Indian Wilkies from China

[elverdiblanco]

I bought a 10 pack of what I thought were going to be the Indian Wilkies off the bay

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300935094163?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

However, when they turned up the pack says they are made in Shanghai, China although clearly intended for the Indian market. Are there still or have there ever been Indian made Wilkies? If so how do they compare to the Chinese made ones?

 

[mblakele]

That seems suspicious: the listing reads "Original Product From Gillette India Limited". To me, that implies Made in India.

I have a pack of India Wilks that is a few years old. It reads "Made in India • GILLETTE INDIA LIMITED • Bhiwadi - 301019". It was a special package of four Wilks and one 7 O'Clock, UPC 8-901358-702818.

If yours are genuine, it might be interesting to figure out who made them. The Shanghai plant that makes Flying Eagle and Gillette Super Thin is a likely candidate. That could also mean that Gillette is moving DE blade production out of India, leaving just the plants in St Petersburg and Shanghai.

 

[mrb7]

That could also mean that Gillette is moving DE blade production out of India, leaving just the plants in St Petersburg and Shanghai.

I think this is extremely likely. Seems to me that counterfeit blades are unlikely to be cheap DE, but something like Mach 3 or TracII. but not being a counterfeiter I might not completely understand the market.

Are the blades any good?

 

[mblakele]

Seems to me that counterfeit blades are unlikely to be cheap DE, but something like Mach 3 or TracII. but not being a counterfeiter I might not completely understand the market.

Agreed, the India Wilks under discussion here may well be genuine. What I meant is that the OP might have cause for complaint about the ebay listing, even if the blades are genuine.

But counterfeit DE blades do show up now and then, possibly because criminals are not always the sharpest pencils in the box. At http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/57446-Counterfeit-Lords you can read a little about one incident of fake Lords. There have also been known fakes of the Super Iridium and the Gillette Rubie Platinum blades: see http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...or-counterfeit-Feather-razor-blades-out-there and http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...Counterfeit-Lord-Blades?p=2283198#post2283198 for photos.

I suppose the basic strategy is similar to any counterfeit product operation: steal as much as possible, so all the revenue is profit. Steal the blades from a production overrun, or a batch that failed QC. One might spend a little money on packaging, or just steal it too. DE blades and cartridges seem to be made in the same factories, so it might just be a matter of what is easiest to steal at any given time.

 

[mrb7]

...so it might just be a matter of what is easiest to steal at any given time.

Now there's a thought.


I read the eBay listing. I didn't get the sense the listing says they're Made in India, just that they're Gillette India, Ltd. and it makes perfectly good sense to consolidate production "off shore" with Gillette trying to push the India market to their "new" system razor.

http://www.pg.com/annualreport2011/innovating/gillette.shtml


Lock in a customer whenever you can.

But I still wonder if the blades are any good. I wouldn't automatically discount Shanghai manufacturing.

 

[elverdiblanco]

This is the back of the packet. I don't think they're counterfeit because you'd have to be pretty dumb to print Made in China on something you're trying to pass off as Indian They certainly look like they were intended for the Indian market because they have been imported by Gillette India and have the price marked on the pack in Rupees. For anybody wondering 11 Rupees is US $0.19 or £0.12
As for how they shave, no idea yet. I'm still waiting on my Scottish Perma Sharp to die and next up is one of the British Wilkies for Max's experiment.

 

[mrb7]

I keep seeing these on evilBay, but I really don't want to buy a hundred just to try a pack, especially with German made ones so cheap at Wal-Mart.

 

[WoS_]

I been using these past couple days and these are imo better than astras or ascos what i've been using before these. Bought mine from Indian seller from ebay for 100pcs 8euros with free shipping.

 

[mrb7]

Anyone bumped them against the German Wilkies?

Any bets on how long the German ones will remain in production if these are going to be available readily? They must be more cost effective to manufacture.

 

[mblakele]

Any bets on how long the German ones will remain in production if these are going to be available readily? They must be more cost effective to manufacture.

These are for the India market, where Wilkinson is a P&G (Gillette). In most of the world, Wilkinson is a Schick-Energizer brand.

The cost-reducing move for the German Wilks would probably be near-shoring: move production to Poland, for example. I am sure they have thought about it.

 

[malocchio]

Maybe they are like Schicks ?...made in India,shipped to Hong Kong,then exported to Brazil ??

 

[mrb7]

The cost-reducing move for the German Wilks would probably be near-shoring: move production to Poland, for example. I am sure they have thought about it.

I thought I read that the Polish production was going to move to the Russian facility. Or do I have that backwards? Or am I out to lunch completely?


Did anyone ver answer the original question? We're the Indian Wilkies originally made in India, and if so how do the Shanghai Wilkies compare?

My bet is that the Shanghai Wilkies are probably "acceptable" as thy are. Chinese manufacturing is superb at hitting the Quality vs. Price requirement. If you are willing to pay a reasonable price you can get stuff from China that rivals any other place, just less expensive. Chinese goods are not all junk like we have thought of them in the west for so long. They just sell *US* their junk because we ask for it.

Mikey

 

[mblakele]

I thought I read that the Polish production was going to move to the Russian facility. Or do I have that backwards? Or am I out to lunch completely?

Not that I have heard, but I might have missed it. The major Poland-to-Russia move I can think of was when Gillette closed down Wizmet and moved what used to be their Polsilver production to St Petersburg.

It is confusing the way Wilkinson-Sword means Energizer (Schick) in some places and P&G (Gillette) in others.

Did anyone ver answer the original question? We're the Indian Wilkies originally made in India, and if so how do the Shanghai Wilkies compare?

My bet is that the Shanghai Wilkies are probably "acceptable" as thy are. Chinese manufacturing is superb at hitting the Quality vs. Price requirement. If you are willing to pay a reasonable price you can get stuff from China that rivals any other place, just less expensive. Chinese goods are not all junk like we have thought of them in the west for so long. They just sell *US* their junk because we ask for it.

The older blades were labelled "Made in India". I do not have any of these new India Wilks to try, but I look forward to hearing about the shave quality.

I mostly agree with your take on Chinese manufacturing. My guess is these blades are similar to the Gillette Super Thin, Super Blue, and Super Nacet blades. Those all seem to be made in the same Shanghai plant: Shangai Blade Factory, aka Flying Eagle. They have had a contract with Gillette since November 1992, according to http://www.flyingeagle-srb.com/invest_4.htm - or so I gather from a translation by google.

There seem to be at least two other blade company in the Shanghai area: Darwin Solingen Sword Shanghai Co and Cloud, on Yushu Rd. Both are in the Songjiang district, but I think they are distinct operations. There was some previous discussion of the Cloud blades at http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/326938-Cloud-quot-nanosized-nitrogen-alloy-quot-blades if you are interested. The Darwin Solingen Sword operation is also intriguing because they claim to have "perfect grinding line imported from UK for blade making" and Swedish or UK steel. I wonder if the equipment came from an old UK Wilks plant?

 

[poppi]

I have some of these and find them to be a fine blade. I get 4 really good shaves out of a blade and then it just stops working. No tugging, pulling, etc. Just stops cutting. They are kinda mild to me but work fine, especially in my Weber. I'll probably get more.

 

[mrb7]

I have some of these and find them to be a fine blade. I get 4 really good shaves out of a blade and then it just stops working. No tugging, pulling, etc. Just stops cutting. They are kinda mild to me but work fine, especially in my Weber. I'll probably get more.

Well, that's two reports that they're "good enough" at least. So what if they aren't Feathers? They don't cost like Feathers. And at least during the week to go to work all I care about is being presentable at a reasonable cost. I already have a wife who loves me. Last thing I need is a girlfriend. And I promise that none of the guys care if I shave to BBS vs. DFS.

Now my question in the States at least is how do they stack up against the Wal-Mart Wilkies on a cost vs. comfort analysis. The Wal-Mart Wilkies are pretty good and inexpensive.

 

[elverdiblanco]

I finally got round to having a shave with one of these blades tonight. EJ DE89 with Wilkinson Sword shave stick soap. It is a decent enough blade, I managed a BBS/DFS with no weepers and the alum didn't sting any more than usual so no complaints. I doubt it will last as long as the old British Wilkie I've been using for the past week but given how cheap these blades are who cares? Of the blades I've used to compare it with I'd rate it as just a little below a 7OC yellow. I normally toss a 7OC yellow after 2 shaves so if I get more than that from this blade that's a definite bonus.

 

[mrb7]

I bought a stash from an eBay retailer. Has to ship from India despite the fact that they're made in China. Epacket to the US at least are pretty quick from China. Not the same story from India, but that's hardly the retailer's fault.

Wonder if P&G is going to allow them to be market straight from China? Probably cut into the German made market share too much.

 

[elverdiblanco]

I bought a stash from an eBay retailer. Has to ship from India despite the fact that they're made in China. Epacket to the US at least are pretty quick from China. Not the same story from India, but that's hardly the retailer's fault.

Wonder if P&G is going to allow them to be market straight from China? Probably cut into the German made market share too much.

Don't forget that in Europe and North America Wilkinson Sword is a Schick-Energiser brand whereas in other parts of the world it is a P&G brand. I think P&G would be happy to see Chinese made Wilkies eat in to the German made market share!

 

[mrb7]

Don't forget that in Europe and North America Wilkinson Sword is a Schick-Energiser brand whereas in other parts of the world it is a P&G brand. I think P&G would be happy to see Chinese made Wilkies eat in to the German made market share!

i knew it was a split trademark, but I didn't know where the boundaries were. That's why there are no USA vendors.

 

[Chadao]

Does that mean the Blacks are goners?

I think this is extremely likely. Seems to me that counterfeit blades are unlikely to be cheap DE, but something like Mach 3 or TracII. but not being a counterfeiter I might not completely understand the market.

Are the blades any good?