Merkur Model 38 Hd Classic "Barber Pole" Long Safety Razor
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List Price: Our Price: $45.95 You Save: $12.05 (21%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Health Care See more product details |
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Customer Reviews of Merkur Model 38 Hd Classic "Barber Pole" Long Safety Razor
Customer Review: A thing of beauty
Summary: 5 Stars
First impression: it's a beautiful thing and it feels well-balanced in the hand. I'm a woman, so I have a lot more real estate to shave than a man (just saying!). That also provides ample opportunity for a good long test drive.
I bought this razor to replace my Merkur Long Handled Safety Razor - #180 - Made In Germany and it's definitely a step up from my old razor in both aesthetics and engineering. It is heavier than the #180, and probably on the heavier side of DE razors in general. Interestingly, while my old razor's handle is diamond knurled (a cross-hatch design carved up and down the pole, rather rough on my hands), this razor is only diagonal knurled (carvings in the handle run only one direction diagonally). So this razor handle is rather smoother. This will of course affect your grip. We ladies (or anyone who doesn't do frequent manual labor) appreciate the absence of pointy diamond knurls in the #38c.
Also, the adjustable screw in the base (non-blade edge) releases the blade assembly, allowing for greater safety and allowing one to control the level of hold over the blade. The only other razor I've used had a blade assembly that opened by twisting the whole assembly itself. That meant that if I placed too much pressure on the blade when shaving, I might twist the assembly to the side and loosen the blade. Not good! The #38c's design ensures that that won't happen.
It's something you'd be proud to display, as compared with many more utilitarian designs (#180, I'm looking at you), and it's a great work of engineering too. Full marks!
Customer Review: Best Shave I ever had
Summary: 5 Stars
After searching reviews for a couple of months on razors I went with this one. I love it. I got tired of paying the 4700% profit to Gillette and Shick for multiple blade razors that are nothing more than gimmics and don't do the job nearly as well as a good safety razor. I purchased Shark and Derby blades as well. It seems as if the Derby blades are the best so far, lasting me a good 5-7 days. I have a very thick beard and a terrible five o-clock shadow. But now I don't have that and my wife will attest to a super smooth face. I use Poraso shave cream/soap with a good badger brush having tried the Col. Conks shave soap and a few others so far. The Poraso seems to give me the most comfortable and close shave. I wish they had it in a Bay fragrance. I hear the Taylor of Old Bond Sandalwood is good soap too. I usually finish with a splash of Old Spice and put a little post shave cream on my face after that. I just prefer the Old Spice and Clubman's to all the new expensive stuff. Shaving is now fun and I feel and smell like I just had a refreshing professional barber shave when I walk out.
I have since purchased 2 Mekur long handled safety razors for travel bags but I still prefer the Mekur HD Barber Pole razor. It's heavy, well balanced, has a good grip, made to last a lifetime and delivers a wonderful shave with a good blade. Little nicks may come for the first week or two if you are not used to this but it's just a learning curve. I rarely cut myself now. Try this razor if you want to tell Gillette and Shick to shove their obscene profits where the lights don't shine and get back into affordable comfortable shaving that will be sort of fun.
Customer Review: Best. Shave. EVER. (not original, but who cares?)
Summary: 5 Stars
I researched double edged razors after getting fed up with razor burn and grocery store razors that are backed by marketing and advertising instead of results and durability and COST!
I read the reviews here and decided to give it a shot. I wasn't blown away after the first shave; I had been using a Quattro and Jack Black's Beard Lube and at first it seemed like there was no difference.
A full 24 hours passed when I noticed that my face still felt like I just shaved it. 48 hours after the initial shave, I noticed that the razor bumps that usually plague the area under my chin were nowhere to be found. If you're a guy that is prone to razor burn, give this a shot (and stop shaving against the grain).
The shave is so close and smooth; I feel I could go longer than 5 days without shaving. I probably could, but I enjoy shaving now so much that I don't mind doing it more often!
Other things to note:
- The handle isn't that long. Just about 3.5 inches. I'd hate to see what the other handles looked like.
- The quality of the Merkur 38c is impeccable. It looks brilliant in my bathroom and has a nice weight to it.
- I still use Jack Black's Beard Lube. I'll try wet shaving with no soap one day.
Before initial use:
- Mind the angle of the blade before you start using it.
- No need to press the blade against your face.
- Short strokes and rinse often.
- I didn't nick myself the first time, but did get a nasty cut on my pinky.
Customer Review: Great razor, not adjustable
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a great razor and it is very heavy duty. I am a long-time fan of DE safety razors. I already have a Merkur VISION which I am very happy with except thoroughly cleaning/maintaining it is cumbersome.
With this razor, to change the blade, you unscrew the long handle and the top blade guard easily comes off to change the blade [i.e. screwing the long handle clockwise tightens the blade assembly at the top of the razor. Cleaning is very easy. You can unscrew the handle as described above and you can also further pull the long axis of the handle to expose more parts and get a deeper clean.
When reassembling the razor, be sure the reassemble the long handle by pressing the little c-clip in with your fingers to make it glide into the body of the handle.
This razor is not adjustable per Se. I generally use DE razors in one position anyway. In the most tightened position, the blade is held very stable without much wiggle room. The teeth allow more contact with the skin/hair for a better shave.
I have very tough and coarse facial hair but sensitive skin. What a combo. This razor in combination w/ Colonel Conk Soap, a badger brush, and Wilkinson blades gives me a relatively, surprisingly smooth and easy shave. In fact, the blades seem to be lasting 10-15 shaves rather than just 2-5 shaves...big difference [I believe this also has something to do with using less water with this razor].
I enjoy and look forward to shaving with this shaving system.
Customer Review: Great DE even for a first timer
Summary: 5 Stars
This is my first DE razor and I couldn't be happier with it. This long handle razor is very heavy, giving it an extremely high quality feel to match it's beautiful look. The chrome finish is flawless and the styling is wonderfully classic. Yes, you can get a Progress or a Futur for the same price but part of what attracted me to DE shaving, besides saving a bunch of money on blades, was the idea of using an old world style instrument in my daily routine and the neither the Progress nor the Futur give me the warm fuzzies like the 38C does. That's a very subjective thing I understand but if you would prefer a vintage 50s Ferrari to a modern supercar model then you and I are on the same page.
Functionally, the long handle is closer to my old Sensor razor than the standard HD allowing me to hold it in a similar fashion and reduce the amount of awkwardness I have to work through as I learn this new (old) method of shaving. The heft of the razor is enough that you can get a close shave without applying any pressure on the shave head. This gives a comfortable shave without the nicks and burn that I always seem to get no matter how careful I am with my cartridge razor. I'm no genius and not particularly coordinated yet I've been able to get a good shave with this from day one with no cuts or discomfort.
Classic styling, solid construction and proper function are the three things that make this an outstanding choice. I don't think you can go wrong with the 38C.