Help! Merkur 34C not doing it for me.

[Backmarker81]

Hi,guys!

I started DE shaving about 2 months ago and i love every bit of it.
After research, due to the fact that i have coarse hair, bought an R41 and after going to my blades sampler, i will stop for now at the Super-Max Diamond Blue Blades - they give me no irritation and an almost BBS shave without going full ATG.
6 weeks ago, my GF offered me the Merkur 34C as a present (she must be a keeper, right?)
Anyway, i did my research on the angle, pressure and everything, but in spite of the 5 different blades that i used, i can't get a close shave with it. I love the fact that i can make mistakes with it and not cutting my self, but i need to many passes with it and best i can achieve is a 5 o'clock shadow. I really want to make the Merkur work, as it has sentimental value.
I've tried the next blades, in the order of best results:
Rapira Platinum Lux
Personna Platinum
Super-Max Diamond Blue
Voshkod
Wilkinson Sword (German)

I know that due to my coarse hair, i need a sharper blade.
My sampler is in the picture.
Should i stop beating around the bush and go straight for the Feathers?

 

[DMT]

Two solid months of practice? I say give em a go. Just pay attention to your angle and technique as you do. The Polsilvers are also very sharp and worth a try too you might find them to be a bit smoother and longer lasting than the feathers too

 

[BigJ]

I would try the GSB (a sharp, smooth blade for me) then the Feathers. Best of luck!!

 

[buzzz623]

Short answer, yes. The 34C is a mild razor and performs well when paired with a sharper blade. You should give particular attention to this if you have coarser hair.

There’s a member who did some research on blade sharpness and durability. This should give you some insight during your blade search.

Razor Blade Sharpness Summary with Comparison Chart » refined shave


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[Invicta]

I would suggest the Gillette Platinum, Polsilver SI or Astra SP should give you a good shave, then try the Feather blade. You have probably been using a steep blade angle using the R41 and I would suggest a neutral blade angle will work better with the Merkur 34C; that would be with the handle at least 45 degrees which gets you to a blade angle of ~ 30 degrees. If you need information on blade angle, this will help; Blade Angle | Badger & Blade

 

[ajkel64]

Welcome to the forum. Thanks for sharing. I was scared of Feathers as I had heard so much about their sharpness and I had read about some bloodbaths associated with Feathers. When I paired a Feather with a milder razor the shave was excellent for me. Hopefully when you try the Feather it will be excellent for you.

 

[Maximo77w]

Hi,guys!

I started DE shaving about 2 months ago and i love every bit of it.
After research, due to the fact that i have coarse hair, bought an R41 and after going to my blades sampler, i will stop for now at the Super-Max Diamond Blue Blades - they give me no irritation and an almost BBS shave without going full ATG.
6 weeks ago, my GF offered me the Merkur 34C as a present (she must be a keeper, right?)
Anyway, i did my research on the angle, pressure and everything, but in spite of the 5 different blades that i used, i can't get a close shave with it. I love the fact that i can make mistakes with it and not cutting my self, but i need to many passes with it and best i can achieve is a 5 o'clock shadow. I really want to make the Merkur work, as it has sentimental value.
I've tried the next blades, in the order of best results:
Rapira Platinum Lux
Personna Platinum
Super-Max Diamond Blue
Voshkod
Wilkinson Sword (German)

I know that due to my coarse hair, i need a sharper blade.
My sampler is in the picture.
Should i stop beating around the bush and go straight for the Feathers?View attachment 964669

Hopefully you get the shave you’re looking for my friend.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[dmshaver]

I would try the GSB (a sharp, smooth blade for me) then the Feathers. Best of luck!!

My sentiments exactly. And welcome to B & B!

 

[Mingzhuzhu]

Same to me. I also started wet shaving for probably two months. I have coarse hair and sensitive skin.
As my techniques improved, it's becoming better but still not really a close shave.
Using such a mild razor, I feel I must go ATG to get a close shave.
But I couldn't achieve ATG without cut for my lips and chins initially.
I just did successful ATG this morning for my lips, but it's still not clean enough.
A shave between XTG and ATG helps a little bit for my chin but not completely solve the problem.
I would guess 34c won't work very well for some people.
I am waiting for my Razorock 37 slant to make a comparison.

 

[Backmarker81]

Hi, guys! thanks for all your answers.
Today, i had the nicest shave with the 34C with an Astra blade.
3 passes and touch-ups. i did not even had the full preparations...like shaving after shower and all that.
I just put the brush in for soaking, washed my face with soap and warm water, not wipe my face while i put the blade in the Merkur (second use of this blade) and used a very generic and cheap shave cream, easily found in my country (d'amaris) just simple face lathering, not in a bowl. i mostly use shave creams since about 2 weeks ago, like Nivea, Arko, Palmolive...etc
Anyway, the results where the best up to now, with this blade.
I will change the top for the best blade that works best for me in Merkur 34C, until now.

Astra Platinum
Personna Platinum
Super-Max Diamond Blue
Rapira Platinum Lux
Voshkod
Wilkinson Sword (German)

 

[mkiraly]

Congratulations!

 

[Russjones16]

Congrats on your shave. The Polsilvers and Feathers should be a great match for your 34C

 

[ajduplessis]

Keep the GF and Merkur but get some Feather's...

 

[DE_Archie]

That’s fantastic! Happy to hear your patiences is paying off.

 

[Herm2502]

I personally struggle with mild razors. If the R41 worked, then the 34c may be too mild. Try a Astra SP or Feather in the Merkur and see what happens.

Herm

 

[Dov Shaves]

I use a 34C as well. My top three blades include your top two plus Polsilver's. I've tried Feather's but not yet a fan. Welcome to the forum.

 

[njpaddy]

My son-in-law has been shaving with a 34C and Feather blades for over 10 years. I used a 34G with Astra SP or Personna for 5 years before switching to a GC last year. I still use the same blades, but get a closer shave with the GC.