Why did I do this? I don't know.. I had always been curious.. I then read this blog post: http://leisureguy.wordpress.com/2006/07/10/a-guide-to-the-gourmet-shaving-experience/
I went and bought this razor:
It's a Merkur Heavy Duty Open Comb razor.. (I think it's the 11C? I forget).
This style of shaving is perfect for me. After I was about 15 years old, I became un-enamored with shaving. Especially when I realized I'd be doing this for the rest of my life. My tact the last few years has been to shave once a week, and sport a week's worth of growth in the meantime. The people at work have grown used to it, so I'm good to go there.
The only problem I had with it was trying to shave after a week. The twin/tri/quad blade razors would just bog down and tear and rip and I'd just be a mess. (Which made me want to shave less, and the cycle spiraled on)
My razor came with one Merkur blade, but everything I'd read said that it was harsh, and you should just start out with some blades from CVS or the like. So, I did that. And all was well.
Last week, I opened the Merkur blade just by accident, and I figured, "Hey, why not?"
Harsh.
Yes.
I felt like layers were coming off of my face. Argh.
It's a better constructed blade.. it feels more solid than the CVS ones, and it probably won't rust as quick... that's great, but, I'd rather have something I can use.
I figured, maybe I had an off day... so, last night, after my run, I gave it another go. I brushed up my face with my Prosaro shave cream, and went to work. It was a bit better, but yes.. still harsh. I'm glad I only have one of these blades.
I have a sampler pack of other blades to try.. after I finish up my current CVS supply, I'll probably give them a shot.
4 comments:
My experience with Merkur blades was exactly like yours---but for some guys they are the best blade around. Go figure.
BTW, if you like that Merkur open-comb, try a Gillette NEW sometime, introduced in 1931. It's a really nice open comb, and they come up frequently on eBay.
Leisureguy, thanks for the info.. I'll have to check that out. I was also thinking about picking up a slant bar style one at some point. (Probably once I become better with what I've got now)
Thanks for stopping by, too!
Yeah, I'd hold off on the Slant Bar until you are consistently getting good and nick-free shaves. Once you're there, though, it's a terrific razor: very close and effortless shaves. Just remember: light pressure, correct blade angle, etc.
You handle it just like a regular razor, of course---it's the slant that does the magic.
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