Wilkinson Sword SE Challenge

Pictured above is a Wilkinson Sword 7 Day Empire set circa 1936-1952. This razor takes proprietary blades which are hollow ground like that of a straight edge razor. When I purchased this set ($24) the blades were covered in grease and in great shape, though I did have them individually checked and re-honed.

This is without doubt one of the coolest looking razors ever made - it has an industrial, steam-punk look to it like no other razor. I have enjoyed shaving with this magnificent beauty and I thought it would be fun to let others give it a go. Any member who has one hundred posts or more and wishes to shave with this razor, please let me know... there are 5 open slots. I have shaved 3 times with the same blade without stropping and it was perfectly fine, though if you would like to strop the blade assigned to you, go for it. Also, this razor has an adjustable guard that when fully retracted gives you a straight razor-like feel to the shave. It would be very nice if those involved posted some photos and a little review after they have used the razor.

Let's have some fun with this, shall we?

Very generous offer. I have an Empire set that is not the seven day set and so have loose blades to load manually. Had to hone the blade I'm using a couple of times to get it right, but once set, it is a great shaver. I especially like the stropping mechanism which really works well to refresh the blade. The adjustable roller guard is my favorite feature. I would encourage all eligible folks to sign up for this opportunity as it is truly a remarkable and unusual razor.

This afternoon I received an identical Wilkinson.

Can you tell me how this thing works? I thought I was mechanically inclined, but this machine is overwhelming. I still haven’t learned how to adjust or remove the blade or make the gears turn.

I've got the gears turning, pivoted the blade out, & I found the the push button on the back dial to release & set the blade behind the stops. It's been fun & I think I understand the razor. I also have a better appreciation of English humor.

No problem. To remove the blade and replace it with another, grab the head and turn the handle so it unscrews from the area directly beneath the head. Press the metal button at the back of the razor head and pull it down - this will release the blade and flip it upward. Grip the blade with thumb and forefinger and turn it until it disengages. To attach a new blade, simply align the blade with the central nib and turn it until it clicks into place.

Hope this helps.

ETA Your second post explaining that you figured things out appeared when I just posted my response. Glad you figured things out. It's the only single edge that I have ever used that gives me some of the straight razor feel that I really enjoy.

Thanks AnimalCatcher.
Now I'm staring at it trying to decide if I'm man enough to slide it across my neck.

Sure you are. Besides, you have a good ten to twelve pints of blood coursing through your veins at any given time - plenty to spare. All kidding aside, if you adjust the roller bar all the way forward you should be safe. I like it all the way back in the retracted position because it feels a bit like I'm shaving with one of my straight razors as the blade just kind of hangs out there in space.

AnimalCatcher said:

Sure you are. Besides, you have a good ten to twelve pints of blood coursing through your veins at any given time - plenty to spare. All kidding aside, if you adjust the roller bar all the way forward you should be safe. I like it all the way back in the retracted position because it feels a bit like I'm shaving with one of my straight razors as the blade just kind of hangs out there in space.

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I've never used a straight razor so a "safety razor" with the blade just kind of hanging out there in space is intimidating. Anyone who would expose their face to that must have a screw very loose.

Love my 7 day empire set. It's actually a very nice shave. If you haven't used one than I would jump on this.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

KentA said:

I've never used a straight razor so a "safety razor" with the blade just kind of hanging out there in space is intimidating. Anyone who would expose their face to that must have a screw very loose.

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If the individual exposing their face to the Wilkinson/w roller fully retracted is adept at straight razor shaving, then it's really just childs play and there's nothing to fear at all. If you have never shaved with a straight razor before and have only used DE's you still won't have a problem because you can adjust that bar to any position that matches your skill level. Don't let it intimidate you.

Ok-- How do you "adjust that bar to any position that matches your skill level"? I can push the bar forward, but it springs back unless I push the blade down to lock it behind the stops above the bar. I'm still missing something here.

If you are holding the razor so that you're looking at the rear of the head, don't press the button in, but turn it clockwise to make the roller go forward and counter clockwise to retract it. Look at the razor when you have the bar all the way forward and you can see that it does afford quite a bit of safety.

Huh. My bar doesn't move. I expect that either the track the bar moves on is gunked up or if I need to loosen screws somewhere. It is now soaking in Scrubbing Bubbles in preparation for the dawn / ultrasonic cleaning.

Those of you with curious minds & no Wilkinson should accept AnimalCatcher’s lending offer. This is a fascinating razor.

If the degunking doesn't work and it's more of a mechanical problem, let me know and I'll mail my razor out to you so you can try it out.

I'd love to try this, but i'm far to much of a novice, plus i would just look and stare at its engineering wonder and be too afraid to break it.

Such a wonderful device!

I'll come back in 12 months when i've learnt to master my Fisher-Price razors first

AnimalCatcher said:

If the degunking doesn't work and it's more of a mechanical problem, let me know and I'll mail my razor out to you so you can try it out.

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It work now!

what ever happed with this thread? did people try it out? i just found the thread because i have been fascinated with the Wilkinson 7 day set. the only wedge razor i have used is a Rolls. now that i got is honed well enough i am liking using it seriously be looking form a set like this. i would really love to find one as good as the OP

Unfortunately, no one showed any interest in trying this beautiful razor. If you would like to give it a shot, PM your address and I'll get it right out to you.

PM sent. i already use a Rolls Razor sometimes, and am not afraid to try other wedge razors. if the blade is sharp it should be comfortable and effective. this is just one of the coolest mechanical shaving devices i have ever seen. i have done a lot of thinking about it and now understand how the strop would work as well.
have you used it more over the last few months? and have you tried stropping your blade? i guess i am actually kind of amazed that something as complicated as this and the Rolls and Darwin for that matter were still made into the 50s while at the same time there were so many good razors that were so much simpler.