Ryan Ward—March 27, 2014
I've been thinking about jumping into the world of double-edge safety razors for a while. I've been using Gillette Fusion ProGlide for several years now, and it got to the point where I hated shaving. Though I don't grow much of a beard, my skin is pretty sensitive. Not only did I not get a close shave from the ProGlides, but I would get about 6 shaves per cartridge before it felt like I was shaving with a cheese grater. I certainly didn't get anywhere close to the 5 weeks of comfortable shaves that they claim. At about $4 a cartridge, it finally got to the point where neither my wallet nor my face could take it anymore. Enter the Merkur 20C. This was my first safety razor purchase, and it very well be my last! This thing is beautiful, well made, and, with proper care, I expect it to last a lifetime. The razor has good weight to it, but it's well balanced, and very intuitive to use. The spiral knurling on the handle ensures a good grip even when wet. The head is shaped so that it only shaves when held at the correct angle against your face. I now look forward to shaving each morning. It has become a relaxing part of my morning routine. I pair this baby up with a Personna Double Edge Razor Blade and some Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandalwood Shaving Cream , and I've never gotten a closer shave. I still only get about 6 shaves per blade, but at least they only cost about $0.13 instead of $4. I would highly recommend this razor to anyone who is thinking of joining the double-edge safety razor wet shaving community or to someone who's looking for a new safety razor. Stop spending $4/cartridge for a bad shave! Buy this razor and start enjoying shaving again. Read more
Luke G.—June 29, 2014
The 20C is a very unique, high quality, and underrated safety razor from Merkur. I really liked the sleek black design, long handle variation (as compared to the 30C), 3 piece design, and the praised standard Merkur head which comes highly recommended for those new to the wet shaving game. It was exactly what I was looking for, but some of the lower rated reviews led me to believe the machining and quality of production was inferior to other Merkur safety razors and/or similar safety razors in general. After tentatively placing my order, I was pleasantly surprised with what I received. Once it arrived and was unboxed, initial inspection had me quite impressed by the overall heft and quality. This thing was built well and I have no doubt that it will probably outlast me. To alleviate any concerns potentially brought about by other reviews - the razor I received arrived in pristine condition and both the chrome and black knurling is absolutely perfect. I have no scratches, scuffs, dents, or dings to speak of. As far as I'm concerned, this safety razor was evidently manufactured with great care and precision that one would expect from a quality Merkur product. I really like the spiraled texture of the black metal handle, the grooves of which were a little less smooth/dull feeling than I had imagined. It's a bit hard to explain, but the texture feels similar to the touch as regular knurling does - just in a single lined spiral pattern. That being said, it provides excellent grip, even under the wet and lathery conditions of shaving. The overall length is also still short enough to comfortably and aesthetically fit the typical razor / brush holder stands, if that's also a concern. All things considered, I couldn't be happier with my purchase and I'm glad I decided to go for it. If this design appeals to you as well, I suggest that you don't hesitate to try this safety razor - it certainly doesn't disappoint! Read more
Ichabod Cranium—January 31, 2017
As someone who shaves 5-6 times a week (both head and face), I've been through a lot of razors in 25 years. I've done all the regular production ones and have been using the Harrys blades for a couple years. I was looking for something that was a little reliably closer, reasonably cheap and easy to use/maintain...I decided to try a DE/Safety razor. This one appeared to be a good fit. Regularly recommended as a 'beginner' razor for DE users, it has good general reviews and theoretically falls in the middle of how aggressive it is. For me this probably isn't quite aggressive enough. After a week of shaving, I've had no cuts or burn (that's the good part!), the bad part is that it takes some real work to get as close a shave as I was getting with Harry's or other mass produced razors. While people say 'let the weight of the razor do the work' I find that unless I apply pressure, I can't get that close with it. That goes for; with the grain, against it, and across it. The stock Merkur blade that came with it rates as not that sharp. After 4 uses I switched out to an Astra blade which is nominally sharper, but I feel like I'm still not getting as close a shave as I should. I'm going to try Feather blades next and also consider a more aggressive headed blade for experimentation. Read more
