So i'm back with another monthly (though this time it’s only been a week!) review. As before, each blade will be reviewed based on a 2 pass (plus touch up) shave using a Van Der Hagen razor, Henry Cavendish shave soap and a generic Fento badger brush. I run through 2 of each blade and use each 4 times; for a total of 8 shaves per brand. I'll be grading based on sharpness, smoothness, longevity and consistency. Price will be a factor but only of it's very cheap or expensive since most DE blades are pretty cheap comparatively.
This time i’ll be reviewing a blade with possibly the coolest name out there: Viking Sword. Full disclosure: I chose this blade purely on name alone. Kind of like picking out a wine based on the label.
Because i’m on a quest to find the best blade out there, i think it’s important to try all the major players (feather, astra, wilkinson, etc) but also to throw in some oft overlooked or unknown blades in an attempt to find some hidden gems. This can backfire (see my review of ZAE blades) or it can yield some surprisingly good results.
I’ve not said this before but on each new blade i use, i try to go in “blind”. Meaning i don’t read reviews or look up the blade beforehand. I feel like it helps me to remain a little more objective. Obviously this is all but impossible for the major brands, but for blades like Viking Sword it’s pretty easy to stay away from reviews until i’ve tried it.
Turns out, Viking Sword is actually made by Personna in the same factory as the Israeli Reds. There was scant info on them (no U.S. website i could find) but I was able to find one site that stated they were Polymer coated. They’re currently going for $16.95 per 100 on amazon which is pretty standard for quality DE blades.
So with all that out of the way, how do they shave? Simply put: Beautifully. The first shave with this blade was thus far the best shave of my life. The blade cut so smoothly it was like was running an empty razor over my face. These blades are very sharp and i cannot recall any other blade i’ve ever used that cut so well.
The smoothness was also unparalleled. I was able to get the first BBS shave of my life with no irritation. For me, this has been a journey of many years so i was extremely happy that i could finally find the “holy grail” of shaving and know that it’s possible. Now for the downside...
Shave 1 and 2 were perfection. Shave 3 and 4...not so much. They were ok and certainly not terrible, but the smoothness of the blade seemed to evaporate and i got a couple weepers on my neck during both shave 3 and 4. It seems like whatever coating was on the blade contributed heavily to the balancing the sharpness and smoothness, and after shave #2 the coating was gone. 2 shaves to me is pretty poor from a longevity standpoint so the Viking Sword took a hit in this area.
As for consistancy, both blades i tried were exactly the same. Perfect for shaves 1 and 2, and just ok (if not a little harsh) for shaves 3 and 4. This leads me to believe that the coating on the blade is the “secret” to their balance. Once it’s gone, the smoothness goes with it. Regardless, since each blade performed the same it scores top marks in consistency.
So overall how would I rate the Viking Sword? It has to score high just due to the fact that the first 2 shaves are literally what i would consider perfect. No tugging, no irritation, BBS both times. But the fact that for me it would be a 2 and toss blade does knock it down a peg. I’ve tried numerous blades that were good/very good and easily lasted 4 shaves. Also at $16.95 per 100, the blades are just a tad expensive to feel good about tossing after 2 shaves. So after considering all factors, I rate the Viking Sword an 8 out of 10.
Thus far it’s my favorite blade and it’s the frontrunner for my bulk purchase. If i could find a blade that was as sharp and smooth AND lasted 4+ shaves, to me it would be the perfect blade and i’d buy 1000 ASAP. But for now Viking Sword, while not perfect, is the best blade i’ve used.
Next up: Treet Carbon Steel. As always thanks for reading and until next time, happy shaving!
