Thread: imperial victor review

I have an issue with buying cheap new razors from ebay. I know they are almost always to be avoided, but when the cost is so low it makes little difference and what the heck, if someone tells me I can't do something I'll usually try. Yes I struggle with can't and shouldn't lol.

Any way, there are loads of discussions about other cheap razors so I tend not to review what others have done better already. A few days ago I found a razor called imperial by Victor and could find no opinions on it. I liked the shape so thought I'd give it a try.

First impression, the razor arrived in a faux leather case that was a better fit than other such cases I have seen on cheap razors, don't get me wrong not a quality piece of work but well above expected for the price. The scale is light cheap plastic as expected, but is at least tightly pinned. The pins are ugly as sin rivits. The blade was well polished to mirror finish with a few etchings that seem to have been done quite well. For want of a better description I was pleasantly surprised, out at least as much as I could be for the price. The toe its badly shaped, that will need to be sorted!

So to the hone. Starting on a Norton 1k with 1 layer of tape on the spine I took to circles. 40 each side 10 x strokes followed by 2 x 25 circles each side with 10 x strokes between each set, all with very firm pressure. Happy by the look of the bevel I put it to the thumb nail, it really but in hard, far harder than I expected! On to the 4k Norton 3 sets of 25 circles per side with 10 x strokes. On to 8k Norton for a repeat of the 25 and 10. Then a conservative pyramid and on to 20 very light x strokes then it was time for the bbw for 50 laps (not a lot for my stone, it's very slow) finally finishing with a few laps on crox covered newspaper, I'm not putting cheap razors on my strops! It was tree topping arm hair very well.

So to the face. I've never used a razor of this width so it took a small bit of getting used to, with a few adjustments to technique I was fine. Not bbs, but definitely a passable shave. I'll use this exclusively for a week or so to see how it holds up. But so far so good. The width of the blade seems to me to do this razor no favours, I'm tempted to bread knife 1/4 inch off it! But when it came to shaving it definitely worked.

I wouldn't recommend this razor, not yet anyway, but so far for a cheap blade I've had more than my money worth of fun. A word of warning, although this is by no means a negative review those new to straights should not mistake this as an endorsement, if you are in a budget this is not a sensible alternative to spending on a good razor.

Attachment 184669Attachment 184670Attachment 184671Attachment 184672Attachment 184673

Little bit of dialing in the edge and time for second shave.

Edge holding well, very comfortable shave. Still not quite bbs but is not too far off.

So....

After a week of using this the final verdict...

It has held its edge well, it offers a good close shave better than other comparable priced razors such as gold dollars etc.

I hate the fact there are no jimps.

The blade is light and thin, very thin.

I would put this razor into my rotation but it would stay near the back. I like the shave off of it. I'm guessing that manufacturing techniques would make these razors very hit and miss, I may have just got lucky and for one that has taken an edge.

I've been suprised by how the razor has performed, the edge has settled well and shows no signs of flaking. I wouldn't recommend this to either someone wanting to learn how to shave or learn how to hone, but I don't hate dislike it.