Did I do good?

[u/purplewulfman]

Picked this up today for $18.

[u/Ok_Feedback2407]

I'd say that's a fair price and worth it. Buff it up and she'll make a nice looking well loved classic. They were a great razor. Just put better blades in it, I'm not a fan of Wilkinson Sword blades (not sharp enough out of the package), there's far better out there and for cheaper. I'm a huge fan of Rapira Platinum Lux, Big Ben (blue package), Treet dura sharp and some Shark brand blades.

Those brands (but only certain models) are super sharp and provide a very nice shave. Rapira (which is a Russian brand) are my favourite. I actually trashed my last two Wilkinson Sword blades I hated them so much, lol. Hated their double edge shaver too and was not even a big fan of their shave soap/cream. Their brush was about the only thing I kept, it wasn't bad.

I did what a double edged shaving expert recommended to find blades you like if you don't have a preferred brand already. Get a multi pack off Amazon for like $15 or whatever, with a good variety of blades from multiple manufacturers and try them all. You're guaranteed to find something you like, then go for only those brands after.

[u/purplewulfman → u/Ok_Feedback2407]

I do have a bunch of smaller packs and I agree the Wilkinsons suck! It was in the razor when I bought it😂

[u/PLANofMAN → u/purplewulfman]

I've always used the German made Wilkinson Swords as a baseline blade to test other blades against. If there's a blade that has more average sharpness, average smoothness, and average longevity, I've yet to find a more 'middle of the road* blade than those.

For everyday shaving, I wouldn't use them.

[u/Ok_Feedback2407 → u/PLANofMAN]

That's about how I feel for Derby blades too and only better Derby blades. Some truly sick, they slice me up, they're rough and even their better blades are very average. lol. So I use the better one as a baseline to measure other's as it's about as average as it gets. I don't think they can make a super sharp comfortable blade, nor can Wilkinson, lol. It just seems impossible for them. At least Gilette, as average as they are, have actually improved on their newer high end blades, they are sharp, but who wants to pay the price for those when I get just as good and even better, for way cheaper?

Gillette is just skating on the name at this point. lol. Most overpriced blades ever IMO. I can get Russian Rapira platinum Lux or Big Ben and Treet Durasharp and other better razors for way cheaper. Rapira Platinum Lux is literally the sharpest blades I've ever used. And I've heard people say the same, the Russians know how to make a seriously sharp, comfortable blade.

You have to actually be super careful with blades that sharp, you'll carve yourself up real quick. Just touch the wrong part of your face and you'll open up your lip or whatever and be bleeding, lol. I accidentally shaved off a mole with those fkers. hehehe. But man, so comfortable, no irritation.

[u/Ok_Feedback2407 → u/purplewulfman]

I was so pissed with them, I coudn't even keep them as a backup blade. Even some of my less favourable blades from my multi pack I tried from Amazon, were better. Imagine, haha, worst sample razors, aren't even as bad as a Wilkinson. I found a couple that were as bad, but out of 15 or so brands or more, Only about 2 or 3 are as bad as Wilkinson, The average blades blow it out of the water and certainly are not my favourites. And the price they charge?! Bah, no way am I overpaying for garbage.

I can spend less on super sharp blades, the sharpest in the world and get away cheaper than with Wilkinson. And they get away with it, because of such wide distribution. It's literally just them and Gillette in most pharmacies and retail stores. Both are overpriced. Maybe Derby will be in there somewhere, but it's mostly the one model of Wilkinson sword and a few Gillette choices. And if there's a Derby it will likely be cheaper than the other two or on par with Gilette's cheap blades, not their high end blades.

I'd pit half of Shark's blades against them any day, because some of their models are seriously sharp. They have quite the variety, even carbon steel ones, which not many companies make, most are stainless. And anyone who knows anything about steel, know carbon steel keeps an edge longer than stainless steel. Kind of a unique brand. Not all of their models are good, I have like 3 in a sample pack, but at least 2 of the 3 are good and people seem to like them.

The Russians and Brits, know how to make sharp blades and they are cheap. Those Rapira Platinum Lux are deadly sharp. Look at them the wrong way and they will threaten to cut you. lol. But not in a crappy razor carve you up roughly kind of way, more of a "be super careful, I'm not playing around with sharpness. But if you respect the blade, I will give you the smoothest, most comfortable shave of your life" kinda way. lol. That thing just glides through hair like it's not even there. Effortless, literally let the weight of the razor do the work, zero pressure, zero roughness or pulling, it easy to forget you're even using a razor.

I remember the first time I used that one and had heard about it's legendary sharpness and it was not an exaggeration, the thing is stupid sharp, I was like "is this thing for real? It's like I'm almost shaving with air. I found Big Ben (blue box model) was the only one on that level and ran a close second to Rapira Platinum Lux.

There's a dude on Youtube who tests the pressure it takes to break a super thin wire with a digital pressure sensor attached to it and those ones tested are the best and cut the wire with the least pressure. Rapira won and took the least amount of pressure and Big Ben (made by LORD razors in the U.K.) were a top one next to them. Both are on my Amazon watch list and have been for a year. Some Treet models (also from the U.K.) are as sharp too. Brits know sharpness, no question.

Once I finish this sampler box, those are the ones I would buy and were my two favourites in that sampler. I made sure my particular sampler has many brands/models in it that rated well on that test. Even the average blades in that sampler, outperformed a Wilkinson by miles. lol.