Wilkinson Sword Classic DE Razor

I bought my first one of these back in 1988, and I used one as my only razor with no complaints for over 15 years. And it's still going strong, so they're more durable than they might look.

Back in the pre-internet days these were the only DE razors you could find in the UK, so there wasn't really any choice (apart from a metal and plastic Gillette copy from Boots that ripped my face to shreds!)

As a starter razor they are great. OK, they are mild, but they make a good transition from carts. The blade is covered at the sides, making them a bit safer. And the shave is fine.

Like I said, I used one for years until I came across a vintage Gillette one day, researched it on the internet, came across this forum and fell right down the rabbit hole to more old Gillettes and finally into straights. I guess you can say the Wilkie was a gateway razor.

It seems odd to me now that I shaved for 15 years with just one razor, but I still have a soft spot for it.

Very cheap, only $5 in our shops around here. 5 Wilkinson blades are also included.
It is perfect for starters in DE shaving and also as travel razor.
You can see by the plastic that is not the finest DE razor, but is making the job. Got one because is cheap and overall not bad.
Recommended for beginners !

I think, some of the negative reviews this razor gets are due to the poor quality of the blades that come bundled with it. The German made Wilkinson blades are dull. Loaded with decent blades this razor is a different animal. I use it with Super Iridiums (one of the sharpest blades I've tried), and this combo is a winner. It gives me smooth, irritation free, yet close shaves.
To me, this is a perfect transition tool for someone who used carts, and want to switch to DE. The weight is between this of a typical cart setup and an all metal DE, and most of it is in the handle. This means that applying quite some pressure (typical mistake of newcomers to DE) won't result in butchered face. The construction of the safety bar also resembles the one found on some single use carts. The handle is on the long side. It feels like a single blade disposable on steroids.

Surely, the build quality cannot compare to the all metal Gillettes etc, but what would you expect for this price. Actually, the plastic parts are of high quality and fit together very well.

Well after starting shaving many years a go with dads Gillette DE razor then going through the twin, triple and 4 blade cartridge razor phase I decided to go full circle and buy a DE razor. The Wilkinson Sword set from Boots seemed a good way to see if I would adapt to the change, I have to admit even with a cheap DE razor the difference in the shave I used to get from my Quattro is unbelievable. Not exactly the babies bum smooth I am aiming for yet but !!
One thing it has made me do is realise that shaving can be pleasurable again.
So Merkur 34c HD, Personna Blades, Badger Brush on their way, and a trip to the West End (London) to check out a few barbers..................I can see this getting adictive........
Names Steve BTW

This was my first DE razor (before I'd even found B&B) when I was just testing the water. Back then, using the supplied WS blades, I'd have said it was pretty harsh and borderline "nasty".

Tonight I decided to give it a fair chance...now that I'm comfortable with, and confident in, my technique (tempting fate I know!) I thought I'd try it again.

I loaded up a third shave Feather (previously used in a '65 Flare Tip) this was VERY easy as the blade just slips onto the post on the guard. Then you attach the handle whilst holding the ends of the guard, no risk of slicing a finger. It actually felt easier than a Tech!

It's lightweight but slightly handle-heavy....but not drastically so after fat handled Tech.

The plastic construction feels a bit cheap and flimsy after several months of vintage Gillettes...but it cost peanuts so that's reasonable. It's only 2 parts so there's one less to drop down the sink than with a Tech.or Old/New Type.

With the Feather I'd rate it a 2 for aggresiveness compared to a 3 for a fat handled Tech. I took 3 passes; 1 x WTG 2 x XTG.

The wide head hides the blade tabs. The pros and cons of this are; less chance of catching your nose, but harder to get right into the corners.

There's no adjustment possible...but then I'm used to that with Techs and Super Speeds.

Overall, I got a pretty good top end SAS. I'd even say DFS on my cheeks. It's a cheap and cheerful option if you can't find an alternative.

It's probably not going into my regular rotation. However, it will keep a place on the "travel" team.

I posted a few words about this razor in a thread dedicated to the Treet Del-Rin, which is the original version of this razor. Wilkinson Sword sells a rebranded version.

That was my first razor. I used it on and off for about 3 months, then exclusively for another 2 before I bought a Merkur 34C.

It cost only 2.75 euro with a pack of 5 blades. Now that's a nice deal. It is very mild, the blades don't help either. If you buy this razor get some sharper blades so that the lack of closeness doesn't put you off DE shaving.

I really like the modern take on the subject. The enclosed sides make it impossible to cut yourself with the corners of the blade. It is a 2-piece razor but has slots to fit the blade (much like a TTO razor) instead of pins. This keeps the blade perfectly secure and aligned.

If only someone made that out of metal, and slightly more agressive... The Merkur enabled me to get the results I needed, but this is the perfect razor to get started. Inexpensive, well built (for a plastic razor) and ideal to test the virtues and technique of DE shaving with a small initial investment.

The Wilkinson Sword Classic is crazy cheap, and you definitely get what you pay for. It served its purpose for me - gave me a means of trying out DE shaving after years of using crappy overpriced cartridges, from the Sensor to the Fusion (though I must admit, the Wilkinson Xtreme is a pretty sweet cartridge razor). I gave it a high Aggressiveness score because its aggressiveness suited my needs.

Since I bought a Merkur 38c I haven't even thought about going back to my little black Wilkie - it would simply seem way too light, and I've gotten quite used to not using any pressure with the Merkur. I gave it to a friend who is fed up with high cartridge prices. Haven't got any feedback on it from him yet.

Overall, I'd recommend this to anyone who wants to try DE shaving on for size but doesn't want to spend a lot on a razor. Having said that, for a more enjoyable intro to the art, dive right in and invest in a Merkur 38c.

After trying this razor with more than 12 different blades I must say, yes it is indeed like a cartridge razor, but like a one-blade cartridge or disposable razor. In the end I even decided to use one of the sharpest blades in it - Indian Permasharp. My problem is that this razor is terribly mild. If I shave with it at 9 o'clock in the morning at 3 o'clock PM my stubble is as if I've been shaving the previous evening. If you have a tough beard, avoid this razor at all costs. Don't be fooled by the brand name or the price. And last, don't put in the wilkinson blades that go with it. They look simply dull in that razor. The compatibility problem is that the razor is actually made by Treet in Pakistan, and not by Wilkinson Sword

I think this is a great razor for the price at best to keep in a travel bag or keep as a spare in your gym gear- not very aggressive , the long handle makes it very easy to shave with.

This looks like it would appeal to the cheapskate in me. Anybody know of a good deal on this razor here in the US?

Where did you find it for one pound?

Let's begin with the obvious:

For the price, this can hardly be beat. You get a razor and blades for next to nothing. A clear 10.

The razor itself is made of plastic but has a fairly good grip and feels as solid as a plastic razor could feel. Replacing the blade isn't hard and the balance is ok.

Where it falls short FOR ME is the aggressiveness. I don't need a super aggressive razor, but this is way too tame for me even. A fairly good amount of pressure is needed for a close shave and i just don't like this anymore ever since i switched to DEs. Pressure has become a "nono" for me and this razor requires it.

Great price for a average razor and probably something every new DE shaver should have if they don't want to dump more than 10 Bucks for a whole shaving outfit.

This is the best safety razor I have used thus far and I've got MERKURS and VINTAGE GILLETTES aplenty.

Fitted with a Gillette 7 O'clock this gave me an amazingly smooth ,close and more importantly enjoyable shave thus far using a safety.

It aint no pretty thing ,t's just plain black plastic{ if your into your vintage then we can call it Bakerlite !}

It's a doddle to load up and even easier to wisk around your face .

I am well and truly amazed by this razor .................but thats just my opinion based on my own experience.

At £3.99 from Boots at the very least its worth a whirl

Bought this razor during my summer holidays for about 3 euro's somewhere in the Czech republic out of curiosity. Used it for a couple of weeks (15-20 shaves) with a variety of blades.
The fact that the head is too bulky, the balance is all wrong, it is very hard too clean and the quality is just so-so is very easy to forgive just because of its price.
But there is also a real problem with this razor; when I go ATG I cannot get the angle right because my Prefered Angle of Attack is not within the Allowed Angles of Attack. In other words; when I tilt the razor to the right feel all I've got left is shaving with plastic and sticking with the angle that does cut means a soar throat.
So in order too keep my shaves part of the better moments in life I will have to go only once WTG and once XTG with a good soap and a good blade.
And accept that my shave is as good as any other DE shave 8 to 12 hours later!!
Recommend it to a newbe; I don't think so, there are other cheap razors available with a 'real' DE experience when you are on a budget. This one shaves more like a single blade disposable.
Why buy it??
1st: Out of curiosity, best reason of all.

2nd: The step up from cartridge to real DE is not working out yet.This could act as a transitional razor to get the technique down.

3rd: You are in a bad need of a shave in a strange town and didn't bring your gear with you. All you can choose from is this, a fusion and some unknown disposables. Go for the wilkie and pray you are home soon.

This is my very first DE razor so I don't have anything to compare it to except previous cartridge razor systems e.g. Mach 3, Fusion etc.

However for the price of £2.99 for the razor itself you just cannot complain. It shaves me closer than any cartridge ever did and for a fraction of the price.

Ok just to run through the scores that I gave...

Price. If you can find cheaper than this let me know.

Quality. What do you expect for the price? Well I believe you get quite a lot. Reasonable weight with the metal insert, durable plastic surround. The only weak point is the pastic screw thread which can be overtightened and snapped, but taking a small amount of care will prevent this.

User Friendly. It is in my opinion very easy to use. Not quite as user friendly as a Fusion or Mach 3 but only requires a little extra concentration. However if you do lose complete concentration it does have the capacity to bite in deep.

Grip. Theplastic surround is really very well designed. I'd bet there isn't many razors regardless of quality that has a better grip.

Ease of Blade replacement. Well the trickiest part of replacing a blade is taking out of the wrapper. Once thats done you can hold it by the non sharp edged and simply pop it on, very easy.

Aggressiveness. I'm not too sure what this actually means, but I'm going to take it on how closer shave it gives you. Taking that on board I would say it is probably low to medium closeness. It gives a superior shave to a cartridge but I'm sure that there are razors out there that leave you feeling like you never even reached puberty...

Balance. This razor does have a bit of weight to it, but not quite enough to require no pressure at all. The balance is pretty good though.

All in all for anyone who has never tried DE shaving before this has to be the razor to start out with. It gives you the opportunity to try almost before you buy. It allows you to get used to the different technique required of DE shaving, if you decide you like it great if not you've only shelled out a few pounds.

Me. well I love it and have already requested for a Xmas present a Merkur Vision razor. Once I've had a few goes with that I'll come back and write a review on it.

Thank You Adamak75

I thought that I might add to the above reviews by saying that I had to virtually lean on the wretched instrument to get any kind of a shave and it left me with a helluva sore face.

Additionally, those Wilkies! - after only one shave I could safely pick one up by my finger and thumb.

And there, as they say on Whicker Island, (See You-Tube ) you have it. Is it the instrument, the blade or the user that lies at the bottom of this mystery? One thing is certain, and that is as the sun sinks below the horizon the argument will continue long after after all of these apalling instruments have gone to the great landfill in the sky.

Or perhaps I should have just loaded up with a Feather?

I really like this razor, as a starting point it is brilliant, cheap, effective and to me it feels, although made of plastic quite sturdy. I get a good shave from it, and anyone who has gotten bad shaves from one of these, I'm not sure how really, alright it occasionally may take 3-4 passes to get a particularly hard area, it's only cheap so what do you expect? I think as a learners razor it's great, that's coming from me, a learner. I will graduate to an all metal adjustable soon, but hey this'll do fine till then

Tom

Anyway i was wandering around, when in a small minimarket, hidden and forgotten, i saw this Wilkinson Classic...For 4 € i bought it just for the fun

I've shaved myself several times since that day and i'm quite surprised about the shave:no nicks, cuts or irritation. A mild shave, of course, not BBS but OK for all day long. My prep it's not the orthodox one (hot towel and so on...just hot water/lather) but i'm quite convinced with a nice Feather blade on and the regular prep it could achieve a BBS shave.

Quality:well, of course, i miss my good ol' Wilki' Sticky , far superior to this one on quality and design...but i can not compare them!! For a plastic razor it's OK. Nice general finition.

User friendly?! Yes, mild and smooth.

Grip: perfect.

Ease of blade replacement: i dislike this kind of mechanism, upside down on a towel, TTO is better, but it's a matter of personal taste.

Agressiveness? none...your wrist should do the job.

Balance: well, head very light and the only weight is in the interior of the handle.It needs some time to accomodate to the non-existent balance of the head.

To all who want to change to DE to see if they like it's a good option, cheap and mild.

I do not find it appealing at all. Cheaply made, neither feels like a real, metal razor, nor shaves well. I would not recommend it, especially not to those who wish to enter the world of traditional shaving. This thing can be a big turn-off. it!

Hi guys,well I finally found it............ the only razor that really worked for me.
I was just about to throw the towel in. I tried for five months to get an irritation free shave and just couldnt do it.I bought a 38C,11c and a SuperSpeed 1945, all great pieces of kit,but all gave me irritation.

I saw these razors 5 months ago and because they were so cheap thought they would be very poor,so stayed well away. Well, I bought one and tried it with Tabac original soap and an Edwin Jagger brush. WOW..... what a great shave,I just love it, and there is no irritation to the top lip,I just coudnt get that with the other three razors. Yes,I do multiple passes compared to the others but this baby just keeps producing results after results.

I have now used it every day for three weeks and I will not change it for anything else. I just cant believe something so cheap does such a good job.

Go out and buy one,they are cheap so no worries if it doesnt work out,and they are great for travelling because there is no drama if you lose it.

I use Derby blades and they work great,as do the Wilkinson Sword blades that come with it. Soften the bristles well and off you go.

All the best.