Newbie query on Wilkinson Sword Blades

[Abz88]

Newly converted to DE shaving (week 2) and I have a question on Wilkinson Sword Blades that I am hoping someone can help with. I bought an Edwin Jagger DE86 which came with a feather blade and I got a free pack of Blue Beards revenge blades from the seller. Having read that feathers are very sharp and not ideal for a beginner and having been unable to find out much about Blue Beards revenge blades I decided to nip to my local drugstore and buy some Wilkinson Sword blades which I understand to be an ok milder blade for beginners.

Sounded relatively simply, but I was confronted with two different packs of blades (one pack was was £3.99 and one pack £4.00). I bought both as I figured I am as well trying as many blades as I can to find one that works for me, but was wondering if anyone can let me know what the difference is (I thought it was just different packaging of the same price but the price being slightly different has thrown me)?



Thanks in advance!
Abz88

 

[SpannerX]

Newly converted to DE shaving (week 2) and I have a question on Wilkinson Sword Blades that I am hoping someone can help with. I bought an Edwin Jagger DE86 which came with a feather blade and I got a free pack of Blue Beards revenge blades from the seller. Having read that feathers are very sharp and not ideal for a beginner and having been unable to find out much about Blue Beards revenge blades I decided to nip to my local drugstore and buy some Wilkinson Sword blades which I understand to be an ok milder blade for beginners.

Sounded relatively simply, but I was confronted with two different packs of blades (one pack was was £3.99 and one pack £4.00). I bought both as I figured I am as well trying as many blades as I can to find one that works for me, but was wondering if anyone can let me know what the difference is (I thought it was just different packaging of the same price but the price being slightly different has thrown me)?

View attachment 1092572View attachment 1092573

Thanks in advance!
Abz88

I think what's going on here is they are both the same blade, the yellow package was from before the recent change in branding style, was the same time they came out with the new metal TTO safety razor that they sell in drugstores.

 

[sharpstar90]

Same exact blade. Some companies do this for marketing and visibility purposes. Even Feather has two different packages, one for five count and one for ten.

I think you've made an *excellent* choice for starting out. I have given several friends DE razors as gifts and I always buy these blades for them. They're some of the most reliable and forgivng blades out there. They're not dull but they won't tear your face off either. They also retain consistent sharpness between shaves.

Once you figure it out, I think you'll love Feather blades. They're sharp but their edge is quite fine. They're safer than some people like to make them out to be.

 

[Abz88]

Thank you @SpannerX and @sharpstar90 , I thought that might be the case, but the 1p price difference slightly through me off.

The plan is to work through these blades to get my technique to an ok level and then get some sample packs of blades to see what works best for me. Will definitely be trying feathers in the future as part of that process. Similar plan with shaving creams and soaps as well. Work through my tube of Real Shaving Company and then start to experiment.

 

[sharpstar90]

Thank you @SpannerX and @sharpstar90 , I thought that might be the case, but the 1p price difference slightly through me off.

The plan is to work through these blades to get my technique to an ok level and then get some sample packs of blades to see what works best for me. Will definitely be trying feathers in the future as part of that process. Similar plan with shaving creams and soaps as well. Work through my tube of Real Shaving Company and then start to experiment.

That sounds like a great plan. Feathers are great if you have coarse hair and when your stubble is short and difficult to shave. They level the playing field for you.

 

[LewisW]

Feathers are great blades you just need to pay attention more because of how sharp they are.

 

[dan86]

Same blade, different packaging - doesn’t sound as good as same horse, different jockey does it?
Was the drug store Boots by any chance? Just had a sneaky look on their site and saw the same prices of £3.99 for the newer packaging (silver and black) and £4 for the older yellow. In fairness to Boots they’ve been selling 10 Wilkies for £4 for as long as I’ve been DE shaving and that’s 7 years. I’ve seen other things they sell increase in price a lot more over that time.

I concur with @sharpstar90 that they’re great blades for beginners. They were the first blade I ever used. I ended up buying a pack of 100 last year after dabbling with others for a few years.

 

[RayClem]

There are two different Wilkinson Sword blades. Both packages of blades you saw are Wilkinson Sword Classic blades that are made in Germany by Edgewell Personal Care, the same company that makes Personna and Schick.

In some parts of the world, the Wilkinson Sword name is used by Gillette. They do not say WS Classic, but bear the Gillette name. They are made either in India or in China.

Both are decent blades, but I prefer the German made blades by a slight margin.

 

[Abz88]

Same blade, different packaging - doesn’t sound as good as same horse, different jockey does it?
Was the drug store Boots by any chance? Just had a sneaky look on their site and saw the same prices of £3.99 for the newer packaging (silver and black) and £4 for the older yellow. In fairness to Boots they’ve been selling 10 Wilkies for £4 for as long as I’ve been DE shaving and that’s 7 years. I’ve seen other things they sell increase in price a lot more over that time.

I concur with @sharpstar90 that they’re great blades for beginners. They were the first blade I ever used. I ended up buying a pack of 100 last year after dabbling with others for a few years.

Yes, it was Boots I bought them from. That seems to be the only shop I can walk into during my state approved single excursion from the house and buy blades just now (except supermarket own brands which I am not sure I would trust). It was the price difference that was throwing me off, the newer branded pack being cheaper is a bit of an odd one as well!

Thanks for confirming that I have picked a decent starter blade. Looking forward to trying out various sample packs once I get my technique in a better place.

 

[Abz88]

There are two different Wilkinson Sword blades. Both packages of blades you saw are Wilkinson Sword Classic blades that are made in Germany by Edgewell Personal Care, the same company that makes Personna and Schick.

In some parts of the world, the Wilkinson Sword name is used by Gillette. They do not say WS Classic, but bear the Gillette name. They are made either in India or in China.

Both are decent blades, but I prefer the German made blades by a slight margin.

Thanks for that @RayClem not something I was aware of, I'm used to Gillette and Wilkinson Sword being to two big competing shaving brands (at least for mainstream cartridge style razors) in the UK!

 

[BigJ]

There are two different Wilkinson Sword blades. Both packages of blades you saw are Wilkinson Sword Classic blades that are made in Germany by Edgewell Personal Care, the same company that makes Personna and Schick.

In some parts of the world, the Wilkinson Sword name is used by Gillette. They do not say WS Classic, but bear the Gillette name. They are made either in India or in China.

Both are decent blades, but I prefer the German made blades by a slight margin.

+1! To make things even more complicated, there are also vintage WS blades!

Check out the ‘Challenge PIF comparing vintage and modern WS! Note that some guys are also using other options that are/have been available!

 

[Abz88]

+1! To make things even more complicated, there are also vintage WS blades!

Check out the ‘Challenge PIF comparing vintage and modern WS! Note that some guys are also using other options that are/have been available!

It sounds like there is a fair amount of history to the WS brand and blades!
Thanks, will have to check it out. I would assume its pretty hard to get a hold of vintage blades?

 

[Aaron Hall]

Thank you @SpannerX and @sharpstar90 , I thought that might be the case, but the 1p price difference slightly through me off.

The plan is to work through these blades to get my technique to an ok level and then get some sample packs of blades to see what works best for me. Will definitely be trying feathers in the future as part of that process. Similar plan with shaving creams and soaps as well. Work through my tube of Real Shaving Company and then start to experiment.

I recommend keeping a shave journal. This way, you can look back to past experiences with different blades (or other items) to help guide your journey.

Plan to revisit blades after about a year. As your technique improves, your preferred blade may change.

Blade performance varies between razors, so your favourite in your Wilkinson will probably be different than in the Merkur.

Enjoy the journey!

 

[dan86]

Yes, it was Boots I bought them from. That seems to be the only shop I can walk into during my state approved single excursion from the house and buy blades just now (except supermarket own brands which I am not sure I would trust). It was the price difference that was throwing me off, the newer branded pack being cheaper is a bit of an odd one as well!

Thanks for confirming that I have picked a decent starter blade. Looking forward to trying out various sample packs once I get my technique in a better place.

Thou shalt use thine state sanctioned single excursions wisely . Yeah, that price decrease is strange especially since new packaging is usually an excuse to bump the price up for UK shops! As for the supermarket own brand blades I‘ve found the Bluebeards Revenge you have are similar: in fact that similar I’d recommend investing your money elsewhere as there’s not much of a difference, if any.

The online site I bought my first sample pack from almost 7 years back is still selling the same sample pack for the same price. However, I’ve since seen one that’s £1.90 more and it includes packs of Gillette Silver Blue, Personna and Feather. When you’re ready to try a sample pack I’d have a look here - Popular Blade Sample Pack - https://connaughtshaving.com/popular.html

PS enjoy the honing your technique stage!

 

[SpannerX]

Yes, it was Boots I bought them from. That seems to be the only shop I can walk into during my state approved single excursion from the house and buy blades just now (except supermarket own brands which I am not sure I would trust). It was the price difference that was throwing me off, the newer branded pack being cheaper is a bit of an odd one as well!

Thanks for confirming that I have picked a decent starter blade. Looking forward to trying out various sample packs once I get my technique in a better place.

Those supermarket brands are probably Personas, which are good blades as well, though I'm not sure about that, I think some might be Dorcos?

 

[RayClem]

Along the same line, I went into my local Meijer store today to pick up some supplies. I check the shaving aisle and found some Meijer branded blades made in Germany. They come in the standard plastic and metal dispenser used by Personna generic brands. They say only Stainless Steel Blades. There are no patent numbers of other identification. The only marking on the blades is the arrows at each corner. Thus, I do not know if this are similar to Wilkinson Sword Classic, the former Israeli Reds, or Crystals. I will try one later today to see how they fit into the confusing marketing of Edgewell branded blades. I am hoping that they shave like the Israeli Reds.

 

[BigJ]

It sounds like there is a fair amount of history to the WS brand and blades!
Thanks, will have to check it out. I would assume its pretty hard to get a hold of vintage blades?

Actually, there are a fair amount of vintage blades around! It really depends on what you are looking for.

 

[ivan_101]

It sounds like there is a fair amount of history to the WS brand and blades!

Indeed there is. The brand that beat Gillette in the stainless steel blade game in 1961. Gillette didn't have a stainless blade, and people started buying the Wilkinson Sword blades, because they lasted longer. So 2 years later Gillette were forced to introduce the Stainless blade.

 

[Abz88]

Thou shalt use thine state sanctioned single excursions wisely . Yeah, that price decrease is strange especially since new packaging is usually an excuse to bump the price up for UK shops! As for the supermarket own brand blades I‘ve found the Bluebeards Revenge you have are similar: in fact that similar I’d recommend investing your money elsewhere as there’s not much of a difference, if any.

The online site I bought my first sample pack from almost 7 years back is still selling the same sample pack for the same price. However, I’ve since seen one that’s £1.90 more and it includes packs of Gillette Silver Blue, Personna and Feather. When you’re ready to try a sample pack I’d have a look here - Popular Blade Sample Pack - https://connaughtshaving.com/popular.html

PS enjoy the honing your technique stage!

Yes, the new one being cheaper is an odd one from Boots. As you say, usually new packaging means the price goes up and the old packaged items go on sale. Not sure if I will use the Blue beards or not, they were a freebie from Buy Shaving Brushes, Shaving Creams & Razors | Mens Grooming Products | The Shaving Shack - https://www.shaving-shack.com/ which I think owns Blue beards revenge (they have the same address and they give away a lot of free Blue beards items).

I have come across connaught and think I will be buying some sample blades and sampel soaps/creams from them to figure out what I like/dislike. Thanks for the recommendation!

 

[Abz88]

I recommend keeping a shave journal. This way, you can look back to past experiences with different blades (or other items) to help guide your journey.

Plan to revisit blades after about a year. As your technique improves, your preferred blade may change.

Blade performance varies between razors, so your favourite in your Wilkinson will probably be different than in the Merkur.

Enjoy the journey!

Thanks for the advice, I hadn't though about a shave journal but it makes sense so that I can track my feelings towards blades.

Yes, once I get the hang of my current razor, I have a feeling a few more will be getting ordered...again, I hadn't thought about different blades performing differently in different razors so very useful advice!