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Wilkinson Sword superior to Gillette

Hello World,
does anyone else find Wilkinson Sword to be superior to Gillette in almost every way?

A little context for my claim, i own and have tested for quite a bit, the Fusion proglide, the Mach 3 turbo and the Mach3 turbo 3d, from Wilkinson's offering the quattro titanium sensitive and the hydro 5.

As shaving is very individual, face specific so to put it, i will as objectively as i can try to sum up my experience with each tool:

Mach 3 turbo - worst of the lot, does not shave well, by this i mean "evenly" so to speak, it leaves hair cut in such a way that it remains quite visible in it's root, i apologize if i am being vague or unclear in this regard, it also leaves my neck butcherer, cuts me a whole lot, leaves irritation, it does look pretty though, too light in my opinion weight wise and i did not get that many whiteheads, a few at most

Mach 3 turbo 3d - somewhat better, more or less has the same problems as the non 3d version but granted to a lesser extent, so if the non 3d version left 2 whiteheads this version left one or none...the way it cuts the hair is the same, the handle is a little bit heavier which is good in my opinion but it is uglier though

Proglide - the pick of the bunch from Gillette in my opinion, did not cut me once, very safe to use, the handle is very nice in my opinion, perhaps the best, weight ergonomics etc, aesthetics wise quite subjective, i cant say i like how it looks rather i don't mind...now the shave, it shaves fine but again even with 5 blades it just does not cut as well as the German counterpart, it removes hair very well, glides and all that but the end product just isn't there, you can still see the hair follicule so to speak...i had little to no whiteheads, but my neck was indeed red after use, the day after my neck would be fine but after having remedied it with balms, talc powder etc, the best a man can get...from gillette ;)

quattro titanium sensitive - epiphany time, prior to having shaved for the first time with this tool i had no idea you could be shaved so evenly and close, accent on close, when i use this tool the hair is cut in such a way that nothing remains behind just skin no holes/dots where hair used to grow just a smooth surface...very occasional whiteheads one or two at the most, the gripe i do have with it is that it does leave my neck torn a bit, not as bas as the gillettes but still, the other thing i have to point out is that i used the disposable senstive sort, it cost about 1.5 euros so very cheap and hence plastic...i presume that using the same cartridge on the only handle available here, the vintage one, would enhance the experience shave enjoyment wise but i trust that the shave itself would remain the same...

hydro 5 - the answer so to speak, it cuts like the quattro, so perfectly but with the added benefit of being the kindest to my neck, i can only get the regular protection cartridges here but i'd very gladly give the advanced protection ones a go, the handle is ok, not advanced or anything but it has some heft to it and it's quite ok for me, the single blade that presents itself once you open the cartridge is fine as well...

now, as almost everyone goes on about the cost of cartridges you get 4 hydro 5's for about 15 euros here the price has gone up for gillettes with proglides costing about 21.5 euros for 4, mach 3 turbo cartridges are sparsely available but not that expensive they cost around the same as WS hydro 5 and quattro titanium precision cartridges at around 15 euros for 4.

As for longevity, i have found that after as little as 7 shaves both the mach 3 turbo and proglide worsen, they still cut but nowhere near the same as when they were new, they pull and tug, cut, irritate and so on...the most i have test any of the aforementioned tools is 9 shaves, the proglide, the mach 3 turbo about 3 in all (as it cut me the most) the 3d version about 5 shaves, the quattro about 5 shaves and i am currently on shave 3-4 with the hydro 5, i have to say that i have also used the king c gillette and that cuts me as well as irritating my neck to the same extent as the proglide and quattro and the 3d, the turbo solo is the worst...

i use nivea sensitive shave gel, cerave foaming cleanser and nivea sensitive aftershave balm or proraso green splash, i have used lots and lots of different products but have found these to give me the least irritation so i use them

so....has anyone had the same and/or a similar experience to mine?
 
My all time favorite razor is the Wilkinson Sword/Schick Protector 3. Fantastic design and innovative when it first appeared in the 80's ahead of Gillette in trying to address nick free shaving. Shallow safety bar enables close shaving under the nose unlike most modern cart' designs. Their HydroSense brushless shaving cream is also one of the best shaving creams providing great 'cushioning,' protection and post shave skin moisturization which sadly maybe now discontinued under the WS label, but still available under the company's sister label Schick. Outstanding products IMO
 
Hi Mitzie
thank for your insight, we sadly have very limited products available here, we have the hydro 5 available in two shops only, one of them being DM the German giant...i have read of the protector, it is highly regarded but alas also not available here, as for gels and creams from WS literally none are available here, i think i did see a sort of "pack" where you get a hydro 5 handle + one cartridge and a can of WS foam or gel, i might actually go and get that "pack" if i remember where i saw it...i actually spoke to the main distributors of WS here...no avail sadly, they simply don't import that wide a range of products, you can get every version of the xtreme 3 though, sensitive, ultimate, eco there are others versions i am sure i just can't remember right now...the proglide gel isn't bad actually but the can i had was faulty and i ended up using it 4 times then i just threw it away...
I agree with everything you wrote
Cheers
 
Hi Mitzie
thank for your insight, we sadly have very limited products available here, we have the hydro 5 available in two shops only, one of them being DM the German giant...i have read of the protector, it is highly regarded but alas also not available here, as for gels and creams from WS literally none are available here, i think i did see a sort of "pack" where you get a hydro 5 handle + one cartridge and a can of WS foam or gel, i might actually go and get that "pack" if i remember where i saw it...i actually spoke to the main distributors of WS here...no avail sadly, they simply don't import that wide a range of products, you can get every version of the xtreme 3 though, sensitive, ultimate, eco there are others versions i am sure i just can't remember right now...the proglide gel isn't bad actually but the can i had was faulty and i ended up using it 4 times then i just threw it away...
I agree with everything you wrote
Cheers
I tend to buy directly from WS online
 
As i trust i will become a long term customer of WS i'll have a word with my very good friend who lives in Vienna and has already offered to bring me what ever shave supplies i need, he comes over every 3-6 months...
i just had a look at the WS website to see their procutds, in word, cool
good suggestion, thanks
 
I have never encountered any issues with the Mach 3. Although I quite happy to use any product in the Quattro family especially the GT5. I do not purchase the Fusion due to exorbitant prices.
 
I have never encountered any issues with the Mach 3. Although I quite happy to use any product in the Quattro family especially the GT5. I do not purchase the Fusion due to exorbitant prices.
Hi Sabre,
i haven't had much luck with the mach 3's i'm afraid, i've written up much of my experience with them above, but i am well aware that most men on the planet have no issue with them what so ever seeing as they are one of the, if not the, most popular systems out there...
i shaved yesterday, hydro 5, nice shave, very very smooth, comfortable, but my neck was left somewhat red, so i might try the skinguard tomorrow as i have found that shaving every two days yields the best results...

As for the quattro range, kudos, i really like the way they work :)

Cheers
 
I don't use cartridges but in terms of double edged blades, I find Wilkinson (German) to be superior to Gillette blades.
They are on my top 3!
Hi LRod,
i still use a safety razor for touch ups, as i use it very little the blades i have last very long, i think i currently have a gillette platinum blade loaded, works fine, before that i had and used the king c gillette blades, also quite fine, i would even dare to say better than the platinums but i have also read that the king c gillettes are rebranded platinums so i might be talking malarkey and i also have a pack of bic blades that i intend on trying at some time (they are supposed to be very sharp), WS DE blades are available here so at some point in time, i will definitely give them a go...
Sadly, DE-s are a no go for me :( the barber i went to cut me up to 3-4 on average per shave and he went with the grain one pass, hot towels and everything...i manage to cut myself once or twice per shave and have managed a shave with no nicks or cuts only once using a DE (this lasted up to 30 mins), increbilbly, the tool that is "safest", cuts and nicks wise for me, is the Proglide?! weird

Cheers
 
Hi LRod,
i still use a safety razor for touch ups, as i use it very little the blades i have last very long, i think i currently have a gillette platinum blade loaded, works fine, before that i had and used the king c gillette blades, also quite fine, i would even dare to say better than the platinums but i have also read that the king c gillettes are rebranded platinums so i might be talking malarkey and i also have a pack of bic blades that i intend on trying at some time (they are supposed to be very sharp), WS DE blades are available here so at some point in time, i will definitely give them a go...
Sadly, DE-s are a no go for me :( the barber i went to cut me up to 3-4 on average per shave and he went with the grain one pass, hot towels and everything...i manage to cut myself once or twice per shave and have managed a shave with no nicks or cuts only once using a DE (this lasted up to 30 mins), increbilbly, the tool that is "safest", cuts and nicks wise for me, is the Proglide?! weird

Cheers
For years I fought nicks and cuts nearly every time I shaved with carts', DE and SRs. The the WS Protector 3 introduced a step change in preventing nicks and cuts. Also I have discovered that applying Vaseline or coconut oil (kept on the bathroom radiator and applied slightly warm, in the liquid phase, as a pre shave has practically eliminated nicks and cuts. No other commercially marketed pre shave products are as effective as Vaseline (petroleum jelly) or coconut oil (purchased from the cake baking section in the supermarket) -Just for your information
 
For years I fought nicks and cuts nearly every time I shaved with carts', DE and SRs. The the WS Protector 3 introduced a step change in preventing nicks and cuts. Also I have discovered that applying Vaseline or coconut oil (kept on the bathroom radiator and applied slightly warm, in the liquid phase, as a pre shave has practically eliminated nicks and cuts. No other commercially marketed pre shave products are as effective as Vaseline (petroleum jelly) or coconut oil (purchased from the cake baking section in the supermarket) -Just for your information
i genuinely did not know that, i personally would be more inclined towards trying Vaseline rather than coconut oil purely out of fear that the oil might be a tad too comedogenic and hence would cause dreaded whiteheads...

sadly the protector line is unavailable here, the only other products i have not yet tried are BIC's, the hydro 5 does give great results minus my neck that is left a little red...i am scheduled to shave tomorrow, as i have shaved yesterday and i have to say that i might very well give the skinguard a go...it will set me back a little less than 10 euros the handle + 2 carts...
i'll give it a whirl, from what i have read, most impressions of it are rather positive, but the ones that aren't are really negative, most people's gripe with it seems to infer that it "does not close enough", again this is yuite subjective, i have watched videos of people trying to use it on 7+ days worth of growth, from what i gather it is not intended for that use at all, 2,3 days growth max, as with all things that have to do with shaving YMMV indeed
another thing i very much dislike about gillette, apart from the fact that they cost an arm and a leg is that their products vary in terms of the place of production...the same product can me manufactured in two or more plants/facilities, as i live where i do this automatically raises certain suspicions as to the originality of the products this in turn raises doubts as to whether i am actually using a "real" products and doing so properly...things are much simpler with WS, they are all made in Germany, full stop.

As i have not used a gillette cart for more than 9 shaves i cannot atest to the durabilty claim P&G makes, up to 20 shaves...i seriously doubt it with the mach 3 turbo and proglide carts, if i do go for the skinguard i am very interested to find out if it will indeed remove ALL forms of irritation and of course how long a cart would/will last me (and if the shave is any good obviously)

Sorry if a went on a bit Mitzie, hope i did not bore you too much

Cheers

post scriptum
my nickname, in fact, was and still is, the same as your, well pronunciation wise anyway, mine is spelled Mizzi :)
 
..... i personally would be more inclined towards trying Vaseline rather than coconut oil purely out of fear that the oil might be a tad too comedogenic and hence would cause dreaded whiteheads...


I know coconut oil is comedogenic, but I've never had any issues since I apply a hot flannel/face cloth before and after shaving and occasionally will use a face scrub beforehand to ensure good exfoliation. It amazes me how much coconut oil as an ingredient is used in cosmetics and hair shampoos and conditioners because it's a natural ingredient.
 
That still doesn't make it relevant. If someone posted that the Fusion was the best DE blade in a DE thread, I would think they are ....
You're right bud! Whatever you say..
Have a great day!🙂
 
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I too prefer the Schick / Wilkinson Sword products over Gillette. They work just as well if not better than Gillette and last at least twice as long. However, I prefer Dorco over both of them. My preference is a Dorco 3 for triming around my mouth, and a Dorco 7 for everything else. Sometimes the 7 with a power handle.

Another option, if you can find it, is an "Easy Fit" cartridge on a Gillette Fusion handle. Easy Fit is an Edgewell brand. Others in the Edgewell family include Schick / Wilkinson Sword and Personna. Basically the Easy Fit cartridge is an orange Schick / Wilkinson Sword Hydro 5 cartridge that docks up to a Fusion handle. I rotate into this combination once in a while using Gillette's "dyson ball" handle.
 
I too prefer the Schick / Wilkinson Sword products over Gillette. They work just as well if not better than Gillette and last at least twice as long. However, I prefer Dorco over both of them. My preference is a Dorco 3 for triming around my mouth, and a Dorco 7 for everything else. Sometimes the 7 with a power handle.

Another option, if you can find it, is an "Easy Fit" cartridge on a Gillette Fusion handle. Easy Fit is an Edgewell brand. Others in the Edgewell family include Schick / Wilkinson Sword and Personna. Basically the Easy Fit cartridge is an orange Schick / Wilkinson Sword Hydro 5 cartridge that docks up to a Fusion handle. I rotate into this combination once in a while using Gillette's "dyson ball" handle.
Hi Jim,
Dorco i believe is the Korean brand? we don't have them here in Europe, mind you, membering EU states probably have them, on order at least...
i still maintain that WS are better in terms of what you get and the kind of shave they give you as opposed to Gillette, except the skinguard...now the SG, for me, has made possible certain things that no other tool has, foils, rotaries, oneblades the list goes on, quite simply, it cuts well and does not irritate...
i have read numerous times that certain people "feel that it does not cut well and/or as close as 5 bladed systems and so on" on my face it cuts better, literally, when i shave with the SG the skin left behind is clear as glass, plus with the SG i can even shave ATG "nuff said"...if i wanted to, i could even go chasing a BBS, but in all fairness, i do trust if i did this regularly it would irritate the hell out of my face...
i have rid myself of two mach 3 turbos, a hydro 5 and a quattro sensitive, to be more precise i have gifted them to my wife, she might fair better, who knows...
on my last shave i used a SG cart on a Fusion twisty handle, not bad...
As for Dorco, i trust them to be bad *** like most Korean products, their cars are almost infallible, particularly the latest generations, they look cool too
Cheers
 
None of the Wilkinson Sword cartridge razors can give me a shave that is as good as the Mach3 and Mach3 Turbo.
I own Xtreme3, Protector, Protector 3, Quattro, Quattro Titanium, Hydro 3 and 5.

Fixed blade twin disposable Wilkinsons are great for me though.
 
None of the Wilkinson Sword cartridge razors can give me a shave that is as good as the Mach3 and Mach3 Turbo.
I own Xtreme3, Protector, Protector 3, Quattro, Quattro Titanium, Hydro 3 and 5.

Fixed blade twin disposable Wilkinsons are great for me though.
hi Ivan
totally opposite experience to mine, thank you for sharing, the mach 3's are surely fine tools, they just don't seem to suit me...nothing by gillette seems to suit me, save the awesome skinguard for which i have abandoned all other tools, i shaved with it last night, could hardly feel the shave and i didn't cut or nick myself, for me this is paramount :)
cheers
 
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