Wilkinson Sword is a brand that is now owned by an American company, Edgewood Personal Care, but they actually have a long and storied history that dates back all the way to 1772. It was at that time that Harry Nock, founder of Wilkinson Sword, started manufacturing swords in London, hence where they get the name.
And throughout their history, Wilkinson Sword always had a diverse lineup of products, which at times included guns, bayonets, gardening tools. But it wasn't until 1962 when they finally entered the stainless steel razor blade industry.
And we sure are glad they did because they make one of the most popular and highly regarded double edge razor blades on the market: the Wilkinson Sword Classic double edge razor blade. But remember, just because a blade is popular with other wet shavers doesn't mean it's the right blade for you because YMMV. So let's take a closer look to see if this might be a good blade for you.
Brand | Sharpness | Smoothness | Best For... |
|---|---|---|---|
Wilkinson Sword Razor Blades | 7 | 8 | Men that want a close shave that's not overly aggressive |
Pros
- Above average sharpness and smoothness
- Stays in peak performance for multiple shaves
- Sharp without being overly aggressive
Cons
- YMMV
Product Overview
Wilkinson Sword’s double edge razor blade is your standard double edge blade that should fit in any and all standard sized safety razors. These blades are chromium-ceramic but are coated with a PFTE coating to help give it a smoother, more durable finished surface. More on this later.
I’ve seen these blades available for purchase in packs of 10, 50 and 100. They are also available in some of the sample packs you can find online if you want to test drive them before buying a larger pack though.
Regardless of what quantity you buy, Wilkinson Sword blades are packaged in dispensers with 5 blades individually wrapped in each dispenser. So if you do end up buying a pack of 100, you would actually get 20 dispensers with 5 blades in each plastic dispenser.
The plastic dispenser is just a plain black plastic container with the top of it being a white piece of paper with the Wilkinson Sword logo on it. The paper that the blades are wrapped in is white wax paper with the Wilkinson Sword logo in a pattern on it. The actual blade looks like any other de blade, but it also has the Wilkinson Sword logo on it. They really love putting their logo everywhere, which I have to admit is a pretty awesome logo.
Key Features & Characteristics
Sharp Without Being Overly Aggressive
Wilkinson Sword double edge razor blades are definitely on the sharp(er) end of the sharpness spectrum. In fact, I would probably rate them either a 7/10 or possibly 8/10 for sharpness.
That said, I really like these blades though because they are one of those blades with the capability of being sharp without being overly aggressive.
The blade actually felt slightly sharper on the second shave without feeling more aggressive on my face. The blade then stayed noticeably sharp for shaves 3 and 4 before the sharpness started to drop off slightly with shave 5.
Throughout all 5 shaves, the blade felt comfortably sharp to where it was shaving properly and was never tugging at my hairs. I didn’t feel like pushing it and changed blades after the 5th shave so I’m not sure how many more shaves I could have gotten out of it though.
Very Little Irritation -- Glides Across Face and Neck
The Wilkinson Sword de blades were solid when it came to sharpness, but what really made them stand out to me was how smooth they stayed for all 5 shaves. By shaves 4 and 5, there was a slight decrease in smoothness but not too noticeable.
I rarely got any irritation when using the Wilkinson Sword blades. I always use my alum block after shaving and I got very little feedback from it after using these blades, which is a good thing.
It’s really awesome that these blades offer a nice amount of smoothness and just glide across the shaving surface. Sharp blades like these usually don’t have a problem with actually shaving facial hair off, but where they usually are a little underwhelming is because they are so aggressive that it’s easy to cut yourself or get razor burn from them.
I like to think I have pretty awesome form with a safety razor, but with inferior blades I still get razor burn from time to time. Not with these though, I’ve had some minor irritation afterwards but never bad razor burn.
I do want to point out that I was using a pretty mild razor though. If I had been using a more aggressive razor, the results might have been a little different. Point is though, I got a smooth shave from the Wilkinson Sword blade so it is possible to get a nice irritation-free shave from these relatively sharp blades.
German-made: Tremendous Quality Control and Consistency
German-made products have a reputation for being top quality items that perform great and have amazing quality control. And the Wilkinson Sword blades certainly live up to this reputation.
I have only used a handful of Wilkinson Sword blades in my wet shaving days, but each time I put a Wilkinson Sword in my safety razor, the new one performs exactly like the previous one did.
It’s a huge benefit to know that you are going to get the exact same performance each time you put a new blade in your razor. And when it comes to WIlkinson Sword’s, you know it’s going to be relatively sharp and it’s going to be incredibly smooth and irritation-free (if you shave using good technique). I’ve yet to have a bad experience with a Wilkinson Sword blade.
Superb Durability
Wilkinson Sword blades are very durable in the sense that they retain their sharpness and smoothness really well for several shaves. However, I don’t think they are any more durable than the average blade when it comes to the number of shaves you will be able to get out of one blade.
From my experience and others, it sounds like Wilkinson’s work best for an average of 5-7 shaves before needing to be replaced with a new one.
Don’t dismiss how good of a deal that is. After all, that means if you can get 5 quality shaves out of each Wilkinson Sword blade, a pack of 100 will last you over 71 weeks which is almost 1.5 years!
That’s really impressive. You may be able to stretch these blades to get a few more shaves out of them but I don’t really see a reason in taking the risk. They are already really affordable when you take into account the cost/blade.
The durability of these blades may not be noticeably longer than the industry average, but their sharpness and smoothness should stay in peak performance for multiple shaves.
How Does the Wilkinson Sword Blade
Compare to Other Options?
Feather
If you think you need a blade that is even more sharp than the Wilkinson Sword, your best option is probably to look at a Feather double-edge blade. These are pretty much unanimously agreed on as the sharpest de blade on the market. The drawback to the Feather is that it’s not going to be as smooth or forgiving, but if you need a really aggressive blade, this is it.
Personna Lab Blue
The Personna Lab Blue safety razor blade is a great alternative to the Wilkinson Sword. They are very similar in that they both are above average in sharpness and smoothness. I often recommend this blade for beginner wet shavers, but it’s also a great option for any man that wants a sharp blade that is really easy on the face.
Derby Extra
If you’re looking for a blade that is much more mild than the Wilkinson Sword, the Derby Extra de blade is a good blade to take a look at. This blade is one of the mildest blades out there. Why would anyone want such a mild blade? Well if you have sensitive skin and can’t handle much sharpness. Or if you have a very thin beard with light facial hair and don’t need much sharpness. Whatever the reason is, if you are looking for a smooth blade that is very forgiving, Derby Extra’s are a good option.
Need a little more help on figuring out what blades are best for your razor? Then checkout my guide on what I think are the 10 best safety razor blades on the market. It has all the information you could need to find the right blade for you.
