VIKINGS BLADE The Emperor

neongas

Member
Joined
May 4, 2021
Location
Melbourne
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Saw this on Amazon. At first glance I thought this was a replica of Globalshaveclub's Fatguy. Surprised a version isn't all over aliexpress; Vikings must have an ironclad arrangement with the manufacturer. Plenty of the Yintal version around which is longer and slimmer.
 
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Saw this on Amazon. At first glance I thought this was a replica of Globalshaveclub's Fatguy. Surprised a version isn't all over aliexpress; Vikings must have an ironclad arrangement with the manufacturer. Plenty of the Yintal version around which is longer and slimmer.

When a company takes a cheap Chinese razor, rebrands it, and asks for 3x the price, you have to ask yourself would you ever purchase anything from this company?

For me that's enough to stay clear even if the above model razor maybe ok.
 
When a company takes a cheap Chinese razor, rebrands it, and asks for 3x the price, you have to ask yourself would you ever purchase anything from this company?

For me that's enough to stay clear even if the above model razor maybe ok.

I’ve been caught out by one of the bigger name American companies doing just that and using cleverly composed advertising to hide the fact. I don’t buy from that company any more.
 
Nah I definitely wasn't interested in buying, I've seen enough "100% made by japanese samurai chef knife!" marketing to know what I'm looking at. If it was on aliexpress at a decent price I'd have no qualms taking a punt, because this is more an oem thing rather than a blatant copy of an original design.

Speaking of marketing out of one's league, my brother in law gave this to me a while back and it's sitting in the back of the cupboard where I hope to forget it ever existed.
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I’ve been caught out by one of the bigger name American companies doing just that and using cleverly composed advertising to hide the fact. I don’t buy from that company any more.
Surely the right thing to do there is to name names. :p

I've found myself going to some trouble lately to avoid buying anything made in China. A friend of mine showed me a kitchen knife she had bought off Amazon, supposedly a Damascus steel Japanese style knife. Damascus, that is, until the pattern came off the blade first time she cut a lemon with it. I reckon some of those bastards are so crooked, they have to screw on their socks.
 
There was a huge debacle around Vikings Blade a while back, where they contracted Baili to make their razors for them as per their designs, which Baili used their molds for themselves. They have since changed the design to include brand specific elements into the molds so that can't happen again.

An interesting read and shows they aren't just rebranding someone else's razors.

https://vikingsblade.com/pages/vikings-blade-chieftain-is-not-the-same-as-baili
 
Surely the right thing to do there is to name names. :p

I've found myself going to some trouble lately to avoid buying anything made in China. A friend of mine showed me a kitchen knife she had bought off Amazon, supposedly a Damascus steel Japanese style knife. Damascus, that is, until the pattern came off the blade first time she cut a lemon with it. I reckon some of those bastards are so crooked, they have to screw on their socks.

I wasn't sure about naming a portrayer but since you've asked. Below is the advertisement taken straight from the Classic Shaving web site just now. It was the underlined part that fooled me.

The Blades Grim - Adjustable Twist to Open Safety Razor

Something wicked this way comes! We are happy to let you know about a new project we have been working on for some time. We are confident you will really like it!

The Blades Grim Adjustable Twist to Open Safety Razor features simple and smooth turning adjustable settings for adjusting the razor blade angle to determine how close you want your shave. Rotate the knob under the razor head to adjust the blade gap. 1 = A light shave, perfect for beginners. 2 = A bit more aggressive shave and so on till the most aggressive but still comfortable shave.

Get this amazing razor with the optional Hand Made in the USA Walnut Coffin Case

Blades sold separately and not included with this model, please remember to choose a pack prior to checkout!

This razor is nothing more than a Yintal Adjustable selling for peanuts on sites like Ali Express. I have other issues with Classic Shaving but this was the straw that broke the camels back.
 
"Get this amazing razor with the optional Hand Made in the USA Walnut Coffin Case"
...
This razor is nothing more than a Yintal Adjustable selling for peanuts on sites like Ali Express. I have other issues with Classic Shaving but this was the straw that broke the camels back.
So it was the walnut case that was made in USA? Cheeky perhaps. But grammatically accurate for a change. Surprised you fell for that one :LOL:
 
I reckon some of those bastards are so crooked, they have to screw on their socks.

HAHAHAHAHA! Maaaaan I have never heard that one before but that is hilarious!!

On a more serious note I have been bitten by poor manufacturing on stuff and probably won't bother with said company again. I mean it was obvious it was never going to be as brilliant as the original but lets just say things were as crooked as a hind dogs leg. I was however offered a free replacement if I sent the razor back but needless to say the shipping would have cost me and with covid at the time and also additional personal circumstances and hardships that (I am still dealing with thanks to being ripped off again) I never did return the razor. I had packed it in a box and had everything ready to ship back but never could return it and have not touched it since. Absolute waste of money. It's at the point where I cannot stand the sight of it. I didn't even feel like trying it or reviewing it.
Some day I will own an original but it will have to wait when the right one pops up in good condition that I can afford.

At the end of the day if there are enough warnings signs or apprehension on your behalf then don't buy it.

There are just some razors that aren't worth it. Like another particular razor that has a proprietary blade that is made specifically for this razor by one company only. The blades are constantly increasing in price to the point where it takes out all the fun of it and who knows when and if the blade manufacturer suddenly decides to pull the plug leaving you with a fancy paperweight or hood ornament. Don't get me wrong its a reasonable razor but yeah... I think you guys already know about that one.
 
There was a huge debacle around Vikings Blade a while back, where they contracted Baili to make their razors for them as per their designs, which Baili used their molds for themselves. They have since changed the design to include brand specific elements into the molds so that can't happen again.

An interesting read and shows they aren't just rebranding someone else's razors.

https://vikingsblade.com/pages/vikings-blade-chieftain-is-not-the-same-as-baili
Makes sense, since you don't see equivalents on aliexpress. Good on them for taking the high road and good on Baili for being somewhat honorable in the end.
 
Surely the right thing to do there is to name names. :p

I've found myself going to some trouble lately to avoid buying anything made in China. A friend of mine showed me a kitchen knife she had bought off Amazon, supposedly a Damascus steel Japanese style knife. Damascus, that is, until the pattern came off the blade first time she cut a lemon with it. I reckon some of those bastards are so crooked, they have to screw on their socks.
I don't think there's anything wrong with China made, but certainly the misleading marketing is bad. Though with google at your finger tips no matter where you are, there's no reason not to be an educated consumer. Then again, as they say, there's a sucker born every minute *cough* bro in law.
 
I don't think there's anything wrong with China made, but certainly the misleading marketing is bad. Though with google at your finger tips no matter where you are, there's no reason not to be an educated consumer. Then again, as they say, there's a sucker born every minute *cough* bro in law.

There is no doubt that China can produce some of the very fine quality items if they set their minds to it but quite often they do not for whatever the reason. Maybe they are being commissioned to work within a certain budget by their employer, maybe they know that people will buy it anyway... who knows but I see where people are coming from.
You're definitely right about misleading marketing though, it's just about the worst and not above some of the bigger brands out there too. You're right about doing your due diligence but I guess that info has to start from somewhere or someone. It's one of those moments when RAD sucks.
 
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