Merkur 37C slant bar razor

Got the 37C slant the other day and did a quick 2 pass test shave with a Feather blade which made me think the razor had promise. Shaved with it today doing my usual 4 pass shave. I am thinking this razor is close to performing like my Muhle R41 2013 version as far as closeness and length of time the shave will last. I don't think it is as aggressive as the Muhle R41 either and you can shave with it as quickly as any other DE so it is faster than the Muhle R41 in use. Seems to be a nice balance between aggressiveness and user friendliness as opposed to the Muhle R41 which keeps you constantly on you toes. A good all around DE.

I have no idea how it got a fearsome reputation but for an experienced DE shaver it should be no problem at all. No special strokes or precautions are needed. Once you load the blade make sure it is loaded properly with equal/symmetrical blade exposure following the top cap's edge.

Two other things I like about the 37C is that it does not seem to clog easily lather and what is ther on the razor rinses away easily. The other thing I like is that the handle is in the thicker side, just under 1/2 inch dia., and the knurling is much better than on the Muhle R41. You can get a good positive grip on the 37C even if your hands are wet or have some lather on them.

I am going to using it daily for the next bunch of days trying different blades out but I don't it will change my initial impression of the 37C.

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http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g2...psd5a62b96.jpg

The above two photos show the proper blade exposure, equal on both sides of the top cap.

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You can see the twist in the head in this one.

Bob

Nice review Bob, glad you joined the slant club. I've shaved with many slants, Apollo, Ben-Hur, Ibsen, and numerous other named, and no name versions, and AFAIC the Merkur is the best of the lot. They just got everything right. The Ikon is close but the difficulty in aligning the blade leaves it in 2nd place behind the 137C IMO.

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Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Nice review Bob, glad you joined the slant club. I've shaved with many slants, Apollo, Ben-Hur, Ibsen, and numerous other named, and no name versions, and AFAIC the Merkur is the best of the lot. They just got everything right. The Ikon is close but the difficulty in aligning the blade leaves it in 2nd place behind the 137C IMO.

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Thanks Jimmy. I put in another blade today and no trouble with it being misaligned either. For the price spread and considering how well the 37C slant shaves I am no longer too eager to try the Ikon.

Bob

I used my Merkur Sledgehammer the other day for the for the second time with a Gillette Platinum blade, did WTG, XTG and ATG, same as I would do with a straight, and it was superb...as an inexperienced DE shaver, going from a Lord stainless blade to this Gillette was night and day. The shave was truly the closest I've experienced to a straight shave, whiskers returned a little earlier, but wow, what a great shave, and mainly, no irritation on my neck and it was great using it. Enjoyed myself!

Just finished 4 consecutive days of shaving with the 37C slant using a different make of blade every day but the same soap and brush. Seems the Merkur 37C slant refuses to give me a bad shave no matter the blade I threw in it and it never loaded the blade cockeyed either. The shaves may not last quite as long by a hair as with a shave from the Muhle R41 2013 but it is not nearly as stressful to use either. I think it just bumped the Muhle as my travel DE.

Bob

Can you tell us which blades you've tried so far?

The slant was the first razor I bought when I decided to start wet-shaving. I think it's fearsome reputation is very unjustified. It is a very smooth shaver, and has never cut me, at least after the initial learning curve.

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Originally Posted by Gilligan

Can you tell us which blades you've tried so far?

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Yea, Feather, Gillette 7 O'Clock yellows, Gillette Sliver Blue and Astra SP.

Bob

Couldn't agree more with your review. I use a Slant daily to shave my head and it never bites or irritates, just consistent smooth shaves. I wish the finish was Muhle grade, it would be the perfect razor.

The 37C is my go-to DE safety razor. As I've said before, they're tough to beat with a fresh blade. For no particular reason (other than perhaps local availability) I load with Dorco blades

It is just ok, but I live them more aggressive now, like the merkur mergress.