Damaged comb on Merkur 34C

[frenchyBa]

Hello there, I have read various threads on this forum which enabled me to make an informed choice as to which DE to purchase for my then 18yr old son.
I went for the Merkur 34c plus a long handled Merkur for my husband(yes I am a woman!) and more recently I have treated myself to a Travel Merkur.
I have joined the forum as I have been unable to find any threads on damaged Merkurs - apart from screw thread problems.
The outside tooth on each end of the 34c have broken off.
I know my son "taps" the razor against the sides of his shaving mug on occassions(I can hear as I pass the bathroom) which may have caused the damage. However I would expect a razor of this reputed build quality to withstand some minor "rattling" or am I wrong. My son is generally respectful of his possessions and was surprised to see the damage to the razor.
Has anyone else had any similar problems of this kind?
The razor is about a year old but not sure if this kind of thing would be covered under warranty, I need to check exact purchase date if there is any chance we can claim.
Sorry to be so long winded on first post.
FrenchyBa

[mistervee123]

It's called repetitive impact/repetitive stress damage. It happens in anything made of metal, even titanium aircraft parts.

Unfortunately, modern razors are designed with a delicate balance of strength and weight. They are no long solid brass underneath that beautiful plating. Instead, most of them are made with a cheaper, pot-style metal. Razors can be easily damaged, even with soft taps if it is done repeatedly over time. That said, I have seen some "vintage" razors made with solid brass that suffer similar troubles. It sounds like your son needs to break his tapping habit. The razor should only require a swirl in water to remove soap/lather. If he needs to tap the razor to get the soap out, he may be building his lather too thickly, with too much product and not enough water, which creates an overly thick lather that's hard to dislodge, especially in the narrow space between the blade and the comb.

An all stainless steel razor might allow him the luxury of VERY GENTLY tapping the razor on a hard surface once in a while, but buying an all S/S razor such as Weber, Feather, iKon, Pils, etc. will set him (or you) back about $80 - $200. Even the all S/S manufacturers do not recommend hard impacts, which will bend any razor. I imagine a razor could be designed with extra heavy metal parts to avoid damage, but it would probably weigh about a pound, but who'd want to shave with something that heavy and bulky? Yes, we traditional shavers are men, but we are GENTLEmen!

[mblakele]

Welcome to B&B!

The advice already given is good: lather than does not rinse easily is usually too dry for optimal shaving. As for the razor, the normal warranty is two years from the date of purchase. So it is worth checking with the retailer to see if they can do anything. If you feel the retailer is not being reasonable, you can also contact Dovo/Merkur directly: http://www.dovo.com/_english/kontakt_DOVO.html - and http://www.shaving-shack.com/caring-for-your-merkur-razor.html might be of interest too.

If you end up replacing it, you might consider looking at http://badgerandblade.com/vb/forumdisplay.php/11-Shaving-Mall-Buy-Sell-Trade here. Merkurs come up reasonably often, and a little scrubbing bubbles or lysol will disinfect a used razor satisfactorily. If you decide to try a different make, Edwin Jagger is worth a look.

[frenchyBa]

Thankyou for the advice. I will certainly mention the lathering issue to my son and also suggest he refrains from his tapping habit. I will also contact The Shaving Shack where I purchased all three razors(I am located in England by the way).
I will explain to them that the razor has been subjected to some "tapping" in use - we are not the kind of people who expect others to pick up the tab for our misuse or lack of respect for equipment etc, just in case other people have had a similar problem.
Maybe this is the time to look at other makes and models to add to the bathroom cabinet as my son is still in his early shaving days trying out various blades and soaps.
My husband has been happy with the Merkur having used an open comb ???? for the last 30+years until it "lost" a couple of teeth and he doesn't tap his razor at all.
I know my son did check this forum out when he first started shaving but I will suggest he has another look in order to get a few tips from the experts.
Thankyou again for your assistance.

[Sledgehammer39]

Welcome Aboard!