- Thread starter
- #21
so far its been straight for me. the first few uses I deliberately just plopped the blade in and screwed the handle on to check and the alignment was fine.
Merkur 1904 41c (the open comb)
- Thread starter RobReports
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #22
man, I've got the bug there too. I bought some very cool vintage chukkas I need to resole. I recently picked up some clarks desert boots and they are too narrow for my feet, I had to get rid of em.
- Thread starter
- #23
my DE experience is limited to a Fatip piccolo, a vintage STAR brand razor, a cheap weishi tto, and a vintage travel tech but, man I'm loving this Merkur. I was on the fence about buying it for about 6 months and I finally did and I think I chose right. I was thinking of buying a cheap ball end tech with a cracked handle and buying a new handle from razor emporium but they were sold out and I bought the 1904 right after that
What blade is the permasharp, 7 O'Clock Gillette? What color green, yellow, or black.?
- Thread starter
- #25
permasharp gold package, black lettering and red stripe on the bottom
If you don't like the blade alignment on the Merkur 34C, chances are you won't like it on the 41C either. I have personally never been bothered much with blade alignment, in fact one of my favourite razors is the humble Turkish YUMA razor which has horrible alignment, and it never even occured to me that the 34C had poor alignment. I also own some razors with stellar alignment (Razorock SS Lupo, and some Hensons), and I don't even think of the difference in alignment between these, and my Merkur razors. When I look carefully, I can tell the difference for sure, it's just to say that it never bothered me when shaving. Fatips have fairly poor alignment too, never bothered me, but I know some people don't like Fatip razors for this reason. Just for your information.
The Merkur OC and CC razors both have negative blade exposure based on all my tests, so they're less likely to have noticeable issues with blade alignment. Even if they aren't aligned perfectly, your face won't know much different. For the record, I have both razors, and alignment is an issue, but it has never affected my shave to the point of noticing.
$30 on Amazon now. Would this razor shave as well as my 1961 Ball Tech? I had the close-comb version a few years ago and liked it. Gave it to a friend.
Well good thing the thread starter likes the 41c.
But here is a warning to all those who are considering buying an 41C. I have used a huge number of different razors . We are not talking 50 or 100.
That razor has nothing in common with Fatips or Old types except it is an open comb.
Someone said earlier both Merkur OC and CC razors have negative exposure. Yes that is true. If you have super tough whiskers, forget about the 41. It is even milder than the 42. BBS will not be possible. Heck, with my whiskers even DFS is not achievable with 3 passes.
The whole 1904 thing is just marketing. Because an Old type is 10 times more aggressive and efficient.
You have been warned!
But here is a warning to all those who are considering buying an 41C. I have used a huge number of different razors . We are not talking 50 or 100.
That razor has nothing in common with Fatips or Old types except it is an open comb.
Someone said earlier both Merkur OC and CC razors have negative exposure. Yes that is true. If you have super tough whiskers, forget about the 41. It is even milder than the 42. BBS will not be possible. Heck, with my whiskers even DFS is not achievable with 3 passes.
The whole 1904 thing is just marketing. Because an Old type is 10 times more aggressive and efficient.
You have been warned!
Hexagonal.
Can you show me a Gillette Old type with that handle?
The whole 1904 hype is because of the shape of the head that very much resembles an Old Type (but as I mentioned above the 41 is much milder, with negative exposure). I believe the hexagonal handle is a German design, which I have seen (slightly different ) on German razors from the mid 20th century. Unfortunately Merkur state the comb on the 41 is brass, the cap and the handle are ZAMAK. I can't confirm that though. Makes sense to me as that complex shape of the handle would be hard to make from brass.
It's actually a long time since I owned this razor and looked into its history. I can't recall if I ever did see a picture of the supposed original 1904 Gilette, or whether it did have the hexagonal handle - perhaps I just got sucked into the lore.
I do know of one other razor which has the exact same hexagonal handle however. This is the Turkish YUMA DE razor. I do not know how long the YUMA has been in production, whether it's inspired from a German original design, from the 1904 Gilette, or something else. But it looks very much like the Merkur 1904, except it's closed comb, and entirely made from aluminum I believe. In contrast to the Merkur, it's a quite aggressive and extremely efficient little razor, and at that probably the cheapest razor I have ever owned. It typically retails at around € 2 in Turkish migrant grocery stores, when you are lucky to find one, that is. A few years ago they were quite abundant, these days I hardly ever see them in stores anymore. I would prefer a YUMA any day over a Merkur 1904, because the YUMA is so efficient. Simply delivers excellent shaves.
I picked up a 15C recently, same head as the 41C, at a very good price. Using a Gillette Wilkinson blade, it mowed down 5 days growth effortlessly. Required 3 passes, like most my razors, to get a satisfied finish. Very efficient yet mild. Very nimble and easy to clean, this might now be my travel razor going forward. Thanks for the post and encouraging me to give it a try.
The Merkur OC was my razor for a number of years and I really loved it. I still shave with it occasionally, especially if I need a definitively non-clogging razor. I don't love the blade alignment on it, which needs to be fiddled with.
The Karve Overlander surpassed it in both comfort and efficiency. Its a nice combo for sure.
The Karve Overlander surpassed it in both comfort and efficiency. Its a nice combo for sure.
My beard is extremely hard, thick, and sturdy. I think it's probably in the top 1%.
Merkur's open comb is the easiest way to get rid of my particularly tough beard areas around my mouth and chin, finish a true BBS without damaging my skin.
But can't finish my cheeks BBS.
By the way, in my case, I feel more comfortable with a blade that is less sharp than a feather blade.
My current opinion is that if the hardness of the beard exceeds a certain level, the established theory of "Aggressive razors and sharp blades are best for tough beards." does not apply.
Well, I've only been wet shaving for 3 months, so I'm inexperienced. But to be honest, I'm not sure I'll be able to find a better razor than the Merkur Open Comb for my beard on chin.
Merkur's open comb is the easiest way to get rid of my particularly tough beard areas around my mouth and chin, finish a true BBS without damaging my skin.
But can't finish my cheeks BBS.
By the way, in my case, I feel more comfortable with a blade that is less sharp than a feather blade.
My current opinion is that if the hardness of the beard exceeds a certain level, the established theory of "Aggressive razors and sharp blades are best for tough beards." does not apply.
Well, I've only been wet shaving for 3 months, so I'm inexperienced. But to be honest, I'm not sure I'll be able to find a better razor than the Merkur Open Comb for my beard on chin.
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Don't know where you read about that "theory".
It is usually better to combine a mild razor with a sharp blade and an aggressive razor with a mild blade. For super tough beards and sensitive skin the very aggressive razor + a mild to medium sharpness blade is preferable.
That is correct. My expression was not worded well enough.
This razor has become my absolute favorite , outshining a lot of other razors I have like my tech, etc.
I got one to try an open comb. After reading about Techs I got one of those as well thinking that would it might be best for me. Now I’m no so sure. The 41c does a great job for me. Still comparing the two but man it’s a nice looking razor.
