First Shave with the Merkur Barber Pole Heavy Duty 38C

I was apprehensive about cutting myself with my first try at a non-cartridge razor, so in the beginning I was very cautious. But as I wasn't getting cut, I applied more pressure, not too much, and got a superior shave than I did with my Mach 3.

I didn't use any fancy products. I shaved in the shower, wet my 20-hour beard, scrubbed it with body gel; then applied Trader Joe's mango shaving cream before shaving in the hot shower. The blade came with the Merkur so I assume it was the same brand.

The efficacy of the Merkur is so far superior to the Mach 3 that I have to say the big companies have done a superb job of brainwashing us into believing we have to buy their "super powered" multi-blade razors, which in all frankness are overpriced junk.

I wonder if  Gillette will get into the act. Their vintage Fatboy razors sell for over $200 on eBay.

Final Notes:

I dried off my Merkur with a towel, then placed it in a mug of mineral oil. I hope that is okay for it. If anyone knows differently, let me know. This message board discussion indicates that I'm probably okay using mineral oil and not olive oil, which can go rancid.

There are many appealing Merkur razors out there and picking one can be daunting, but after reading many articles I've noticed that time and time again the two Merkur razors that get steady praise and are recommended for simplicity and effectiveness are the 38C, the one I bought and the 34C, which has a shorter handle.

Related articles

Manly Razor Sighting: Merkur Barber Pole Heavy Duty 38C

The Great Shave Experiment Begins with a Merkur 38C Heavy Duty Barber Pole Razor

Five Steps To A Perfect Shave

Merkur Heavy Duty Classic Safety Razor

Aloe Vera Gel Cheaper Than Shaving Cream

My Shaving Razor Life Increased 400% by Following These Rules

The Triumphant Return of Wet Shaving

How to Shave Without Irritating Your Skin

Washing the Stubble and Drying Off My Mach 3 Razor Triples Its Usage-Span

Comments

[Jesse]

Storing in oil seems unnecessary -- you're not making razor confit here. You're over-thinking it.

[herculodge]

Over-thinking. True. I'll say goodbye to the mineral oil.

[StarHalo]

The mineral oil prevents oxygen from touching the blade, which is the prime cause of blade wear - the blade chemically degrading between uses, not actual use. Your blades will last significantly longer, often reported around four times longer, when stored in mineral oil.

[bill]

Your blades may last longer with mineral oil, but you could also buy something like the Derby Extra blades from Spamazon for less than ten cents each. At that price there's no point in moving heaven and earth to make them last longer.

[Tom Welch]

It has been a while since I've been into wet shaving, but buy an assortment of blades and see what works best for you. In case, you'll save bucks for your twins college education by wet shaving

[Ed S.]

Used this type of razor when I statrted shaving, many years ago. Found it gave the smoothest result when used in combination with one of those cans of shaving gel (not cream). Flush out the whiskers frequently. Also keep a stiptic pencil handy to stanch the bleeding when you eventually knick yourself.

[KI6H]

I shave with a Merkur and alternate between two blade brands: Personna Blue and Feather, both of which are excellent blades. The Personna blades are about a dime each when they're on sale, the Feathers more like 25 cents. I got a box of 100 of the Personna a year ago and still have thirty or forty left.

When traveling I mail myself a couple blades in a greeting card sent to the hotel. For the first time in about ten flights, TSA examined my empty Merkur yesterday (the TSA officer at a midwestern airport was a conoisseur of wet shaving himself and thought it was silly to restrict the blades.)

[herculodge]

KI6H, I'll try the Personna. Thanks for the recommendation. My Feather are on the way but from Thailand so it will be another month.