My Top 5 Merkur Double Edged (DE) Razors

As of: 12/06/2007

I primarily am a double edged (DE) shave person so I'll concentrate on that but I do use straight razors in my shave rotation including a disposable blade straight razor. I have to say I'm partial to Merkur Razors but I have a number of older Gillette Razors that I'm acquiring and trying out and will create a list of them once I have a good feel for them.

#1) Merkur 500 Progress Adjustable Double Edged Safety Razor Chrome
Adjustable and predictable. Good heft and feel. Handles all blades. The one flaw I find in this razor is when you tighten down a blade you don't always end up around setting 1. You have to adjust it to the base number you end up with plus a 3-4 increment from there which is my normal adjustment up from base. It comes with a plastic adjustment knob but I bought a second one of these razors and had it custom fitted with a stainless steel knob instead. The gold plated version of this razor is very hard to find and considered collectible.

#2) Merkur 34C Classic HD* Double Edged Safety Razor Chrome
If all else fails, this is my goto razor. If I use this exclusively for 2-3 days you know I blew a shave and my face looks like a Martian landscape until I heal up. This is a very forgiving razor and the one I recommend to any person new to wet shaving. I recently donated this razor to a worthy cause and can't wait to get another one. Note: I replaced this razor, so I'm back in business.

#3) Merkur 37C Slant Bar HD* Double Edged Safety Razor Chrome
This is an odd type of razor where the bar is slanted at and angle to give a closer shave while following the angles on your face a little better. The one caveat is this razor can be a little unforgiving in the wrong hands. I suggest a less aggressive blade such as a Derby or Israeli Personna Super + be used. A Feather blade in the is razor is nicknamed a "Ninja" combination.

#4) Merkur 12C Classic HD* Long Handled Open Comb Double Edged Safety Razor Chrome
Experienced users only. This will get you a very close shave due to the open comb design and is very reminiscent of the older Gillette open comb razors. Gillette moved away from this style of razor in favor of the less aggressive TTO (turn to open) style. I like the long handle and heft of this razor. I use this razor standalone because using it in combination with a straight razor would be overkill.

#5) Merkur 38C Classic HD* Long Handled Doubled Edged Safety Razor Chrome
The geometries of the 34C razor I like so much with a longer handle. Since I'm comfortable with a heavier razor, this just suits me fine. It's the razor I will use at home most often on the weekends when I tend to do quick shaves.

So, that's it. On a final note, a very strange razor I use is the Merkur Futur. It was my first razor when I converted to wet shaving. I've moved away from this razor only because it is so different in head geometry and feel than my other razors. If I don't use it for a few weeks, I have to "relearn" it and that can cause some problems. It's adjustable like the Merkur Progress but that is where all similarities end. Not a bad razor at all but a different duck altogether.