Merkur DE blades reconsidered

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 10:35 pm

Evening. For those of you who follow the SOTD posts the following will not be 'news' but I thought that I would do a thread on the subject anyway. Whenever I had used Merkur blades in the past I had never been happy with them. I tried them a number of times, mainly in the earlier 2000s around the time that these shave forums started up. Back then ( 2003-2004 ) Merkurs were kind of de rigueur with forum members ( the few that there were...chuckle ). There seemed to be few choices at that time, the good UK Wilkinsons and US Schicks were getting hard to find, the US ASR numbers were mediocre at best, and the US sold Gillettes were awful. I'd always used mainly Wilkinson blades but as they disappeared I was searching for an alternative and so I tried the oft recommended Merkurs. "Bah!", I thought....they seemed rough or crude, tended to pull, and didn't shave very close. So, despite their then popularity, I dissed them on the forum and continued my search. And that was that as far as I was concerned.

Over the years here more and more shavers seemed to come around to my point of view, ie, that the Merkurs were a poor blade. But, a few loyalists continued to laud them, including Chris M. So, there was always this vague lingering doubt because Chris and a few others were not inexperianced dingbats. But the blades were rather expensive and I had other priorities so...whatever. But not long ago I received a giant 'care package' from that very Chris M. and in it, amongst the other goodies were a couple of packs of Merkurs. "Well, now's the time I guess", thought I. I chose the Feather SS razor because it had worked well for me and has a reputation for making otherwise not okay blades shine. And, amazingly, it did, for me, with the once despised Merkurs. I've had a couple of weeks of good shaves with this combination....smooth, effective, irritation free. Granted, they do not cut as close, nor last as long as the top shelf vintage blades I normally use, but, none the less, good comfortable shaves. I've not tried them in any of my other razors, but in the Feather SS, well, I was forced to change my mind about them.

So, this was all good news in the sense that there is reason to believe that the Merkurs will continue to be around for awhile, are not that likely to be altered/cheapened, and they are widely available. Bravo! There is a rub though....they are quite expensive and I'm not convinced that they work ( for me ) any better than the the much less expensive blue and white wrapped IP blades. In the Feather SS, at any rate, they actually seem very similiar. Therefore, it's still questionable whether I will be buying any of them. But regardless, it's been an unexpectedly positive experiance with a blade I had dismissed as unacceptable up until now.
Regards,
Gordon

JayTrek · Post by **JayTrek** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 10:42 pm

Gordon,

I have never had luck with the Merkurs I have used in the past. That being said, if there is one thing I have learned in my 5+ years of DE shaving, it is that with whatever product...your mileage and experience may vary.

This is a prime example.

franz · Post by **franz** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 12:50 am

They're a poor value considering the wealth of other options, but by no means a poor blade in my opinion.

Merkur blades being garbage is one of those wetshaving truisms that gets passed down to newbies around the same time they are nicking and scraping the hell out of themselves.

marsos52 · Post by **marsos52** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 3:10 am

well lets flip to the other side of the coin here,,

i been using merkur blades back when one could still buy the famed gillettes and wilkinson swords in your local drug store and supermarket

yes merkurs have there own feel thats is different from all others..
but i have always enjoyed the shave experierce with them..

even back in the good old days i recieved close smoooth shaves with them
and i have never found them in 30 years plus to have changed in a way

actually they may be better these days ,,,not sure i get a solid week of use from a merkur blade

so,, i do believe a week from any blade makes it a real bargain

marc

JayTrek · Post by **JayTrek** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 7:42 am

I typically do not get more than 4 or 5 shaves out of even a Feather.

JarmoP · Post by **JarmoP** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 9:30 am

I have to rethink my opinion. It is i had a shave with derby today and usually they are just fine with the blade. But i used much soap of a soap I had not used a while.

And lets just say the bade was not as nice as usual. It was Derby and not the Merkur. It felt like Merkur blade, so all I must say, it was a poor lather.
Since I do like them derbies in general.

So while I think this derby blade willl give a better next time, I will also keep an open eye for the few Merkur blades i still have, maybe 8 or so.

Usually I like Red Packs the most and also them Crystals. And them Derbies, but just today I had a poor lather i think and used too much soap I have not for a while. It seldom happens.

Squire · Post by **Squire** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 9:45 am

I'm impressed Gordon spent three paragraphs on a blade.

Racso_MS · Post by **Racso_MS** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 9:51 am

OK.....

What is going on here....

Racso_MS · Post by **Racso_MS** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 9:54 am

Got so upset I posted three times and tried but couldn't delete two of them.

Squire · Post by **Squire** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 10:09 am

Glad to assist deleting posts SM, actually, the truth is, realizing your fondness for Merkur blades, a few of us got together and decided let's screw with Oscar.

KAV · Post by **KAV** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 10:11 am

My initial investment in shaving was a MERKUR HD and the HUGE order of 30 blades. Looking back, the blades got the job done without great loss of blood. I found blades I am much happier with and am slowly building up a lifetime supply. However, should I again find myself facing a merkur blade it will work.

Racso_MS · Post by **Racso_MS** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 10:38 am

Squire wrote:Glad to assist deleting posts SM, actually, the truth is, realizing your fondness for Merkur blades, a few of us got together and decided let's screw with Oscar.

Squire · Post by **Squire** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 12:15 pm

And further, the heir just signed up for ROTC and is fully aware that the Sergeants run the Army.

Straight Arrow · Post by **Straight Arrow** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 2:53 pm

Hmmm... Gordon, have you tried any other unfavored blades in the Feather SS? Maybe its reputation as a blade optimizer is rightly earned. I haven't used one myself.

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 4:47 pm

Rich, I don't experiment much with blades....certainly not today anyway. I did try the Feather blade in this razor and although the SS has made the difference with some members here, I still could not comfortably use it. That was my initial hope; that the Feather blades might become a viable option for me, but, unfortunately it was not to be. It did seem to help with the Merkurs though. As I mentioned above, I have not, and am reluctant to, try the Merkurs in my other razors because of the negative experiances I've had in the past.
Regards,
Gordon

CMur12 · Post by **CMur12** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 8:05 pm

Gordon, I must admit to being mystified when I noticed Merkur blades in your SOTD. I thought, "Is this the same Gordon I have known these past few years? What is the world coming to? Next thing you know, he'll be using glycerin-based soaps!" (

)

Then I thought of your month in Purgatory with the boar brush, and I figured that someone named "Chris" had to have a part in this.

All humor aside, I can appreciate your blade predicament and the great relief that would come with the discovery of a blade in current production that could work for you.

- Murray

i_shaved_something · Post by **i_shaved_something** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 8:21 pm

Could Merkur blades be something that's actually been 'reformulated' for the better?

If so I hope it becomes a trend

JarmoP · Post by **JarmoP** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 8:38 pm

I must give the blade we are talking about here another chance for sure. It is I thought Gordon is a Swede, Iridium type guy, though not liking them Feathers.

Myself more a milder blade guy. So I do have to give Merkurs another opinion or 2 before i am sure about them.

Remember all dudes reading this thread, it is all about how your face feels after the shave than how easy it is to shave !

a-cut-above · Post by **a-cut-above** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 8:57 pm

JarmoP wrote:......Myself more a milder blade guy. So I do have to give Merkurs another opinion or 2 before i am sure about them.....

Jarmo,
Which of the "milder" blades do you use/like? Are Merkurs more like Iridiums or IP's, Dorcos's, etc?

JarmoP · Post by **JarmoP** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 9:14 pm

Red Personnas, Crystals and Derby blades and also quite a few others, a-cut-above

I have no current opinion of Merkurs. I am though puzzled about Gordon posting this, so as told i must check them to build one again.