A Sticky End

[lordjohn]

Looking through the posts on the Sticky (vintage Wilkinson DE razor from the late '60s) I chanced upon the observation that the shave is not that great according to one member. This is despite the high prices being paid currently for this rarity. This interested me as in fact I used to have a Sticky. Way back (must have been late '60s or early '70s I guess) I saw the razor featured in one of the weekend colour magazines of the time (?Sunday Times) as a Design award winner and I decided I must have one. Up till then I must have had a Tech as my first razor.

I continued with the Sticky until the first cartridge razor came along..was it the Gillette Contour, I've forgotten? Anyway I changed to cartridges at this point and I do recall thinking that the Sticky was not giving me as good a shave so it was cartridges from then on until the realisation several years ago that the multiblade nonsense was getting out of hand and the DE scene actually still existed with forums galore on the whole subject of wet shaving and vintage Gillettes.

And so I ponder that if I had not had such a relatively bad shave from the Sticky I might have stayed with the Tech and held out against the new technology. I suspect I would have been drawn into the craze for multiblades.

On entering the online shaving fraternity it didn't take me long to realise that the Sticky was commanding high prices on the auction sites. But where had it gone? I looked high and low but systematic searches and rigorous interrogation of the wife brought me no luck in unearthing the valuable Sticky which must have been consigned to the waste bin. I may even have done the deed myself! :shock:

That's my Sticky story

 

[Yellow Jim]

I actually find they shave pretty well. It's a milder shave than many of the DE razors but the flip side of that is it's very difficult to nick yourself with it or cause irritation.

 

[dodgy]

Hiya,

The Sticky had always interested me, and a few years ago I was loaned one for a week or so. The handle material is pretty unusual in a good way, and the balance isn't bad either. The shave itself was just ok, and that's trying maybe 2-3 different blades in the thing.

Not an aggressive razor, although I did have to pay more attention to detail than I thought was gonna be needed. As it turned out, the head design isn't the best fit for me, and it wasn't a particularly close shave. I was glad I didn't buy one and then find that out. Still, it was nice to get that particular monkey off my back, although another one hopped right on in it's place. Stupid dummy monkeys.

Worth a try if you can get you hands on one of those. Some people really enjoy the Sticky, and you never know till it's been used on your own face.

Martin

 

[KRF1963]

I generally reserve mine for a rushed, morning shave as i is a very "safe" shave and I rarely draw blood when using it but generally get a really smooth shave (question to self, maybe I should use it more often?)

 

[N_Architect]

Works great for me, a very nice shaver. But as with everything, one needs to try before knowing if it is suitable or not.

 

[Canuck]

You're not the only one to bin something, I guess thousands have. I was talking to my Father in Law the other day and was telling him about one of my vintage razors... so he says that he reckons he still has a couple of 50's and 60's Gillettes of some description somewhere in the loft. But so far no sign... I think they've gone in the bin.

 

[Rev-O]

Sticky + Feather (the sharpest blade available) = sheer bliss.

 

[Audiolab]

I still have one, mint in box still with the original pack of blades and cardboard outer. I use it now and again but always with a sharp blade like a Kai or a Feather.

 

[man of leisure]

Sticky ends holds a sad tale for me, about a month into this site and DE shaving a thought popped into my head. My Grandfathers old shaving kit in a leather zipped case, you know with razor brush etc. Excited at the thought of a vintage Gillette my Grandfather had used and I would now appreciate, I ran to the cupboard it was stored in, Nothing followed by a frantic search, still nothing leaving me devastated, not only at what might have been a lovely razor but at the loss of not being able to use a razor with memories.