I took delivery of a Wilkinson Sword Classic De razor from Italian Barber yesterday. Let me start this review by saying that I really like the razor. I'm a fan of mild razors, which is why I founded "The League of Extraordinary Mild Shavers," and this certainly is a mild razor. I have a heavy beard, and mild razors work well for me. I don't think one needs a skin grafter to get a close shave. My main DE razor is a Merkur Progress which I keep set to 1.5. My Progress zeros at about 5.5, so I set mine about 2 notches above zero. It's mild, but not as mild as the Wilkinson Sword. Turned all the way down to zero, the Progress is actually milder than the Wilkinson. So the Wilkinson isn't the mildest razor available, but it's pretty close.
O.K. Let's get to the nitty gritty.
Fit and Finish: The razor is well made. It's made from Delrin which is a very durable plastic. This razor should be far more durable than other plastic DE's on the market like the Merkur Bakelite. The parts all fit together well, the blade is held dead center and solidly, and the threads on the post on the head cap are very coarse so I don't think there is any reason to fear stripping them. The handle has a metal rod (aluminum I think) inside for added weight and balance. The cap actually threads into this metal rod when the razor is assembled.
Grip and Balance: The razor weighs in at 1.5oz and feels good in the hand. It's well balanced without feeling handle heavy or head light. To my hand, the razor is perfectly balanced, and the lighter weight makes it very nimble. It also has outstanding grip. Even with wet hands, there's no worry about the razor slipping out of your grip. Heavy razors are something of a problem for me. It's mostly due to the fact that I sometimes have sore hands in the morning from the work I do. A heavy razor can be uncomfortable to hold during a shave and can hinder my technique. Even super grippy heavily knurled stainless steel handles can make my hand begin to get uncomfortable by the second pass due to their weight. The weight of this razor is very comfortable for me.
Aggressiveness: As I've already said, this is a really mild razor. I would say it's about ball-end Tech mild, maybe a touch milder, but also more agreeable to my face. The Tech always felt mild but harsh to me. This razor feels very nice on my face. I've heard from another member here that this razor is comparable to the Feather ASD2 in aggression. It would be interesting to hear from others who have tried both about their impressions.
The Shave: I loaded the razor with an Astra SP. Finding the right angle was very intuitive, and unlike a razor like the Merkur Bakelite, the razor glides on the face very nicely. I always thought the Merkur Bakelite dragged a bit on the face. Not so with the Wilkinson Sword. It glides as well as any other razor I've tried. After my first pass, I rinsed my face and felt around. It was as smooth as it would be with any other razor. Impressive! I'm a two pass shaver, and after my second pass, I had just as close a shave as I would with my Progress– very smooth and comfortable with no irritation.
Conclusion: I really like this razor, and I wish that I'd ordered one sooner. It's well made, inexpensive (I paid $10.00 for mine), and very forgiving and easy to shave with. I wonder if lots of wet shavers look down on this razor because it's plastic or because it's inexpensive. I think this would be a great daily shaver for those who love mild razors, a great way for newbies to get into DE shaving, and also would make an excellent travel razor. It's made of a durable material, there's no plating to flake off, no cheap pot-metal to rot away, and the head probably won't snap off if the razor is dropped. If mild razors agree with you and you haven't tried this razor, I think you're missing out on a real gem. Pick one of these up. I think you'll like it.
O.K. Let's get to the nitty gritty.
Fit and Finish: The razor is well made. It's made from Delrin which is a very durable plastic. This razor should be far more durable than other plastic DE's on the market like the Merkur Bakelite. The parts all fit together well, the blade is held dead center and solidly, and the threads on the post on the head cap are very coarse so I don't think there is any reason to fear stripping them. The handle has a metal rod (aluminum I think) inside for added weight and balance. The cap actually threads into this metal rod when the razor is assembled.
Grip and Balance: The razor weighs in at 1.5oz and feels good in the hand. It's well balanced without feeling handle heavy or head light. To my hand, the razor is perfectly balanced, and the lighter weight makes it very nimble. It also has outstanding grip. Even with wet hands, there's no worry about the razor slipping out of your grip. Heavy razors are something of a problem for me. It's mostly due to the fact that I sometimes have sore hands in the morning from the work I do. A heavy razor can be uncomfortable to hold during a shave and can hinder my technique. Even super grippy heavily knurled stainless steel handles can make my hand begin to get uncomfortable by the second pass due to their weight. The weight of this razor is very comfortable for me.
Aggressiveness: As I've already said, this is a really mild razor. I would say it's about ball-end Tech mild, maybe a touch milder, but also more agreeable to my face. The Tech always felt mild but harsh to me. This razor feels very nice on my face. I've heard from another member here that this razor is comparable to the Feather ASD2 in aggression. It would be interesting to hear from others who have tried both about their impressions.
The Shave: I loaded the razor with an Astra SP. Finding the right angle was very intuitive, and unlike a razor like the Merkur Bakelite, the razor glides on the face very nicely. I always thought the Merkur Bakelite dragged a bit on the face. Not so with the Wilkinson Sword. It glides as well as any other razor I've tried. After my first pass, I rinsed my face and felt around. It was as smooth as it would be with any other razor. Impressive! I'm a two pass shaver, and after my second pass, I had just as close a shave as I would with my Progress– very smooth and comfortable with no irritation.
Conclusion: I really like this razor, and I wish that I'd ordered one sooner. It's well made, inexpensive (I paid $10.00 for mine), and very forgiving and easy to shave with. I wonder if lots of wet shavers look down on this razor because it's plastic or because it's inexpensive. I think this would be a great daily shaver for those who love mild razors, a great way for newbies to get into DE shaving, and also would make an excellent travel razor. It's made of a durable material, there's no plating to flake off, no cheap pot-metal to rot away, and the head probably won't snap off if the razor is dropped. If mild razors agree with you and you haven't tried this razor, I think you're missing out on a real gem. Pick one of these up. I think you'll like it.
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