Where to Buy Merkur HD

[goodtimeshaxor]

Hello,

I am a beginner and have been fascinated and interested in DE shaving for a couple months now and am down to my last cartridge on my Quatro (I use the single razor on the back of the cartridge cause I feel like it shaves better than the 4 blades together). Anyways.. I have spent many hours reading up on DE razors and have decided to invest in a Merkur HD but am not sure where to buy it for the cheapest price.

I have seen many Merkur razors on Amazon but am not sure which one I'm supposed to buy. They seem to be named differently on Amazon. I read the review thread saying that the Merkur HD is around $30 but I couldn't find any on Amazon that listed the razor as "HD" and at that price. Could anyone help me find the cheapest Merkur HD razor to buy?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Spivey]

I think www.westcoastshaving.com has a pretty great price.

Also, your search may be helped if you refer to it as the Merkur 34C (or 34G if you want the gold one).

 

[AsylumGuido]

Have you considered buying vintage razor instead? They can be had for less than the Merkurs and are generally considered to give better shaves. Look in the B&B Mall forum here and check some out.

Shaving Mall - Buy/Sell/Trade

 

[goodtimeshaxor]

Have you considered buying vintage razor instead? They can be had for less than the Merkurs and are generally considered to give better shaves. Look in the B&B Mall forum here and check some out.

Shaving Mall - Buy/Sell/Trade

Yes, I looked into the Gillette Super Speed '40s but after some searching I decided to get something new. I am a bit worried about getting a bad one off Ebay.

On other note, what kind of razor sampler pack should I get? They seem to be more expensive than just buying one type or razor. If there was one razor for a beginner what would it be? I don't have much hair but what I have is very thick and coarse.

 

[Jarmo P]

Have you considered buying vintage razor instead? They can be had for less than the Merkurs and are generally considered to give better shaves. Look in the B&B Mall forum here and check some out.

Guido, I don't know what your adversion against Merkur razors is?
There has been many polls where Gilletes are considered cooler in the vintage value, but Merkurs giving better shave. Like this one:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=40601&highlight=poll+merkur+gillette

I really feel it is generally more accepted that Merkurs are better shavers from what I have read. HD at least is a very classy shaver and my 2 SuperSpeeds cannot achieve the same precision and gentleness how ever hard I try that it.

To OP I would say that saving 5-10$ is really not important considering that you are making an investment for a very long time perhaps as long as you live.

 

[Spivey]

My Gillettes shave WAY better than the Merkurs that I've had. Mind you, I've never had a 34C (I had an 11C and still have a 37C that I enjoy). So, I agree with Guido. I have yet to find anything that shaves better than my long handle super adjustable.

 

[AsylumGuido]

Guido, I don't know what your adversion against Merkur razors is?
There has been many polls where Gilletes are considered cooler in the vintage value, but Merkurs giving better shave. Like this one:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=40601&highlight=poll+merkur+gillette

I really feel it is generally more accepted that Merkurs are better shavers from what I have read. HD at least is a very classy shaver and my 2 SuperSpeeds cannot achieve the same precision and gentleness how ever hard I try that it.

To OP I would say that saving 5-10$ is really not important considering that you are making an investment for a very long time perhaps as long as you live.

There are dozens of models of Gillette other than Super Speeds That I consider as better shaving razors than Super Speeds. If you have limited your comparison to just the HD and SS then you are truly missing out.

 

[gone down south]

The HD is also sometimes referred to by it's full name, the "Merkur Heavy Duty".
Are you interested in a used one? I'm going to put my HD up on the b/s/t next week, once my new slant comes in the mail.

 

[AsylumGuido]

Yes, I looked into the Gillette Super Speed '40s but after some searching I decided to get something new. I am a bit worried about getting a bad one off Ebay.

On other note, what kind of razor sampler pack should I get? They seem to be more expensive than just buying one type or razor. If there was one razor for a beginner what would it be? I don't have much hair but what I have is very thick and coarse.

I don't blame you for worrying about eBay. I have only bought one razor off eBay and that was from someone that I knew as a B&B member. That's why I suggested you look into the BST forum. It is a trusted alternative to eBay where knowledgeable members sell quality razors to other members. Most sellers will have the razor in ready to use condition. Another plus on the vintage route is that you can try the razor out and if it isn't right for you you can either sell it and get your money back or trade it for something of equal, or perhaps greater value. By nature vintage razor appreciate in value while contemporary razors lose much of their value as soon as the first blade it loaded.

As for sampler packs, I take it you are referring to blades. Yes, samplers are more expensive per blade than bulk orders of a single brand, but it gives you the capability to learn which is best for you. Blades are extremely personal in how they perform. What works ideally for one person just will not "cut it" for another.

 

[citizensoldierny]

Shavingessentials.net is a great seller . Good prices, ships fast and is known for throwing in a bunch of samples.

 

[michiganlover]

I think the best price I have seen on a Merkur HD was through Shaving Essentials:

http://www.shavingessentials.net/razors.html

As an added bonus, if you are fully without gear, there is a really nice complete kit (with the Merkur HD) that he sells for a pretty good price: $68.98. Simply scroll down to the bottom of the page, I linked to above.

To complete the kit, if you click on the shaving cream link, he offers a sample of all of the Taylor of Old Bond Street creams for $20.00. That way you can spend a month or two figuring out what scent you really love, prior to buying a full sized container.

http://www.shavingessentials.net/shaving_creams.html

 

[AsylumGuido]

Guido, I don't know what your adversion against Merkur razors is?
There has been many polls where Gilletes are considered cooler in the vintage value, but Merkurs giving better shave. Like this one:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=40601&highlight=poll+merkur+gillette

I really feel it is generally more accepted that Merkurs are better shavers from what I have read. HD at least is a very classy shaver and my 2 SuperSpeeds cannot achieve the same precision and gentleness how ever hard I try that it.

To OP I would say that saving 5-10$ is really not important considering that you are making an investment for a very long time perhaps as long as you live.

I just noticed that the poll you listed was a year and a half old. Since then there has been somewhat of an explosion in the interest in vintage Gillettes. In fact, I even know of some B&B members who were devote Merkur fans at that time that have made a full 180 and now swear by Gillettes. I would like to see the same poll today.

 

[blade08]

Over here This shop is located in Germany but they are highly reliable and a pleasure to deal with.

 

[goodtimeshaxor]

To All: Wow, this thread just blossomed with posts. I want to thank everyone for their enthusiastic responses to my original thread. Very insightful and friendly.

The HD is also sometimes referred to by it's full name, the "Merkur Heavy Duty".
Are you interested in a used one? I'm going to put my HD up on the b/s/t next week, once my new slant comes in the mail.

Gone Done South: I would definitely love to try the HD as well if you're selling it for a decent price to a newbie Let me know next week if it's still available. I'd be interested. I'll PM you my email just incase I don't check the forums right away. Thanks