I'm not that familiar with the various Wilkinson twin-cartridges. They ceased production of WII in UK/Germany, but kept making other twin-cartridges there?
Wilkinson Sword Profile
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I'm not that familiar with the various Wilkinson twin-cartridges. They ceased production of WII in UK/Germany, but kept making other twin-cartridges there?
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Yes, Wilkinson Sword (as part of whoever they were owned by up to Edgewell Personal Care today) retired the II cartridges in most (all?) markets and focussed on their newer products with 3, 4 (Quattro), 5 and so on. There have been product changes over the years, but the Contact II/Plus, Duplo II/Duplo II Plus and Super II/Plus were alternative brandings in different markets for the II blade product as it went forward. Today, I think all of these branding are old stock only if you see them for sale.
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Obviously there's the original II ...
... and the II Adjustables:
Then, there's some alternative brandings (for newer products ... presumably all now discontinued):
... and the II Adjustables:
Then, there's some alternative brandings (for newer products ... presumably all now discontinued):
Sabre said:
It's a really about a diffusion of product lines. When the Wilkinson Sword production of the WII in Europe either in Cramlington or Solingen, my money is on Germany, ceased it would have been exported. In this case to India. Another twin cart line went to China. They also acquired a twin cart line in New Jersey in the 70s. Was this sent to Egypt, South Africa or South Korea?
Ah, then unlikely the Wilman II would have been exported from India, as Cramlington closed in 2000 and Germany continues to make Duplo/Contact II.
Gillette had already acquired Wilkinson Sword (and the Wilman brand ) by at least 1995.
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The way I read it ... it's a tad more about the Indian market directly and it a at odds with how Gillette (P&G) and Wilkinson Sword (Edgewell Personal Care) play out globally.
Gillette entered the Indian market in the 1980s as part of a group whose interest were collectively named Indian Shaving Products Limited. Wilkinson Sword was a distinct entity. The Indian shaving landscape was sewn up by Malhotra group at the time ... and in many respect continued to be the major player through to today.
I gather that while under Energizer < which itself became Edgewell Personal Care later ... Wilkinson Sword (India) and Duracell (India) officially became part of the Indian Shaving Products Limited group. I gather that was indeed year 2000 and the Cramlington closure was no doubt part of massive restructuring globally.
Later that year, Indian Shaving Products Limited renamed to Gillette India Limited ... and retained rights to use the familiar Wilkinson Sword name and branding but often put both the Gillette and the Wilkinson Sword brands onto products. Later into the 2000s, P&G complete their full buyout and ownership of the Gillette brand (and so the Wilkinson Sword brand < brand, not product ... in India).
Long story short, the way I read it is ...
The products are Gillette/P&G but can carry the familiar Wilkinson Sword branding as well at the Gillette branding in India. This use-case is unique to India. The rest of the world got Gillette (brand and product) or Wilkinson Sword/Schick (brand and product) depending upon market as distinct products. Flipped the other way around, Wilkinson Sword products are not licensed to be sold in India - just Gillette products with the Wilkinson Sword branding.
... so, these Wilman blades could have been actual Wilkinson Sword back in the day (hence the brown colouring which was familliar from the global WII blades) but thereafter would have been Gillette products with the Wilkinson Sword name on the pack. In India.
Gillette entered the Indian market in the 1980s as part of a group whose interest were collectively named Indian Shaving Products Limited. Wilkinson Sword was a distinct entity. The Indian shaving landscape was sewn up by Malhotra group at the time ... and in many respect continued to be the major player through to today.
I gather that while under Energizer < which itself became Edgewell Personal Care later ... Wilkinson Sword (India) and Duracell (India) officially became part of the Indian Shaving Products Limited group. I gather that was indeed year 2000 and the Cramlington closure was no doubt part of massive restructuring globally.
Later that year, Indian Shaving Products Limited renamed to Gillette India Limited ... and retained rights to use the familiar Wilkinson Sword name and branding but often put both the Gillette and the Wilkinson Sword brands onto products. Later into the 2000s, P&G complete their full buyout and ownership of the Gillette brand (and so the Wilkinson Sword brand < brand, not product ... in India).
Long story short, the way I read it is ...
The products are Gillette/P&G but can carry the familiar Wilkinson Sword branding as well at the Gillette branding in India. This use-case is unique to India. The rest of the world got Gillette (brand and product) or Wilkinson Sword/Schick (brand and product) depending upon market as distinct products. Flipped the other way around, Wilkinson Sword products are not licensed to be sold in India - just Gillette products with the Wilkinson Sword branding.
... so, these Wilman blades could have been actual Wilkinson Sword back in the day (hence the brown colouring which was familliar from the global WII blades) but thereafter would have been Gillette products with the Wilkinson Sword name on the pack. In India.
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Straight-up Q&A with Gemini:
Were WIlman II blades made by Wilkinson Sword or by Gillette?
The short answer is: They were made by Gillette, but branded under the Wilkinson Sword name.
To understand why, you have to look at the "brand architecture" Gillette created after taking control of Wilkinson Sword in India. When the Wilman II (a twin-blade swivel system) was launched and marketed in India, it was produced by Indian Shaving Products Limited (ISPL), which, as established, was the Gillette-controlled entity.
Were WIlman II blades made by Wilkinson Sword or by Gillette?
The short answer is: They were made by Gillette, but branded under the Wilkinson Sword name.
To understand why, you have to look at the "brand architecture" Gillette created after taking control of Wilkinson Sword in India. When the Wilman II (a twin-blade swivel system) was launched and marketed in India, it was produced by Indian Shaving Products Limited (ISPL), which, as established, was the Gillette-controlled entity.
The "Hybrid" Branding Strategy
Gillette used the Wilkinson Sword name in India as a tactical mid-tier brand. Here is how the manufacturing and branding broke down:- The Technology: The Wilman II was essentially a local adaptation of twin-blade technology that Gillette had perfected globally.
- The Manufacturer: The blades were manufactured in Gillette’s Indian plants (primarily the one in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan).
- The Name: They used the "Wilman" name (a portmanteau of Wilkinson and Man) because the Wilkinson Sword brand had high trust and "British heritage" equity in India, but Gillette wanted to keep their flagship "Gillette" name reserved for their premium products like the Presto or the Mach3.
Why the confusion exists
If you look at vintage packaging for Wilman II blades from the 1990s and early 2000s, you will see a fascinating overlap:- The prominent logo is Wilkinson Sword (with the crossed swords).
- The product name is Wilman II.
- The fine print on the back lists the manufacturer as Indian Shaving Products Ltd. (and later Gillette India Limited).
Summary of Ownership
In the eyes of a consumer in the 90s, they were buying a "Wilkinson" blade; in the eyes of the corporate accountants, it was a Gillette profit margin.
The Contact Plus and Duplo are still available in Germany and Japan. In Asia, twin carts are still available as Exacta and another brand name.
This all resolves around the Gillette purchase of Wilkinson Sword. This was reversed by the EU/EEC and the USA. Australia had a compromise. So Gillette gained control iof Wilkinson Sword India. You will need to find carts with various manufacturers details. I am off to annoy Gemini myself.
Before the Gillette takeover (and subsequent mergers), the company that operated as the Wilkinson Sword entity in India was **Wilkinson Sword India Ltd.**
However, the specific Indian company that Wilkinson Sword/Gillette eventually absorbed to solidify its manufacturing presence was **Sharpedge Ltd.**
Here is a quick breakdown of how those entities shifted:
* **Sharpedge Ltd:** This was a well-known Indian shaving company (famous for the **Erasmic** brand) that was a subsidiary of Escorts Ltd. In **1987**, it was taken over by **Indian Shaving Products Ltd (ISPL)**—which was a joint venture between the Gillette Company and the Poddar Group.
* **Wilkinson Sword India Ltd:** Following the global acquisition of Wilkinson Sword by Gillette in the early 90s, the Indian arm (Wilkinson Sword India Ltd) operated as a subsidiary.
* **The Final Consolidation:** In **January 2000**, Wilkinson Sword India Ltd and Duracell India were officially merged into **Indian Shaving Products Ltd (ISPL)**. Shortly after this merger, in November 2000, ISPL was renamed **Gillette India Ltd**, which is the name the company still holds today.
Essentially, if you are looking for the "homegrown" company name associated with that era of the razor wars, it is likely **Sharpedge Ltd**, whereas the formal corporate entity was **Wilkinson Sword India Ltd**.
The **Wilman II** was produced by **Wilkinson Sword India Ltd** before the company’s full integration into the Gillette brand ecosystem.
After the merger and reorganization in the late 1990s and 2000, the product continued to be sold under the hybrid branding of **Gillette Wilman II**, manufactured by **Gillette India Ltd** (formerly known as Indian Shaving Products Ltd).
### Key Facts about the Wilman II:
* **The Technology:** It was a "Trac II" style system, meaning it used twin-blade cartridges that slid onto a fixed (non-pivoting) head razor.
* **Target Market:** It was positioned as a premium but value-oriented twin-blade system, bridging the gap between basic double-edge blades and the more expensive pivoting-head razors like the Gillette Vector (Contour).
* **Legacy:** In the Indian market, the Wilman II became a "cult classic" for its durability and the specific angle of the blades, which many traditional wet shavers preferred over newer, pivoting designs.
Today, you will still find **Wilman II** replacement cartridges in India, but they carry the prominent Gillette logo alongside the legacy model name.
After the merger and reorganization in the late 1990s and 2000, the product continued to be sold under the hybrid branding of **Gillette Wilman II**, manufactured by **Gillette India Ltd** (formerly known as Indian Shaving Products Ltd).
### Key Facts about the Wilman II:
* **The Technology:** It was a "Trac II" style system, meaning it used twin-blade cartridges that slid onto a fixed (non-pivoting) head razor.
* **Target Market:** It was positioned as a premium but value-oriented twin-blade system, bridging the gap between basic double-edge blades and the more expensive pivoting-head razors like the Gillette Vector (Contour).
* **Legacy:** In the Indian market, the Wilman II became a "cult classic" for its durability and the specific angle of the blades, which many traditional wet shavers preferred over newer, pivoting designs.
Today, you will still find **Wilman II** replacement cartridges in India, but they carry the prominent Gillette logo alongside the legacy model name.
The **PII** (specifically the **7 O’Clock EJTEK PII**) was officially launched in India during the financial year **1990–91**.
Its release was a major milestone for **Indian Shaving Products Ltd (ISPL)**, the joint venture between Gillette and the Poddar Group, as it introduced the "twin-blade" technology to a market that was still largely dominated by single-edge safety razors.
### The PII Story in India
* **The Global Connection:** Globally, the PII technology was based on the **Gillette Trac II**, which was the world's first twin-blade shaving system released in the US in 1971. In India, it was rebranded under the **7 O'Clock** name to leverage that brand's existing popularity.
* **Technological Shift:** The PII featured two blades fixed at a specific angle. Unlike the "pivoting" heads we see today, the PII was a **fixed-head** system. It required the user to manually adjust the handle angle to follow the face, a technique many veteran shavers in India still swear by.
* **The Branding Evolution:** While it started as the *7 O'Clock EJTEK PII*, it was later simplified to just the **7 O'Clock PII**. After the merger with Wilkinson Sword India, it shared the "fixed-head twin blade" shelf space with the **Wilman II**, though they used slightly different cartridge loading mechanisms.
### PII vs. Wilman II
It is common to confuse the two because they were the two primary "fixed-head" twin-blade competitors in India:
| Feature | 7 O'Clock PII | Wilman II |
|---|---|---|
| **Launch Era** | 1990–91 | Early 1990s |
| **Parent Brand** | Gillette (via ISPL) | Wilkinson Sword India |
| **System Type** | "Slide-on" Twin Blade | "Slide-on" Twin Blade |
| **Status Today** | Still sold as Gillette 7 O'Clock PII | Still sold as Gillette Wilman II |
While the technology is decades old, both remain in production in India today because they are compatible with the massive market of affordable "Trac II" style handles.
Wilman II was not a Gillette product/owned by Gillette when it was launched. It was being manufactured by Wilkinson/Wiltech at least by 1983, at it's own factory in Banglore (along with DE blades). It was the only twin-cartridge manufactured in India when launched.
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Neat! That would have been Wilkinson Sword (Wil-kinson Man) and pre-1989 takeover and subsequent shenanigans with the courts. Modern Wilman certainly will be Gillette today.
See above
You'll have to be more specific, please
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