I don't shave every day but, when I do, I demand a close, comfortable shave. I have a rotation of three SRs that do that for me very nicely but I'm interested in/curious about adding a DE to my rotation. I've read just enough to be thoroughly confused by all of the comments regarding open vs. closed comb DEs and DEs that are "agressive." The only thing that I'm certain of is that everyone who comments on the Merkur 34 seems to love it.

I would appreciate help on two issues. Knowing that these issues have probably already been addressed elsewhere in an earlier thread that I didn't see, feel free to point me to the thread(s) as opposed to reinventing the wheel.

1. Given my expectations of a razor as noted above and my experience with wet shaving, is the Merkur 34 a good place for me to start? If not, please comment accordingly.

2. Please point me in the right direction with regards to blades. From my reading of the forums, it appears that, even with a good DE, shaving results vary widely with the variety of blades available. Where should I start?


Thanks in advance.