Wilkinson Sword

What Wilkinson Sword does

Wilkinson Sword is a British consumer grooming brand founded in 1772 and currently a wholly-owned subsidiary of Edgewell Personal Care (NYSE: EPC), acquired in 2016. The company designs and sells wet shaving products — cartridge razors (Hydro 5, Quattro, Classic collections), disposable razors, and shave soaps — with proprietary technologies including Hydro 5 hydrating gel pools, carbon-coated blades, Shock Absorb technology, and PTE-coated double-edge blade systems.

The company operates a primarily direct-to-consumer model through its owned Shopify storefront (wilkinsonsword.com), shipping to eight Western European markets (UK, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg). Revenue mechanics combine one-time product sales, gift sets, and a subscription blade-refill program (Subscribe & Save) offering 15% recurring savings. Customer segments split into primary (men seeking daily shaving solutions across normal to sensitive skin), secondary (women), and a discount tier (students and key workers verified via Gocertify). Pricing is in GBP and EUR with free shipping above local thresholds.

Brand investment is anchored by a multi-year Atlassian Williams F1 Team partnership announced in January 2026 — described as Edgewell's largest brand sponsorship to date — supporting brand visibility, content marketing, and DTC conversion. Distribution in the United States is indirect: Wilkinson Sword technology underpins Schick-branded products distributed through Edgewell's U.S. retail channels. The registered entity (Wilkinson Sword Limited) is headquartered in London with operational roots in High Wycombe.

Name

Wilkinson Sword

Legal name

Wilkinson Sword Limited

Website

https://wilkinsonsword.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1772

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Wilkinson Sword is a 250-year-old British wet shaving brand and Edgewell Personal Care subsidiary selling cartridge razors, blades, and shave soaps direct-to-consumer across eight Western European markets via subscription and one-off purchases.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

High Wycombe

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Razor and Blade Product Sales: Direct consumer sales of razors, blade refills, and grooming products through e-commerce platform. Products include multi-blade cartridge systems (Hydro, Quattro, Classic collections), disposable razors, and shaving accessories. One-time purchases and subscription options available.
2. Subscription Blade Refills: Monthly or bi-monthly delivery of razor blade refills at 15% discount with free shipping. Delivers recurring revenue through subscription model with flexibility to pause, skip, or cancel.
3. Gift Sets and Bundles: Curated shaving bundles and gift sets sold as one-time purchases, particularly prominent during holiday seasons like Christmas.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Wilkinson Sword manufactures and sells wet shaving products for men and women, including cartridge razors (Hydro, Quattro, Classic collections), disposable razors, blade refills, shave soaps, and curated gift sets. Products are sold primarily through a direct-to-consumer e-commerce website with a subscription blade-refill program and supplemented by European retail distribution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hydro 5 Men's Razor Five-blade men's cartridge razor with carbon-coated precision blades, hydrating gel pools, dual lubrication strips, flip-back trimmer, and built-in guardbar for close, comfortable shaves and sensitive-skin protection.
• Hydro 5 Ultimate Men's Razor Premium men's razor with Shock Absorb Technology delivering 40% less friction than the Quattro lube strip, dual lubrication strips, and Skin Protection features for normal to sensitive skin.
• Hydro 5 Sensitive Men's Razor & Blade Pack Five-blade razor and blade pack targeted at sensitive skin, featuring carbon-coated precision blades and skin protect gel with Hyaluronic acid, aloe vera, and vitamin E.
• Quattro Men's Razor Four-blade men's razor featuring Quattro Protective Grid Technology designed for irritation-free shaving with aloe vera lubrication, positioned as the safest shave option.
• Classic Double Edge Razor Blades Traditional double-edge safety razor blades with PTE (PTFE) coating that reduces friction, redness, and irritation; triple-coated for strength, targeting traditional wet-shaving enthusiasts.
• Xtreme 3 Disposable Razors Disposable men's razors positioned for convenient, on-the-go shaving without the need for blade replacement.
• Subscribe & Save Blade Refills Subscription program delivering Hydro 5, Quattro, or Classic blade refills every 1, 2, or 3 months at 15% off with free shipping over £20, providing recurring convenient blade replacement for consumers.
• Sensitive Shave Soap - 4 pack Shave soap formulated for sensitive skin, sold in a 4-pack as a companion grooming product to the razor ranges.
• Hydro 5 Shave Trio and Duo Bundles Curated gift bundles combining Hydro 5 razors and blade refills, marketed as shaving gift sets particularly during the holiday season.
• Wilkinson Sword Women's Razors and Blades Multi-blade razors and blade refills designed for women, featuring lubricating elements and positioned for leg shaving and body grooming.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40% less friction with Hydro 5 Ultimate vs Quattro lube strip
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Atlassian Williams F1 TeamflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 29 January 2026Multi-year Official Men's Grooming Partner partnership starting February 3rd with livery launch. Wilkinson Sword branding appears on the FW48 car (nose box, halo, engine cover), driver helmets, towels, balaclavas, and gear for drivers Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon. Campaign 'Partners in Smooth' features 'Blade Master' character working directly with F1 team. Described as Edgewell's biggest brand sponsorship to date, designed to boost global brand visibility and consumer engagement across Formula 1 season including British Grand Prix activations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Schick: Schick is a sister brand to Wilkinson Sword, both owned by Edgewell Personal Care. Wilkinson Sword technologies support Schick products distributed across U.S. retail channels, making them closely related brands serving different geographies with overlapping product portfolios.
• BIC: BIC is a global consumer products company with a significant presence in disposable and cartridge razors, particularly in European markets. It competes with Wilkinson Sword across price tiers with broad retail distribution in supermarkets and drugstores.

Emerging players

• Bevel: Bevel is a DTC men's grooming brand offering single-blade safety razors and shaving products targeted at men with textured hair and sensitive skin. It represents an emerging premium DTC competitor to Wilkinson Sword's Classic Double Edge line.
• Supply: Supply is a premium men's shaving brand offering single-blade safety razors and blade subscription services. It competes with Wilkinson Sword's premium product lines through DTC channels with a focus on design and craftsmanship.
• Oui Shave: Oui Shave is a women's razor subscription brand focused on design-led, plastic-free razors. It represents an emerging DTC competitor to Wilkinson Sword's women's segment with similar subscription-based business model.
• Bomb Shave: Bomb Shave is a men's grooming brand offering natural shave butters, aftershave balms, and grooming products. It competes adjacently with Wilkinson Sword's shave soap and grooming product range in the premium men's care segment.

Direct peers

• Gillette: Gillette, owned by Procter & Gamble, is the global leader in wet shaving products including manual razors, blade refills, and shaving gels/foams. It competes directly with Wilkinson Sword across men's and women's cartridge razor categories and dominates the same retail channels in Europe.
• Dollar Shave Club: Dollar Shave Club pioneered the razor subscription model and was acquired by Unilever. It competes directly with Wilkinson Sword's DTC subscription offering in the men's wet shaving category with comparable blade refill delivery service.
• The Art of Shaving: The Art of Shaving specializes in premium wet shaving products including safety razors, double-edge blades, and shaving creams. It competes with Wilkinson Sword's Classic collection in the traditional safety razor and barber-quality shaving segment.
• Harry's: Harry's is a direct-to-consumer shaving brand offering cartridge razors and blade subscription refills. It competes with Wilkinson Sword in the same DTC subscription razor category with similar value propositions targeting male consumers seeking quality blades delivered to their door.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/wilkinsonswordmenuk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wilkinson-sword-de

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wilkinson Sword