What Is the Best Way to Prolong The Life Of A Gillette Wilkinson Sword Indian Stainless Steel Blade?

[Alum Ladd]

I have recently become a big fan of the Gillette Wilkinson Sword stainless Indian blades. They are well priced, at around £7 for 110 on Ebay UK, and are extremely efficient and smooth in my experience. A very under rated blade in my opinion, though they do seem to have a very good reputation and a loyal user base, many on B&B I notice.

I'm going with 2 shaves per blade at the moment. However, I had read on here from some users that they can get up to 5 good shaves with them.

Do any colleagues have tips on how to best store or treat them after each shave to get the best life from them? Do they need to be soaked in boiling water, or air dried or hung up in some way? Should they be replaced into their waxed paper sleeve?

Any tips welcomed.

Simon

 

[SharpieB]

Take the blade out of the razor, wash it off, pat it dry with a towel and put it back in the razor or store it on the counter, on a magnet, etc.

I get 2-3 shaves out of a blade and there are very few that I take further regardless of how I clean them or store them.

 

[lasta]

Hi Simon,

Life is too short to worry about blade life. If you have a tough beard and can only get 2 good shaves, then so be it. At your price level, £11.61 will get you through a whole year.

 

[Billski]

I get more than 2 shaves with that blade. Don’t worry about a long blade life.

 

[Cal]

I'm going with 2 shaves per blade at the moment. However, I had read on here from some users that they can get up to 5 good shaves with them.

Use them for as little or many shaves as you please. But do check out the Excalibur Club.

 

[luv2shave]

Edit : ^^^^ what he said

I get 3 good shaves from this blade. The third is the smoothest as its dulled enough to move the razor on autopilot. A 4th is a stretch and the 5th really makes u want to bin it in a hurry. They are cheap blades, enjoy the 2 /3 shaves !

This blade is targeted for casual shavers who will use a new blade esch time and for "Saloons" where they are usually snapped in to two and used in a sanitized shavette for a shave or beard shaping. I don't think they are made to last beyond a single shave.

 

[Alum Ladd]

Edit : ^^^^ what he said

I get 3 good shaves from this blade. The third is the smoothest as its dulled enough to move the razor on autopilot. A 4th is a stretch and the 5th really makes u want to bin it in a hurry. They are cheap blades, enjoy the 2 /3 shaves !

This blade is targeted for casual shavers who will use a new blade esch time and for "Saloons" where they are usually snapped in to two and used in a sanitized shavette for a shave or beard shaping. I don't think they are made to last beyond a single shave.

I have found them to be an excellent blade for the price point. Both acceptably efficient and very smooth. I will continue to buy them as my standard blade, as they seem to perform excellently. Just my opinion, as YMMV. It sounds like 3-4 shaves per blade is about right. I did get a deep nick using one on a 3rd use, that was because I was using a Tech for the first time and was getting used to the Tech head geometry. User error!

Simon

 

[luv2shave]

I have found them to be an excellent blade for the price point. Both acceptably efficient and very smooth. I will continue to buy them as my standard blade, as they seem to perform excellently. Just my opinion, as YMMV. It sounds like 3-4 shaves per blade is about right. I did get a deep nick using one on a 3rd use, that was because I was using a Tech for the first time and was getting used to the Tech head geometry. User error!

Simon

The first two shaves are wicked sharp with this blade. They actually feel like a hot knife through butter. I had written them off as harsh until I went through a whole month of daily shaves with them using my Pearl Flexi. Got the combo dialed in so well - got the best shaves of my life

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I get 10 to 14 shaves from most blades. A good wet lather helps for me, not the type that makes your brush look like an ice cream cone. Good technique will help in time too. Finally, a bit of blade cleaning can make a difference. I don't go all OCD with it. Some folks go a full strip down and clean everyday, whereas I might do it weekly... or less. Soap scum on the blade can make a blade feel duller than it is though, so cleaning and flipping the blade often unlocks another few shaves in my experience.

 

[BigJ]

Use them for as little or many shaves as you please. But do check out the Excalibur Club.

+1! This^

Excalibur guys are the real experts in blade longevity!

 

[deafficianado]

I think the best way for longer blade life is to make sure that (the edge) it’s dried after use -preferably with a heat gun but a hair dryer or any other means would also work.

 

[Toothpick]

I’ve never tried to prolong the life. Use it till it’s dull then replace. Even with cartridges I did this. Just not worth my time to try and prolong the life of a 10 cent blade. Plus I don’t know voodoo.

 

[ivan_101]

I have recently become a big fan of the Gillette Wilkinson Sword stainless Indian blades. They are well priced, at around £7 for 110 on Ebay UK, and are extremely efficient and smooth in my experience. A very under rated blade in my opinion, though they do seem to have a very good reputation and a loyal user base, many on B&B I notice.

I'm going with 2 shaves per blade at the moment. However, I had read on here from some users that they can get up to 5 good shaves with them.

Do any colleagues have tips on how to best store or treat them after each shave to get the best life from them? Do they need to be soaked in boiling water, or air dried or hung up in some way? Should they be replaced into their waxed paper sleeve?

Any tips welcomed.

Simon

Do you know why they are "underrated" as you say?
They are not exactly the sharpest in the bunch. Those of us with very tough beards can tell you that. If I use an Indian WIlkinson Sword blade in, say one of my Techs, it just wouldn't cut my whiskers, whatever soap / cream I use.
Soaking in boiling water is something I've heard for the first time. Do not do that, it can remove the coating off the edges, and instead of prlonging the blade life, you will seriously damage it.
Blades are cheap as peanuts, especially the Indian Wilkinsons - 6 pence in your case. Why bother?

 

[Alum Ladd]

Do you know why they are "underrated" as you say?
They are not exactly the sharpest in the bunch. Those of us with very tough beards can tell you that. If I use an Indian WIlkinson Sword blade in, say one of my Techs, it just wouldn't cut my whiskers, whatever soap / cream I use.
Soaking in boiling water is something I've heard for the first time. Do not do that, it can remove the coating off the edges, and instead of prlonging the blade life, you will seriously damage it.
Blades are cheap as peanuts, especially the Indian Wilkinsons - 6 pence in your case. Why bother?

Hi @ivan_101 I am very appreciative of your caution against boiling water.

Simon

 

[Cal]

Soaking in boiling water is something I've heard for the first time. Do not do that

+1

Hi @ivan_101 I am very appreciative of your caution against boiling water.

It's also a brush assassin.

 

[JoWolf]

I have recently become a big fan of the Gillette Wilkinson Sword stainless Indian blades. They are well priced, at around £7 for 110 on Ebay UK, and are extremely efficient and smooth in my experience. A very under rated blade in my opinion, though they do seem to have a very good reputation and a loyal user base, many on B&B I notice.

I'm going with 2 shaves per blade at the moment. However, I had read on here from some users that they can get up to 5 good shaves with them.

Do any colleagues have tips on how to best store or treat them after each shave to get the best life from them? Do they need to be soaked in boiling water, or air dried or hung up in some way? Should they be replaced into their waxed paper sleeve?

Any tips welcomed.

Simon

Why would you use dull or dulling blades in your shave?

The apex of any blade will start to lose the keenness or become rounded with use. This blade will not cut through the load as quickly or cleanly as the sharp blade. Slower cutting and it tends to rip through the load rather than slice through the load. More pressure is required for the same cut. Some speed and some efficiency needs to be sacrificed to complete the cut.

If slicing a tomato with a freshly honed slicer. Fast, efficient, clean cut with no juice lost or sacrificed In the cut. A duller slicer and you move the blade apex towards heel or toe of the knife looking for good purchase into the load to make the cut. Blade is not as sharp therefore the tearing of the rounded apex and the added pressure required finishes the slice with a jagged cut and juice loss. The same physics applies to all apex’s.

A used blade does not slice as well as a new blade. Campaigning used blades requires you to manipulate the blade to get a cut. Since it isn’t as sharp. So you are practicing or shaving with a duller blade. The blade being duller will not be as efficient therefore you will require more strokes to achieve the same results as a sharper blade. If the sharp blade completed the shave with fifty strokes and the duller blade needed sixty five strokes. You are balancing time, efficiency, and comfort with the sharpness of the blade you use.

 

[FarmerTan]

Boil your preshave TOWEL in water, IMMEDIATELY apply to face, and you will know what Elmer Fudd felt like when Bugs Bunny shaved him!

P.S. : this was an attempt at humour (in Canada!) DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!

I always have to put that disclaimer up there for the folks in Canadia. It's in a treaty somewhere...

 

[ivan_101]

Boil your preshave TOWEL in water, IMMEDIATELY apply to face, and you will know what Elmer Fudd felt like when Bugs Bunny shaved him!

P.S. : this was an attempt at humour (in Canada!) DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!

I always have to put that disclaimer up there for the folks in Canadia. It's in a treaty somewhere...

Boiling the towel...
My eyes started watering while I was laughing.

 

[FarmerTan]

Boiling the towel...
My eyes started watering while I was laughing.

You need a better class of loser for friends, my friend.

I hope that others notice my poor attempt at humor was just that: humor! I surely don't want any folks from Bay City, Mi to read this and think it's a good idea!

 

[HoosierTrooper]

A used blade does not slice as well as a new blade.

I don’t believe that’s true in all cases. It’s been a widely held belief for years that some/most blades are sharper after a couple of uses as the coating wears off the edge.