well i have merkur 23c and am very happy with that, I just wana know if i don't buy another razor will my merkur last a lifetime ? lets say without dropping it or anything abusive manner, can i depend on my 23c for life. any suggestion will appreciate.
how long my merkur razor will last?
- Thread starter ray777
- Start date
Even if you do buy another razor, the Merkur should last just a few days short of forever.
I have a razor that turned 60 this year, and some gentlemen have razors here close to 100 years old. Depending on your age and how you treat your razor, its useful life could outperform your own.
For purpose of discussion, let us remember that the quality of materials in a vintage Gillette razor vs. a modern day Merkur is not the same. Vintage Gillette razors were made of plated brass.
Modern day Merkur razors are plated Zamac (aka white metal, aka pot metal). The long term durability of Zamac is greatly reduced once the plating is compromised.
To be blunt, the Merkur razor will be pretty much shot once a significant amount of the plating is compromised.
Whereas a Vintage Gillette can have all of it's plating stripped, and still live on for another 100 years.
If you're lucky, your Merkurs have a good finish and will last a long time. I have a few of these and they are great razors. Unfortunately, I also have a few that can't keep their plating in place and leave a little to be desired. For the most part, Merkurs are a good buy. Enjoy your shave.
Continuing on this subject what would the life span of a Muhle razor be?
I would have thought forever but i didn't know potmetal was use
As I understand it Muhle (and since they use Muhle heads Edwin Jagger razors as well) are also made from Zamac. So they would suffer from the same issues, but maybe not as quickly as the plating on Muhle, and Edwin Jagger razors is considered to be superior.
The only way to avoid this issue is to buy an all stainless steel razor; I own a Feather All Stainless, and it is a thing of beauty, it will last a lifetime without a doubt.
I was not aware of the pot metal information either. The razor I used this morning is over 100 years old and still does a wonderful job. I guess they mean it when saying "they don't make things like they used to".
I'm 56 years old, and only recently purchased two Merkurs, one 34C and one 23C (one is here with me in DC, the other is home in Florida). Since they're fairly new, and I'm creeping up on "old age", I fully expect my grandchildren and beyond to be using them in future generations.
Besides, once I'm gone, they're on their own.
Besides, once I'm gone, they're on their own.
You could always get a straight if longevity is a concern.
Almost every razor I own has outlived its original owner.
From what I've read so far, Modern Merkur's are nothing close to vintage Merkur razors.
Like 90% of any metal tool produced today, they're essentially made from cheap pot metal, which wears out very quickly in moist environments.
There are tons of threads where people claim that their modern Merkurs have begun corroding after only three to five years of use. Merkur will also blame you for any problem with the razor, so don't expect them to be honoring any lifetime warranty claims.
I just got a new 37C a few weeks ago, and it had a small spot of brassing on the threads of the razor head. It's tiny and not really worth returning it over, but it makes me question their quality control.
I don't expect to see very many of the current modern Merkurs being sold 50 years from now in same condition we see vintage Gillettes in now.
Like 90% of any metal tool produced today, they're essentially made from cheap pot metal, which wears out very quickly in moist environments.
There are tons of threads where people claim that their modern Merkurs have begun corroding after only three to five years of use. Merkur will also blame you for any problem with the razor, so don't expect them to be honoring any lifetime warranty claims.
I just got a new 37C a few weeks ago, and it had a small spot of brassing on the threads of the razor head. It's tiny and not really worth returning it over, but it makes me question their quality control.
I don't expect to see very many of the current modern Merkurs being sold 50 years from now in same condition we see vintage Gillettes in now.
I agree with the importance of noticing that these are not vintage Gillette razors. This morning, I shaved with a vintage FatBoy that is in better shape than my 5 year old Merkur HD. Both are in good shape, but the Merkur has lost a little plating (exposing the zamac). Similarly, I keep the head from a modern Merkur OC on a vintage Fat Handle that I took from a Gillette Tech - while the handle is 70 years older than the head, it looks like the Gillette handle will outlast the Merkur head.
In other words, I don't know how long Merkur have been making razors with zamac, but since it is a relatively new material in razors, any guess regarding its longevity would only be conjecture. Though, we can say that they will not last as long as the vintage razors.
(that being said, Merkur products do perform well)
In other words, I don't know how long Merkur have been making razors with zamac, but since it is a relatively new material in razors, any guess regarding its longevity would only be conjecture. Though, we can say that they will not last as long as the vintage razors.
(that being said, Merkur products do perform well)
A merkur is a 'time bomb' but it will all depend on the plating. When the plating is good (watch for discoloration and small pits, especialy under the top plate) longevity depends on how carefull you are but the sad thing is that Merkur QC is all over the place so no one can really tell.
Modern pennies last a pretty long time and that is pretty much what a Merkur razor is made out of.
Talibeard is unfortunately right as far as Merkur quality control, though.
Talibeard is unfortunately right as far as Merkur quality control, though.
I recently scored a 1946-47 US made Gillette Aristocrat with a gold finish. It is more or less 65 years old and in just about perfect condition- and incidentally shaves wonderfully. I expect that given good care it will last another 65, but given that I am slightly older than that razor, it's unlikely I'll be around to know for sure.
The age of any vintage Gillette is not necessarily a sign of its ability to hold up (I fear I'm going to get flamed for this, but bear with me). My 99-year old Single Ring has not been used for, I would guess, a great measure of that time span. It is way too nice to have experienced daily use for a century. The thin brass used on some handles prior to 1929 (some reports suggest it was poorly annealed) means that handles without splits are hard to come by. I have vintage Gillette razors is great shape, in part because they got squirreled away and/or lost for many of the intervening years and now they've hit the market and me and others like me are buying them.
I also have re-plated NEW OC heads and custom handles from BRW, and I have no doubt that they are good enough for great-great-grandchildren to use.
That said, If Merkur or Meuhle ever made their razors entirely of plated solid brass, and they charged more, I'd buy them in a heartbeat. I have a FaTip head (nickel-plated solid brass) on Meuhle's 2008 OC, and that unit ought to last easily a hundred years.
I'm not as concerned with Zamac as much as I used to be. Some knowledgeable list members have weighed in on this on this board, speaking to the science of Zamac (there doesn't seem to be just one kind), its manufacture and durability. I acknowledge those who have had problems, but I'm not sure what percentage of Merkur's or Meuhle's units made in a given year have had problems.
I invite anyone reading this who has knowledge of Zamac to weigh in (or tell us where those older threads may be found).
I also have re-plated NEW OC heads and custom handles from BRW, and I have no doubt that they are good enough for great-great-grandchildren to use.
That said, If Merkur or Meuhle ever made their razors entirely of plated solid brass, and they charged more, I'd buy them in a heartbeat. I have a FaTip head (nickel-plated solid brass) on Meuhle's 2008 OC, and that unit ought to last easily a hundred years.
I'm not as concerned with Zamac as much as I used to be. Some knowledgeable list members have weighed in on this on this board, speaking to the science of Zamac (there doesn't seem to be just one kind), its manufacture and durability. I acknowledge those who have had problems, but I'm not sure what percentage of Merkur's or Meuhle's units made in a given year have had problems.
I invite anyone reading this who has knowledge of Zamac to weigh in (or tell us where those older threads may be found).
captp:
+ 1 from a proud owner of a 23C & 38C.
"Merkur; Solingen quality, Time-tested Tradition with Modern Design".
Christopher
"A razor can't be sharpened on a piece of velvet." Author Unknown 
I'm curious where you found that information. Which Merkur's are made of Zamac? My 38c is chrome plated brass. I've read that in several places, and unfortunately there is a small spot on the threading with no chrome and you can clearly see the yellow tinted brass underneath. Many murkurs may be made of Zamac, but there is at least one that isn't!
I'm not saying that you're wrong, only that there may be a little more to it that that. I don't think all merkurs are made of the same materials.
Similar threads
