Thread: So how do I care for my Merkur 34c?

Okay, still lovin' the Merkur 34c I got. But I realized I know nothing about how to take care of it. With my SR, I strop and dry and store dry, etc. But what about a DE Safety Razor? Is there an equivalent to "stropping" that I'm supposed to do? Should I clean/dry it after every use? How long should a blade last me (kinda' tough beard that grows about 1 mm a day).

Yeah, all newbie questions, I'm afraid!

As far as the razor goes, all you need to do is rinse it and let it dry. If scum starts to build up, clean thouroghly with soap and water with a tooth brush. The blades can last anywhere from one to many more shaves depending on blade and beard type. Some people keep the blade in the razor, others take it out to dry seperately. All a matter of personal choice.

bj:
Here is how I do it with all my double edge razor.
1. I remove the blade after each shave. I know some gentlemen leave the blade in the razor for the next shave. I find my method cleaner.
2. After the shave, I rinse the razor thoroughly in hot water, dry it, leave it open for a while, and then re-assemble it and put it in the rack.
3. About once a month or so I scrub with razor with dishwasher soap and a soft toothbrush. My mama always told me to be a good boy and keep myself and my things clean. I've never forgotten that.

Originally Posted by Obie

bj:
Here is how I do it with all my double edge razor.
1. I remove the blade after each shave. I know some gentlemen leave the blade in the razor for the next shave. I find my method cleaner.
2. After the shave, I rinse the razor thoroughly in hot water, dry it, leave it open for a while, and then re-assemble it and put it in the rack.
3. About once a month or so I scrub with razor with dishwasher soap and a soft toothbrush. My mama always told me to be a good boy and keep myself and my things clean. I've never forgotten that.

Nice - I wish I was that pro-active. Truly.

I am the "other" guy. I did nothing to my razor save give it a good shake after every shave. My blades lasted me about five shaves - when I changed the blades I did the soap/toothbrush thing. That was about it.

I have heard of gents who flip the blade after every shave in order to get the most out of their blades - some swear by it.

Aw, forget about what that guy Obie says. You gotta watch out for those clean guys. There just be something unnatural about them. I'll bet Obie's house is like the clean room at Intel eh? You know if you worry about that stuff and keep things too clean all of a sudden some weak germ comes along and guess what happens? Zowee, you're dead cause your immune system is weak. The more dirt you are exposed to the stronger you get until nothing can harm you like Superman. (Har, Har)

Seriously though, the only thing I do is rinse the razor and leave the blade in it. Maybe once a year I'll use a toothbrush and some liquid soap to clean everything up.

Another kind of neat trick is once you find the blade you like, and know roughly how many shaves it takes before its not a cutter anymore; is to keep a dice in your den. Every time you shave, rotate it to the appropriate number so you don't forget where you are at.

Warning - if you use this method and have guests that enter your den... tell them not to touch it!! Something about dice in your den that is seemingly impossible to get people from touching lol. Interestingly - people left mine at three and five the most. Not sure why lol .

Thebigspendur, my dear friend, all my shaving products, from razors to soaps and everything else, are immaculate. I like clean. Clean, I say! I would not dare defy my loving Mama. As for the house being clean, not with two grandsons, who take the place apart methodically.
Stay well — and clean.

Originally Posted by earcutter

Another kind of neat trick is once you find the blade you like, and know roughly how many shaves it takes before its not a cutter anymore; is to keep a dice in your den. Every time you shave, rotate it to the appropriate number so you don't forget where you are at.

Oh hey! That's an awesome idea! We use that same strategy in role playing games to track points. Um... not that I'm a nerd. *ahem*

For cleaning soap scum off a beloved face mower, I swear by using a toothbrush and a non-gel toothpaste, especially as I'm in a hard water area.

I rinse the razor, take out the blade, pat it dry, and wrap it in the waxed paper it came in and the outside paper wrapper turned inside out. I dry the razor with a bath towel, paying attention to the inside (it's a three piece). I put it on my desk in the bedroom (where it lives) and put the blade (wrapped as indicated above) back in the box. I rotate brands of blades and generally use a DE only once a week (I use a straight the rest of the time). The next time I decide to use that particular brand blade, I know it's been used once by the fact the wrapper is inside out. After that use, I throw it away; so only use it twice. This may be a tad wasteful, but since I only use a DE once a week it's certainly affordable. Obie gave me about four or five packets of blades with the razor, and I've only needed to buy about two packets in a year....