Thread: Well, took the plunge

Saw a Merkur 33C today as i was going past a shop, £20, and as stated before on here i really want something that i'd be allowed to take with me to work, so i thought "bugger it".

I now have one blade, the razor, and no idea how to use them lol

Is there a resource out there like our wiki that offers advice on shaving with one?

Am assuming the principals are similar? light touch, WTG, XTG etc and the curve on the top of the head of the razor looks like it might be fore controlling the angle?

THere are plenty of resources on the web. It is the same principle, as you stated above. I began shaving with one of those (DE) over 45 years ago and I really can't remember much except the blades were lousy back then and I remember my first nick. Yes, you can nick yourself with one of those if you're not careful. A blade sampler pack would be a good idea. Some blades are better than others and than there is personal preference. What I like may not be what you like. Someone will no doubt be along with better info.

Have a trawl through Mantic's videos
mantic59's Channel - YouTube
That will put you on the right trick.

Cheers Guys, Had a look a the vid and just had a quickie one pass to see if i could do it. Not bad at all, much quicker system. THe rawness i used to get at the base of my neck with Fusion that made me switch to straights is happening again, but nowhere near as bad, and probably has more to do with prep and technique than the razor just being bad for me. A little Alum cleared it right up. I think this is genuinely a viable option for shaving at work, just have to see if security will let me take the blades offshore.

I don't think it's going to replace my straights, but it's definitely another option and i genuinely appreciate the build quality some of the razors themselves

Nice

If you're getting 'rawness' it may be the blade and/or pressure. Also it was your first go round so that is to be expected. With the right blade and no pressure they can give a really nice shave.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

If you're getting 'rawness' it may be the blade and/or pressure. Also it was your first go round so that is to be expected. With the right blade and no pressure they can give a really nice shave.

+1, Completely agree, just need practice, i think it was more the angle than the pressure, felt the blade "drag" a couple times round there but it was still a better shave than i ever got with a cartridge razor. Will keep at it, these things are always a learning curve, but i needed another solution than the straight. The cartirdges just mauled my face at work and sometimes we need to be clean shaving if we're drilling were there's H2S risk,

Cheers for the help guys

Simon

Glad to see you switch to DE; any straights you have lying around, can be sent to me. I will take good care of them, pick up the postage & send you photos of them playing with the other straights that I have.

lol when i said another solution to straights, i only mean for when i go away to work, can't take the straights with me there, the DE won't be replacing my straights at home

was worth a try though lol

If it was a Merkur blade you used then they don't have many fans (albeit I'm one but not at the price they ask). Try some Wilkinson Swords often available in chemists a and also Tesco own brand.

You can get a sampler back of blades, to see what you like, from Connaught personally I would recommend trying the popular pack but asking Paul (the owner) to swap out the Derbys for Gillette Super Thins as many people find Derbys dull and uncomfortable.

+1 on the sampler pack. I couldn't stand the Merkur blades that came with my 34C. Some of the best shaves I've gotten are with Gillete 7 O'Clocks, Personna Med Preps and Crystals (Israeli Personnas).

I noticed the drilling and H2S. You must work on an oil rig, having to be clean shaven to get a good seal on the SCBA. Be careful out there!