I am contemplating buying this razor but I am hearing mixed reviews on the aggression. I'm hearing most say it is mild and a few saying its kind of aggressive. Will this be any more efficient or aggressive than say a Merkur 23C?
Posted Sep 11, 2016, 11:11 AM UTC
It depends on person and blade to a degree. One guy commented here that when he used Astra blades in the Wilkinson Classic razor, it tore his face up, but when he got an Edwin Jagger, Astra blades were great in that.
I think there are much better razors available. I assume you're in the UK (you don't mention your country of residence, but the Wilkinson Classic seems to be more common in the UK). Take a look at the Dorco PL602, which is both very comfortable (not inclined to nick) and very efficient—and costs very little, as you see at the link.
Other good razors available in the UK are the Parker 24C or 26C (they have the same head), Edwin Jagger, and if you'd like something different, the iKon X3 slant. You can get the X3 head and use it with your 23C handle.
I think one benefit here is immediacy of experience. You buy this at the local store, pull off the cardboard back, and start shaving. If it does not work out too well, you are only out a little bit of money; if it does work out, you spiral out of control and buy everything in sight.
I don't live in the UK but I do have the Dorco PL602. I love this razor. I was just looking for another travel option (aka RAD purchase) but I think I'll stick with my Dorco. Thanks
I think it's a very decent razor. It feels pretty mild to me but it's efficient enough to give me a close shave. This is a good beginner's razor for sure but will also continue to give even better shaves once your technique gets better.
It's about the same as my 40s/50s Gilette Tech. Mild but good enough. Good for beginners.
It is pretty mild. Actually the Merkur 23c and the Wilkinson are the only two SR I have ever used. In my case the Wilkinson was my entry into SR and the 23c a pretty big step up. The Wilkinson is a cheap plastic razor that works well but after some time you will see if you want to try something different. The biggest difference for me was, that the Wilkinson is not that great to shave under the nose, as the razor is quite a bit wider that the blade. I found that to be a little awkward to shave right under the nose. I would say try the Wilkinson if it's your first razor, see if you like shaving with SR, and either keep it for travelling etc or (like me) give it to a friend for them to try this kind of shaving.
Mild shaver, one point not mentioned is corners of blade protected so less chance of nicks when shaving in awkward places. For a plastic razor it has good balance because the handle is weighted internally with aluminium. It can be dropped on a hard surface and comes to no harm and although the top plate has a plastic thread it's very coarse so unless you really use excessive force this razor will outlast many made with pot metal. I'd recommend it as a very good first razor unless you've got wire for a beard.
I haven't used it myself but I think the consensus is that it's a mild razor.
It has a very large blade gap, so if you are slightly off with the angle, you will bleed. The weight being purely in lower handle makes it strange to use as well. I found it to be very aggressive and not very effective.
I found it to be very aggressive and not very effective.
See this is what I find that is so weird. You say this for example but most people say its super mild. Perhaps you got a bad one?
The Wilkinson classic has been my travel razor for years, it shaves ok and is relatively mild. However, it has recently been replaced with a Dorco PL602 which I find to have a better mix of properties: More comfortable, yet efficient.
This is a very mild and easy to use razor, less aggressive than the 23C. More importantly, I think it is a more comfortable shave, and forgiving as well.
There are a number of good YouTube reviews of the Classic, including two from me; let me know if you want the links.
If it's less aggressive/efficient than the 23C then maybe its not for me. :( Thanks anyways
You may find you really like the way it shaves, you really cannot just go on an absolute scale of aggression.