Hi all, this is my first post, however, I have been perusing the forums for a while now.
I have been wet shaving for a year now and until recently have used the Merkur 34C which I find to provide an adequate shave although not as close as I'd like. However, I greatly enjoy the heavy weight and durability of this shaver. Recently a friend sent me a 1950s style Gillette flair tip super speed which I have found to be slightly more aggressive as it lacks the substantial safety bar that the Merkur contains. Therefore, I actually enjoy shaving with this Gillette more, however, I really miss the weight of the Merkur. For reference the Gillette is 58 grams with blade and the Merkur is 80 grams.
I have searched this forum and beyond and am slightly overwhelmed by the variety of different shavers and their attributes (e.g., open comb v. safety bar, slant bar v. non-slant, etc.).
I am looking for a heavier shaver that is more aggressive than the 34C but (ideally) has the short handle of the 34C. I have consistently gone back to the 37C as a potential option but I don't know much about brands beyond Merkur and am wondering if there is a more ideal candidate out there.
For reference, I shave every 2 or 3 days, and have very thick, course hair. I vary my blades frequently as I am still honing in on what my ideal blades are but currently I am fond of 7 a.m., Dorco and Sharp blades. For almost the entire year I have been using Taylor of Old Bond Almond shave cream but recently switched over to The Gentleman's Groom Room Mountain Yew shaving soap (produced by Shetland Soap Co.) as well as testing out a variety of other shave soaps and creams.
I have been wet shaving for a year now and until recently have used the Merkur 34C which I find to provide an adequate shave although not as close as I'd like. However, I greatly enjoy the heavy weight and durability of this shaver. Recently a friend sent me a 1950s style Gillette flair tip super speed which I have found to be slightly more aggressive as it lacks the substantial safety bar that the Merkur contains. Therefore, I actually enjoy shaving with this Gillette more, however, I really miss the weight of the Merkur. For reference the Gillette is 58 grams with blade and the Merkur is 80 grams.
I have searched this forum and beyond and am slightly overwhelmed by the variety of different shavers and their attributes (e.g., open comb v. safety bar, slant bar v. non-slant, etc.).
I am looking for a heavier shaver that is more aggressive than the 34C but (ideally) has the short handle of the 34C. I have consistently gone back to the 37C as a potential option but I don't know much about brands beyond Merkur and am wondering if there is a more ideal candidate out there.
For reference, I shave every 2 or 3 days, and have very thick, course hair. I vary my blades frequently as I am still honing in on what my ideal blades are but currently I am fond of 7 a.m., Dorco and Sharp blades. For almost the entire year I have been using Taylor of Old Bond Almond shave cream but recently switched over to The Gentleman's Groom Room Mountain Yew shaving soap (produced by Shetland Soap Co.) as well as testing out a variety of other shave soaps and creams.