Merkur 34G
- Thread starter mrozowjj
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I don't think it's gold, but I don't know much about Merkurs.
Its probably electroplated gold over brass. With care these razors last a long time without any plate loss. However they have nothing to do with the shave quality just looks pretty.
Based upon the selling price, I am 100% that it is just a gold colored coating. Plating in real gold would make the resulting item cost a fortune.
Gold electroplating for decoration is pretty thin (~.5µm I think?), I think you can get it done to suitable objects for just a few bucks per square inch. One of my old prof's does it to vintage pens, I could ask if anyone really is curious.
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I have a 34G. I am more careful cleaning this one than my other razors. See this thread on cleaning a Merkur gold.
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?p=1342349
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?p=1342349
+1. Although it would be interesting to have a vault full of actual gold Merkurs as an investment.
Plating in real gold would be something hyped when the item is marketed. Regardless of the actual cost of the gold, the resulting razor would have a high price tag, as a gold plated item is perceived to be a premium, and hence very expensive item.
Actually plating in gold is comparable in price to chrome plating, both need to be done over nickel, but chrome requires more electricity or so my plater told me which is why it's hard to find someone to chrome plate small parts.
The amount of gold in the plating is so small as to be insignificant.
The labor involved is more costly then the materials used.
In Germany, those razors are sold as "vergoldet", which means that the coating legally HAS to be gold (however thin), otherwise this kind of marketing would be strictly verboten.
I knew that Merkur, without a doubt, was gold plated, but just to be sure I emailed Merkur so that the nay-sayers could not refute the proof. I just received an email from Frau Rothstein at Merkur in Germany. She is the spokesman for them and she confirms that ALL Merkurs labeled gold are indeed 24 carat gold plated. The plating is very thin; my guess is at 0.5-0.7 microns thick. So there you have it! Merkur quality.
Happy shaving,
Dan
Currently own a Merkur gold Futur and a Merkur gold 34G. The Futur is my favorite.
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I have a 37G and love it 
Gold plating doesn't cost but a few bucks more. . And it is gold plating 24 k to be exact. , so you are 100%wrong.
Not to mention rhodium plating, which is more expensive than gold, and doesn't cost a ''fortune'', although it's not cheap either ...
Nice thread resurrection btw ...
Thanks for going to the trouble to write that email...and congrats on using the largest font ever on B&B and the bluest, too. Awesome!
