Merkur Long Handled Safety Razor

Amazing DE razor, delivered on time. The razor was in simple packaging doesn't comes in fancy packing.Razor is well weighted and amazing craftsmanship, the chrome finishing and knurling on handle is work of art. You can't go wrong with this razor. After lot of consideration finally made a jump. Use the feather blades and it just glides on the skin.Use an appropriate pre shave oil and start with the razor, no irritation, cuts etc.Perfect for the BBS shave in just two rounds.

Shaving was never fun, till I get this. I have thicker beard and shaving was painful, I tried many things, gillete mark3 etc. No luck. This de razor along with Asta blades is a great combination. You can't go wrong. Yes, people with less beards may not see much difference. I use it with poraso cream/soap and love to shave now.

Very nice Safety, I just love using this product. All thanks to Amazon who arrange to deliver it in India. This was my repeat order of this safety. You must buy one for yourself.

I was tired of the Fusion Proglide razors because of how much they irritated my skin. I purchased this and will never buy a cheap razor again. The build quality is amazing, etc etc, but there are a few things you should know if you are new to this.1. This is a long handled razor. They way you hold these razors is different. Hold it from the tip of the handle and let the weight of the razor do the cutting. You don't need to apply pressure at all. You might exert too much pressure and up cutting yourself if you hold it like you would hold a regular cheap razor. With that being said, I thought I would need this Long Handled version but it's not needed at all. The regular size razors like the Merkur 34C would be ideal for someone new to DE shaving and coming from cheap razors. So, you may have a hard time adjusting to the proper way to hold this razor.2. The next thing is to get good razor blades. I don't have experience with an extensive list because I just started using them myself. I ordered the 30-pack of Feathers and they came with a pack of Blue Birds as well. I started with the Blue Birds because I didn't want to cut my face off with the Feathers. After two Blue Bird Razors, I switched to the Feathers and have been getting great shaves. I only recently realized how good they were because I switched back to the Blue Birds and basically had the most irritating shave ever. The fresh blade was tugging, plucking, all that jazz. The Feathers never do this with me, even when I go against the grain. They go right through the hair without any struggle.3. Choosing a badger brush and a good shaving soap/cream is entirely up to you and what you prefer. Just make sure you get good blades, and make sure you hold the razor properly.For comparison, if you have a fusion proglide, you probably hold it in the middle where all the rubber grips are. If you can hold that proglide from where the battery is, that's what it's like to use this Long Handled version. If you're not comfortable with that, you should probably get a classic length safety razor like the 34C.

Based on my last experience with a safety razor I had some apprehension shaving with such a tool again. I was certainly questioning the praises for such a shaving solution. But my test was with a "butterfly" razor and this is one of two possible designs for safety razors.The butterfly design is the one where the head of the razor opens up like wings to change the blade. See my other review on the Mn Essentials Safety Razor. The 3 piece razor on the other hand is a dis-assembling solution. You unscrew the blade holding components from the handle. The "3 piece" name comes from it's design which results in dismounting the handle, the blade holder and the top.After some shopping I found a Merkur 180 at a decent price on Amazon. Note that this razor is also known as the 23c. This is a 3 piece razor that offers a longer than standard handle. Most razors have a 3 inches handle. Being a tall man, that size feels too small in my hand. I opted for a Merkur razor based on the number of positive reviews out there. Another razor that would of been a contender is the one from Edwin Jagger. It has just as many praises, but I couldn't find one within my target price range (less than $40). Yeah, these puppies can fetch a pretty steep price. reviews on Style4men.caFrom a blade servicing perspective, the butterfly solution is clearly more user friendly and you will never be concerned that your digits are at risk. Now this is where the benefits stop I think. Since the basic butterfly solution essentially just holds the blade in place, it doesn't offer any angling for the said blade. It is just sitting in one straight position. The 3 piece razor on the other hand, squeezes the blade in place thus curbing it a little. This curvature can further be adjusted by tightening the razor or alternatively, by loosening it. Plainly said it offer better geometry. Seams like a silly detail?! To my surprise, this morning's shave was superb.We can assume that the design objective of the butterfly opening was to make the blade replacement a risk free adventure. As much as I agree with that objective, the 3 piece design wins in the actual shaving space.As for the razor itself, it has a very nice chrome finishing. Every piece shows detailed craftsmanship. The razor feels appropriately heavy, which is an important quality as the weight of the razor helps when shaving so that you are not putting pressure and risking unnecessary cuts and nicks. Merkur razors are made in Germany and the stereotype of excellence for German fabrication is justified.The Test Stage:• Fresh out of the shower• Proraso Sensitive Pre-Shave cream (white jar)• Proraso Sensitive Shaving Foam (white can)• Merkur 180 Razor• Shark Super Chrome BladeI mention the blade because as with all things, I am sure that there will be small differences between each brand and that some will perform better than others. On my first test with a safety razor, it was a butterfly type with a Rockwell blade. At the time, I blamed the blade for my bad experience. Now I am more inclined in thinking it was simply the geometry limitation of the butterfly razor. Whatever the cause, I will be trying a number of different blades to narrow it down to the better shaving experience possible and obviously retry the Rockwell blades.Having my face foamed up, I was ready for the shave. Each stroke was smooth, effortless and comfortable. Rinsing the razor between passes was a breeze. In fact it was going so well I was almost wondering why I waited a few days before trying this razor. I was suspicious that once the shave was completed I would be once again dealing with numerous tiny cuts and nicks all over my face. But no, it was literally a perfect shave.The Merkur razor was not cheap at $38, but when you factor in the very low cost of the blades you are in fact ahead. Pacts of 100 blades sell for anywhere between $8 - $50. The norm appears to be about $15 for 100 blades or $0.15 a blade. The word on the street is that a blade will be good for 1-3 shaves. Let's say 2 shaves per blade for a total of 200 shaves for $15 of blades and $38 for the razor for a total of $53. That should more or less cover your shaving needs for some 6 months. The Gillette cartridge blades are easily $30 for 4 these days. Each of these last me about a month, plus the cost of the razor itself at about $15. Up front the cost are in the same ball park. You are ahead with the double edge razor after the first 4-6 months as your next 100 blades will cost you $15 as opposed to $30 +. I mention this because aside from the actual shave, the recurring argument from the double edge razor enthusiasts is the reduced cost.In summary, the build quality is impeccable and shaving with this tool was a perfect experience.The rating of this razor: To me it's a simple 5 / 5.Read more reviews on: Style4men.ca Read more

I love this razor. I used to shave once every two weeks and quite often would just let my beard grow out. Since getting this razor I haven't gone more than 2 days without shaving. This is my first DE razor so I don't have anything to compare it to but I haven't cut myself (badly) yet. I bought this model because of the long handle. Now that I've used it I realize that I didn't need a long handle because I hold the razor with 3 fingers at the very top of the handle for better control. Still though I am very happy with the razor and am sure that I will keep it for years to come! Just to note, it does come with one Merkur blade - I bought a 100 pack of Astras right away though so I haven't tried the Merkur but it's nice to know that it comes with at least one blade.

Well I just shaved for the first time with a safety razor and feel like I've just been given an essential shaving vitamin I have been deficient in. It was nice to take a moment for myself and let everything just wait. The weight is solid and the 3 components feel good in my hands. I have a thick dense facial hair. I tend to get a 5 o clock shadow around noon. If you haven't shaved with a DE razor then I recommend watching a few youtube videos. I also researched blades and decided to start with BIC based on my research. I know it's just my first shave but I'm pleased.

Bought this back in Febuary and it is still fantastic! I have this razor paired with Feather Double Edge blades and find I get a great shave.. I did use a Gillette Fusion razor and i would to get cut up a lot. With this it has dramatically decreased and now I shave daily. It breaks into 3 parts making it easy to load a new blade or to clean. I think it is a great choice especially for a newcomer to this style of shaving like myself.That being said, if you are new to using this type of razor be aware that it is a bit different than using cartridge based razors. I would recommend that you look up some how to's on shaving with a DE razor so that you get the best out of your shave without tearing up your face.