British Wilkinson New Stainless Blades - 1969

[mjclark]

We all know British Wilkinson blades are amongst the best of the best and appear in a bewildering variety of names and packaging.
I’ve got a fair few different ones and am on the quest to acquire some Light Brigades which many say are the best of the best of the best.

On the journey I’ve turned up these “New Stainless” British Wilkinsons - I’ve seen brief mentions that these might be the forerunner of the Light Brigades and that they only appeared briefly in 1969.
I can’t find the discussion where it’s proposed that these are the same blades as the LBs or much information at all.
So does anybody know anything about the British Wilkinson Sword New Stainless?
Any help would be greatly appreciated:

 

[Storch4]

Looks like the blades my Dad used in the early 60'. I have a few 70's in my drawer but they do not say new on the blades. The English Wilks are superior to today's version made in Deutschland. Cannot compare them. Like apples and oranges

 

[BigJ]

WONDERFUL! Let me know when you find a source (PLEASE)!

 

[TADIII]

@mjclark, I don't know if this helps, but...
I have many, many Wilkinson Sword blades from the late ‘60s, the ‘70s, and the ‘80s. My “guestimates” for attributing dates to them (aside from a failing memory) rely mostly on hang-card packaging. I think when Colgate-Palmolive acquired the US distribution rights, they started identifying the Mountainside, NJ address on the back side, and I think that was in 1970. My packages of new Wilkinson Swords all have the Mountainside address.

I don’t have any of the new (note lower case) Wilkinson Swords open right now (upper left of 1st pic)but they seem to date from 1970. The New Chromium Edge blades (also known as Light Brigades) date from ‘70/’71, while the later Light Brigades (just Chromium Edge – they lost the New) date from ‘72/’73. An interesting aside regarding Light Brigade packaging is the use of two different paintings on the hang-cards: the gold tunic on the chestnut horse is from a painting of the Charge of the Light Brigade, but the scarlet tunic on the white horse is from a painting of The Battle of Waterloo.

Sword Master XCN ‘Chromium blades date from 1974 and show a move to the Berkley Heights, NJ address. I believe bar codes on the hang-cards only started showing up after 1976, and the Sword Master Chromium blades (no XCN) show up then.

By 1979 Wilkinson were heavily marketing the Stainless Steel blade again (no Chromium) with a discounted FIFA soccer ball coupon similar to the old Light Brigade painting reproduction coupon from 1970.

By 1982, distribution headquarters had moved to Atlanta, GA (and then, I think, Norcross) and by 1988 I had more than 1,000 Wilkinson Sword blades of a variety of names and packaging and drifted away from acquisition. By the early ‘90s, I think, distribution had moved to Connecticut, but by then I wasn’t paying attention.

I apologize for the blurry pic, but it shows The new,The New Chromium Edge, Chromium Edge, Sword Master XCN, and Sword Master Chromium.

The last pic is a rip from eBay and shows the two different paintings on the package referred to as Light Brigade. I have seen both paintings with and without the New, so they must have been using the packaging concurrently.

Good luck with your quest...
Tom

 

[mjclark]

@mjclark, I don't know if this helps, but...
I have many, many Wilkinson Sword blades from the late ‘60s, the ‘70s, and the ‘80s. My “guestimates” for attributing dates to them (aside from a failing memory) rely mostly on hang-card packaging. I think when Colgate-Palmolive acquired the US distribution rights, they started identifying the Mountainside, NJ address on the back side, and I think that was in 1970. My packages of new Wilkinson Swords all have the Mountainside address.

I don’t have any of the new (note lower case) Wilkinson Swords open right now (upper left of 1st pic)but they seem to date from 1970. The New Chromium Edge blades (also known as Light Brigades) date from ‘70/’71, while the later Light Brigades (just Chromium Edge – they lost the New) date from ‘72/’73. An interesting aside regarding Light Brigade packaging is the use of two different paintings on the hang-cards: the gold tunic on the chestnut horse is from a painting of the Charge of the Light Brigade, but the scarlet tunic on the white horse is from a painting of The Battle of Waterloo.

Sword Master XCN ‘Chromium blades date from 1974 and show a move to the Berkley Heights, NJ address. I believe bar codes on the hang-cards only started showing up after 1976, and the Sword Master Chromium blades (no XCN) show up then.

By 1979 Wilkinson were heavily marketing the Stainless Steel blade again (no Chromium) with a discounted FIFA soccer ball coupon similar to the old Light Brigade painting reproduction coupon from 1970.

By 1982, distribution headquarters had moved to Atlanta, GA (and then, I think, Norcross) and by 1988 I had more than 1,000 Wilkinson Sword blades of a variety of names and packaging and drifted away from acquisition. By the early ‘90s, I think, distribution had moved to Connecticut, but by then I wasn’t paying attention.

I apologize for the blurry pic, but it shows The new,The New Chromium Edge, Chromium Edge, Sword Master XCN, and Sword Master Chromium.

The last pic is a rip from eBay and shows the two different paintings on the package referred to as Light Brigade. I have seen both paintings with and without the New, so they must have been using the packaging concurrently.
View attachment 856649

View attachment 856646


Good luck with your quest...
Tom

Thank you! That is the most amazingly helpful reply and the best resource on British Wilkinsons that I have seen.
Very very useful.

So if my New Wilkinsons date from 1970 I wonder how closely in performance they will equate to the Light Brigades?

 

[TADIII]

Thank you! ..snip...
So if my New Wilkinsons date from 1970 I wonder how closely in performance they will equate to the Light Brigades?

By way of preface, I have used Wilkinson Sword blades from early 1966 until today. Twice, once in the late '70s and once in the late '80s, I was able to buy out the inventory of stores closing, for pennies per blade, and I bought hundreds and hundreds. My stash was dwindling and I had tried the German Classic Chromium Swords in 2013 when I wandered into B&B and realized I could find NOS Made in England Swords on the auction sites and immediately replenished my supply.

My memory, from more than 45 years ago, is that the Light Brigades were better than other manufacturers' blades, but not necessarily better than other Swords. My current observation (and this must, but does not, take into account storage conditions!) is that all five of those blades in my earlier post are all pretty comparable. Don't know where yours have been or how they have been kept, and, if you find some Light Brigades, you won't know about them, either. I don't know if I have convinced myself based on how clean and well-preserved the packaging is on the XCNs, but I like them the best, better than the New Chromium Edge Light Brigades. I haven't used the "new Wilkinson Sword Blades" in awhile, but I have almost invariably found them to be close, comfortable, and long-lasting. You should, too (based on how they have spent the intervening years)!

Tom

PS - My interest in, acquisitions of, and references to have all been about USA distributed Swords - I bought some in London in 1978 and again in 1988, but they were only a blip on the memory screen. - TAD

 

[mjclark]

By way of preface, I have used Wilkinson Sword blades from early 1966 until today. Twice, once in the late '70s and once in the late '80s, I was able to buy out the inventory of stores closing, for pennies per blade, and I bought hundreds and hundreds. My stash was dwindling and I had tried the German Classic Chromium Swords in 2013 when I wandered into B&B and realized I could find NOS Made in England Swords on the auction sites and immediately replenished my supply.

My memory, from more than 45 years ago, is that the Light Brigades were better than other manufacturers' blades, but not necessarily better than other Swords. My current observation (and this must, but does not, take into account storage conditions!) is that all five of those blades in my earlier post are all pretty comparable. Don't know where yours have been or how they have been kept, and, if you find some Light Brigades, you won't know about them, either. I don't know if I have convinced myself based on how clean and well-preserved the packaging is on the XCNs, but I like them the best, better than the New Chromium Edge Light Brigades. I haven't used the "new Wilkinson Sword Blades" in awhile, but I have almost invariably found them to be close, comfortable, and long-lasting. You should, too (based on how they have spent the intervening years)!

Tom

PS - My interest in, acquisitions of, and references to have all been about USA distributed Swords - I bought some in London in 1978 and again in 1988, but they were only a blip on the memory screen. - TAD

It’s good to hear your direct experience with all these blades.
It makes sense to me that the Wilkinsons from 1970-1973 might very well be the same blade rebranded.

I’m itching to try the New Wilkinson blades now and thanks to the great kindness of @Mouser I will also soon have a Light Brigade to compare it to.

 

[mjclark]

I suppose the Light Brigades are the most acclaimed of these blades because of their bold packaging - superb marketing!

So after the Sword Master Chromiums did the ‘80s Wilkinsons take a dip in sharpness and longevity?

It would be so good to construct a full Wilkinson blade timeline since there are just so many different varieties.

And everybody does seem to agree that 1970-1974 is the true Golden Age of DE Blades

 

[TADIII]

Starting in 1968, when I graduated from college and got a real job, I shaved daily (and occasionally twice a day). Until I retired in 2007 I changed blades every two weeks, so maybe 20 shaves per blade (consistently), and I don't remember the quality of the shaves suddenly improving during the '70-'74 period, or dropping off after that, either. It was just the daily routine, and I changed blades every other Monday. I did use a Slim the entire time, and moved up a notch at the end of the first week, and maybe once more toward the final weekend, so the blades needed some help to get through the second week! But at the time I didn't think it had been the Golden Age or that it was over. And, as I wrote earlier, comparing vintage blades today includes a variable about which I can have almost no knowledge.
A couple of years ago @DrAwkward did a blind comparison of the two flavors of Light Brigades and thought the one with the NEW, the earlier one, was a smidge better.
I think @Mouser is shaving only with blades from this era right now, and might be able to add better insight than I.
A final note - my beard has changed in the last decade, or so. Individual hairs are now coarser, but there are fewer of them per square centimeter, and they grow more slowly! So, even if my memory were better, I would still not be comparing apples to apples. Hope this all makes sense.

Tom

 

[mjclark]

So I just had the first shave with the British New Wilkinson blade in a very mild anonymous vintage razor.

There’s not a lot to be said on the first shave but for sure this blade is very smooth and very very sharp.
My face feels fantastic!

 

[Goatywoaty]

Very interested in vintage Wilkies. Were the 'Light Brigades' just for the US market?

 

[mjclark]

Very interested in vintage Wilkies. Were the 'Light Brigades' just for the US market?

I’m interested to know this too.
If they were it could explain a lot since my blades are from the UK market.
Someone else is singing the praises of the New Wilkinson blade here:
Vintage Wilkinson Sword Blades which in that case came boxed with a Sticky razor

 

[mjclark]

Shave #2 on the New Wilkinson shared between the 2011 R41 and the LeResche Prototype (I’m doing a comparison between these in another thread).
These very aggressive razors with massive blade feel reveal the characteristics of this blade very well.
It’s so sharp at this stage that my thick beard doesn’t offer the edge any resistance so it feels as if the beard is just being rubbed out.

The LeResche Prototype is the smoothest razor I’ve ever used anyway (smoother than even Eclipse Red Ring or Rockwell) but the potentially harsh 2011 R41 felt smooth and beautiful with this blade:

I’m very interested to compare this blade to the Light Brigade and the 80’s Wilkinson (I got about 400 of them!)

 

[mjclark]

So shave #4 on the British New Wilkinson Blade in the Rockwell 6s was predictably magnificent:

All four shaves have been consistently excellent and the blade feels the same now as when it was opened.

 

[Sir Lurkalot]

 

[Storch4]

I remember selling DE blades in my Uncles stores as a kid. I do remember two kinds of Wilks. One was the black label and the other may have been light brigades to compete with Gillette and Schick on a different price point. I have to see the packages to jog a vacuum tube. I do know the Blacks outsold the other brands two to one easily. Too bad I did not know then what I know now. The razors and blades that were on the shelves and in the warehouse. I'd be filthy rich auctioning off that stuff today. Super Adjustables black handled square tray Super Speeds, Spoiler
blades, you name it. Oy I'm nauseous

 

[mjclark]

I remember selling DE blades in my Uncles stores as a kid. I do remember two kinds of Wilks. One was the black label and the other may have been light brigades to compete with Gillette and Schick on a different price point. I have to see the packages to jog a vacuum tube. I do know the Blacks outsold the other brands two to one easily. Too bad I did not know then what I know now. The razors and blades that were on the shelves and in the warehouse. I'd be filthy rich auctioning off that stuff today. Super Adjustables black handled square tray Super Speeds, Spoiler
blades, you name it. Oy I'm nauseous

It’s very interesting that there were two tiers of Wilkinson blade quality. If only we had done more definitive answers and also what the US and European marketed equivalents were.

These XCN blades arrived yesterday and I have very high hopes for them:

If I understand correctly this is the branding that came directly AFTER the Light Brigades - so will this be the same blade... or better?

In other news that New Wilkinson blade is now on shave #5 and is still ax smooth and sharp as when it started:

 

[Storch4]

They look like the blades I sold by the case. These were the best blades you could buy back in the day. My Dad swore by those English Wilks. I used them too for years until I was brainwashed in to Atra carts. Those Wilks outsold Gillette and Schick as well as Personna two to one easily. I have a few Deutsche made ones and will give them a whirl after I use a Nacet I loaded today.

 

[Storch4]

Black Label. I just asked Dad and he said they had the black label in the white dispenser with the white wrapper. He believes the Deutsche blades are fine but not the same he recalled.

 

[Storch4]

I did sell the Personna 74s too and these outsold them. They stopped selling Personna since Wilks and Spoilers and Schick sold more and they got a better deal from them for stocking. Just memories being recalled. A 30 store chain had pull back then. Too bad the stores are long gone and so is my Uncle, may he Rest In Peace eternal.