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Consider me a believer.
That's essentially all I can say about this razor, this newly-found art that has been long-lost but not forgotten. I've always had problems with my skin being overly sensitive and yet I had a beard made of kevlar; my neck especially would look like it was hit with a volley of birdshot after a shave. This is coming from someone who had essentially read up on everything concerning how to prep for a conventional shave. I tried immediately out of the shower, after washing my face, I tried various shaving creams, gels, pre-shaves, aftershaves, cheap disposable razors, cartridges, Mach 3, Hydro 3, Fusion, Fusion Pro-Glide, Fusion Pro-Glide Power etc...to no avail...The results were always the same. The razors would more or less tug on my hair and not cut and would inevitably result in in-grown hairs that would be further irritated by following shaves; a vicious circle.
And then one day I stumbled upon a DE razor for sale on a deals website I frequent. I read reviews and alot of people swore by DE razors and how much money they were saving and what a better shave they got. I passed up on it at the time but the idea continued to linger in the back of my mind. Finally, after many more months of terrible shaves and a neck that bore the resemblance of a half-exploded mine field, I was ready. I came here and began looking at my choices for DE razors, finally settling on the Merkur 180 merely because it has a longer handle, so making the switch from a cartridge razor would feel the same ergonomically. Very simple piece, 3 pieces total, feels sturdy as sturdy can be, blade changing is the simplest thing in the world.
I bought the Van Der Hagen shave set for the stand and the brush as well as the mug. I ordered some Proraso pre-shave balm, Proraso soap, and 10 Feather blades. I continue to stick with the Nivea post-shave balm as that comes highly recommended and I already had some in my arsenal, it would just fail to repair the damage that conventional razors did to my poor skin.
After several shaves I am nothing but amazed. Obviously my first shave wasn't the greatest, but with every subsequent shave comes a smoother and smoother finish. I wish I had taken some before and after pictures over the course of a few weeks to show the irritation levels dropping quicker than panties at a strip joint. This thing actually works. In all honesty even if this DOESN'T improve on your irritation, even IF you get the same quality shave as before, it would have been worth the switch in savings alone...but trust me, you'll get the results. Believe me. Also do not be afraid of getting cuts...It does not happen as often as you think. My first shave with the feathers resulted in several small nicks, but my most recent shave drew not a single drop of blood. You will not slice your face off with these, not even close. Do not listen to the over-exaggerations of some reviewers. Take your time, make easy, even passes with zero pressure, and clean your razor often.
In closing this is perhaps the best thing I could have done for myself in a long time in terms of grooming. My technique has not been perfected with this razor yet as I've barely owned it for two weeks and yet I'm getting some of the best shaves I've ever gotten. I can only imagine how many old timers shake their head in silent pity for the current generation as they see various commercials for 5/6 blade razors flash across their screen. With leaps and bounds in technology, sure, things get better; not shaving. This was an art that has been forced into becoming a science for the sake of convenience. We want things done faster and easier. The costs of cartridges have sky-rocketed and the quality of the shave received has gone down...All for the sake of convenience. As a man, you owe it to yourself to have the best shave, every time. Take a little extra time to shave and get yourself a DE razor. You won't be saving time, but you'll be saving money and you'll have a face as smooth as a newborn's behind. They had it right decades ago. Don't be fooled by any marketing gimmick you see on TV. If more people knew about DE razors Schick and Gillette would be out of business...You can't even find this stuff in stores anymore. I'm almost positive the reasoning behind that is because it would ruin business for cartridge-based razor manufacturers. Luckily I took a risk and came out on top. $50 worth of blades will last me close to 2 years and I will continue to enjoy amazing shaves. Shaving used to be something I dreaded...now it's something I look forward to. You should too.
| Brand | MERKUR |
| Number of Blades | 1 |
| Unit Count | 1 Count |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Color | Chrome |
