Viking Soap & Cosmetic - Ragnar
BSB-Ti | HMW Extra Dense
Ever-Ready SE | Gem PTFE
Ever since Christopher Bailey started singing the praises of Viking Soaps in January, I have had them on my radar. I've been waiting on "Ragnar" to be restocked because, of the offerings, a Creed Aventus homage seemed appealing. I can't speak to the accuracy because I've never knowingly experienced Aventus, but the fragrance notes seemed harmless.
Unlike CDB, I don't factor in cost when I evaluate a soap, but it's hard to miss the fact that this 5 ounces of soap only cost me $11.50. The labels are expertly applied without a single bubble and perfectly straight. They're also waterproof. The label design, however, is amateurish. I like the logo, but the rest looks like it was done with WordArt 97. I don't mean to be brutal, but have a look at artisan offerings right now. Label art is top notch, and much of the time worthy of the product it adorns. In this respect, Viking is a sleeper. If not for Bailey's comments, I would have expected a freshman mediocre product---because, well, I judge a book by its cover. After a single use, I feel like this tallow base just makes it into the top-performer club.
I started with a barely damp knot, but I struggled to get a decent load. I added a touch more water to the knot such that it was a little more moist, but not dripping. That seemed to pull in the soap and it loaded nicely as a result. I face-lathered starting with painting, then scrubbing, then back to painting which yielded a rather fluffy lather. In many cases "fluffy" is not ideal, but this was quality---not airy---lather. It provided nice protection with middle-of-the-road slickness. However, residual slickness was higher up on the scale. As I rinsed after the first pass, I noticed my skin felt very soft already. This is usually the effect I get after prolonged (2-3 applications/passes) of my favorite soaps. Viking excels in post-shave feel and skin nourishment. I proceeded with 2 more passes for an overall luxurious shower head and face shave. As per my usual pattern when evaluating a soap, I smeared the pulled lather on my face and scalp and let it remain while I cleaned my gear. There were no ill effects.
As with many of my preferred artisan soaps, a post product was unnecessary, but I wanted to use the paired balm. I anticipated it would be a rich balm, so I dispensed a single pump, and it was sufficient to cover my damp head and face. It felt completely absorbed after about 5 minutes, leaving my skin feeling silky. The performance is reminiscent of Soap Commander's.
Viking obviously has a very nice performing base, but they don't get much exposure. Have you guys ever heard of Wholly Kaw? Sri was making outstanding soaps for some time, but it wasn't until he stepped up the label design that his business really took off. I feel like Viking may possibly be at this impasse. Let's face it, if the product isn't attractive, most of us are not going to feature it in our SOTD pics regardless of performance <cough>LASSC<cough>. I don't mean to suggest that the Viking labels are terrible, but rather they're simply not up to the professional level the product deserves.