Vikings Blade products have become a favorite of mine recently as they are always very high quality. When ordering their products, you are shipped more than expected. A prime example of this is when I ordered The Chieftain and did a review. The Vikings Blade safety razor came well packaged, in a very high-quality case, had spare replacement blades for me to try, and they even added a mirror to the case! Overall Vikings Blade goes above and beyond to satisfy their customers with each and every purchase. I say this and believe it or not, I’m not even sponsored to do so, just a happy customer. But enough about the company, let’s check out my newest addition to my collection, Vikings Blade The Crusader.
The Crusader stands apart from other safety razors with its unique design. The head of The Crusader is a butterfly-type closure and features a dial that you can adjust how mild or aggressive the shave is. The dual-head also features one side that is scalloped for regular shaving and a smooth side for more sensitive areas. The razor is on the heavier side with most of its weight being on the top end, which is expected with all the extra hardware up there. The Crusader is also very attractive as it comes in either a chrome or bronze finish.
Overall the features of The Crusader made it easily be able to compete with any other razor on the market. The adjustable dual-head design allowed me to change the way the razor performed mid-shave. The weight of The Crusader made shaving effortless as I had to apply no added pressure. Changing blades is also a breeze thanks to the butterfly-style closure. The Crusader safety razor leaves very little to be desired from a safety razor.
Unboxing The Vikings Blade Crusader
As with all of my other orders from Vikings Blade, The Crusader came neatly packaged in an outer box. The outer box features a cool graphic of a Viking and an image of The Crusader safety razor. Other company and product information is featured on the sides of the box as well.
Inside the outer box, you will find a case for the razor. The case is very high quality and clearly reusable. There is a magnetic closure on the case as well so you never have to worry about The Crusader falling out.
Opening the case, you will find some written information and instructions and The Crusader adjustable safety razor.
The Crusader features a long handle and is on the heavier side of the safety razor spectrum. I purchased mine in chrome finish but it also comes in bronze as well. The handle is textured and has a knob at the bottom to open the butterfly-style head for changing your blade.
The head of The Crusader is where all the unique features come in. The blade closure is of the butterfly-type and has an adjustable “continuous aggression band”. The adjustable band allows you to make the shaving experience milder or more aggressive based on your preference.
The head is also a “dual head” design that offers a scalloped or combed side and a smooth side. The scalloped side of the blade is for normal areas like the cheek, while the smooth side is for more sensitive areas such as the neck or upper lip.
Shaving with The Crusader
Shaving with The Crusader was great. The adjustable head allowed me to set how aggressive I wanted the blade. Also, the dual head having a sloped side and a scalloped side allowed me to switch sides for specific areas of my face.
The Crusader excelled in that it provided a smooth shave with literally zero irritation. I followed my regular shave routine by applying my preferred shave oil, and my favorite shave cream (with a brush and bowl of course), and using an Astra replacement blade.
I found that The Crusader provided an incredibly smooth shave and a very comfortable one at that. Usually, with a safety razor, you have to get a feel for their weight, angle, or shave. However, this razor fit perfectly in my hand and was as comfortable shaving with a high-end cartridge razor. The only downside I found with shaving with The Crusader was that the blade was pretty hard to get fully rinsed clean between passes. My blade was getting quite clogged up. After the first entire pass of my face, I opened the blade closure and ran water into the head with the blade exposed. I personally found the rinsing issue to be expected with the razor having such a bulky head from all the features.
What’s to Like About The Crusader
- Heavyweight
- High-quality attractive build
- Adjustable head
- Reusable case
- Dual head design
- Butterfly blade closure
What Could Be Disliked About The Crusader
- On the expensive side
- Harder to rinse
- The adjustable head requires more cleaning and maintaining
- Did not come with replacement blades
Overall Impression
My overall impression of The Crusader by Vikings Blade was great. The overall quality of anything I have purchased from Vikings Blade has spoken for itself. The Crusader provided an excellent shave and had some great features that allowed me to fine-tune the shave throughout. The weight and length of the razor made it feel nice in the hand and the top-heaviness actually helped apply the perfect pressure when shaving. The only major downside of The Crusader is how hard it was to rinse during shaving. Aside from this small setback, the razor was exceptional and gave me an unforgettably smooth shave with zero irritation.
