In Praise of the Merkur 34C

I have quite a few vintage razors and, of modern razors, my collection boasts an ATT M1 and a Wolfman DE closed comb. I tend to use the ATT and the Wolfman. They absolutely delight me with the way they look, their weight, the quality of the materials and the meticulous construction.

But, now that the honeymoon is over and I can take a more objective approach, I have to say that the best shaves I get with any DE or SE come from my humble Merkur 34C. Absolutely no irritation at the base of my neck--the place where I usually have some irritation even though I use no pressure, fresh blades, good soaps, and so on. AND IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT BLADE I PUT IN THERE! The thing makes any blade work beautifully (though I just used my first Kai DE and loved that, because of the slightly extra width it does feel slightly more aggressive, though I'm not a fan of aggressive razors in general).

I also use my Feather AC SS a lot but, when I just want an easy, enjoyable shave or I'm in a hurry, the Merkur 34C is tops. And I wish it weren't so! I wish the ATT or the Wolfman blew it away!

This is just one man's opinion. What's yours?

I really like the Merkur line in general. Not too agressive, built decently. I quite like the 37c myself, but the 34c is a classic for a reason.

I've never used a Merkur but I feel the same pretty much for the Edwin Jagger DE89. That was my first razor and after buying and selling several other razors in my search for a higher end stainless or aluminum razor, the DE89 and Feather AS-D2 are the only razors I kept. My favorite of the two if the AS-D2 which I use daily but once in a while, such as today, I rotate in the DE89.

Hi, am I right in saying that the merkur 38c is a long handle version of the 34c,if so I might have to try it as I prefer long handle razors. I too have a ATT S1 which I use often,  but I find I still go back to my long handle DE89 , I just love it. I find it shave better on the long handle sometimes I put the DE89 head on the ATT handle it shave great but doesn't capture the Roll Royce look

I have quite a few vintage razors and, of modern razors, my collection boasts an ATT M1 and a Wolfman DE closed comb. I tend to use the ATT and the Wolfman. They absolutely delight me with the way they look, their weight, the quality of the materials and the meticulous construction.

But, now that the honeymoon is over and I can take a more objective approach, I have to say that the best shaves I get with any DE or SE come from my humble Merkur 34C. Absolutely no irritation at the base of my neck--the place where I usually have some irritation even though I use no pressure, fresh blades, good soaps, and so on. AND IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT BLADE I PUT IN THERE! The thing makes any blade work beautifully (though I just used my first Kai DE and loved that, because of the slightly extra width it does feel slightly more aggressive, though I'm not a fan of aggressive razors in general).

I also use my Feather AC SS a lot but, when I just want an easy, enjoyable shave or I'm in a hurry, the Merkur 34C is tops. And I wish it weren't so! I wish the ATT or the Wolfman blew it away!

This is just one man's opinion. What's yours?

The 34c is my daily driver and while we only carry a few razors right now, it is our best seller! We sold a BUNCH at our last local event in December. We have another event coming up in march and just ordered a bunch more to restock! People really like the initial "feel" the first time they hold one and really appreciate the quality of the build. A great razor for sure!

I feel it's a classic for a reason- solid shaves and decent quality. I love breaking it out and it always delivers a good shave, less blade dependent too.

Hi, am I right in saying that the merkur 38c is a long handle version of the 34c,if so I might have to try it as I prefer long handle razors. I too have a ATT S1 which I use often,  but I find I still go back to my long handle DE89 , I just love it. I find it shave better on the long handle sometimes I put the DE89 head on the ATT handle it shave great but doesn't capture the Roll Royce look  

@"rogue13" I also have the Barberpole. The handle is both longer [~3/4inch] and the razor itself is also heavier [~1oz]. This was the first DE razor I ever owned and if I had to give the nod to one or the other, the 38c would take it!

my opinion is to use whatever works best for you, whether it be a $2 antique store find or a $300 custom razor from one of the talented artisans in the market.

The 34C is a fine shaver, but I much prefer my Weber DLC.

I really enjoy my Merkur 33c, which is a 3-piece version of the 34c, but slightly less weight. Very difficult to get a bad shave with this razor, regardless of blade, though with the less-sharp blades, like Astra SP or Derby Extra, I do have more touchups to make. But with a Gillette Silver Blue or a Feather, or even a Gillette 7:00 green, I can get a BBS with minimal touchups, in 3 passes.

I have to say, though, that my all-time favorite razor at the moment is my Maggard Razors V3 head on the MR22 handle. Just an excellently smooth and efficient shaver with any blade. 3 passes and no touchups, 90% of the time, and never any irritation.

But I have a 37c slant on the way, so we shall see if things change in the coming weeks...

I've seen info suggesting the heads are slightly different but as far as I can tell, they're identical or nearly so. I have both and love 'em both.