It occurred to me that I hadn't yet shown this on my channel, so I decided to break it out today for a shave. This is truly a monster safety razor, and I think every traditional shaver should have one.
This was the model, well the more basic version of the Viking Emperor model I was looking at but there were complaints about the wildly different combs causing issues in shaving. I then noticed how different the sides were in shaving thinking this would cause an issue in shaving, so I ended up with a Gillette Adjustable slim handle and later a backup model with case to hold my Micro Touch One/Weishi short handle in the nickel plaited brass version.
I haven't really had any issues shaving with the smooth versus the scalloped comb, but I may be an outlier.
I do like the fact that you took a look at the shaver despite my conserns for the model and why I never bought the saver. So few are willing to do reviews for the Viking brand because they think models like the Chieftan line or Godfather are exactly the same Baili/OEM models when they are actually made by the OEM factory for the Viking company in a better nicer design that is not as head heavy, often better for beginners and in colors with a slight design change in handle in said colors that the brand will not sell to others because of contract exclusivity. Then other model the Emperor adjustable line is made for the brand by a factory as I have yet to find a fat handle adjustable with butterfly being made by a company, closest I can find are models Thurlady made that are a screw on/snap on top adjustable that are not all that close
I suspect people would flip their proverbial lids if they knew just how many razor-producing companies had their products made in other countries. Machining isn't cheap, and unfortunately, U.S. manufacturing died decades ago and there's no indication there will be a revival in our lifetimes. That's why I have fewer hangups about razors made in certain countries for Western companies. Who else is gonna make them?
I do not care where the shaver is made but rather who now is making said model like in China, Pakistan/India because of who the company is tied to, though some made in Russia shavers from factories left from USSR most of the world will never get, we have to import the Russian blades via China where China admits the blades It is still possible to buy blades made in USA as well as people can other western countries due to the fact this is mostly machine done. The blades I like for my Gillette Adjustable slim handle are the Personna USA 100 pack that is now the same model as the old USA Personna Lab Blue but not the Med prep, those are no matter the country expensive because they use medical grade stainless steel blades with medical or even higher marine grade stainless steel shavers, I do as more a fuel savings thing. Unfortunately my dad is turning 65 so I want to get him some blades they will have to be 10 packs of 5 of the Personna German Red model for 50 blades (already imported to the USA on e-Bay in stock reserve) then also on e-bay 3 of the Personna USA 5 pack blade dispensers for the other 15. I want to get him brands he will use and has used in the past for shaving, from what I read in reviews the German Persona and USA Persona are really similar with the Red being sharper initially otherwise buying only the Dispensers would get expensive. I am also bidding on a Super Speed the middle version without a knob color for him in his birth year of 1960 and is from trimester 2 so that is has potential to be closer to his birth date that comes due tomorrow, I hope I get it as the shaver it was at $2.25 with $4.74 and was willing to go to $10 on the bid price if need be because past this and I might as well just buy an F/1960 version with case in the $20--$25 range. I am doing this because this is one thing we still share in the family as our own deal though my dad shaves only the neck/under chin area, as mom uses a Venus model using a Shick good injector model as a kid shaves now due to thyroid slow every 2--3 months getting her armpits only so she does not care if the blades do not last like they used to, my brother shaves the Gillette Mach 3 the modern version. My dad and I do not run was also our thing. I do not play disc golf as much anymore, at most a 1--2 times a year and my dad has not played since 2016 and had not played before almost nothing at all since 2009 but even so, my brother played disc golf as he will still play about 1--2 times a year.
