Which blade for very heavy beard?

[Jsouthard825]

I agree that Open comb will help a lot with a heavier beard. I use Gillette 7 o'clock Blacks they seem to cut through it all.

 

[Invicta]

I was wondering what the best blade would be for a 34C Merkur razor? I have tested a few, the most recent being Gillette Silver Blue. I am finding that the Gillette cartridge actually shaved closer for me, particularly as I could whip it around and also shave up against the grain very easily.

You have started with a good blade but work on technique for better shaves. I always found the DE to shave closer than any cartridge. It takes a little longer with the DE because a single edge is used on each pass as opposed to multiple blades on a cartridge. A re-lather and pass takes less than a minute.
Don't forget good preparation is very important and this takes a little time regardless of razor. I don't like canned lather so it is a brush and cream to prepare the lather.
Blade choices is such a vast subject because there are so many choices on the internet. Astra SP or Astra SS are good all round blades for keenness of edge and longevity.

 

[meliahog]

Benefits of DE over cartridges:

• Comfort
• Closer shave (once you have your technique down)
• Less expensive
• More options (different blades, different razors, and different razor types such as OC or slants, will give you very different experiences)
• Doing things differently/not being part of the crowd
• Nostalgia- some of us who are a little older saw our grandfathers and fathers shave this way (my dad switched to cartridges in the early '70s when I was very young)
• Speed: yes, the cartridge shaves faster, but the DE is an experience to be savored and enjoyed
  
• A more enjoyable shave, many of us like the whole wet shaving process with the brush, cream/soap, pre-shave, DE shave, post-shave. While the DE is only part of that, it is an enjoyable part of all that

This ... plus all the choices in creams and soaps!

 

[Habemeajaja]

A Feather might give you a closer shave but I wouldn't advise shaving in a hurry.

Exactly! Shaving is like meditation - no hurry!

 

[alex2363]

Exactly! Shaving is like meditation - no hurry!

+1