Merkur 34C or 38C

[Skiroy]

Hello all,
after my first straight razor experience (at a barber shop) yesterday I've decided to take the plunge into DE shaving. I've always had a brush but a cheap excuse for a brush. Now I think a bit of pampering is in order.

I'm going to get a kimson horn brush http://www.handicraft-vn.com/shop/premium-natural-shave-brush-handle-made-of-real-horn-psb001-pri-1166.html?reviews_id=3 for my weekend shaves but I'm leaning toward having him send it to shavemac for a nice silver-tip, but for the weekday shaves I'm going with a Edwin Jagger best badger.

I have a medium size face and (well isn't this something) a medium thickness hair growth after a day or two.

after 2 days of constant research on B&B I find myself between a rock and a hard place. I decided that your all a bunch a decent fellows, so I'm going to give this a shot and see what you all thought of a Merkur 34C or the 38C for the first time DE shaver. I know there are pros and cons to both but what is messing me up is the reviews for the 38C. People are saying that it's just too heavy and is a bit more aggressive than the 34C. So my question is which one wins the top spot in the illustrious B&B world.
again thank you all for a great site and the time you spare for a newbie.

 

[demaro]

You cannot go wrong with either one. I own a 38 c and I love it. If a longer handle is a good thing for you, I would go with the 38c.

 

[southernmail]

It's really hard to go wrong with the 34C; it's an excellent shaver, well-balanced, and probably easier to get the right "light touch" than the heavier 38C.

 

[Marco]

These two razors are among the most popular offered by Merkur.
They are both great, great shavers.
So, if you are asking to yourself which one to pick up, just take them both.
You won't be disappointed!

 

[buyandhold2018]

My first DE was a 34C... Awesome Razor! Easy to handle, great weight and simple enough to use for first-time DEer. I would highly recommend it, especially when consider value-for-money. My next Merkur will probably be a slant version of the HD.

 

[Skiroy]

These two razors are among the most popular offered by Merkur.
They are both great, great shavers.
So, if you are asking to yourself which one to pick up, just take them both.
You won't be disappointed!

I would love nothing more than to get both, but from what a good majority of people are saying on here is to stick with one till you get the technique down. I know the temptation would be too great if I had to sit there and look at one while I was "learning" with the other.

 

[moodymick]

I have both, though i started with the 38C. In retrospect i think this was a lucky choice as the extra weight allows you to just guide the head around your face with no additional pressure - the secret in my view to a becoming a competent shaver, what we should all be aiming to be.

Good luck on you decision, whichever you choose should serve you well!

 

[Marco]

I would love nothing more than to get both, but from what a good majority of people are saying on here is to stick with one till you get the technique down. I know the temptation would be too great if I had to sit there and look at one while I was "learning" with the other.

Merkur 34c and 38c are similar razors.
They have exactly the same head and, even if the 38c has a longer handle and is heavier than the 34c, they essentially shave in the same way.
I truly do believe you can get both and learn using both.
That is my opinion.

 

[dpmtherrien]

I think you can see from the above posts that its going to come down to what you prefer, and probably the only way to tell is to get both. You could very well end up loving both and want to keep them in your rotation. If you don't want to do that, whichever you'd like to get rid of can easily be sold on B/S/T/.

While both razors have similar features shave wise, the 38c has that long handle and extra weight, which some like and some don't care for. I've had both, and I have large hands and a fairly heavy beard, but I didn't care for the 38c. I found the long handle and extra weight just got in the way. I found the regular HD to be the razor for me. Today I only use the HD as my backup DE. The 1904, again similar, is my go to DE.

Give them both a shot as you'll probably end up with more than 1 DE razor anyway, so have fun with them.

 

[Skiroy]

I just wanted to stop back in and say thank you all for the advice. I went with the 34C and will more than likely get the 38C later on. well the 34C and a bunch of goodies

 

[Oklahoma]

My first razor was a 38c, and I loved it! Go for it!

 

[DE Shaver]

Both are excellent razors. Ultimately, I chose a 38C because of the longer handle.