Blade Review - Wilkinson Sword Classic

Over the next few weeks I am going to keep a daily running experience of different blades. Mainly so that I can remember what they were like. Hopefully, you will find this interesting or helpful as you try different blades. Each blade will be used for 7 days unless they are a really bad blade.

Wilkinson Sword Classic (Black Box)

Wilkinson Sword Classic

Wilkinson blades are stainless steel blades that are triple coated to produce a blade that is sharp, long lasting and smooth. Combinations that all DE shavers want out of their blades. The Manufacturer says:

"Wilkinson Sword Classic Double Edge Razor Blades has been improved by Wilkinson's famous triple coating process of chromium to resist corrosion, ceramic for added durability, and PTFE for less irritation"

Shaving conditions

Beard Type

Light beard growth, thicker on and under the chin, very sensitive on the neck. Susceptible to razor bumps on and under the chin area.

Preshave Prep:

• Shower
• Shave Secret (four drops)
• Van der Hagen Premium soap and Deluxe soap ( melted into a shave stick)
• Merkur Classic razor
• Soft water
• Maggard 22mm knot synthetic brush

Post Shave:

• Dickenson's Witch Hazel (Blue Bottle)
• Pinaud Clubman Original
• Nivea Balm for Sensitive Skin
• 
  

The Shave Week

Day 1 Shave

• Smoothness: Very smooth. Without the feeling of coarseness. Did not take away from the sharpness of the blade. Very good first use smoothness.
• Tugging: No tugging detected as I went against the grain on the neck area. This is my most tender part of the shave.
• Razor Burn: No noticeable razor burn when aftershave was applied.
• Nicks: Four little weepers. Two on the neck and two on the chin. Didn't realize I had them until after the shave was over. Very minor.
• Closeness: Very close shave in most areas. I went easy on the chin. Having just used a Voskhod for a week I was reluctant to do much buffing for a close shave. Two or three touch-up areas.
• 10 Hours Later: Still looks and feels good. What growth has come back is barely noticeable to the feel, however it was visibly noticeable on the chin area

Day 2 Shave

• Smoothness: Smoothness was still noticeable though the sharpness seemed to be diminished a bit.
• Tugging: Just a little bit of minor tugging on the neck area.
• Razor Burn: A little bit of razor burn on the jaw line and chin areas. I w
  as shaving pretty fast as I didn't have a lot of time.
• Nicks: A couple of weepers on the chin and one small cut on the jaw line. This cut was due to my own mistake by being hasty.
• Closeness: Tonights shave was not a close shave. I could see where the chin area was not close even though I buffed after three against the grain passes. About an hour after the shave, I could feel stubble in various places all over my face as well as a little skin soreness. I also noticed where the blade had chaffed areas of the skin causing roughness and discomfort. Not a good shave tonight. If I get similar results the next night, I will call it quits with this blade and give my skin time to heal before I try my next blade.

Day 3 Shave

• Smoothness: The blade seemed to be less sharp and a little smoother. It seems to shave with a little more comfort if the soap is thinner and not as thick.  With this in mind I will continue through the week with the blade.
• Tugging: Slight tugging on neck area. This may be due to the fact that my skin has been irritated some from the blade and it's tenderness is more aggravated by the sharp blade.
• Razor Burn: Some razor burn on the chin area. Hours after the shave, the skin feels slightly "raw" and not comfortable to the hand.
• Nicks: A couple of nicks on the chin and lower lip area.
• Closeness: Much closer than yesterday's shave. This blade likes the soap to be slicker for a smoother shave. However the blades does tend to irritate the skin where it feels sore.
• 10 Hours Later: Normal stubble regrowth, skin tenderness.

Day 4 Shave

• Smoothness: The blade continues to be smooth. Sharpness on the other hand is strangely yes and no. It is sharp enough the smooth both the cheeks, but I just can't get a close shave on the chin area.
• Tugging: The tugging on the neck area seems to have increased some. It is not uncomfortable but the feel of the blade reminds me to be careful. It just feels like a rough sharpness.
• Razor Burn: Got plenty of razor burn on the chin and upper neck area. More than likely it is caused by me trying to get the blade to produce a smooth cut.
• Nicks; No nicks or weepers this shave.
• Closeness: Not a close shave. It seems like this blade started off with promise, but continued to fail each day in delivering a smooth shave.

 Concluding Thoughts and Score

After four shaves, I have decided to call it quites. This particular blade just did not delivery a close shave. When it produced the best cut, it also produced a lot of weepers. Somewhat happy after the first shave. Close, no tugging and no razor burn. Exactly what I am looking for. However it just didn't seem to give them the feeling of comfort and satisfaction I look for in a shave. It may be that blade sharpness and my sensitive skin do not work well together.The blade likes a slicker maybe thinner soap. After four days and continued razor burn, I have decided to finish the week off with the Voskhod and let my skin heal and settle down before I try another blade.

If I were to score this blade form 1 to 10 I would give it:

•  Sharpness 8
• Smoothness 6
• Tugging 7
• Razor Burn: 4
• Closeness: 5
• Overall: 6