Excellent Premium Metal Razor When I realized how much money you save using a safety razor and how you can get a just as good or better shave from a safety razor than a multiblade cartridge razor, I decided to switch. I wanted a safety razor that had a butterfly opening for the blade and was adjustable. This one had a great price. After I ordered it, I looked at the negative reviews where people showed pictures of receiving defective razors with scratches on the shaving head. I almost cancelled the order, but I realized it was a tiny percentage of those who reviewed the razors and most of the reviews were excellent, so I figured I'd see what I get and could always send it back. The razor came in perfect condition without any scratches on it. I got the frosted chrome version, and it looks and feels beautiful. It seems to be extremely well made. It has a nice weight and feels like a premium metal product, especially after using plastic cartridge and disposable razors. And shaving with a safety razor isn't nearly as hard as I thought it would be. At first it requires being just a little more careful than when using a cartridge razor, but that is because you have more control over the razor. The first time you use it start with the least aggressive setting. Pay attention to the angle and feel of the blade, and shave in short strokes. Don't press the blade to your face. And I didn't go all out with special creams and soaps. I used regular shaving cream from a can, and it worked fine. I like that the razor is adjustable and the shaving head has two different sides, so you can really fine-tune the shave. And I had no problem with the open tabs. I didn't really notice them. Also, it was a pleasant surprise to get a pack of five blades with the razor.

Love the adjustable aggression I used to use straight razors but never had the time to really get into sharpening my blades so I went to the next best thing, a safety razor. My first was the Edwin Jagger De89lbl and my second razor was a Parker99R. The Emperor Augustus is my third and I really love this thing. I broke my Parker last night and ordered the Emperor immediately and received it this afternoon and had to try it out. Very little face prep, just wiped down my face with a hot towel and used my trusty Dirty Bird scuttle to froth my soap. I love that thing.I misread how the adjustment worked and made it a bit too aggressive but it didn't take long for me to realize my error. I find that opening the butterfly and setting the adjustment and closing it again works best for me. When you're in a hurry and don't have time to properly prep, setting to a milder number is WONDERFUL. As I get more familiar with this instrument I'm sure I'll be making adjustments for different stages of my shave and I really love having that option.I'm sure there are a lot of adjustable safeties out there but this thing is so easy to use and I love the heft of it, too; and the grip is sure. Since I've only had this thing barely a day I may have more to add later, but right now I'm very glad I broke my Parker. It was a great excuse to treat myself with the Augustus.Edit 8/15/2020It's been over a year since I purchased this blade. I'm even happier now with my Augustus than the day I received it.I'm no shaving expert, but because I'm a straight-razor flunkie I do have a few extra items. I have a scuttle, shaving cup, shaving brush and I use shaving soap. All those things make for a better shaving experience when used properly.1. I have those really nice Israeli blades but I have some Shark blades and I thought I'd give those a go again because they didn't do as nice a job in my old safeties like my Edwin Jagger. With the Augustus, at least when the blades were new, I noticed no real difference. The Shark's might still dull faster, I'm not sure. I'm still experimenting with that.2. For the Augustus, being an adjustable razor is its most important and useful feature. I find that if I let my beard grow out too much, placing the Augustus on its most aggressive rating works wonders, and with later passes reduce that aggression to allow for a closer shave. YMMV on that and everyone's beard is different, but that works for me.3. When inserting the blade, its best to put the blade on it's most aggressive setting, which allows the door to open its widest. Then seat the blade and back off the aggression about 3/4 (around 6 or 7) before closing the blade. This allows the clamshell to close without catching on the blade.4. I wipe down my Augustus with toilet paper to soak up any water before storing.5. The workmanship is excellent. I've experienced no issues, and it looks as nice as the day I received it. The blade settings is easy to set and is numbered to help you remember what works for you for any situation. I've not experienced any binding on working parts at all.6. The feel of this blade in my hand is just right. It's heavy enough that it's weight applies enough pressure to do the work and the handle is grippy and comfortable.7. I think the craftsmanship on this blade is so good I kept the box it came in and use that to store my blade in my office, away from humid air in the bathroom, because the box and razor looks so nice together. That's just me being weird, I suppose.For item 2, sometimes I have to wipe off my face with a towel and re-apply soap before continuing on my first pass if my beard's gotten away from me (a week's growth) and I've only been able to prep my face with a warm-hot towel for 2 minutes or so. A hot shower does wonders for face prep.I just wanted to let anyone know who might be interested in the Augustus that I found it worthwhile to come back here a year later to relate how happy I am with mine.In case some of you were wondering, if I have such a nice blade why do I let my beard grow out for a week or more? Blame my laziness and working from home so much in today's crazy world. I didn't know this would become a problem, but my Augustus helps me makes up for some of my personal shortcomings.

Good razor I started wet shaving around Christmas 2008. I've had this razor, in The Ragnar finish (black and antique brass), for 2 years. I upgraded from their Chieftain model.This is not quite what I would start my son with as it's not for beginners, but if you're an intermediate to advanced/experienced wet shaver, this will definitely carry you far.Main complaints, 1, finish on both razors I've owned left a little to be desired. Both razors had very small blisters on one of the bars.2, the butterflies tend to hang up when closing. In order to get it to close properly, I need to apply pressure to both butterflies while twisting the base of the handle in order to get the razor to close. It's been like that from the beginning. It's the only razor I've ever had that did this.As a razor, it's good. The weight is something I like, which is good, cause there's a lot of it. I honestly feel like heavier razors give you better control.The long handle gives you a lot of flexibility in grip. Also, the heavier heads hold the heat from hot water a lot better. Be careful of how hot your water is, you can burn yourself.It has a smooth finish which, when combined with a good shave soap, glides smoothly across the skin with ONLY the weight of the razor.The adjustment for the blade gap also gives you a great deal of flexibility in how gentle or aggressive your shave experience is. The ring and handle are numbered and marked, but it's kind of hard to see if you don't have bright light.To be fair, in these types of razors, the blade is everything. Dull and poor quality blades will absolutely wreck your skin and give you a horrible experience. They pull, , they drag, they nick, they bite and cut you, require more effort and passes to get a good close shave, and give you razor burn.Good quality blades have a better finish on the edge, many may be confort coated to enhance how the blade glides on the skin, they offer a shave which requires less effort and cuts the hair instead of pulling it, and they just tend to glide better.Also, if you are new to wet shaving, the soap also has an impact on your experience. Good quality brushes are softer on the skin, and give you a more luxurious lather.

FANTASTICO No doubt there is plenty of marketing hype-Australian owned, Chinese manufactured and marketed from the USA. Also it is expensive. However as a retiree I have the time and inclination to indulge in wet shaving. Let me tell you "The Vikings Blade Crusader is well crafted, has heft and superb balance.The shave is very smooth and if done properly does not leave any razor burn.Much of the credit goes to the Japanese blades that I use. I prefer it to the Gillette Fusion which I have been using until now.***Three years later/It looks better in real life then in the photos above. Even after three years of daily shaving it looks brand new. I prefer the butterfly design over all others.