Received this (courtesy of @Cha-wing!!), to me, very cool and attractive Wilkinson Sword Kompakt razor in the mail. It doesn't hurt that this is yet another razor made by one of my favorite British designers Kenneth Grange back in 1988. I'm not sure about the years of production of this razor but maybe @Sabre would know? The Wilkinson Kompakt came out in at least three different models - gold, gray and red (plastic). Photo courtesy of Henning B The rather wide handle is hollow and can store up to three replacement cartridges. The razor takes a number of blades such as Wilkinson Contact, Gillette Contour, etc. It's a great, compact (dare I say "kompakt"?) concept for when travelling and at 75gr it feels great picking up. The button ontop of the razor releases the cartridge - and by releasing I mean shoots it at least a foot or two out. A great way to entertain yourself in your hotel room should you get real bored. The larger, wider handle feels very safe to hold on to and the textured rubber grip will most likely help reducing the risk of slipping or losing the grip while shaving. The design does make think a bit of the Berkeley Custom Shaver (with its equally wide handle where you can store spare blades) - and I'm very much looking forward to trying this one out. Berkeley Custom Shaver:
The Wilkinson Sword Kompakt trade mark was registered in Germany in 1985. The Design museum and Guardian article stated that it was made in 1988. The UK trade mark was registered in 1990, and this is quoted in a Merger & Monopolies Commission report as being the release date. I have no idea when production stopped. Usually when the trademark has become dead is a clue to the product lifespan, sadly that page is no longer available. I don't have a silver or gold version, just two packaged red ones. The silver one appears most attractive...
Thanks for the extra info, much appreciated. Yeah, not sure why they are so hard to get these days. I can't remember seeing maybe more than one or two in a year.
Much overdue but I finally got around to shave with the Kompakt this morning and let me tell you - this is a GREAT razor! I think this is another Kenneth Grange design and if so this man can apparently do nothing wrong. His Protector is amazing, his Royale blew me away - and now this one. Extremely comfortable to hold and maneuver while shaving it had me clean shaven in a pass and a half. Just outstanding. Note: There's currently one for sale on the bay that's been going around unsold for a couple of weeks now w/ all paper work and pouch, etc. Someone should help me from myself and buy it!
It is small and handle has some good deal of width. Did you experience any kind of discomfort when trying to shave with precision?
I love my Kompakt! I was worried it might be too bulky but honestly it feels better in the hand than any other razor I own. It has become my favorite razor in my collection of Atra compatible razors.