Budget shave at a fairly budget price (Wilkinson Sword Extra 2 Sensitive Disposable Razor)

Member Name: larsbaby

Product:	Wilkinson Sword Extra 2 Sensitive Disposable Razor
Date:	13/08/08 (320 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Not the worst shave ever

Disadvantages: Not the best shave ever

INTRODUCTION

Whilst living in the Netherlands I conducted an experiment regarding how good were several kinds of disposable razor and this is another round in the Wilkinson Sword competition.

THE RAZOR

The Extra 2 Sensitive razors are fixed head and so aren't as manoeuvrable as ones that do, which limits it a bit in comparison, quite noticeable if you're used to swivelling heads. It has 2 blades on its head packed closely together. The shave cap is clear and there is a green rubber grip on the back of the white razor which helps a lot with holding it. What I like is what they call the "clean bar", a little plastic piece which pushes through the slight gap between the blades when pushed by a little plastic piece on the back of the razor head. This is a neat little touch to clear the bits of hair you always get stuck on blades, so full marks to them for this innovation I haven't seen anywhere else. There is a lubricating strip which has vitamin E added, sounds great but I'm not wholly convinced of its merits.

10 razors were in the pack that I bought, in a green plastic bag. I note that there is another razor in the series, the Extra 2 Precision, which doesn't seem a whole lot different from the blurb on the website. You can pick up a pack for about £3.30. This is quite comparable with competitor fixed head razors.

THE SHAVE

I used this with Gillette Gel Sensitive Skin as the lubricating agent for my face, as on previous razor reviews.

On my first shave with the razor I got an OK shave, nothing special but the result was acceptable. I struggled with my chin somewhat and tiny flakes of the lubricating strip ended up staying on my face.

The second shave was even more tricky to shave my chin properly and the strip appeared to be patchy, almost crumbling, and I suffered a slight cut on my chin, possibly a result of this.

On the third shave the strip was just about holding together but looked very knobbly. The shave wasn't actually any more difficult but again a slight cut was experienced.

The fourth shave was after some days and so I had some quite tough stubble. I had to go over some areas of my face several times, and the razor felt a bit blunt on my face.

The fifth shave was actually OK. I went over areas several times again but got an OK shave. The shave strip was still just about holding together. I decided enough was enough at this point.

I've used pretty much all of the pack and the shaving experience has been pretty much the same as that above. Rather surprisingly, the effectiveness per shave doesn't seem to change that much if I shave every day or leave it for a few days, which I suppose is a good thing, although the number of times you have to go over each area is fairly proportional to the number of days facial growth it has to tackle.

It's not an uncomfortable razor to use, and you don't feel in any particular danger of cutting yourself badly. Even the cuts I experienced were very minor and didn't even require the application of tissue to stem any bleeding. If you like to apply a decent amount of pressure onto your face with the razor when shaving then this is quite a good option.

CONCLUSION

This is a reasonable disposable for one with fixed blades but it is a real inconvenience to have to go over several areas again and again, resulting in slight cuts more often than not. It would be a bit unfair to compare the smoothness of shave to that of a premium razor such as the Gillette Fusion for example, so comparing it with other similar razors such as the Gillette Blue II fixed blade, it does reasonably well and is one of the better single blade disposable razors that I have used.

I would say that swivelling head twin blade razors do give a better result generally, and a much better result on the chin, where it can glide round better than a fixed head. Personally, I would favour more expensive razors that don't require the hassle of going over the same area several times. There is definitely a trade off of convenience and quality versus price and this razor doesn't quite satisfy it, but would be worth picking up at a bargain price. Put it this way, I wouldn't pay £3.30 for them.

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Wilkinson Sword were founded in 1772 by gun maker Henry North. They became royal gun makers to King George III in 1804. Later on the company expanded into sword manufacturing and from the 1890s the product range was expanded. At the turn of the century, over 5000 products were sold, including cut throat razors. They introduced a safety razor in 1898. They produced armaments for World War I and commando knives and armoured clothing such as Flak jackets in World War II. They expanded into garden tools after this, and in 1956 produced the first stainless steel double edged blade. Lots of razor innovations followed, including in 1983 Retractor (first disposable razor with retractable blades) and in 2001 Xtreme 3 (first disposable with triple blades).

CONTACT INFORMATION

Wilkinson Sword Ltd
Sword House
High Wycombe
Bucks HP13 6DG
Tel: +44 (0) 1494 533300

Email : use the link http://www.wilkinsonsword.co.uk/contact_us

Website : http://www.wilkinsonsword.co.uk/men/showroom/extra 2_sensitive

Summary: Lower end of the disposable razor market