Merkur HD 34C, Chrome Plated

I must start out by saying I am one of those men with a beard that seems to be made of wire and skin that is incredibly sensitive - shaving has never been fun, easy or without issues since I was a teenager. The majority of my life has been spent shaving with those lovely cartridge razors that burn your skin and your wallet leaving you unhappy and with a dread of shaving; something that in today's world is nearly a must in all professional circles.

I decided to purchase this razor after 3 weeks of research into wet shaving and in all honesty with much reluctance to try something that held a razor capable of leaving you in need of stitches. In essence this was a "last resort" in an attempt to get that close shave that lasted more than half a day and didn't leave me feeling uncomfortable.

When my razor arrived, I inserted the Merkur blade that comes with the razor, lathered up and began to shave after taking a deep breath and resigning myself to potential...Read more

Long story short, buy this item.

I wanted to venture into the world of "double edge wet-shaving" and after many exhaustive hours on various shaving forums (such as Badger and Blade) it's clear that the best all around razor to use is the Merkur 34C, especially for newbies (its just as good in the hands of experts as well.) The quality is top notch of course and it works very well. To access the actual blade you turn the knurled knob at the end of handle which releases the top half of the head (the part without the grooves). I was caught off guard with the small over-all height of the unit, but I have come to understand that that is necessary for the technique, there are longer handled versions out there if you prefer. Lets be clear though, handle length is just a personal preference, it has no bearing on the head, quality of the shave or razor itself. The knurled body is very grippy and the razor has a nice heft to it. There isn't much left to say. Do you research on how...Read more

As feedback here and from other shaving forums have suggested the HD 34C is a great beginners razor and it was mine when I decided to switch from Mach3 to DE wet shaving. I also was recommended the Merkur Futur by a friend however since I was starting out I wanted a razor that was a little more forgiving.

The texture on the handle allows for a good grip and after 5 months of use it still looks new.

I started out using Derby blades with mine but after getting a sampler I am leaning toward Shark or Feather as my growth is generally pretty thick.