MERKUR23C Double Edge Safety Razor - Polished Chrome, Long Knurled Brass Handle, Made in Germany, Plastic-Free, Three Piece Design, Closed Comb, Straight Bar

A friend encouraged me to grow lamb chops in my sophomore year (‘71) after I complained about shaving. I used the DE butterfly razor Dad got for me where once or twice a week it wreaked havoc on my zit covered face. I’m not entirely sure whether the razor was open comb, or the blade itself was combed for safety. That meat-hammered face look was nothing to be embarrassed about back then as half the boys in class had crater faces. Those handsome senior year book photos? Air brushed.Entering the workforce about 1977, daily shaving was required along with suit and tie where I was forever commuting with 3-4 pieces of TP to patch up the wounds. I should have joined a ‘styptic pencil of the month club’. About that time, I tried the Gillette Trac II and finally settled on the plus model which added a lubricant strip, along with Edge Gel Aloe Vera Sensitive shave cream. Finally I began to get a decent shave with less blood letting. That’s been my shave for nearly 50 years, made more affordable by cheap cartridge refills in packages of 100. Thankfully, the suit and shave requirement was retired in the late 80’s when I went into IT – tech support is supposed to look casual and nerdy.Shaving just twice a week on average, there’s times I simply wait too long and the Trac II plus isn’t up to it, so I bought an electric razor YUCK! and finally a Weishi DE butterfly razor in short and long handle. My big hands hate the short handle, but the long handle gave me a decent 1 pass shave in like 2 minutes with an occasional nick if I cut the corners or wasn’t careful in setting it on my ugly mug. But I don’t get the feeling of quality from the Weishi and hate the gunmetal finish which looks dirty all the time. So I started watching YT shaving videos to find something better! Who knew there were so many shaving fetishists!Unable to spend more than 40 clams on a razor, brought me to the Muhle, Parker and Viking lines – where I ruled out anything with short handles, odd colors and matte/rustic finish. Adjustable razors all seem to be short handle so they’re out. My peculiars finally brought me to the Merkur 23c where I’m using Parker blades left over from the Weishi. I’m frankly shocked that it has yet to give me even a hint of a nick or cut. The shave is close enough for someone who hates to shave. Mine is a squirrely beard with grain going in several directions – which means the 23c requires several passes to get it smooth enough for my liking, especially the corners of the mouth, tip of the chin, jaw line and neck. It’s a smooth shave where the grain is straight and regular. On the recommendation of Frank below, I’m going to pick up a 25c for a more aggressive shave – where I hope that the Trac II plus, Merkur 23c and 25c will finally help me loathe shaving a little less. The price is right for a quality product.

Quality product. I like the weight and how it handles. The shave is close and the razor is very forgiving, no nicks or cuts.

As a first-time user of a safety razor, I must say, switching to this Double Edge Safety Razor has been a revelation. I've previously used multi-blade razors and electric shavers, but this product has outperformed them all.The construction of the razor is impressive – it feels solid and well-made in hand, reassuring me of its durability and quality. Its design also lends itself to a comfortable and close shave, something I've come to appreciate with each use.One of the most notable aspects is how it has reduced the risk of cuts. Despite being new to safety razors, I haven't really cut myself yet, which speaks volumes about the user-friendliness and safety of this razor.However, there's a slight area for improvement. I wish the knurling on the handle was a bit rougher for a more secure grip, especially when handling with wet hands. While it's not a major issue, a rougher texture could enhance the control and comfort during the shave.In conclusion, this Double Edge Safety Razor is an excellent choice for anyone looking to delve into the world of safety razors. It provides a superior shave compared to conventional multi-blade or electric options and is constructed with great care. A little more grip on the handle would make it perfect, but even as is, it's a fantastic product that I highly recommend.

Love this razor! Shaving costa have been cut 90%! No issues with cuts. It's not quite as close as a three blade razor, but the trade off in cost is a no brainer.

I have a big box of the double-edge blades for scoring bread loaves, so I figured why not try them for shaving.I've been using a Mach 3 basically for forever, paying 75-cents every time I needed a new cartridge. I have a fairly thick and tough beard, so cartridge-changes were either frequent and costly, or infrequent and painful. I was concerned that I'd have to buy-in to a hipster lifestyle of old-timey soaps and brushes and stuff. But no; I just use this handle (the 23c) with Astra blades (sharp and cheap) and continue using plain `ol Gillette shaving cream. It took a couple of shaves to get used to it, but now I get a good result with *much* less irritation -- especially on my neck -- than I was getting with a cartridge.Also, the cartridge razor would clog up and I'd have to waste time and water cleaning out my face-gunk in order to finish the job. I've using this 23c for about a month and so far clogging is rare; if it happens, I just unscrew the head a bit to give the water more room to gush through.

I was using a cartridge razor before. It gave me cuts and ingrown hairs almost every time I used it, even when I was being careful. Needed to be rinsed too much during shaving and was just all around cumbersome.This one shaves so well that I can't even tell it did the job until I look in the mirror, and so I've just resorted to having full faith in its ability. I can't feel it on my skin, it just gets rid of the facial hair without me knowing.Never got any cuts from using it, except for that one time I overestimated the "safety" part of the name and tried to shave the mustache near my philtrum transversely with the razor held horizontally. Of course, that was a user error. It's safe when you use it properly.