I'll make you such a deal on mine. Trust me. I'll even throw in some of his "Swedish" blades.
Viking Razor
- Thread starter Dr Zarkov
- Start date
I'll make you such a deal on mine. Trust me. I'll even throw in some of his "Swedish" blades.
- Thread starter
- #82
I found nothing particularly special about it and for the ergonomics I clearly prefer my Merkur 34C.
This is the only razor I have owned, so I don't have anything to compare it with, but I get good shaves out of it.
That being said, if I had it to do all over again, I would have bought something else.
That being said, if I had it to do all over again, I would have bought something else.
I would suggest to the company that they post a video clip showing either a cross section of the handle and head showing the brass color of the metal, or showing them bending the doors (which should break if made of Zamak but bend if made of brass). I bet they could get a lot more sales if they would actually prove that the razor is constructed of different metal than the other look alikes.
I have to wonder how it could be brass AND bronze. If you alloyed them together, you'd simply have another bronze.
Eh. If it were actual _retail_, I'd say $20. You have to keep in mind stocking fees, packaging, shipment, inventory taxes, no shipping, etc. That's why the Micro Touch is the price it is. There's a heavy markup, yes, but the stores get a chunk as well.
Ali Express or bulk seller retail - $10-12, plus shipping.
Ali Express or bulk seller retail - $10-12, plus shipping.
Everything is relative. This 'over priced' razor made me fall in love with DE shaving. I happen to believe that anything is worth what you think it is. I paid $20 for this razor and it was worth every penny. If someone pays $70 for it and feels it's worth the money, then who can fault the crazy people behind the marketing?
It's worth what you want it to be worth. You can buy something expensive, and it might be 'worth' that, but you find it doesn't do the job. Therefore it's 'worthless'. You can have something given to you that's fantastic, and thus 'priceless'.
I shaved today for the first time with the menessentials version of the Viking razor. Very nice mild razor. Emphasis on mild. The first pass WTG was very smooth although I had to apply a bit of pressure, which I don't usually do with a DE razor.
However, I got nowhere on the 2nd pass... going XTG or ATG felt like it wasn't hitting any of the remaining whiskers. I had to finish off with my Merkur 34c, which is my go-to razor.
Despite that, I did discover one area where the Viking performs better than the 34c: reaching those hard-to-get whiskers right under your nose. Small detail, I know ;-)
However, I got nowhere on the 2nd pass... going XTG or ATG felt like it wasn't hitting any of the remaining whiskers. I had to finish off with my Merkur 34c, which is my go-to razor.
Despite that, I did discover one area where the Viking performs better than the 34c: reaching those hard-to-get whiskers right under your nose. Small detail, I know ;-)
I agree. Under the nose is quite easy. I also used to apply some pressure but that was the case with every TTO I tried, including the Gillettes. Angle is important with subsequent passes, to get a close shave. Similar to the technique applied with a Tech.
I did say bulk seller _retail_. I didn't say seller wholesale. I'm well aware of the price differences between factory, wholesaler, distributor, wholesale retailer, and end retailer. Bulk sellers like you find on Aliexpress are generally wholesale retailers. They buy in huge bulk directly from the factory, usually in little to no packaging. end retailers generally buy from a distributor, and use the fully packaged. Wholesalers buy huge lots, and sell huge lots. Distributors buy huge lots, but sell/distribute small lots. That's very simplified, but it works for an explanation, especially now when the lines are a lot more blurred.
I'm still waiting on the bifurcated Viking from @ZigZiglar .
I've wondered about that myself. Slicing one apart is the best way to find out the alloy.
My son got to playing with it and now I can't locate it
I was interested in slicing it open myself.
Check his bed - specifically tucked in the back corner by the wall, wedged under the mattress.
I'm new to DE razors and just bought 2 Chieftains, one for a gift. As a noob, I went with the reviews on Amazon. This razor is definitely heavily marketed. The razor seems well made, so I don't regret the purchase. It's getting me into wet shaving, which is great. I'm bound to make some good and not-so-good purchases on products. It's all part of the learning experience. I'll research my next razor on this forum prior to purchase. It's looking like it may be a Merkur 34C. Thanks for the information gents.
Last edited:
I promise you, you can do much worse than this razor
Update. As I previously indicated this razor appears well made. The performance, however, is lacking. I thought I was getting decent shaves from this razor, until I bought a Merkur 34c. The Merkur is much better balanced. I get much better shaves, back to back, with the Merkur than with the Viking's Blade. While I want to like this razor, the fact of the matter is this is a decently made, heavily marketed razor. The best thing I did for my shaving was buy a better balanced, higher quality razor, for less money. While I don't despise the Viking's Blade, for the $35 dollars that I paid on amazon, the Merkur is a Much better shaver!
I came across what appears to be an official and informative statement from Baili addressing "...the relationship between Bailishaver (Baili) and Vikings Blade (Vikings)."
See: Official Statement by Baili: Vikings Blade Chieftain is Not the Same as BD179
See: Official Statement by Baili: Vikings Blade Chieftain is Not the Same as BD179
No idea where it is made but the one I was given has been a very nice razor; mild but efficient.
