Viking Blades emperor chrome

[fmalpartida]

Just received my Viking Blades emperor in chrome and thought I would share its unboxing and first impressions.

The razor comes in a very nice package, very much aligned with their brand.

Inside, a very neat magnetic to open box (much nicer than that of a Rockwell 5C with the same price tag or any Merkur).

In the box a few guidelines (on wet shaving and razor adjustments), mini instructions and contact information.

And now to what really matters, the razor.

Very nicely presented and easy to access. A very neat little box for storing it if it’s not going to be used for a long time. Well presented if you want to give it to someone as a present.

The razor looks great, feels great and the mechanisms are very smooth. Here, if you are super picky, you can always add a dab of machine oil to lubricate all the moving parts.

Several things that struck me when I held it for the first time. It is a long and heavy razor. It feels solid and well constructed. Just how I like them. The razor is a bit longer than a Rockwell 6S and it feels heavier. The handle is a bit wider, and the knurling looks like it will do the business.

Firsts impressions are very good, specially for the price point just shy of $50. I feel it is going to be a good contender for my shaving rotations. The razor feels good in the hand and well built.

Unfortunately, it won’t be till it goes through it’s first shave that I will be able to say how well it does and if it’s a winner.

If you are interested I will post some thoughts and more pictures after the first shave.

Cheers,

fm


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[ajkel64]

Thanks for sharing the unveiling. I hope the razor shaves well for you.

 

[cyclingsteveb]

Very nice, let us know how it goes.

 

[BigJ]

Thanks for sharing!! Enjoy the razor!

 

[fmalpartida]

Thank you folks. I tried it last night and a real joy. Very comfortable, smooth and very efficient shave. Love the weight and balance of the razor.


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[emwolf]

I'm a sucker for adjustables. This might be the next one.

 

[fmalpartida]

I really liked the adjustment last night. Used a feather blade on it and had to dial down a bit the exposure to get a really comfortable first pass. For the second and clean up pass I also adjusted it.
Brilliant and very fast with out having to change plates along the way. Though with the Rockwell 6S on R3 I can get throughout with our changing.


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[arthur101980]

That looks great

I may purchase, but as I have committed to buying a Rex, a Gillette slim and currently bidding on a feather on the Bay I should really lock my PayPal and credit cards away for a couple of months

But just 1 more cant hurt, can it?

 

[fmalpartida]

LOL

I don’t know how it will fair with a Rex (beyond my budget), but I was very pleased with the result.

I think the kit I have is as far as I can justify for using the argument that DE is cheaper than cartridge [emoji2]


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[sandstone]

Looks

 

[fmalpartida]

Lovely shave last night with the razor.

Smooth, enjoyable and irritation free.
As soon as I have some time I will share my impressions.


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[valthun]

50 is not a bad price point for a razor like this. I think I do need to get an adustable into my lineup of razors. I always seem to go back to my first razor, even after sampling and buying more razors.

 

[fmalpartida]

For me, since I have few razor in my lineup I tend to rotate them all depending on bear growth. My go to razor is the Rockwell 6S though this one may well take over in the rotation. I’ll have to see over the next days how it performs.


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[sandstone]

Looks

sorry about this odd post. I blame my smartphone. I meant to say that this looks like a nice razor. I may have to try one soon. thanks for posting.

 

[fmalpartida]

Thanks for the message.
I have been using the razor for the last two shaves and I love it. However, if you are the owner of a fat boy or a slim I wouldn’t see much point on getting one of these. Unless, you want a newer razor or, like me, don’t have an adjustable. Not counting the 6S as an adjustable.


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[Tostig]

Have you used a Variant? I'd be interested in hearing about this Viking Emperor in contrast to a Variant. I do like my Variant, but I find it very aggressive, even on low settings, way, way more aggressive than the 6s; even its lowest setting (1) is more aggressive than a 6s 3 or maybe even 4 plate. An adjustable with more of a 6s level of aggression ... I'd be interested in that.

 

[fmalpartida]

I don’t have much equipment in my shaving arsenal. Only a Merkur slant, a 6S and, I wanted a true adjustable, this one.

In comparison to the 6S, I find that settings 3 (perhaps 3.5) equates to something close to R4 on a Rockwell, 2 is roughly R3 and 1 is closer to R2 on the 6S. I’ve never used 1 on a Rockwell, find that it’s only good for polishing.

The emperor, I have only taken it to a 5 which is a bit more aggressive than R4 on the 6S. I think that is as far I want to take it for my beard growth, shaving habits and type of skin.


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[THall]

Have you used a Variant? I'd be interested in hearing about this Viking Emperor in contrast to a Variant. I do like my Variant, but I find it very aggressive, even on low settings, way, way more aggressive than the 6s; even its lowest setting (1) is more aggressive than a 6s 3 or maybe even 4 plate. An adjustable with more of a 6s level of aggression ... I'd be interested in that.

I have both, shave quality is very similar but the Variant can go a bit more aggressive at the higher settings. I thought my VB Emperor would shave like my Gillettes but I was completely wrong. Looks very similar up top but the baseplate goes down with the higher settings. Funny but it feels much more like my Variant than my Gillettes.

If you were making a choice between the Variant and the VB Emperor, it is really going to depend on what is more aesthetically pleasing to you. Only Zamac on the VB is the baseplate. The silo doors, blade tray, adjustment dial and handle are all brass. The Variant has more Zamac up top but the threads are brass, so again, toss up to what you like in appearance here.

VB also has the Augustus finish which is a good combo.

 

[THall]

I have both, shave quality is very similar but the Variant can go a bit more aggressive at the higher settings. I thought my VB Emperor would shave like my Gillettes but I was completely wrong. Looks very similar up top but the baseplate goes down with the higher settings. Funny but it feels much more like my Variant than my Gillettes.

If you were making a choice between the Variant and the VB Emperor, it is really going to depend on what is more aesthetically pleasing to you. Only Zamac on the VB is the baseplate. The silo doors, blade tray, adjustment dial and handle are all brass. The Variant has more Zamac up top but the threads are brass, so again, toss up to what you like in appearance here.

VB also has the Augustus finish which is a good combo.

Forgot to add, the lowest VB setting is like a Tech if that helps.

 

[sg01fc]

FYI, the price for this on the Zon is now $47 shipped if you are a prime member. I've had it in my cart for over a month, just haven't pulled the trigger.