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Should I replace merkur 34c

So for the past 2 years I've been shaving with safety razor. I didn't get much irritation or ingrown hairs but in last 6 months that changed. My beard got a bit thicker because I am 19 and my beard isn't probably fully developed.

Because of ingrowns I changed my shaving equipment one by one. Long story short, I found out that tabac soap and Nivea sensitive aftershave balm give me the best results. Tabac provides great slickness and Nivea hydrates my dry skin.

After that it was time to experiment with blades. I bought the sample pack again and found out that Dorco titan and gilette nacet give me the best shaves.

Because of these thing I changed in last six months I was getting less ingrowns and less irritation.

Now I am thinking about getting more aggressive razor because 34c is mild and I usually shave once or sometimes two times a week so my beard is long at that point. Because of that I use electric clippers to shorten the beard. I tested it a few times and I don't get ingrowns or any kind of irritation after using clippers.

When I shave with 34c and sharp blade (like gilette nacet) I feel tugging. Problem is that I need to to over the same spot 3+ times to get any amount of beard reduction. I only do 2 passes WTG.

I was thinking that I need to buy more aggressive razor. One thing that may be a hint that I need more aggressive razor is that most of the ingrowns I get are ingrown to the side. Like they don't curl back to the root. Rather they go out and get "stuck"to the skin. I am not sure if I described it well.

I didn't mention technique and preparation. I always try to get the right angle and light pressure. I think that after 2 years my technique is ok and I think that is not the problem.
My preparation is that i sometimes take hot shower and sometimes I just soak my face in warm water for few minutes. Warm shower usually just dries my skin so I just try to keep it luke warm.

So my question is: Does my mild merkur 34c maybe give me ingrown hairs? Should I buy aggressive razor like muhle 41r?
 
I'd suggest the Mekur Progress adjustable razor, with either the shorter or the longer handle. You will be able to tune the razor's aggressiveness as time goes on to adapt to changing conditions.

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A similar razor is the Parker Variant.

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You could try either a Kai or a shim to beef up your Merkur with little money.
If you don’t mind bladefeel then a R41 is great for a 3-4 day stubble and you can get the head only if you already have a spare handle.

A combination of Open Comb and Slant will also make your shave more efficient on a 3-4 day stubble = FaTip Lo Storto OC aka FOCS without setting you back a fortune.
 
I do like the FOCS very much, also. It just seems like you are in a transition period for the next few years and wanting to experiment with aggressiveness which is why I suggested the adjustable razors.

The open comb design is helpful if you only shave a few times a week. No need for those clippers.

:laugh:
 
I looked up mekur progress and parker variant and they are out of my budget. I can spend around 50$. The idea of adjustable razor seems like a good idea because my beard may still change.

FOCS is around 50$ if I am looking at the right one. Does someone know how does it compare to R41?
 
You could try either a Kai or a shim to beef up your Merkur with little money.
If you don’t mind bladefeel then a R41 is great for a 3-4 day stubble and you can get the head only if you already have a spare handle.

A combination of Open Comb and Slant will also make your shave more efficient on a 3-4 day stubble = FaTip Lo Storto OC aka FOCS without setting you back a fortune.

+1! Revisiting your blade choice is worthwhile since the issue appears to be that your beard changed.

You can always purchase another razor.
 
When I shave with 34c and sharp blade (like gilette nacet) I feel tugging. Problem is that I need to to over the same spot 3+ times to get any amount of beard reduction. I only do 2 passes WTG.
It is not the razor that is the problem, you need to shave more often and the second pass should be XTG. The 34C with a Nacet blade will easily get you the CCS 2-pass shave you desire if you shave alternate days or every 3 days. I would try that before considering a more aggressive razor.
 
...most of the ingrowns I get are ingrown to the side. Like they don't curl back to the root. Rather they go out and get "stuck"to the skin. I am not sure if I described it well...
To solve any problem one needs to understand what the problem is. If the hairs "don't curl back to the root" the problem is not "ingrown hair".

In my opinion, Merkur 34C is not a mild razor, but medium aggressive.

...Should I buy...
Absolutely. But I am not sure what razor would match your technique and for the intended purpose. Not sure if an aggressive razor suppose to solve ingrown hairs problem.
Great recommendations above, for sure.

However, I believe you already made that subconscious decision that you need an R41. You will not be happy unless you get one, so go ahead. As others stated, R41 is a great razor, but aggressive.

Good luck.

I am still curious about what the real problem is. If you have trapped hairs you can always try an exfoliant before shaving.
 
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It is not the razor that is the problem, you need to shave more often and the second pass should be XTG. The 34C with a Nacet blade will easily get you the CCS 2-pass shave you desire if you shave alternate days or every 3 days. I would try that before considering a more aggressive razor.
I agree that I should try to shave at least every 3 days. Merkur 34c is good but for longer beard it just doesn't work for me. I will shave more often so we will see.
 
+1! Revisiting your blade choice is worthwhile since the issue appears to be that your beard changed.

You can always purchase another razor.
That is why I bought razor blade sample pack for a second time. I first used Astra green and they did good job for me. But know they seem to be too mild for me.
 
Buying new stuff is more fun than learning how to use what you already have.
You came to the right place for that.

I don't know how effective a synthetic brush would be for exfoliating, but I know from the Gillette study that the facial scrub is
twice as effective than a brush in releasing hairs that were trapped.
 
but I know from the Gillette study that the facial scrub is
twice as effective than a brush in releasing hairs that were trapped.
I haven't heard about facial scrub. Is that something like a gel in a tube that you rub in your beard with your fingers?
 
I haven't heard about facial scrub. Is that something like a gel in a tube that you rub in your beard with your fingers?
It's made for face washing. Imagine a face wash liquid cleaner with little bits of grit, like sand. I don't think you are supposed to use it every day, just several times a week. Usually applied with a washcloth.
 
Never heard of applying facial scrub with a washcloth, but I would recommend following the instructions on the product, if you chose to go that route.

I always applied the scrub with fingers, gently.
 
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