 18th blade tested, and exactly half have come in between 45-47 initially with the sharpest at 32 and the least sharp at 53. You can click this link to see a Razor Blade Sharpness Comparison Chart with the other blades tested so far.
The first shave with the Wilkinson Sword razor blade was great. I did my usual 3 pass shave and was able to get a very smooth and close shave all over with no nicks, cuts or irritation. I can see why my friend likes these blades (although him paying a dollar a blade at the market still makes me cringe).
Note that I shave my head as well as my face and have a pretty thick growth – except for the top of my head. This means that one of my shaves might equal two of someone that just shaves their face, or even more if they have a thinner beard.
After the first shave, the sharpness increased to 33. You will notice in the other razor blade reviews as well that most blades so far tend to sharpen up with use. This is substantial, and I usually complain in my reviews about the lack of consistency in this situation, but in this case I just really enjoyed the shave.
The second shave was basically the same as the first. Usually when a blade sharpens up to this extent it is met with a following decline in sharpness and/or smoothness. I felt like the second shave was completely equal to the first with no noticeable difference in quality.
After the second shave the sharpness decreased just slightly to 34, which for all intents and purposes is the same as 33. While it really sharpened up out of the gate, it managed to stay sharp and smooth for round 2. I’m a pretty tough sell whether I would use a blade a third time, or even a second time for that matter, so the fact I would easily use this blade a third time says a lot.
I have been making a point to limit my research for the new blades I test, and not look into things like coatings if they are not listed on the package until after I have completed my tests, this is an effort to keep things impartial so I get honest feedback from myself and not try to like something because I think I should.
After shaving I went to the Wilkinson Sword website (which is nice by the way, as many DE blades do not have an official online reference) and saw that these blades are PTFE coated. Polytetrafluoroethylene is the technical name for what most people commonly know as Teflon. (Teflon is a brand name for PolyTetraFluoroEthylene like Kleenex is for tissue.)
This gave me a bit of an “ah ha!” moment as I really like other PTFE coated blades like Voskhod or Gillette Silver Blue’s, so no wonder that after a great experience I find out it’s PTFE.
Initial Sharpness = 46
Average Sharpness = 38
Edge Retention = 0.74
Smoothness = 5/5
Overall Subjective Rating = 5/5
The German made Wilkinson Sword razor blade exceeded my expectations and would rank as one of my top blades. As always, your mileage may vary but I suggest you try this blade if you haven’t and like smooth/sharp blades.
It would also be smart to see just how you like this blade so that you know if it’s an option if you find yourself in a sticky situation and don’t have time to wait for a mail order (and of course there is no local shaving store, I always support going to your local shave shop if you can).
Check out more Razor Blade Reviews or look into how the Razor Blade Sharpness Testing works.
Have you tried the German Made Wilkinson Sword Razor Blades? Be sure to leave your overall rating, the community appreciates your vote!
4 thoughts on “Wilkinson Sword Razor Blade Review”
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My grandfather was English and was my “shave teacher”. He liked the fact that Wilkinson’s originated and were made in England. Back in the early 1970s he turned me on to the new Wilkinson single edge cartridge razor which I used for many years until they became hard to find in 1980s. I resumed DE shaving and I looked for Wilkinson’s blades and used them exclusively. Fast-forwarding through my seduction back to Gillette Sensor carts in the mid 90s (thank you, Playboy reviews!). When I, again, resumed DE shaving about 5 years ago I looked for my (and my grandfather’s) trusty favorites chagrined to see reviews that seemed to place them on the “average” list of available blades. I noted they were not made in England anymore though I still bought a 100-pack because “tradition trumps common sense”. I did not find them to be inferior to the “top” blades and, in fact, found them to be very consistent. Many “top” blades, in my personal experience, have some very good to very poor blades in a single package. Thank you for confirming the family tradition!
Glad to see a review here of my go-to blade, the German Wilkinson Sword! I like this blade a lot, and have no problem using these for 3-4 shaves. All shaves are very smooth, with no tugging even with 2 or 3 days of growth. I was surprised to see the sharpness increased so dramatically after the first shave. I wonder how “pre-stropping” on jeans or hand would affect the initial sharpness.
6th shave in my Merkur 37C and the blade still shaves like a dream.
And by the way – the cheapest place to by the Wilkinson blades is my local store here in Copenhagen. 12 DKr for a packet.
When I saw the white case on the picture I thought you might have the same Wilkinson Sword package as me but obviously you have just put them into the wrong case and actually bought the “black” ones. Why I say this is because that I bought a couple of “Wilkinson Sword” branded razor blade packages in Serbia a few years ago. The come in a white case while everything else is identical to the German produced pack that you have tested. From the writing on backside of the package they awake the impression being produced for the eastern European market exclusively. I have some photos if like.
These blades are actually the worst blades I ever used. They are scratchy and not very sharp – which would not be so bad if there wouldn’t be the fact that they seem to have literally NO corrosion protection at all. They show stains and rust in almost no time. I have never experienced this on any other blade ever before or after. You could say they are cheap for a reason.