A Merkur 34C review is quite simple: the Merkur 34C is an outstanding razor for the price and a good shave for beginners and experienced wet shavers alike.
The Merkur 34C is a very simple closed comb safety razor with a short handle. While it may not be flashy it represents everything that Merkur of Solingen stands for. As such this safety razor has a good weight and solid build quality.
The Solingen area of Germany is a world epicentre for blade production – like Sheffield in the UK and Seki in Japan.
It is difficult to establish when the Merkur 34C was designed as different sources place it between 1918 and the early 1930s. Either way, this is an iconic design that has certainly competed with Gillette throughout the last century and through to today.
But unlike Gillette, Merkur remains totally devoted to traditional safety razors, and with good reason – see safety razors vs cartridge razors for why. Indeed their parent company Dovo manufactures some of the best straight razors in the world.
Merkur 34C Review
In terms of performance the Merkur 34C is quite a mild razor, although you can always upgrade it with the best safety razor blades like Feather for a more aggressive shave. The closed comb design means the Merkur 34C has a safety bar that prevents the blade from having too much contact with the skin.
That makes it one of the best safety razors for beginners as it’s much more forgiving than an open comb razor like the Muhle R41. It is also the best safety razor for women because of that closed comb design which means it can be used for shaving more sensitive areas besides the face.
The 34c is one of the shortest safety razors measuring less than 4 inches total and the handle length itself is about 3 inches. That can be a little frustrating but makes the design lighter and gives you more maneuverability.
The safety razor handle itself offers excellent grip thanks to plenty of knurling – the patterned indentation that wraps around the handle. That means you can maintain a good grip even when your hands are wet with shaving soap.
It’s unfortunate the Merkur 34C isn’t a solid stainless steel safety razor but these come at a much higher price. Stainless steel razors can go for up to $100 or more with razors like the Feather AS D2.
This does however give you the opportunity of owning the gold version of the 34C – the Merkur 34G.
