Thinking about selling my Amboyna Burl 34G or trading it for a Muhle R89...

[_MementoMori_]

after reading some horror stories about Merkur finishes starting to corrode after a few years. Mine is fine right now. I baby it and dry it completely after every shave. It's an $83 razor on eliterazor.com, and I have the matching brush for it. I hate to break up a set, but I really don't want to own it if it's going to start disintegrating on me through normal, gentle use.

I don't really know why I created this thread. Are the Merkur finish horror stories true?

 

[michiganlover]

Are the Merkur finish horror stories true?

Unfortunately yes; there have been many photos posted to the board showing finishes that are quite literally flaking off.

Unfortunately, this condition is driven by a market that wants $30-40 products. I doubt Merkur could make a razor that would match the quality of a Vintage Gillette, and still be able to sell it for $30-$40.

Vintage Gillette's were plated brass. Merkur's are plated pot metal. Pot metal is not a very stable metal, and will quickly degrade if exposed to water. So once the protection provided by the plating is breached the razor quickly degrades.

 

[kevtex]

The OP states that he is considering trading his Merkur 34G for a Muhle 89. My question is, has anyone heard of this corrosion issue with Muhle or Edwin Jagger razors? Can someone tell us if they are made with the same or different material as Merkurs?

 

[Speedwell68]

The OP states that he is considering trading his Merkur 34G for a Muhle 89. My question is, has anyone heard of this corrosion issue with Muhle or Edwin Jagger razors? Can someone tell us if they are made with the same or different material as Merkurs?

I'd be interested in knowing people's experiences with this. I have recently bought a Mühle R89 and about to buy SWMBO a Edwin Jagger Chatsworth.

 

[_MementoMori_]

I was basing my preference for a Muhle or Edwin Jagger on the reputation they both have here. Everyone talks about their finish work as being top notch. The more I think about this, the closer I get to snapping some pics of my 34G and sticking it on the B/S/T. I don't "collect" razors; I shave with them. I need equipment that can withstand being used for the purpose to which it was designed.

 

[Nasa]

Wow....talk about being pi$$ed. I am a week into de shaving. I decided to buy the Merkur 34C based on the reviews and suggestions. I just came across this thread and I can't believe I didn't see this before I made the purchase. Please tell me they are not that bad?

 

[_MementoMori_]

Wow....talk about being pi$$ed. I am a week into de shaving. I decided to buy the Merkur 34C based on the reviews and suggestions. I just came across this thread and I can't believe I didn't see this before I made the purchase. Please tell me they are not that bad?

I'm in the same boat as you, only the razor I'm stressing out over cost me $80. I can't stop thinking about what $80 would've gotten me in vintage Gillettes.

 

[Go West Young Man]

Wow....talk about being pi$$ed. I am a week into de shaving. I decided to buy the Merkur 34C based on the reviews and suggestions. I just came across this thread and I can't believe I didn't see this before I made the purchase. Please tell me they are not that bad?

There are scattered reports of QC issues with Merkurs, but thousands of guys shaving with their razors every day. I wouldn't stress over it too much, odds are you'll be OK.

 

[cooncatbob]

One way to tell if a razor is pot metal or plated brass it to weigh it.
Pot metal weighs about 2/3rd what a similar size part made of SS or plated brass would weigh.

 

[kingfisher]

Agree with Go West; these things are not THAT bad.

I wouldn't expect you to have trouble with it, especially if you are drying it every day.

 

[Blondie]

I've had my slant for about a year, and no issues yet. I also have the EJDE89L, and the plating on it is good, but there are a few little blisters under the cap. It is my understanding that they are made with zinc as well. I think the main difference is that they are plated with the same chrome as is used by the Rolls Royce Motor company. It is called Blue Chrome, and gives a very good appearance. Brass is a better material for wet applications, but I believe requires a more costly manufacturing process. The actual raw materials are about equal in cost to zinc.

 

[Haiku]

Wow....talk about being pi$$ed. I am a week into de shaving. I decided to buy the Merkur 34C based on the reviews and suggestions. I just came across this thread and I can't believe I didn't see this before I made the purchase. Please tell me they are not that bad?

They are not that bad. Truly. If anything, my experience with Merkur products is that they last very well. I have enough confidence in them that I now own a slant, an HD, an open comb and a (Mer modified) Progress. (And yes, I own far too many vintage Gillettes and other brands as well.)

If there's a defect in the plating, there's every chance it will show up right away. If the plating looks good, then unless it starts to flake off there's every chance you'll be using your Merkur for years to come.

Merkurs also come with a warranty against defect. Different people have had different experiences but I have had nothing but great experience with Merkur replacing defective product.

I had a cap on a gold slant that lost some plating, they mailed me a new razor with no questions asked. I emailed them about a cap that had a finish problem on a chrome slant and they mailed me a new cap and didn't even ask me to send them the defective one. They just send a new one. At no time did they even ask any questions.

If you have a problem, email them a picture of the defect and I'm sure they'll stand behind their product.

Now others will tell you different stories about them not being as good as they've been to me, but that's been my experience.

The person to email is at Merkur is Anne Rothstein. Here's her contact information:

Anne Rothstein
MERKUR Stahlwaren GmbH & Co. KG
Boecklinstr. 10
42719 SOLINGEN
GERMANY
phone: ++49-212-2300135
fax: ++49-212-313612
email: [email protected] or [email protected]
website: www.dovo.com
UID-No. DE811951654
HRA: 20249 - HRB: 15557 Wuppertal
GF: Markus Kirschbaum, Jürgen Stremmel

 

[olblueyez]

Quality issues aside, the R89 will provide you with a better shave with less effort. The Muhle seems to either shave nicely or nothing, when angle adjustments are made. My 23C needs constant monitoring of the angle or it will burn you up. Also, the R89 can become more aggressive with half a turn back on the handle. I thought that was a bunch of bull but it does work and you can indeed see the blade angle decrease and the gap become larger. Works great on my lower neck.

As for the finish, the Muhle is much nicer than the Merkur. Every surface has been finished off and has a nice layer of chrome that for whatever reason seems to be smoother than the Merkur. The Handle is not what it appears to be. The pictures would have you think it is a rough cut diamond pattern simular to the Merkur but it really has contoured lines molded into the handle and then plated over. Much nicer than the Merkur and strange when you pick up the razor for the first time. The handle is smooth, not rough like the pictures suggest.

TheSuperiorShave.com is letting them go for 45 ballons shipped. I would recommend anyone with 45 bucks to burn, go and get one.

 

[Nils]

Wow....talk about being pi$$ed. I am a week into de shaving. I decided to buy the Merkur 34C based on the reviews and suggestions. I just came across this thread and I can't believe I didn't see this before I made the purchase. Please tell me they are not that bad?

There are reports of bad Merkurs, yes. But think of the numbers: if 4 guys posted about bad experiences here, it would -quite rightly so- gather a lot of attention.
If I on the other hand posted that I have no issues whatsoever with my 4 Merkurs, it wouldn't (and shouldn't) be an issue.

 

[ackvil]

Like any product, there will be some that have defects. I think my Progress is well made. I am confident that with my keeping it clean and dipping it in alcohol it will last a long time.

At flea markets and antique stores I have seen vintage Gillettes that have parts where their plating has work off. Yet, my 51 year old FB and 48 year old slim adjustable look as good as when I bought them years ago.

 

[cooncatbob]

I too have dealt with Anne and had defective parts replaced no questions asked.
But recently it's seems that they've tightened their standard on what constitutes a defect and what is normal wear and tear.
Bob.

 

[Haiku]

I too have dealt with Anne and had defective parts replaced no questions asked.
But recently it's seems that they've tightened their standard on what constitutes a defect and what is normal wear and tear.
Bob.

I've seen posts to that effect as well. To my mind they're right to want to limit the replacement to defects as opposed to normal wear and tear. I guess it remains to be seen as to whether their customers agree with them as to what constitutes normal wear and tear and what is a defect.

Vintage Gillette razors, superspeeds in particular, are not immune to complaints in this context. There are lots of Gillettes out there with plating loss under the head and it's so common one might even call it "normal" but to my mind it's a Gillette factory defect. Now, I do think that a Merkur plating loss is much more serious than a Gillette plating loss because zamac is not brass, but I have not hesitated to to buy Merkur razors, and I suspect I will continue to do so.

 

[Born2bwire]

I don't think the fact that some of the razors have pitted is too much a problem, but the gradual loss of customer service is. I recall a post a while back where Merkur stated that they offered a 10 year warranty but now recent posts have Merkur only giving two year warranties. They also are refusing to replace the razors that have developed corrosion despite some being within the warrany period. Stuff breaks, that's a fact of life, but good customer service can offset these problems so that they become just minor inconveniences.

Personally I no longer buy Merkur because of the combination of poor quality control and poor customer service. I think that there are now some reasonable alternatives to Merkurs. I recently purchased a Muehle but I do not know if it will hold up better than the Merkurs. I think that the newer Muehles have not been around long enough or in large enough quantities for us to begin making conclusions in that department. In the end, if the plating loss becomes bad, maybe I will pony up for a stainless steel like the Feather. Hell, who am I kidding, I would take any excuse to get the Feather but I figured I better do a more budget conscience choice and got the Muehle instead.

 

[cooncatbob]

The difference between a Gillette and a Merkur is on the Gillette the plating is cosmetic, it prevents the brass from tarnishing but the razor would still last a 100 years or more without the plating.
On the Merkurs the plating is vital protection to prevent the underlying Zamak (zinc alloy) from corroding due to exposure to the element, once the plating has been breached the underlying metal begins to deteriorate.

 

[Aevum]

my 34g has a small breach at the bottom, about a pin head wide, but i havent noticed any furder corrosion to it,