What's new

Merkur 34C: Top cap blade posts too small?

I have noticed that the diameters of the blade posts on the top cap of my 34C are just bit too small, and as a result it's easy to tighten the razor and have a mis-aligned blade. When I drop a blade onto the top cap, it can slide left or right by at least a millimeter or so.

Based on a suggestion here, I trimmed some thin electrical heat shrink tubing and stretched the pieces on the blade posts. This increases the diameter of the blade posts just enough to provide spot-on blade alignment (at least as far as I can see

It seems I shouldn't have to use a workaround like this to get solid blade alignment with a very popular razor. I bought it new in 2022 and am wondering if I got one from a defective lot.

1Has anyone else experienced blade alignment problems with this razor (or with a replacement top cap for this razor)?
 
I would reach out to company you purchased from. See what they say, made you got bad razor?

You said you bought in “22”, did you not use until recently?
 
I've used it a few times over the past year. It's a decent mild razor when the blade is aligned properly. I was just wondering if my experience is unusual or common.
 
I've used it a few times over the past year. It's a decent mild razor when the blade is aligned properly. I was just wondering if my experience is unusual or common.
The issue has come up periodically on threads, most recently a month or so back.

Here's a thread discussing it from some years back, so a perennial issue?

Question: New Merkur 34C Blade Alignment Issue - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/question-new-merkur-34c-blade-alignment-issue.509067/#post-8732755
 
The one I owned was sloppy too. Their tolerances are probably not very good. If you want perfect alignment get a machined razor.
Well maybe you should reach out to Merkur with photo of problem, maybe they can assist. If you do not reach out seek fix, they do not know you have problem.

 
Thanks for the link @Alum Ladd. It seems this is common with this razor. That's unfortunate.

I recently bought a Mühle R89 (cast metal head) and the blade alignment is precise, so it seems it's not due the fact that the cap is cast metal.
 
Well maybe you should reach out to Merkur with photo of problem, maybe they can assist. If you do not reach out seek fix, they do not know you have problem.


I don’t shave with DE razors any longer, and returned that razor right after I bought it. Zero tolerance for blade alignment bs!

Never had a cart with an alignment problem either ;)
 
I have noticed that the diameters of the blade posts on the top cap of my 34C are just bit too small, and as a result it's easy to tighten the razor and have a mis-aligned blade. When I drop a blade onto the top cap, it can slide left or right by at least a millimeter or so.

Based on a suggestion here, I trimmed some thin electrical heat shrink tubing and stretched the pieces on the blade posts. This increases the diameter of the blade posts just enough to provide spot-on blade alignment (at least as far as I can see

It seems I shouldn't have to use a workaround like this to get solid blade alignment with a very popular razor. I bought it new in 2022 and am wondering if I got one from a defective lot.

1Has anyone else experienced blade alignment problems with this razor (or with a replacement top cap for this razor)?

If you look at the Merkur blade posts in side profile you'll see they are slightly tapered (larger where they meet the top cap). When the handle is tightened, the blade is bent in an arc and moves closer to the top cap. This action tends to center the blade on the posts. You can even hear a metal-on-metal sound when the handle is tightened down.

That said, I have an older Merkur 23 and there is not that much free play between blade and posts. I've not had any alignment issues with it, but I always load the blade by dropping it on the upside-down top cap, dropping on the base plate, then attaching and tightening the handle, all done with the razor held upside-down.
 
If you look at the Merkur blade posts in side profile you'll see they are slightly tapered (larger where they meet the top cap). When the handle is tightened, the blade is bent in an arc and moves closer to the top cap. This action tends to center the blade on the posts.
I will check on this and report back. Thanks for the info!
 
I don't notice any tapering of the blade posts in the top cap I have (or there is any tapering, it is a very tiny amount). Perhaps the top cap I have is from a poor manufacturing run.
 
[pull out mothballed 34c from drawer]

I clearly see what @NorthernSoul mentioned about the posts. They resemble a telescoping concrete column that has a wider diameter section where it meets the cap. However, loading a blade on the cap upside down before tightening the handle/plate assemble resulted in very bad blade alignment.

To improve the blade alignment, I gently pulled the blade all the way to one side using its side tabs as I tightened down the cap. Not optimum but it achieved good alignment consistently. There may be a fraction of mm more blade exposure on one side but I have that issue with other razors and as along as the blade edge is parallel, I am fine with it.

[/back into the drawer goes the 34c]
 
Last edited:
[pull out mothballed 34c from drawer]

...loading a blade on the cap upside down before tightening the handle/plate assemble resulted in very bad blade alignment...

[/back into the drawer goes the 34c]

I brought my 23c out of the storage cabinet for today's shave because of this thread!

If the blade is loaded on the upside-down top cap, and then just pressed with a finger to follow the same arc it would have when normally assembled, there was no play side to side at all, none. I believe this is the design intent.

The tapered "bullet" shape on the posts makes it easier to load a blade. However, when fully assembled, the blade should be centered and aligned with the center of the posts. This is because the diameter of the post increases slightly as the blade is pressed into position by the base plate, and because the arc of the blade slightly narrows the holes in the blade by changing their shape.
 
Last edited:
That doesn't seem to be the case with the 34C top cap I have. I put a blade on the upside-down top cap and pushed it down with my fingers between the blade posts and center threaded post. There's still play side to side.
 
If the blade is loaded on the upside-down top cap, and then just pressed with a finger to follow the same arc it would have when normally assembled, there was no play side to side at all, none. I believe this is the design intent.
What I did was to load blade, finger tighten the handle onto cap, then back it off about a half turn, just enough to be able to demonstrate the side to side play. I know the blade was still in the wider post section with the minimal backing off of the handle. So I pulled the blade to one side and then retightened.

Another thought is this amount of slop may vary between different blades. That is my next experiment. Maybe it would be perfect with a Merkur blade?
 
...Another thought is this amount of slop may vary between different blades. That is my next experiment. Maybe it would be perfect with a Merkur blade?

I tried it with BIC Chrome Platinum and Lord Silver Star. I'd be surprised if there was much difference between blades, but you never know.

My 23c is probably from the mid-1990s, FWIW. You can actually hear the blade scrunch down onto the posts when you tighten the handle.
 
I've tried it with several different brands of blades. They still have room to move left and right even when the blade is pressed all the way to the top cap.
 
My 37c is the same way - bought new less than 6 months ago. I have noticed a few threads where people complain of KAI blades being tighter than other brands and actually scraping the posts (not on a Merkur) when other brand blades don't.

Anyway ... the shrink sleeve trick works perfectly on my 37c so the blade aligns itself every time but I haven't ever tried a KAI blade :)
 
Top Bottom