Wilkinson Sword

Last updated

Wilkinson Sword
Wilkinson Sword logo.svg
Product type Personal care
Owner
Country United Kingdom
Introduced1772;251 years ago (1772)
Related brands Schick
Markets12 countries
Previous owners Pfizer
Energizer Holdings
Tagline"Free your skin"
"Get ready" (former)
Website wilkinsonsword.com

Wilkinson Sword is a formerly British brand for razors and other personal care products sold in Europe, owned by the US company Edgewell Personal Care. The company was founded as a manufacturer of guns made in Shotley Bridge in County Durham, by Henry Nock in London in 1772.

Contents

Besides guns, the company has also produced swords, bayonets and products such as typewriters, garden shears, scissors and motorcycles. [1] Gardening equipment is still made under the Wilkinson Sword name by E.P. Barrus under a licensing arrangement. [2] Wilkinson Sword has manufactured its products in three UK locations over the years: in London (Chelsea and Acton), Cramlington in Northumberland, and Bridgend in Wales, where it made gardening tools. In 2000, the company closed its razor plant in the UK and consolidated production in Germany. In 2014, the company further moved most of its production to Czech Republic.

History

A Nock Volley Gun (1779-1780) Nock volley gun.jpg
A Nock Volley Gun (1779-1780)

Henry Nock began trading as a gunlock smith out of Mount Pleasant in London in 1772. In 1775, he formed Nock, Jover & Co. with William Jover and John Green. [3] The American Revolutionary War led to strong sales for the new company. In 1776, the Board of Ordnance granted Nock, Jover & Co. an advance of £200 to start producing bayonets and in 1779 the company won a contract to produce 500 seven-barreled volley guns for the Royal Navy. [3] Although designed by James Wilson, these would become known as Nock volley guns or Nock guns. [3]

When Henry Nock died in 1804, he left the company to his foreman and adopted son-in-law, James Wilkinson. [3] When James's son Henry Wilkinson joined the company it was renamed James Wilkinson & Son (also known as simply Wilkinson & Son). [3] It became the Wilkinson Sword Company in 1891.

Motorcycle production

Wilkinson TMC 850cc Wilkinson 850cc.jpg
Wilkinson TMC 850cc

Wilkinson Sword produced some of the earliest motorcycles in 1903. These were two-cylinder machines with Belgian engines made by Antoine, which were marketed by a garage in Chelsea, London – one of the first motorcycle dealerships in the UK. The venture was not a success. [4] Wilkinson developed and manufactured the Wilkinson TMC, a luxury touring motorcycle between 1911 and 1916, when production was stopped by World War I. [5] The first 'Wilkinsons' were designed for military reconnaissance by P G Tacchi.[ citation needed ] Demonstrated to the British military in the summer of 1908, the Wilkinson motorcycle failed to impress the authorities, despite optional accessories including a sidecar complete with Maxim machine gun – and a steering wheel instead of handlebars. [6] The company continued development and exhibited a new version a year later at the Stanley Clyde Motorcycle Show at the Agricultural Hall, Islington, London in 1909. [7] Only about 250 Wilkinsons were produced before World War I. Restrictions brought the line to its end in spring 1916, and Wilkinson then produced thousands of bayonets for the war effort. After the war, they continued to develop the in-line four engine – but in a new car called the Deemster. They never resumed motorcycle production. [5]

World War II

Wilkinson Sword began producing the Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife for British Commandos and special forces during World War II. This knife became widely used by many militaries around the world. [8] Wilkinson's Pall Mall sideline in bulletproof vests also proved instrumental in the design and early fabrication of 'flak vests' used by USAAF aircrew.

Stainless steel razor blades

In 1962, Wilkinson Sword introduced stainless steel razor blades. [9] Soon the company's blades made rapid gains in market share because one blade, though somewhat more expensive, could be used for a week. The earlier carbon steel razor blades rusted quickly enough that many people used a new blade daily. Although Wilkinson gained a larger percentage of the market, the demand for razor blades declined to approximately 14% of its previous level. This introduction gave Wilkinson a significant market share. Previous market leaders responded by introducing their own stainless blades. The technology had been available for some time, but the market leaders such as Gillette, which held a patent on stainless blades, presumably knew that any gain for them in market share would be overwhelmed by the dramatic reduction in the size of the market. [10]

Merger with British Match

In 1973, Wilkinson Sword merged with the British Match Corporation to form Wilkinson Match. [1] This was intended to create a stronger company, with a larger advertising budget that would enable the company to fight its American rival in the consumer shaving market, the Gillette Company, and its British subsidiary, also called Gillette. In this advertising war, Wilkinson Sword loudly touted its long and proud tradition of bladesmithing in its print and electronic media advertisements. That same year Wilkinson purchased the American pen and lighter company Scripto, Inc. in an attempt to diversify its holdings. [1]

Allegheny Ludlum Industries of Pittsburgh purchased Wilkinson Match in 1978. After becoming Allegheny International, Inc., the company filed for bankruptcy reorganization in 1987. Allegheny sold Wilkinson Match in 1986 to Swedish Match, which merged with Stora Group two years later. [1] In 1989, Gillette helped finance a buyout of the Swedish Match consumer products division, which included Wilkinson Sword, by the Netherlands-based Eemland Holdings, giving Gillette a 22% stake in Eemland. [11] After Gillette was ordered by the European Community Commission in 1992 to sell its interest in Eemland, Eemland sold Wilkinson Sword to Warner-Lambert, owner of Schick razor brand forming Schick-Wilkinson Sword. The Schick name was used on its products in North America and Japan, and the Wilkinson Sword name in Europe. [1] In 2000, Pfizer acquired Warner-Lambert and three-years later, divested the Wilkinson component.

Most of the former Bryant and May operations of Wilkinson Match were closed or sold in the late 1970s and early 1980s, including the Bryant and May factories in Bow and Melbourne. The home and gardening tools division was sold to Fiskars in 1988.

Sword production

Throughout the 20th century, Wilkinson Sword produced ceremonial swords for the Household Cavalry of the British Army, and crafted the ceremonial sword for the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II in 2002. The sword factory combined state of the art manufacturing technology with traditional skills and 19th century machinery to produce original fighting quality swords.

The production of swords came to an end when the company's sword factory at Acton closed in September 2005. [12] Wilkinson Sword then held an auction of the tools, equipment, sword drawings, and forging and milling machinery. Robert Pooley, who had commissioned the company to produce swords, bought many of these items and formed Pooley Sword to supply the Army in place of Wilkinson Sword. [13] Other sword manufacturers, and in particular WKC in Germany, also bought items, including the roll forge. Many of the tools and machines remain in use, and classic knives such as the Fairbairn-Sykes are produced by both companies.

21st century

Energizer Holdings bought Wilkinson Sword from Pfizer in 2003, along with Schick. In 2015, Energizer demerged its personal care business as a new company, Edgewell Personal Care, of which Wilkinson Sword and Schick became part. [14] Both are now brands used by Edgewell; Wilkinson Sword is used in Europe and Schick is used in Edgewell's remaining markets.

Wilkinson Sword-branded three-, four-, and five-bladed razors for men and women have been produced in Germany since 1998, when production moved from the UK. [15]

India

In India the 'Wilkinson Sword' brand is owned by Gillette, who manufacture and sell products using the Wilkinson Sword logo. [16]

Products

Quattro Titanium Energy Quattro Titanium Energy.jpg
Quattro Titanium Energy

Wilkinson also makes double edge razor blades for safety razors.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shaving</span> Removal of hair with a razor or others bladed implement

Shaving is the removal of hair, by using a razor or any other kind of bladed implement, to slice it down—to the level of the skin or otherwise. Shaving is most commonly practiced by men to remove their facial hair and by women to remove their leg and underarm hair. A man is called clean-shaven if he has had his beard entirely removed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King C. Gillette</span> American entrepreneur (1855–1932)

King Camp Gillette was an American businessman who invented a bestselling safety razor. Gillette's innovation was the thin, inexpensive, disposable blade of stamped steel. Gillette is often erroneously credited with inventing the so-called razor and blades business model in which razors are sold cheaply to increase the market for blades. However, Gillette Safety Razor Company adopted the business model from its competitors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Razor</span> Device to remove body hair

A razor is a bladed tool primarily used in the removal of body hair through the act of shaving. Kinds of razors include straight razors, safety razors, disposable razors, and electric razors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Safety razor</span> Shaving implement

A safety razor is a shaving implement with a protective device positioned between the edge of the blade and the skin. The initial purpose of these protective devices was to reduce the level of skill needed for injury-free shaving, thereby reducing the reliance on professional barbers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Energizer</span> American multinational consumer goods company

Energizer Holdings, Inc. is an American manufacturer and one of the world's largest manufacturers of batteries, headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. It produces batteries under the Energizer, Ray-O-Vac, Varta, and Eveready brand names and formerly owned several personal care businesses until it separated that side of the business into a new company called Edgewell Personal Care in 2015.

Gillette is an American brand of safety razors and other personal care products including shaving supplies, owned by the multi-national corporation Procter & Gamble (P&G). Based in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, it was owned by The Gillette Company, a supplier of products under various brands until that company merged into P&G in 2005. The Gillette Company was founded by King C. Gillette in 1901 as a safety razor manufacturer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electric shaver</span> Razor with an electrically powered rotating or oscillating blade

An electric shaver is a razor with an electrically powered rotating or oscillating blade. The electric shaver usually does not require the use of shaving cream, soap, or water. The razor may be powered by a small DC motor, which is either powered by batteries or mains electricity. Many modern ones are powered using rechargeable batteries. Alternatively, an electro-mechanical oscillator driven by an AC-energized solenoid may be used. Some very early mechanical shavers had no electric motor and had to be powered by hand, for example by pulling a cord to drive a flywheel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Straight razor</span> Knife used to remove body hair

A straight razor is a razor with a blade that can fold into its handle. They are also called open razors and cut-throat razors. The predecessors of the modern straight razors include bronze razors, with cutting edges and fixed handles, produced by craftsmen from Ancient Egypt during the New Kingdom. Solid gold and copper razors were also found in Ancient Egyptian tombs dating back to the 4th millennium BC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Schick (razors)</span> American personal care brand owned by Edgewell

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Razor and blades model</span> Business model

The razor and blades business model is a business model in which one item is sold at a low price in order to increase sales of a complementary good, such as consumable supplies. It is different from loss leader marketing and free sample marketing, which do not depend on complementary products or services. Common examples of the razor and blades model include inkjet printers whose ink cartridges are significantly marked up in price, coffee machines that use single-use coffee pods, electric toothbrushes, and video game consoles which require additional purchases to obtain accessories and software not included in the original package.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilkinson TMC</span> Type of motorcycle

The Wilkinson TMC is a British luxury touring motorcycle manufactured by the Wilkinson Sword company in Acton, London between 1911 and 1916, when production was stopped by the first World War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edge (shaving gel)</span> American personal care brand owned by Edgewell

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Nock</span> British inventor (1741-1804)

Henry Nock (1741–1804) was a British inventor and engineer of the Napoleonic period, best known as a gunsmith. Nock produced many innovative weapons including the screwless lock and the seven-barrelled volley gun, although he did not invent the latter despite it commonly being known as the Nock gun. He was a major supplier to the military during the Napoleonic wars. His high quality duelling pistols and double-barrelled shotguns were much sought after and it is largely through Nock that the latter became the weapon of choice for hunters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry's</span> American shaving equipment company

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American Safety Razor Company is a personal care brand founded in the early 20th century (1906) by a merging of the Gem Cutlery Company & Ever-Ready and has been a principal competitor to Gillette for a century and more. It is unrelated to the Gillette company which also used the name 'American Safety Razor Company' in 1901 until 1904 before it was renamed for its founder, King C. Gillette.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edgewell Personal Care</span> American multinational consumer products company

The Edgewell Personal Care Company is an American multinational consumer products company headquartered in Shelton, Connecticut. It was formed in 2015 following the corporate spin-off from Energizer Holdings. Edgewell Personal Care was formed by the renaming of the original Energizer Holdings; Energizer's battery business was then spun-off as Energizer Household Products and then renamed Energizer Holdings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Emery Nickerson</span> American inventor

William Emery Nickerson was an American engineer and inventor. He worked with King C. Gillette at the start of the Gillette Company and was later elected to Gillette's board of directors. Nickerson has been called “the mechanical genius behind the safety razor,” and received patents for hardening and sharpening the blades.

References

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  4. De Cet, Mirco (2005). Quentin Daniel (ed.). The Complete Encyclopedia of Classic Motorcycles. Rebo International. ISBN   978-90-366-1497-9.
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  10. "Competition: Beastly Blades". Time. 23 November 1962.
  11. Yenkin, Jonathan (11 November 1992). "Gillette ordered to sell stake in Wilkinson parent". Associated Press . APnewsarchive. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
  12. "Army sword factory gets the chop". BBC News. 20 September 2005. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  13. "British Military Swords". Pooley Sword. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  14. Andrew Goodman. "With The Energizer Split, What Will Edgewell Look Like?". Forbes. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
  15. "Wilkinson Sword cuts jobs". BBC News. 1 October 1998. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
  16. "Gillette Wilkinson Sword, Double Edge Razor Blades". www.gillette.co.in.
  17. Sepinwall, Alan (5 April 2015). "Season premiere review: 'Mad Men' - 'Severance': Is that all there is?". Hitfix.