Merkur Platinum Double Edge Blades

After having learned how to get a clean iritation-free BBS shave on Feather blades I was very dissapointed in these razor blades. I acctually have only used Feather and Merkur blades to date. I decided to get a pack of Merkurs when I last ordered something from Vintage Blades and tried them out the next day. I definately got my regular BBS shave but I did notice more pulling on the first pass. On the second and third passes there was very little pulling and the blade held up for the first shave. On the second shave I had do go back the Feather, there was just too much pulling when I went over the beard stubble. I guess I have gotten too used to the sharpness of Feather blades, not to mention being able to get them and many local stores where I live. Cheers to all of you who swear by them. But I will only use them again if there no other choice.

Thus I gave a 5 for price as it is the norm. Quality was only good for only one full shave in my case. The sharpness I am used to just wasn't there. Longevity, well. . . . no. The smoothness of the first shave was great but short lived. Packaging, again the norm for DE blades.

This is the first blade I used. As of writing this I have tried Merkur, Derby Extra, Personna blades arguably from Israel or not, and Sharps. I ordered Merkur blades with my first razor (Merkur Futur) and they caused a fairly large amount of razor burn. They did not seem to be all that sharp, but did give a consistent shave for four shaves. I feel they fall far short of what I need in a razor. This may be attributed to my inexperience with a double edged razor but I feel confident that my rating are accurate.

I started DE shaving with Merkurs in my Merkur Progress and was pleased with the results. However I started using the IPs and now the Derbys and the Merkur blades just don't compare, for me, in terms of sharpness and smoothness of shave. I just received a 1955 Super Speed, and for the first shave I plopped in a Merkur just to have a comparison shave. Man, could I feel the blade pulling on my beard. Not a good shave at all, and my neck looked like pepperoni pizza afterwards (and this was a brand new blade). Maybe it was due to my inexperience with the razor? I am going to try the razor again tomorrow with an IP to see if there is a difference.

The Merkurs, IMO, are a good blade to start with but not good for the long haul. YMMV.

Jeff

I have tried many blades but I think Merkur compared to Nacet Czech, Gillette platinum or Walmart personna are not very sharp. I don't find them very smooth especially for the price.

I really like Merkur blades and use them in my Progress as well as my Super Speed, where they give less harsh a shave than Swedish Gillettes. True, they're not the sharpest blades out there, but I find they actually get better a couple of shaves into their life-cycle. Smoothness and longevity are definitely the Merkur's strong points.

I got my Merkur Vision 2000 out of it's box ready to put a Gillette blade in, when I thought, hold on, I got a packet of Merkur blades here in the box that came with the razor, I will try one to see how they rate.
I should have picked the packet out of the Merkur box and thrown them into the waste bin there and then.
I have tried most blades in my 30 odd years of wet shaving, but Merkurs are the worst blade that was ever my mis-fortune to try, they are not all that sharp, they drag on the skin, I have a few nicks on my neck and a red blotcy chin where it just would not shave. I grabbed another razor out of my cupboard with a Gillette in it and swish, the chin was shaved instantly. I removed the Merkur blade from the vision, threw it and the rest of the packet too!, I may have been unlucky with a dud pack, but sorry, I don't give second chances with things that mame me. I'll stick with Gillette Euro's and Russians thank you!

after a week with my "goto" creams and prep, the merkur does not work with either my face or my razor. I tossed the first blade I used after one time only, hoping it was a bad blade.. It wasn't. I seem to need about 5-8 passes with this blade to get to the same point a 3 pass with a Derby. I feel like I am scraping away, with no results. Some are happy, and I am happy for them. I actually have Chinese rubies that outperform these for my face at half the price. I suspect that there is a certain combination of skin toughness and beard softness that this blade would work well for. Not mine. I rate packaging as 10 for all blades. I can't understand the category. also, I have "perceived" a high quality for this blade based solely on its germanic origins, and higher pricing. Seems like a bit of a stretch, but how can you rate a quality of a blade without subjective (therefore, misplaced) input? I am no expert on metal. Any way, I will be giving away my last 3 blades to someone to try.

I'm new to wet shaving, and these are the only blades I have tried so far. I find that they start out really sharp. But, by the third shave, you can already feel them diminish in sharpness. While I have not tried other blades, I do know that price wise these are expensive. I hope to try either the Israeli Persona or Derbys in the near future.

Price: It's not a bulk buy by any means, pretty average pricing.

Quality: The blades are consistent, for me that wasn't a good thing.

Sharpness: Wansn't sharp at all for my beard, lots of tugging everywhere.

Longevity: I think it lasted me two shaves, then the third made me give up on these forever.

Smoothness of Shave: My face looked like I used a cactus as a brush.

Packaging: Nice packaging design. Has used blade slots, sadly the best part about this product for me.

Overall: I really wanted to like these blades just cause it had cool old school packaging, but they don't agree with my beard.

I recently tried these blades after using 7ams and I was pretty dissapointed. Being that they are German got me pretty hyped up thinking I would get a sweet shave.

I found them to be fairly inconsistant and leaving patches, I had to shave 3 times to get all the spots cleaned up, and even then, it didnt seem like it came as close as the 7am.

I also got terrible razor burn on my neck, so I chunked these blades and I shaved with the 7am today and it really showed me the difference in performance.

Certainly there are guys who can use Merkurs and be happy as hell, but they are just not my type. Possibly not sharp enough or the grain is for tough skin.

You can't go wrong with these blades. I have yet to get a bad one and always seem to get 4-7 shaves out of one. Sometimes I change them out just for variety even though the blade might still be good. I gave them a 2 for price because you can't find these in bulk (100s). I have only been able to get them in 10s for $4+ plus shipping. If someone has a good source let me know.

Finding Blades are a crap shoot. You just have to find one that is right for your.

Merkurs seem to have a sharp edge to start but became dull very quick (i.e. razor burn and irritation). Lose all smoothness

I compare them to Derbys which I used next. Derby maintained their edge through 5 shaves with much ease.

It would be a struggle to have a 5th shave with Merkurs.

with blades the motto is
"To Each His Own"

My first blade for my first DE shave. Was very impressed. Did a nice job, no irritation or cuts. Got a nice BBS shave after my first couple tries. Could be a little sharper and could last a little longer, however, I won't hesitate to keep using them.

Really like these loaded in my slant! They provide great shave and are greatly forgiving for newbies (like me ).

For me, the Merkurs have been comfortable, long-lasting, and dependable. They do not give me the absolute closest shave, but are acceptable. At 46-cents per blade, I think they are fairly expensive. I wish the package had storage for used blades.

Tim

I have marked the price down as these are about four times the price of Derby blades off eBay. However, they are brilliant quality, razor sharp (really!), last a good few shaves, and leave my face super smooth. They come in a little plastic box with nine friends and there is an easy to use entrance to their retirement home when they get old and need a rest.

Price: I think the price is fairly reasonable

Quality: Typical German product. Consistent.

Sharpness: Very good, but lacks that extra touch which makes you go back again.

Longetivity: They last me about 2 weeks ( i shave every 2 days usually)

Smoothness of shave: Could be a bit smoother. I found that out after using Derby blades.

Packaging: Again typical German product. Consistent

Overall a blade that is reliable and consistent.

Mhm, I think the blade is very OKAY...
I've tried the Feather also, but with that one I've got more irritations and razor burn, so I use the Merkur.

I've bought some blades over E-bay they called E & C Hartkopf (0,08mm), a little bit vintage, I think, but real sharp.

I can't say anything about Personnas, Israelis or Derbys, 'cause they aren't available here in Germany...

So I can only use, what I can buy here...

Thomas

Merkur is a fine blade, but Derby's, Israeli's & yes even Personna's IMV are comparable - but at considerably less per blade.

I personally have never had a duff one, so I did not mark them down but there have been reports of variable quality ..., I have a number stocked up so maybe it's only a matter of time.

Regards
John

Not my favourite blade....as the score probably shows. I don't find them particularly sharp, and could ask questions about the QC. Some blades I get 4 days..... others 2
I have tried most types readily available ....with the exception of Feathers....and Merkur comes pretty far down the list.
IMO different razors have preferences for blades. I have Merkur Futur, Slant Bar, HD, and 1904. For me this blade just does not work with the Futur or the Slant, and gives acceptable results with the others.

Regards
Brian