MERKUR 38C Double Edge Safety Razor - Bright Chrome, Extra Large Barber Pole Grip Brass Handle, Made in Germany, Plastic-Free, Two Piece Design, Closed Comb, Straight Bar

I'm a woman and use this for my legs and armpits, usually with Persona razor blades. This never ever cuts me, and always gives me a fantastic shave. I only replace the blade every month at most! It cuts closer than any other type of razor, and the weight of it makes it easy to hold. IT'S EASY TO RINSE OUT. It holds on to less hair than those 4-5 blade fancy razors, and I can unscrew it DURING my shower a little to easily and safely rinse out hair.

I have been using this outstanding razor for 13 years. It is durable. Keep it clean and it might outlive you. The other critical element in this great razor is a great blade. For many years I used the Persona blade. My last batch was terrible. I found the Feather Double Edge Safety razor blade made in Japan. They were about the same price and the WORK so much better. The Merkur and the Feather blades are a match made in heaven.

I wanted to give this razor a few weeks of use before I reviewed just to make sure it was really as much of an improvement from my old razor as I thought when I first used it. I previously owned a Vikings Chieftain for about a year and a half before it broke. As I said in my recent review of that razor, I'm actually happy that it broke, because it gave me an opportunity to try a different razor before giving up on safety razors altogether. Whereas my old razor would leave me with razor burn or bleeding nearly every time I used it, I have yet to receive razor burn or any nicks at all from the Merkur after using it about every other day for a few weeks. I almost gave up on safety razors as a result of what the Chieftain would do to my face. I thought that was what people had to go through to get the close shave afforded by a safety razor. I'm so glad that I gave it one more try and ended up with the Merkur. It is heavy, well built and, most importantly, gives me the extremely close shave that one would expect from a safety razor, without razor burn or cuts. If you've had a bad experience with other cheaper razors, give this razor a try before going back to the expensive multi-blade units. It's very likely that you'll be glad that you did.

Have been using cartridge razors for literally decades, simply due to availability and TV commercials back when as it were. Wet shaving is taking on a whole new life, and I've always wanted to give it a go. I researched straight razors, shavettes, and safety razors rather thoroughly. After reading online reviews here on Amazon and from several of the dedicated shaving forums, decided to go with the Merkur 38C. The brand itself was heavily favored for quality and function, and it delivers! Great shave the first time at it, no bleeding from the neck to report. :) I also looked at Merkur's 34C which is basically the same as this razor only with a shorter handle. Definitely glad I went with the 38. Handle is comparable to the cartridge razor bodies I've been using and presented no learning curve upon initial use. Absolutely outstanding first DE razor purchase!

Over the past few months, I've been trying to find the perfect DE razor for me. This is the 5th one that I've tried and while it comes the closest to "perfect" it does have one glaring flaw that is difficult to overlook. First the good: It's aggressive. I like that, with a quality blade, I can usually get by with one pass of this razor. A second pass, against the grain, will give you that hairless feel. The two-piece design is a bit easier to change blades compared to a three piece. The fit and finish seem to be good. I like how heavy it is. Overall I'd say this razor is an excellent value. The bad: The grip. While I like the long, heavy handle, the knurling on the grip is awful. It's like Merkur sat down and had a focus group for how to come up with the worst grip design. The grooves are so small, shallow, and close together that it feels like you're gripping a high grit sandpaper. And the spiral design, combined with the razor's weight, makes it easily slip and rotate in your hand, especially if your hands are wet and/or there is lather on the handle. I saw other reviews complain about it feeling slippery in your hand, and I have to concur. Its a shame because the razor does so many things well. If Merkur would just make this same design, but model the knurling after a feather, or even a cheap Weishi, it would be absolutely perfect. As is, I recommend it, but with the caveat that you'd better make sure to grip it tight.

The Merkur 38c is my third safety razor. The prior two razors were decent, but were prone to nicks and cuts for me, despite using milder blades. After a fair amount of research, it seems like the Merkur 34c/38c seemed to be the most highly recommended for individuals a little newer to using safety razors as well as for folks with sensitive skin and more coarse facial hair. After having used the Merkur 38c for a little over a month now, I can say the recommendations were totally warranted. The Merkur is a very smooth and efficient razor. Since using it, I have not had one nick or cut and have not experienced any skin irritation. I was even able to upgrade to slightly sharper blades for a quicker and closer shave, and it was able to handle them with ease. For anyone that might be a little newer to using safety razors, the Merkur 38c is honestly a great choice.

Great while it lasts. There’s a little piece on the inside that breaks after 2 years of use. It sucks because this is the second one I buy and the same thing happened twice. They last 2 years before that small internal metal piece breaks and renders the razor unusable even though the rest of it is still perfectly beautiful. It seems to be an engineering flaw. During the 2 years it’s great.

Where to start? Well, it's made in Germany, so you'd be right to have high expectations, and not be disappointed. As you'd expect, it's heavy compared to cartridge razor handles, but equally, it's well balanced. It holds the blade securely, and at the right angle for a close shave. The blade support has space to allow quick rinsing out during your shave. It will come apart easily enough for a thorough clean as and when required. The patterned grip works well, so it's not going to slip, even with very wet fingers. If you are looking to break out of the comparatively expensive cartridge model, this is a very good starting model. I found that either the Feather platinum blades, or the Astra premium platinum work well, and the whole thing works out cheaper over a year than the Wilkinson Sword cartridge razor I was using before. You can use shaving foam / gel, but I'd recommend some shaving soap, and a brush. Taylors of Old Bond Street do some fantastic fragrances, and a small tub will last about 6 months.

Perfect weight and size. I prefer a long handle one. Really good.

Perfecta,buen peso y tamaño, buen afeitado, buen agarre. maquinilla bonita de estilo vintage.la recomiendo buena calidad.

Prodotto Solido, ben costruito. Ci si rade quasi con il solo peso del rasoio. Non mi aspettavo di riuscire a radermi con tanta facilità in quanto è stato il mio approccio ad un rasoio di sicurezza. Rasatura agevole e perfetta anche per una PELLE SENSIBILE come la mia accoppiando il Merkur con lamette ASTRA VERDI. Ovviamente bisogna passare contropelo, ma non lascia irritazioni ed è quasi impossibile tagliarsi. Zero graffietti, nessun rossore, pelle morbida. Da precisare che ho ammorbidito e preparato il viso con acqua calda. Ho utilizzato come pre-rasatura l’olio DAWN OF GLORY e poi come crema da rasatura la WOOD & SPICE Proraso distribuita con pennello EDWIN JAGGER di Tasso. A fine rasatura, balsamo WOOD & SPICE Proraso. Perfezione !!

Best razor I've ever owned !