First shave with a Merkur 34C

[Wolffer Montauk]

When I first got the 34C, I had only experienced the EJ DE89 and its comparatively longer Barley Handle.
When I first got the 34C in the mail, I thought "Wow, this thing is small, will it shave me well?".
Now, I prefer small razors. They give great control and feedback.
But, what really sells me on the 34C and the 37C is the perfect blade angle of attack.
Load a blade into the 34C or 37C, look at it from the side, place it against a piece of paper or a finger as if you were shaving it, and look at the angle of the blade: it is perfect!
I cannot say the same about my other razors.
Not only that: the blade is extremely stable and shows no signs of flexing despite having decent exposure.
This angling is also very easy to feel while shaving: if you can feel the top cap and the safety bar, but not the blade, then you pretty much have it aligned correctly. Apply no pressure and you will get a great shave.
The safety bar on the 34C and 37C are also not aggressive at removing lather before it hits the blade. Nonetheless, slick lather is a must-have these days.
To be fair, other razors aren't necessarily looking to hit the "perfect" angle. Example: the Mühle R41 doesn't seem to hit a perfect angle at all but it looks to exploit a slick lather to get an aggressive single-pass shave.
Many YouTube DE shavers always mention this razor on their "Top Razors" videos and there is a good reason behind this.
If you held a gun to my head and only gave me 1 second to decide on the only razor I can use for the rest of my life: the 34C would be it.

 

[Laird]

I started DE shaving in 2013 with a Muhle R89. I bought it because of so many reviews about the finish being superior to the Merkur razors. And photos posted from that time period bore this out. Since then I acquired an ASD2 and a Fatip Grande and several vintage Gillettes (Olds, NEWs, Techs and Super Speeds). I sold the R89 long ago as my other razors worked as well for me and as my prep and technique have improved I can basically get the same results from any of them. Yesterday I had my first shave with my new 34G. I was amazed at how good this little razor really is. I wish I had just bought one of these to start with and will likely unload some of my less precious Gillettes in order to fund the purchase of some backup 34c's. Also, I think I read somewhere that Merkur had re-tooled their molds since that time period and the finish on my new razor is no nowhere near as rough as those old photos from 2013. The top cap, and the ends and leading edges of the safety bar are easily as smooth and blemish free as my Muhle was. The undersides are a little bit "frosted" in appearance but I don't find that to be a big deal. I also have a 23C and it is equally well finished, but I don't care for the long handle. I have waxed my Zamac Merkurs right out of the box before using them in an effort to prolong their lifespan and my opinion is that as long as the plating is not breached by banging them into something and causing a chip and I give them a quick dry down after use that they should last a fairly long time. It's an awesome shaving razor.

 

[GKR1]

They are the Best! Have tried 12 different razors but I will go back to my 34. The 34C and 37C are legendary razor! perfect angle, no fuss, efficient, and smooth.

 

[mistercindy]

Hard to beat the 34C for the money.