Wilkinson Sword Quattro Review

Overall Rating

Nice design, close shave

Clogging in the protective cage

A few weeks ago The Sun newspaper printed tokens on consecutive days that when put together could be taken to an Asda supermarket and redeemed for a free Wilkinson Sword Quattro razor. Although I doubted it would be able to meet the high standards of my Gillette Mach 3, I'm not one to pass up on a freebie so took them up on the offer.

//\\//\\//\\ The Product //\\//\\//\\

The product itself is the first four-blade razor, no doubt brought into the market to compete with Gillette's successful three-blade product. I actually made a good saving because the free one I received retails for £6.49 with two free blades, but the real sting in the tail is the cost of replacement blades at £6.79 for a pack of four and £12.35 for a pack of eight (these represent RRP so you might find them cheaper). You can call me cynical but my first thoughts were that rather than creating a better shave the four-blade system was more of a ploy to upstage their Gillette competition.

//\\//\\//\\ The Design //\\//\\//\\

On first appearance the razor looks very stylish, if maybe a little over the top for the product. Looking more like an extra from the Starship Enterprise than a shaving product, the silver and black finish is an extension of the image Wilkinson have developed so well including their branding and packaging. The blades look as compact as any other, you really have to look close to see the four blades as they are so close together, and they are protected by a thin wire guard. Although the blades are easy to attach and take off, you can't help but feel the design is more for aesthetics than ease of use with a large slide button controlling the mechanism. Above and below the blades are strips containing vitamin E and Aloe Vera that are supposed to make the shave more comfortable by not tightening the skin. It also comes with an equally over-designed stand that whilst it does it job, soon got binned in favour of just putting it in the bathroom cabinet.

//\\//\\//\\ Performance //\\//\\//\\

Overall: The razor was easy to hold and the spring system in the head meant that the pressure between the blade and my skin was not too great.

Test 1: A normal shave, a day or so growth.

The shave left my face smooth and stubble free, but no more so than my usual Mach 3. I don't think the extra sensitive strips made any difference either and even though my hair was quite short it still got stuck between the protective cage and meant I had to rinse it several times more than usual. There is a built in rinse channel for the water to flow through and stop clogging, one of the main selling points, but it simply doesn't work.

Test 2: About four days growth.

This was probably the worst shaving experience of my life. I used the second blade to make sure it was a decent sharpness and although the finished article was as smooth as usual, it took a lot longer to get there. The main reason for this was that the protective cage got even more clogged up with the longer hair - and I was literally having to rinse the blade every few strokes, and often having to run my fingers over it to remove the longer hairs that were caught. Again the shave left my face feeling fine though.

//\\//\\//\\ Conclusion //\\//\\//\\

Overall, regardless of the final results, the fact that this razor made shaving more of a chore than it already is means there's no way I'll use it again once the blades are no good. Wilkinson Sword insist that nothing shaves closer and even offer a money back guarantee if you are not completely satisfied, although as I received it for free I don't have the receipt needed. The design is excellent but I can't help but feel that overall what people really care about is results and ease of use. Although expensive, I have been impressed at how durable the blades are, in one month I've nearly gone through both - I'd say that's ten good shaves each (unless the other half has been using them on her legs without me knowing as well!). On the plus side the shave was good, very close and didn't leave the more sensitive areas sore.

Not Recommended: mainly due to the fact it simply can't beat the Gillette Mach 3 on performance.

For more information: www.wilkinson-quattro.com

//\\//\\//\\ Final Thought //\\//\\//\\

Given my review above, and the obvious comparison to my current razor, it was interesting to find out that Wilkinson are currently suing Gillette stating that they shouldn't use their slogan 'The Best A Man Can Get' - very interesting!