Hi everyone, I am a long time lurker here and have not introduced myself, I prefer staying in the background for the most part, it's just my way. Anyway, I had to post about this. My Merkur Classic that I purchased from West Coast Shaving (great company, by the way, I love them) died today. When I went to screw the head on, it stripped out completely, the threads are now a fine powder. What happened? I baby this thing as it is, but I don't unscrew after every shave, just when I change blades. I did a search of the site and have not found anyone else with this problem. Did I get a bad one? It is only about five years old. Is Merkur a not-so-good product now? I'm so bummed about this, what do you guys think I should do? Thanks.
Merkur Fail
- Thread starter Gadzook
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- #4
Thanks for the reply bakerbarber. Does that mean all Merkur razors will corrode? According to the wiki link you posted, metals after 1960 should be free of the Zinc Pest, or am I reading it wrong? Is there another quality alternative that won't break the bank?
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That is a good point, you may be right about that. But it's pretty sad, too. Finding good quality tools these days is an exercise in larger and larger sums of money to be spent, or settling for poor workmanship. Think Festool vs everything else.
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The cap I have is fine, it is the threads inside for the cap screw that have failed. I have to buy a new razpr but not if the same thing will happen in four more years. I am working with a limited budget here and simply cannot afford to buy products that don't last. Is vintage really my only option?
You can buy a stainless steel Weber for $70.00. Merkurs are made of zamak, which is weak metal to begin with and is prone to rot.
So you only need a handle?
Get yourself a Tech for like $10.
Go vintage. I have a Single Ring that's 107 years old and which spent 50+ years outside in a drum with a bunch of scrap metal. Cleaned it up and it shaves like new. Techs, Super Speeds, etc. are classics and will last forever. Affordable, too.
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Yes, everything else is okay. The Merkur warranty is for 2yrs. my razor is 4 yrs. old, they won't do anything at this point. I think I'm done with this brand, too bad I liked it.
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I am beginning to think that myself, where do I get vintage? Flea markets, garage sales? I'd like to hold them before buying.
It makes sense that the threads would fail, they receive the most wear and once the chrome is compromised it's just a matter of time until failure. I expect the same failure mode on my EJ and Maggard heads. I do have a couple of vintage razors as back up but my next purchase will either be a Weber or Standard (Aluminum) razor.
Sorry to hear of your loss. Perhaps this thread can help:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/5159-Merkur-Manufacturer-Warranty-Info
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/5159-Merkur-Manufacturer-Warranty-Info
I am not sure buying only vintage is the only way to go. I am an OC shaver and own some fine examples of that type. I own seven different ones (one vintage). To me it is much like shoes in that if you have one pair they will wear out pretty quick. But, if you have a number of pairs they all last longer.
So I use my R41 one day, my Fatip another, etc. Not a problem. Also, I rinse, and towel dry after each shave and a little olive oil once a month down the shaft.
So I use my R41 one day, my Fatip another, etc. Not a problem. Also, I rinse, and towel dry after each shave and a little olive oil once a month down the shaft.
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Wow! Thank you, I read that entire post. If I saw that post before I bought the Merkur I would have bought a different brand. Terrible customer service is a real burr under my saddle. I will never buy anything from Merkur again. They are making disposable razors! I am disgusted by this whole experience. It makes me not want to trust any brand anymore.
Pm me your address and I will send a couple vintage razors to you. I have too many anyway.
While I agree it should last longer am I the only one that feels that 4-5 years is a decent amount of time to get out of a 30 dollar razor? Amazon has them for 31.00 with free shipping right now, try a quality electric (Braun, norelco) or cartridge (Mach 3 or 5) for that long. Again, I expect mine to last longer but certainly wouldn't feel cheated by the brand if I got 4 or 5 years of quality use out of it. Sorry to be "that guy".
Oh I don't know, I'm at 50+ years with a $3.00 Gillette!
