Wilkinson Sword brush

R

Rob Dery

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977
I bought this brush in Morrisons on a whim to see how a brush that might be the first one someone interested in wetshaving might buy will perform.

I shaved with this brush all of last week and it does deliver soap or cream to the face, but it was quite disappointing. The hairs shed prodigiously and splayed out so much that I had to work hard to get an adequate amount of lather where I wanted it (I like working it onto my skin in small circles. Perhaps painting it on would be more effective.)

For a few pounds more one can buy far better brushes, and for much the same price Bestshaves No.6 is in reach - again providing a better experience.

I wonder how many curious men have been put off trying wetshaving by using this easily available but poor brush?
 
Some have gone even further to suggest it was a marketing trick of Wilkie's, with their shitty brush and soap to put people off traditional wet shaving :)
 
I started with the Wilkie brush and thought it was OK, it was only later I found how poor it was!

As a cheap starter brush I've found the new Erasmic bristle one to be pretty good. It can be had for 2 quid from Semi-Chem and savers.
 
I've tried one.

Not a great brush and it did shed a bit for a few shaves, but I managed to build and apply a decent lather with it.

As above, the Erasmic brush is better.

Ian
 
I had a WS brush for years and it was fine, gave it to a colleague who uses it still but don't know what the current ones are like now. As for the comments on their modern blades if that's the DE ones then they are my 2nd favourite after Gillette Super Thins so its horses for courses.

Currently as far as cheap brushes go I am a big fan of the Frank Shaving and Kent synthetics. I've no major issues with animal hair being used but those brushes are such good value for money its nice that they are also "guilt" free.
 
It is pretty terrible.

As somebody suggested earlier it looks like something Wilko themselves have done to make people think wet shaving is rubbish :).

Despite this, some way or another, traditional wet shaving is catching on again in a big way, I think possibly down to men becoming increasingly metro sexual. Although it is an old timer way of doing things, it involves more products than would normally be acceptable so therefore shaving with a disposable and a can of blue goo is seen as 'more manly' because it is more basic. The new generation of wet shavers are turning towards badger and blade shaving it because it involves more grooming and products than normal, not because it is traditional.

I've now noticed 3 T's and companies like Muhle, Merkur & Kent being advertised in the men grooming sections of various newspapers and lads mags so it is getting airtime, just more towards the middle class yuppie types at the moment.
 
I used the Wilkie brush and blue bowl soap for a couple of years before I came in to DE shaving. I still use them now and again. Neither are perfect but for easily available and for about £7, for both the soap and the brush, added to your supermarket shop they are wrth the try. Of course the reality is that Palmolive is far better so than the soap but it's worth a gamble to have a play.

the brush does get better after a months use and I think it actually does have a very nice handle on it but there's no doubt it does shed a few hairs. I can get 3 passes face lathering with TOBS no problem out of it.

i don't see why it should put people off. Anything needs a few attempts and in my case it actually led me here and in to wetshaving.

As for the cheaper brushes, well that assumes you are going to go and place an order in Turkey over the internet which is fine but not exactly a spur of the moment impulse buy when you are doing the weekly shop, nor will be cheaper once P+P and maybe customs added in.

If you are going to use the internet then you can get can Omega, from many uk based retailers, for about a fiver plus p+p which will do a very good job.
 
I have one, and it lathers without any problem at all. But it can be absorbent due to the size of the bristle. I don't know if WS deliberately make things bad to put people off though. I've got some WS shaving soap but I don't know when I'll get round to using it. But there are worse products out there.

The brush works well after a while, but maybe WS could manufacture it with a lower bristle length. That may make a difference.

The German made blades are a favourite of mine, but they could be better.
 
Hi

I bought the wilkinson sword brush 2 months ago when I first started de shaving and to say I like it a lot. I use it every day and face lather using both creams and soaps with no issues and I get loads of lather enough for 4 passes if needed. It has suffered minimal bristle loss.

I do have a question that maybe someone could answer for me please.

My brush has a black plastic ring around the knot and I have seen the exact same brush with silver metal ring around the knot. Is there a difference in ie synthetic or boar/hog or are these brushes all the same. Ive looked online and cant find any info.

I still recomend these brushes.

Thanks
Peter
 
I still have my Wilkie Brush I used from my early days of wet shaving (I've shaved every day for the last 50 years). I used it daily up until about 5 years ago with no problems when I turned away from cartridge razors and went back to a "proper" razor. My first "proper" razor was the black Wilkinson Sword Classic (£5 including 5 Wilki blades).

I now use a custom-made horse-hair brush and a variety of DE razors but the Wilkinson blades are still my favourite.
 
I have one of the brushes to have a go with, as previously mentioned not overly expensive to give something else a try. I quite like the blades that came with the classic razor as well
 
My first and so far only brush.

No problems lathering up TOBS creams that I've tried. I've had it over a year and it
seems to be getting better, or maybe my technique is! Been thinking of a badger or synthetic but happy with the Wilkie and can't see how much better another would be.

Well worth a try. Mine has only dropped a few hairs so far.
 
My first and present brush is a Progress Vulfix 404 Grosvenor Mixed Badger and Boar Bristle, It cost me £10.99. That's hardly a Kings Ransom! I did buy it on line so it wasn't an impulse buy. I've been using it three months and it's fine I have no plans to replace it.
 
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