Customer Reviews

Merkur Model 38 Hd Classic "Barber Pole" Long Safety Razor

5 star:		(50)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

News Flash...2008.

Razor Scientists have developed a radical new razor called the DE or "Double Edge" Razor. This futuristic, yet elegant, device is made of durable metal instead of the usual plastic and it is machined so well that it would be possible that a single DE Razor could last the average shaver a lifetime. This new shaving device uses amazing "mono blade" technology that delivers a shave as close as the finest multi-blade cartridge system, but the blades are completely bio-degradable and have a tiny "carbon footprint." By a stroke of pure genius the replacement blades will cost about a tenth that of a classic cartridge and will actually provide two complete edges, in essence giving you two blades for the price of one. Since there is only one cutting surface you no longer have to worry about clogging the razor head with hair and shave cream and the DE Razor is less likely to cause bumps and other skin conditions.

An excellent example of this stunning new DE Razor technology is the Merkur Barber Pole DE Razor. Excellent construction, fine finish and craftsmanship combined with real heft and retro styling make this razor a real winner.

Like most state of the art technology, there is a slight learning curve when using this powerful device. The razor does all of the work, so don't apply any pressure and take short strokes instead of the long ones that you were using with current old-style cartridge system razor. Your small efforts will be rewarded with the knowledge that you are not only more "green" but you also have the latest new tech toy on the block.

In a related story, shaving researchers have created a solid shaving lubricant called a shaving soap puck. This highly concentrated pellet can provide at least as many shaves as a can of shaving foam and doesn't use propellants or a steel aerosol can. Foam is created by simply whisking a wet puck with a soft and long life "shaving brush" which is then used to apply/massage the foam on the users face. The system is so sophisticated that unused foam is automatically recycled to be used for the next shave.

FACT??? FICTION??? FANTASY??? OUTRAGEOUS EXAGERATION???
Well, it is all true, but the basic design wasn't developed in 2008, it was developed over 100 years ago and it is likely that your grandpa and possibly your dad used it. Stop paying $3 for a razor cartridge. Put that cash in your pocket and give the Merkur Barber Pole DE razor a try!

I got fed up with 4 blade razors that are a product of marketing and not practical science. Double edge safety razors are more effective. This razor has the weight and size of the more expensive Merkur razors. The weight of the razor drives the shave - you don't have to bear down on the razor - it glides over your beard. Safety razors are more "green" - no plastic blades to throw out. The steel blades are biodegradable. Event better - get a badger hair brush and shaving soap. No cans to throw away. And the brushing action is good for your skin. Finally - double edge razor blades are way cheaper than the "modern" blades. If you want something a little smaller - get the Merkur Heavy Duty (shorter handle - slightly lighter). I don't like the other Merkur classic razors; they are too light and come apart in three pieces to change the blade. This one and the HD are two piece.

I finally have found the secret weapon to shaving. As girl I have struggled with stupid razors never being sharp enough or last long enough. They would also get clogged and be utterly useless. So I started thinking about the old barbers and how they shave men's faces so close. That research let me to this glorious tool. It is easy to put blade in and out just screw the bottom. It does not get clogged and if it does, just rinse or open a bit and rinse. IT is only takes one or two strokes. It is super sharp but I haven't really cut myself at all. It is heavier so it helps shave as you go, don't need to drag it like most razors. Also the packaging is very minimal and the blades are biodegradable. Takes one little investment and now i am set for a year of shaving. I consider myself a pretty environmentally aware person so this fits me beautifully. I knew their had to be a better way than to shave than what American society pushes at us...all that fifty million blade crap. I am so happy with this product and almost want to keep it a secret to all the women out there just so that the price doesn't decide to jump on the replaceable razors. Heres to happy shaving.

There are probably hundreds of double edge (DE) safety razors available, from antiques on eBay to present-day newly-manufactured razors. They are not all the same. Some people will go for:

- historical collector's items
- luxury razors: gold plated, ivory handled, presentation cases, etc.
- gadgetry: various adjustables or clever mechanisms

This razor is not for any of those people (except perhaps to fill out the collector's stable of razors).

If you are looking for something that is functional, well made (well enough to last several lifetimes, probably) and good looking then you have come to the right place.

This razor does have a couple of characteristics that differentiate it from other razors that the previous paragraph could just as well describe.

First, it is a bit heavier than most. Whether this is right for you is a matter of personal choice. I like the heft. If you want a similar, but lighter razor try the Merkur Long Handled Safety Razor - #180.

Second, it has a longer handle than most. Again this is a matter of personal choice and perhaps the size of your hand. If you like the idea of a little extra heft but want a more traditional handle length, try the Merkur Heavy Duty Double Edge Razor #34C. This one is so popular it has a nick-name: The "Merkur HD" (or in shaving circles simply the "HD").

If you prefer neither the extra heft nor the longer handle, go for the Merkur Standard Safety Razor with Bar #33C.

If you prefer a real "vintage" look try the Merkur "1904" Safety Razor 42C.

Merkur also makes several other styles that may or may not be available on Amazon (you'll have to Google them).

One negative point (but not negative enough to knock off that fifth star): The knob on the end of the handle used to open up the razor for inserting the blade is polished smooth and a little slippery so sometimes takes a little finagling to open up.

BLADES:

There are many DE blades available. The few you might find in your local drug store may not be suitable. Google for "DE blade sampler packs choice" to find a sampler pack with a large variety of blades. You can decide which you like. Be sure to get one of the packs with the Feather blades. Those are my favorite (so far, it could take a year to try everything). Oh, yes, the sample blade that comes with the razor is a Merkur. Merkur makes nice razors but they are not known (at least in a positive sense) for their blades.

WARNING!

If you start viewing the above razors with designations like 34C, 38C and 42C, Amazon will start showing you bras and womens' dresses as suggestions based on your browsing history!

I've tried many DE (double-edge) razors, knowing full well that DE shaves are far closer than the multi-blade Gillettes. This is the best by far, for several reasons: Best heft and balance; best weight and length; funtional-yet-esthetic design; and an unbelievably close shave as the result. Do your due-diligence and research wet shaving -- there are a few tricks to the trade you need to know first. Here, in a nutshell, is all you need to know to get a great wet shave with this (or any) DE razor:

1) PREP. Buy this razor and a few other preparatory items (mentioned right here). You can start with most any DE blade. Also have: Proraso shaving cream; a badger shaving brush.
2) LATHER. Wash face with warm water (or just take a shower), then squeeze a quarter-sized dollop of shaving cream onto the warm, wet brush; start whipping up a lather directly on your face. Use circular motions, diagonal motions, horizontal, vertical -- it doesn't matter. Get a good lather, which will be denser and less bulky than if you'd used commercial spraycan foams.
3) SHAVE. Slow and steady. Short strokes at all times. After a stroke or two, turn the razor over to use the clean side of the blade. Rinse and repeat. Always shave with the grain.
4) RELATHER; SHAVE AGAIN. Yep, that's right: Do it all over again -- but with one change: Shave across the grain. That means that after you relather, you shave from ear to nose, lobe to chin, going toward the center of the face. This is ACROSS the grain, not AGAINST the grain, and it makes the single biggest difference in going from a decent to a superbly close shave. Pay special attention to your neck: It is its own labyrinth of errant, erratic hair growth patterns. I just go after it twice, once straight down from chin to collarbone in short strokes; and once diagonally from lobe to Adam's apple. That usually gets most of it.

I hope this helps. I went from cordless-electric-shave-in-the-car to spend-10-minutes-on-your-face-after-shower and there is no going back.

Just remember to start slowly with short strokes. That's the only thumbrule you need. You won't regret the switch to DE shaving.

I'm new to DE shaving. I'm currently 25 years old, and started shaving with a Mach3 (too young for my dad to have started on one of these, so I guess I'm a pioneer of sorts in my family). After getting sick of cutting myself and the irritation I got from the Mach3, I switched to a Norelco electric razor and used that for about 6 years, but was never thrilled with the closeness of the shave. I was about to buy replacement blades for the electric when I came across these retro double-edge razors.

So after some thought, I picked this razor up along with a few Derby Extra blades. I have to say, this razor is just awesome. It's nice and heavy; built like a tank. Likely built to the same standards they had back in the 1920s and 1930s. Having watched the various videos online, I had an idea of how to shave with one of these and on my first shave, I didn't cut myself once, didn't have any irritation, and had the closest shave I've ever had. The key seems to be applying no pressure, and shaving in different directions on multiple passes, removing stubble bit by bit. Whenever I used the Mach3, it felt like I was yanking out my stubble. Not so with this razor. For what it's worth, taking my time and doing multiple passes with the Mach3 didn't help - I still got the yanking feeling.

I also wanted to note that I didn't buy any of the shave soaps or brushes - I've been using regular shaving cream and shaving after I shower, which is probably the most important part since that makes the hairs easier to cut. I expect to try out the soaps sooner or later, but don't feel like you need to make that leap right away.

Why did I pick this particular razor? Well, after researching, I came to the conclusion that Merkur arguably makes the best DE razors on the market. This one is also a bit more forgiving on beginners (eliminating some of the more exotic models), and it had a bit of extra heft, which made it preferable to me over the HD. The internet forums also suggested this razor as a good one to make the leap into DE shaving.

Just a note to fellow beginners - a lot of the experienced users of DE razors comment on how the handle of this particular razor is quite long. Indeed, compared to the Merkur HD (34C), it's a longer handle. But, compared to the Gillette cartridge razors, the handle of the 38C is about the same. If you're used to the Gillettes, I'd suggest starting with this razor since it will be less of a change for you, in addition to the extra heft making it less likely that you'll apply too much pressure.

Can you save money, time, and the environment with a razor?

I bought this razor after struggling for months to find refills for my 3-blade razor with no interest in buying a new 4-blade or vibrating razor. Without trying to sound like a conspiracy theorist, I realized I was being manipulated by clever marketing. Did another blade or a vibrating feature really make a better razor? I didn't think so. On top of that, Women's and Men's razors are identical except for color, yet Women's razors always cost more. I was ready to opt out of the system!

I remembered my mother's double-edged razor and realized it was not so long ago that no woman thought if she didn't "upgrade" her razor, she wouldn't get a good shave.

I took a chance on this product, and it was the best purchase I've made in a long time. I'm saving a lot of money on expensive and elaborate refills, I'm creating less waste (refills aren't encased in plastic and are 100% recyclable - drop off at an art store with blade recycling. DON'T put in your pick-up bin), I'm saving time shopping for the refills, and still getting a high quality product. And I'm sending a message to the shaving industry that I don't want their pricey 20-blade razors. What could be better?

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.

I love this razor. I looked into Safety razors because of the outrageous costs of cartridge replacements. Well I had no idea I would get such fantastic shaves. Seriously I get baby butt smooth shaves now. The razor itself is beautiful, very heavy. One thing I use to do is apply pressure with my plastic disposables, well you really don't want to do that with this razor, you need to let it glide over your face and the weight of the razor should be enough. I lather, shave and lather shave for two passes. I get a nice clean shave overtime.

One thing you will want to do is get some razor blades. I use either Personna Red (made in Israel) or the Feather (Japan) The Feathers are considered some of the sharpest blades around, so I only use them when I can take the time to go slow. The Personnas can be found on Amazon's and are very sharp but also a little more forgiving for a new DE shaver like me.

This might be the best investment I have made in the last few years. Give it a try and get rid of your plastic disposables, sometimes simple tools do the same job better. Cheers.

Resources (places for information on wetshaving)
* Badger and Blade (great forums, great place to learn and ask)
* The Shave Den ( I go to BB but another shaving forum)
* West Coast Shaving (Good place to get supplies, razor sampler packs are well known)

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!