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Thoughts on the Wilkinson Sword Classic razor

I have two DE razors, this one and the Rockwell 6c. I use both regularly. The Wilkinson has a Personna Red in it at the moment and delivers a great shave. I wouldn't be without it.
 
This razor was my starting point. I used it for 3 weeks. It is good to learn in the first steps. After 2-3 months it is time to move to another razor. Why do I say that?

It has a light head which doesn't help a lot. But it worked great for me with a sharp blade.

Yeah that makes sense to me - would be good to have a little more weight on the head - that would really work. But then again I am new to this - after straight razors a de is already way heavier and that makes things much more comfortable.
 

AimlessWanderer

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Yeah that makes sense to me - would be good to have a little more weight on the head - that would really work. But then again I am new to this - after straight razors a de is already way heavier and that makes things much more comfortable.

Familiarity is certainly part of the equation. When I was using this razor on it's own, the weight (or lightness) didn't phase me in the slightest. That was the "normal" weight. It was actually a shock to the system when I got metal DE razors (after 20 years of just using the Wilkinson), and took a while to adjust to them. I still use the Wilkinson occasionally, and don't find the weight to be of any detriment at all, but that's hardly surprising having used one for so long.
 
Strangely - after using straight razors for a few years I was very cautious with the DE - not sure why really, after all it is supposed to be a 'safety' razor right? So anyway, I did the usual pre-shave ritual and took it really easy...worked well.

I'd be keen to know what other blades fit the Wilkinson Classic though - so if anyone has any info I'd be grateful.

Cheers.

Ubert
 
My thoughts on the Wilkinson Sword Classic Razor are you get what you pay for.

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It's reasonable, but I doubt it would satisfy the kind of person who reads this forum - I would suggest most of us want a little better, both in terms of closeness and build quality. The best cheap, plastic de razor I know is the dorco pl602.
 
Indeed. A bargain.
While I am glad you like it, I must respectfully disagree the razor is too mild to shave efficiently. Also the safety bar, being made of plastic is so thick to overcome the flexibility of the material that it clogs after almost every shaving stroke. I shaved with it twice and thew it in the bin!

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While I am glad you like it, I must respectfully disagree the razor is too mild to shave efficiently. Also the safety bar, being made of plastic is so thick to overcome the flexibility of the material that it clogs after almost every shaving stroke. I shaved with it twice and thew it in the bin!

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It's a great shame that you threw it away. As with any razor, DE or cartridge, once you get to know it well it rewards your efforts.
With regard to it being a mild razor, and comparing it to my Rockwell 6c, I would think that it was roughly an R3 and a half. I have a Personna Red in mine at present and it does a perfect job of finishing off beautifully when other blades give up mid-stream at the end of their lives.
Of course, ymmv.
 
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It's a great shame that you threw it away.
Of course, ymmv.

We obviously disagree on the WSC you seem to like yours, and I HATED mine, I binned it because it was under $10, and while I don't have a Rockwell I have MANY razors that I enjoy shaving with (BBS-1, Weber, Above the Tie, Fat Boy, Red Tip, etc.). I personally like a razor that gives some audio feedback, is efficient enough to reduce my stubble without going into a fourth pass, and that doesn't clog after each stroke for me the WSC failed on each of these and besides all of this it felt like a $10 razor in my hand.

You like the razor, I hated it! Like you said YMMV!
 
The Wilkinson Sword Classic is an excelent razor.
It is indeed very mild.
That is not a problem but an advantage.
It exceptionally well design.
Being made of plastic actually permits a much better and precise construction.
If it was made of some sort of steel it would cost at least 200$.
For a daily it is excellent.
Those who don’t like it are those who like aggressive razors.
That doesn’t make the WSC a bad razor, just not suited for them.
Someone who shaves after a week of growth the WSC is not for them.
If you have a thick beard also look for something else.
But for those who like mild razors it excellent.
 
I have been using my WSC for some time now and I have to say I am happy with it. I have experimented with different blade types and this also makes a difference in the quality of the shave. I was thinking of upgrading to some other model but figured I'd try downgrading first to see if there really is any great difference between cheap razors. The cheapest I could find was the Nanjie NJ-997 III which I have just shaved with - here's how it matched up: First of all it is shorter than the WSC which already put me off a bit. When you open and close the razor you can feel a lack of precision in the model. The weight was not so bad for its size. The blades that come with it are branded as 'Feiyu' - 'Shanghai China' is printed on the blade. The first stroke of the blade pulled like hell so after trying a couple of different techniques I realised it was the blade causing the problem not me - having come from open razor shaving I know when my blade needs sharpening. So I switched blades - I used a standard WS and had no problem finishing the shave; the Feiyu blades are really worthless. However, with a good blade in the razor it worked - it was more agressive than shaving with the WSC so I had to adapt a bit but it works with a little attention to technique. All in all the WSC is far better quality in every sense than the Nanjie NJ-997 III - both razors are in a similar price range but the WSC is good value for money and performs well. So what have I learned? Well there is a big difference in razors even at the lower end of the pricing scale. Decent blades really can change the shaving experience. If you are looking for a good razor don't bother with the Nanjie and definitely don't opt for Feiyu blades. That said, I have also learned what it is to shave with something more agressive than the WSC and that was worthwhile. I will try a more expensive, reputable model at some point to see the difference at a higher level. These are the only two DE razors I have used - and for now I will be sticking with the WSC - I will probably bin the Nanjie unless someone else wants it.
 
I don’t think that the WSC low price is due to being low quality.
On the contrary.
It is of superb quality.
Simply making it of plastic is a much cheaper process.
It is made of a very durable type of plastic.
I have dropped it a few times woth no apparent effect.
I have also droped my Merkur Progress once. I was lucky not braking or denting it.
If you wont something else, more advanced, try the Merkur Progress or the Rockwell 6C.
They’re both adjustable and work we’ll.
One of my first razors was the EJ89, witch is a great razor.
I never use it anymore. In retrospective ir was a waste of money. I should have bought the Progress instead.
Purchasing a unadjustable razor is good only for someone who knows in advance what is he looking for.
Good luck and good shaves.
 
The WSC is a good razor that works.
It's my holiday razor.
It's very, very mild so put a very,very sharp blade in it.
That works for me.
 
I totally agree. I use it with Gillette Platinum
My favorite razors are Merkur 34c and 23c, but my 1955 Superspeed is nice too. The WCS isn't quite as good as those but gives me a better shave than my Tech. The WCS works best with Gilette Silver Blue and Platinum blades and slick soaps. I haven't tried Kai blades in the WCS yet, but they provide the best shave in my Tech. I am using the Tech as my travel razor but am thinking of switching to the WCS. Variety is the spice of life they say.
 
I will try to explain why in my opinion the quality of Wilkinson Sword Classic is so good.
I have a Merkur Progress also and I like it very much.
The only advantage for is it’s weight. It is heavier. I use it on the milder setting so it’s almost as using the Wilkinson Sword Classic.
But in every other aspect the Wilkinson is superior to the Merkur.
The Merkur is made of Zamak.
It is a soft alloy and it has to be cast.
Because of that the edges are slightly rounded it’s prone to oxidation if the chrome plating is damaged in case you drop it and there is no way to achieve a very good precision.
With plastic that not problem.
It is much easier to make sharper edges and achieve a better precision so the parts will fit better.
If you drop the Wilkinson Sword Classic It will survive much better than the Merkur.
Don’t get me wrong I love the Merkur and use often but I can appreciate the Wilkinson Sword Classic for what it is.
Plastic doesn’t automatically mean bad.
In the case of the Wilkinson it’s actually a special plastic and the quality of the razor is very very good.
It is not expensive but it should have been.
 
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