Merkur Model 180 Long Handled Safety Razor
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List Price: Our Price: $28.00 You Save: $9.00 (24%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Health Care See more product details |
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Customer Reviews of Merkur Model 180 Long Handled Safety Razor
Customer Review: Highly recommended
Summary: 4 Stars
Got tired of the mach 3 prices and irritation so finally took the jump into DE wet shaving. There is definitely a learning curve, so read up before you get into it.
Now, as for this specific razor, it is well made. There isn't a whole lot that can go wrong with these, they are quite simple. The only thing that kept me from giving this 5 stars for the most part is the knurling on the handle. I'd prefer it to be a bit deeper, when it's wet it can be a little slippery. It surely would not stop me from buying it again though, just a slight annoyance. Being a machinist has made me a bit picky on metal working, so I'd do it a bit different if I were doing it myself. Aside from the knurling, the threads that hold the head on are just a tiny bit loose for my preference. Again, it doesn't affect the product in use what-so-ever, just a slight quality issue that most people probably wouldn't notice, but is worth pointing out.
I haven't used any other DE razors to compare it to, but it seems like it's not too aggressive, but it can definitely cause some irritation if you don't have your technique just right. I'd say it's a good balance for someone just getting into DE shaving, but again, I don't really have much to compare it to. With patience and really paying attention to not using any pressure, I was able to get a very acceptable shave with no irritation. I let my guard down on my second shave and got some decent razor burn...woops!
Customer Review: Gateway drug to the world of wet shaving.
Summary: 5 Stars
This razor is a gateway drug, plain and simple. I bought it about a year ago solely for the purpose of saving money on blades. The razor has saved me quite a bit of cash, blades for it are an eighth of what my old razor cost me. More than that, though, it's awakened in me something that sounds vaguely dorky to say out loud but feels deeply satisfying to know -- I now enjoy shaving. It used to be a task, an annoying thing that I'd do as fast as possible as infrequently as possible. The more I used the Merkur, the more I looked forward to my daily shave. I no longer felt the sting of razor burn and I was getting a far closer shave than I'd ever had in the eight years since I started shaving. Now putting a blade in the razor was something worth smiling about, knowing I was going to get a great shave. But there was a problem -- squirting a dollop of shaving cream out of an aerosol can was no longer enough. I needed more. I had to disassemble and re-assemble my razor with every shave, surely the cream that I was using with it deserved the same attention to detail. The next thing I knew, I had a mug full of shaving soap and a badger hair brush. I've graduated to the world of wet shaving, and I couldn't be happier with it. I'm getting an unbeatable shave and from the low-rent to (most of) the high-end materials, wet shaving is still cheaper than most "modern" shaving creams, razors and blades.Customer Review: Simplicity is best
Summary: 5 Stars
I was frustrated with the manipulation by the shaving product companies of the razor I used. It is too personal a product for someone to keep changing that much, and the changes never gave me a better shave. A razor is not supposed to be that complicated. This Merkur is all I need. Even if I buy the more expensive blades at Amazon, I still save money. I like being able to dismantle and clean my razor after each use. The plastic razors are not very sanitary if one thinks about dead skin and shaving cream getting stuck in all of those nooks for 5 days. I do not have the need for lotion like with my Excel or other razor of that type.
I use the Barbasol shaving cream for sensitive skin, in the little tube that Amazon sells. A little of that cream goes a long ways for me. I have finally simplified my shaving process. Some may prefer a brush, but hand application of the cream works just fine for me. At last, free from all of the hype.
Update: The safety razor began didn't give me the best shave. I still think this is a very good razor. But I am beginning to understand why guys started using other razors in the first place. I went back to using My Gillette Sensor Excel. I still believe every guy should have the experience of using a safety razor. I could go back to it if I had to, but a more modern razor is better for me at this time.
Customer Review: Closer shave for a lesser cost.
Summary: 5 Stars
Before purchasing this, I was going through a box of 8 Mach3/Fusion/etc cartridges a month, at the cost of $15 or more. The cartridges gave a very poor shave, and it was nearly impossible to get 'close' without some serious razor burn. Money was not my main focus for buying this, but when you realize you're spending $2-4 a cartridge for a mediocre shave, the Merkur becomes much more appealing.
I researched brands and models before settling on this one. There are a number of reasons I like this one versus others, but the most important for me was the longer shaft (at ~3.5). I've tried shorter shafted razors, and found myself really bearing down causing nicks and razor burn. The longer shaft reinforced the need to drag the razor down the face instead of applying excess pressure towards the face. I do need a second stroke against the grain to really get a close shave, but I haven't nicked myself on the 180 after a year of use.
In general, the blades are a huge savings over the cartridges that are so prevalent today. Using Merkur blades, the cost is about $0.50 for the same durability as a Fusion cartridge (at least for my case this holds true). The only cost on top of this is oil and soap, but I figure I would be using that anyways. If you're on the fence about buying this, it's worth it for the closer shave.
Customer Review: No Brainer!
Summary: 5 Stars
This razor is solid well made and simple the bottom of the handle is turned to unscrew the top bezel where you place your blades. Its got a nice chrome finish I have dropped it more than a couple times and it has not been damaged one bit. One could look at this razor and think it a piece of nostalgia and art but I assure you it is truly utilitarian. In my line of work I need to be clean shaved every shift on top of that I shave my head. I was spending a fortune on multiple blade razors. Mach 5 and what not. No longer with blades like 7AM 100 7a.m. Platinum Double Edge Safety Razor Blades Its cheap. And as I said pure utility with the mach razors I found lots and lots of clogging of the blade I get absolutely none with this razor. I shave my face and my head almost daily. The other thing I would add is that I only cut myself twice in the last 5 months since making the switch. I am sure that with different face anatomy and what not you could find yourself getting cut more but I cant stress it enough. I wasted time and money thinking it would be to difficult or take to long. I found the transition easy. Truth be told I only cut myself when shaving my head and that was after a few months once I started to rush and got caught.