Is it OK with Merkur?

Hi.
I just saw that Connaughtshaving is clearing their Merkur stock.
I also heard in the not so distant past that it was not going well at Merkur.
Are they closing shop?
Just wondering...

Have a great day!
François

Merkur has parted ways with parent company DOVO three(?) years ago and is now a rather small firm with a total of five employees, but they are still alive. According to a member of a German forum (who is involved in the testing phase), they're currently in the process of updating their production tools for the 34c.

I still remember back in 2011 when I got my first DE razors, that all the Merkur razors I bought (5 or 6 different models) all had this slight lack of proper finish to them - except the Futur.

The Mühle and Edwin Jagger razors all had flawless finish to them. I’ve owned 15-20 different Mühle and Edwin Jagger razors - all flawless and many of them priced on the same level as Merkur razors.

The Merkur razors all had and for the most part still have this slightly rough flawed finish to them. Ok, my Merkur 34G in gold and my Merkur 43C (The big thick version of 34C) both look fine finish wise, I’ll admit to that.

But based on the slightly flawed finish many of their razors had, I was never a fan of Merkur razors.

In 2016 I sold my entire DE razor collection (50-60 razors)

In 2021 I bought my first DE razor after selling them all in 2016 and slowly restarted my DE razor collection.

Fast forward to 2023, I bought my first Merkur DE razor in over 12 years in late March and now owns 4 Merkur DE razors. One of them being the 34C, which incidentally also had a scratched top cap. I was sent a free replacement and kept the scratched one. But it just tells me Merkur don’t seem to have a proper quality control with their products.

Most Merkur razors are for the most part now 100% zinc zamac potmetal, the screw used to be brass in the old days on the 34/37/38/39 models, it’s not any longer according to the information I could find.

Merkur never really earned the respect from me as a new DE razor shaver back in 2011, and I still am not sure they’ve earned it second time around.

Claus, I’d agree that Jagger and Muhle have a better finish and I gifted all my merkurs away except for two futurs that I really like.  (Still can’t figure why they made that razor so aggressive though).  I hope they survive and I’m not against zamak for cost considerations but i also hope they do better finishing.  If so, I’d buy a 34C again.

I always wondered why they have not made a stainless steel 34c. I would buy one of those!

Claus, I’d agree that Jagger and Muhle have a better finish and I gifted all my merkurs away except for two futurs that I really like.  (Still can’t figure why they made that razor so aggressive though).  I hope they survive and I’m not against zamak for cost considerations but i also hope they do better finishing.  If so, I’d buy a 34C again.

I have to admit the replacement i was sent for scratched 34C (logically enough) is flawless. 

As said my 34G, my 43C and my new 34C all three are flawless. 

But even flawless, they can’t hold a candle to the Mühle and Edwin Jagger razors finish wise and I find this weird since Merkur is an old well established German made brand. 

My guess (and I’m merely guessing and speculating) is that Merkur gets cheap parts from China and they assemble their razors and just enough of the razor, so they can call it ‘Made in Germany’ but in reality Merkur razors - to me - scream ‘Made in China’ (and not made to Apple IPhone standards)

So how can Mühle make their razors in Germany keeping a flawless finish to their razors and Edwin Jagger the same in the UK, while keeping the same price level - beats me ?!?

I think this is why Merkur razors are not selling as well any longer. It’s more of a beginners razor. 

And beginners have more to choose from now. 

Look at the competition from Henson and Leaf. 
Flawlessly engineered design razors with a flawless finish and not that much more expensive than a Merkur 34C razor.

I always wondered why they have not made a stainless steel 34c. I would buy one of those!

Totally agree. 

Even though I find the 34 razor too short for my hands, it’s a classic and I would gladly pay $US 150 for a stainless steel 34C.

The Merkur razors all had and for the most part still have this slightly rough flawed finish to them.

From what I've read on forums over the years (so, some of this may be rumors/speculation), the flaws in build quality have to do with them using the worn out production tools past the end of their life cycle, partly in an effort to save money (prioritizing cost over quality) and partly because blueprints were lost (making the tools difficult to replace) and people with essential knowledge were no longer with the company.

The guy involved in testing the 34c update reports he's quite satisfied with the prototypes he's seen so far. He likens the latest version, which he's been using for a month, to the old silver 34c and says the blade gap has been increased slightly without the razor becoming more aggressive; also the short side tabs of the blade are covered by the head plate. So, overall fingers crossed!

The Merkur razors all had and for the most part still have this slightly rough flawed finish to them.

The guy involved in testing the 34c update reports he's quite satisfied with the prototypes he's seen so far. He likens the latest version, which he's been using for a month, to the old silver 34c and says the blade gap has been increased slightly without the razor becoming more aggressive; also the short side tabs of the blade are covered by the head plate. So, overall fingers crossed!

Excellent news, thanks!
I must put back the 34C in my rotation now! 

The Merkur razors all had and for the most part still have this slightly rough flawed finish to them.

The guy involved in testing the 34c update reports he's quite satisfied with the prototypes he's seen so far. He likens the latest version, which he's been using for a month, to the old silver 34c and says the blade gap has been increased slightly without the razor becoming more aggressive; also the short side tabs of the blade are covered by the head plate. So, overall fingers crossed!

Excellent news, thanks!
I must put back the 34C in my rotation now! 

I have shaved with my 34C 6-7 times the last month, actually the one I got with the scratched top cap to test if the scratch will effect the quality of the shave or it’s merely a visual flaw. Turns out it shaves without problems, so I now own two 34C razors. 

I find the 34C even milder than the Mühle R89 and the Edwin Jagger DE89. It’s in between the Henson Mild and medium in efficiency in my view and the angle is not that intuitive for me to get it to cut effectively. 
I see myself riding the top cap more with this razor to get it to cut than I do riding the guard.