MERKUR 39C Double Edge Safety Razor, Slant Bar Design- Long Handle, Made in Germany, Plastic-Free, Two Piece Design

This is a high quality DE razor. It is a slant-type razor from Merkur, very well made and quite heavy (I have used many different DE razors over time and this is, by far, the heaviest). I had read online reviews that seemed to indicate that it is an aggressive razor, i.e., one which can be quite unforgiving. However, in my experience, this has not been the case at all. It does a very effective job in shaving and I have barely nicked myself once or twice over two weeks of shaving. I have used two brands of blades in it so far, the Merkur one that came with the razor and the blue (US-made) Personna. Both work well, but I prefer the Personnas slightly - blade choice is quite personal, so YMMV. It is best to let the razor glide due to its own weight and not apply downward pressure on it. I have found that three passes (with-,across-, and against-the-grain) with small strokes produces a very smooth (BBS) shave. One thing I have also noticed is that it does not pay to be too aggressive in ATG strokes - this seems to leave behind some post-shaving burn. A lighter hand seems to work very well - holding the blade around the balance point works well for this. The razor handle is very grippy and there is little danger of it slipping even with wet or soapy fingers.Loading the blade is a little bit more cumbersome than "butterfly-style" razors, but not really an issue. The slant head bends the blade quite significantly along a helical path and also varies blade exposure from one end to another. I don't know whether the slant made a huge difference since I haven't used straight Merkur razors, but, at the same time, I found no issues due to the slant itself.Overall, I am very happy with the buy. I have bought a "sampler set" of razor blades to figure out what works best with the 39c... More on that later.Update on 7/22/2017Some additional feedback based on a few weeks' usage... I am extremely impressed by this razor. The biggest take-away is that it works very well with pretty much every blade I have tried. I very rarely nick or cut myself, even if I am not very mindful while shaving. I am quite puzzled by reviews that seem to indicate that this is an aggressive razor; while it may not be as "mild" as a Feather razor, I don't think it is aggressive at all. Instead, it is extremely efficient and produces super-smooth (near-BBS) shaves with just two passes - one with the grain and another against/across the grain.This is a brief synopsis of how it has paired up with different blades:- Merkur blade that came with razor: Good performance. No nicks or irritation. After trying other blades, this does not seem like the best best option, however.- Personna Blue: This blade works beautifully in a Feather, but somehow doesn't work well with the 39c. Performance was acceptable, but I needed to do a lot more work to get a smooth shave - the blade felt somewhat "blunt" compared to others. I need to test it a bit more.- Wilkinson Sword: Excellent performance. I rank this blade as #2 in terms of how well it works in the 39c.- Dorco ST-301: Nearly as good as the Wilkinson. I felt that it was a little less smooth and lost its sharpness a bit quicker than the Wilkinson.- Feather: Fair performance. In my opinion, it is a bit aggressive with the 39c. I did get a cut over a bumpy area in my face even while paying attention. Others have reported that the Feathers work very well in the 39c - for me, it ranked on par with the Personna Blue in terms of preference.- Astra SP: Great performance. I was shocked at how well it worked with the 39c. I have not had a better shave with a DE razor/blade combo than with the Astra and 39c. I need only two passes for an absolutely smooth, irritation-free shave. It is definitely my #1 choice for the razor so far. The blade is made in Russia (by Gillette); one minor nit is that the blade has a couple of glue spots to stick the wrapper to the blade. This does not wipe off the blade easily at all. I am sure it has no effect, but it is a bit annoying.Update on 8/4/2017I thought I will add a quick update... As a test, I took the blade that worked the best on the 39c, the Astra SP, and swapped it into my old Feather razor to see how well the Feather does vs. the 39c. Wow, what a difference - the shaving experience with the Feather was nowhere near as nice as the Merkur. The heft of the razor and, I think, the slant head make a huge difference in producing a smoother shave with fewer passes. With the Feather, I needed to do one more pass to achieve the same close shave I could get with the 39c. Also, it did not feel as smooth as the 39c and also felt a lot less efficient in removing my stubble. Switching the blade back to the 39c, I could verify that the razor was making the difference since the shave experience with the same blade in the 39c got a lot better. I also have my routine nailed down to 2 passes, 1 WTG and 1 ATG, with slight touch-ups in hard to get to areas.So, 39c with Astra SP FTW so far!

This is my third Merkur. I have a 23 and 38 and like them both very much, but I was curious about Slant? I bought with a gift certificate my wife gave me. I used it with their provided Merkur blade, Pre shave black cube soap from Phoenix, Cella Almond (Red) shave cream. I did two passes, one with the hair grain, and one against. This is absolutely the closest shave I've ever achieved. I've been wet shaving for over 15 years now, and this razor is the best. This is better than my straight razor. It's not for beginners, I did look like a small strawberry my first time and I'm experienced, but I figured out the angle and pressure the second time. Baby butt smooth. I used an Alum block and some Proraso white aftershave cream for soothing. I keep feeling my face in disbelief. There is a learning curve, but once you get it you'll be sold.

I've used several different types of DE safety razors over the years, from vintage Gillette razors such as the Fat Boy, Slim Adjustables, Super Speed, Aristocrat, etc. to modern Merkur razors such as the 34c, Futur, or 1904 model razors. None, however, have matched the smoothness or closeness of shave that I've gotten from the Merkur 39c.A little bit about my shaving experiences and skin type. I would describe myself as being fair-skinned with a fairly thick beard and medium or average hair thickness. After changing from modern razors such as the Mach 3 or Fusion, I've come to realize that the grain of my beard grows generally north to south except for the bottom of my neckline which grows from the vertical center line of my neck towards my ears. The neckline is by far the biggest challenge as far as shaving goes. Although I've received great shaves from many other DE razors and blade types in the past, I seemed to always have trouble with my neck (it seemed as if I either didn't shave these areas smoothly or I would end up with nicks and weepers in these areas).I can confidently say, since purchasing and changing to this particular slant razor, I have never used a DE razor with better results and less irritation. The slicing action that the blade uses as a result of the angle of the razor head makes a huge difference in the ease in which the razor glides across my skin and efficiently cuts through the hair. With some of the more aggressive DE razors (open comb, adjustables set to high blade gap) I experienced tugging often during passes against the grain, but with the same blade in this slant bar razor, I experience none. As a result, I get far fewer nicks or cuts, and much less razor burn. The closeness of the shave, in my opinion, is up there with some of the most "aggressive" razors out there. Keep in mind that aggressiveness, to me, is the closeness of the shave, not the harshness of the shave.Beginners, don't be afraid to try this razor. Sure, you need good technique (as you need to learn from any DE razor if you're starting out), but the learning curve isn't all that much different than any other typical razor. The weight of this razor is all you'll need to get a close shave. For those of you that are more experienced with DE razors and might be looking to buy their first slant, you definitely need to give these a shot. My only negative about this razor would be the "barber pole" engraving along the handle. I've grown accustomed to the knurling that most vintage razors have along the handle, so the smoother finish combined with the heftier handle made gripping the razor slightly more difficult at first. After a few shaves, I don't notice this as much. The finish on the rest of the razor is good (albeit not as good as some of the Edwin Jagger or Muhle razors I've owned), but if you've owned a Merkur razor in the past, there will be no surprises here. At the end of the day, I'm interested in the quality of the shave first and the "looks" of the razor second.In summary, I've been very pleased with the Merkur 39c, and it ranks up there as the best razor I've ever used and the best shave I've had so far.