Merkur 34 HD vs Edwin Jagger de89

Hello guys, so as the title says im trying to pick between the two safety razors, now i was set on the Merkur 34HD but after reading an amazon review a user pointed out that the majority of people on the B&B forums believe the Edwin jagger De89 is Superior to the Merkur.

So i wanted to see users discussion.

The Merkur 34 is $60 AUD for me and Edwin is $66 AUD price doesn't bother me, sort of.

(Any "better" safety razors for about $20 AUD more?)

This is a true matter of YMMV. I have both and find them both to be excellent performers and both can provide you a BBS shave. That being said, I find the R89 to be slightly more aggressive plus you have the option of changing handles to something lighter or heavier. It is also longer so if razor size matters that's something to look at. I paired mine with a iKon SE handle and it's a different razor. Great shave. That being said I still reach for my Merkur at least once a week. Both are forgiving but the Merkur is more so and an excellent razor for someone starting out. There are plenty of threads on the 34C vs the R89. If you Google that you may get more insight on the 2.

No matter which one you choose you can't go wrong. Good luck and let us know what you decide!

Hello Freddie, I believe you have incorrectly read apart

I am talking about the Merkur 34HD and the Edwin Jagger De89 not the muhle R89 (I searched up R89 and razor and i found that)

They are the same thing. No difference in the razor heads on the 89's.

Thank you , Freddie that is good to know so the Muhle R89 and the Edwin Jagger 89 are the same hmmm...

For what it's worth... Yes. Side by side, the heads are the same. I have had both and both shaved exactly the same. Only difference is name and handle.

Most guys say the Merkur 34 is just slightly more aggressive than the Edwin Jagger. I have them both and I prefer the Merkur but they are both good razors and you can't go wrong with either one. My vote is for the Merkur 34.

I think 34c is slightly more aggressive too. Both good razors though.

I also have both...I see pros and cons with each...for example: Merkur - doesnt miss spots like my 89 seems to, but have a hard time finding the angle for some reason (only razor that gives me this issue)

Same design doesn't mean they are the same in quality. They still come out of different manufacturing facilities. Either razor would be great, but if it were my decision, I'd probably go EJ only because of the better quality finishing and potentially better after-sales service in case you ever needed it. User reviews/discussions on Merkur after-sales support have been mixed.

I also recommend you consider the Muhle R89 for their exceptional quality. They are still very much a privately owned family-run business out of Germany.

I'm sure it will be a great acquisition whichever way you go. It will probably be just one of many razors you will acquire in the future

shave/brush said:

Most guys say the Merkur 34 is just slightly more aggressive than the Edwin Jagger. I have them both and I prefer the Merkur but they are both good razors and you can't go wrong with either one. My vote is for the Merkur 34.

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+1

On the aggression scale they're too close to rate. I always find myself going back to a Merkur 34HD, and to Feather blades. Neither are without their faults, but they always do the best all around job for me. The 34 HD seems to handle better, but my hands are no larger than average.

I think that the Muhle R89 is worth an extra $20 over the Jagger. To me it's better looking and finished better. Italian Barber has recently had them for just under $50

My $.02 Ron I

I've owned both and find the shave between the two to be very similar, I couldn't state a preference between them on that score. In terms of fit and finish, the EJ 89 wins it just looks and feels higher quality, plus I prefer that it's a three-piece as it gives the option to swap handles. EJ customer service is top notch too, whereas I've heard Merkur can be variable.

Bottom line, go with whichever you prefer, you won't be disappointed either way.

Space_Cadet said:

I think 34c is slightly more aggressive too. Both good razors though.

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+1

A past Merkur solid bar vs. Edwin Jagger discussion from June, where the original poster, "coonskinner", ended up owning both:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/459864-EJ-DE89-or-Merkur34C-Which-is-more-efficient


Cheers,
Shawn

I'm going to probably be the only one who thinks this, but FOR ME, the EJ was more aggressive than the 34c.
My first razor was the EJ 89 and then a 34c. I own both and use both, but when I was first learning the 34c was more friendly to me, but that's ymmv.
Nw that I have good technique the both do well, and my CerakoTed 34c is so smooth that I can go to town without paying attention and nt get burnt. But I left my 34g (gold) alone and use it as is.
later the 37c is a great choice too, but it's more aggressive and downright mean looking.
I also like my 89 head on my MR5 (maggard) handle way better than the stock handle.
another option is the EJ Kelvin (amazon exclusive) which is the same head but with a shorter knurled handle. Right now all the EJ are cheaper on amazon and definitely amazon has all other sites beat on price right now for both of those
to confuse you even mre there is a 36c which is the same head as the 34c and as a 2 piece still but a barber pole design.

I've used both, the Merkur is a little more aggressive. But both razors are very good. Unless you have a coarse and thick beard you won't go wrong with either one. If you do have a coarse thick beard you may want to go with neither of these and get something a little ore aggressive.

FreddieP318ti said:

This is a true matter of YMMV. I have both and find them both to be excellent performers and both can provide you a BBS shave. That being said, I find the R89 to be slightly more aggressive plus you have the option of changing handles to something lighter or heavier. It is also longer so if razor size matters that's something to look at. I paired mine with a iKon SE handle and it's a different razor. Great shave. That being said I still reach for my Merkur at least once a week. Both are forgiving but the Merkur is more so and an excellent razor for someone starting out. There are plenty of threads on the 34C vs the R89. If you Google that you may get more insight on the 2.

No matter which one you choose you can't go wrong. Good luck and let us know what you decide!

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+1. Both good choices. Either would be a great starting razor. I really liked my EJ89 (same head) and found it a mild/moderate razor that was forgiving. Almost stayed with that one, but that was before I got involved with the B&B enablers!

shawnsel said:

A past Merkur solid bar vs. Edwin Jagger discussion from June, where the original poster, "coonskinner", ended up owning both:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/459864-EJ-DE89-or-Merkur34C-Which-is-more-efficient


Cheers,
Shawn

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I do have both.

I find the EJ a tad more efficient than the 34C.

But I find that I reach for the 34C a lot more often.

It takes a little more clean up for me to get to BBS with the Merkur, but the shave is smoother and more comfortable for me.

I can absolutely get a brilliant shave from the 34C, and I enjoy it more.

FreddieP318ti said:

This is a true matter of YMMV.

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This and it applies to any razor comparison. One cannot rely on generalizations such as X is better than Y. It's a matter of which suits the individual better and DE's are not one-size-fits-all.

Is this a first DE? If so, it's difficult to give meaningful recommendations and either would be a good starter DE. The Merkur may be slightly more aggressive but it isn't drastic difference. Once the OP has some experience he can indicate what he is specifically looking for from a DE and others can guide him to better suited solutions.

Personally, I prefer the fit and finish on the DE89/R89 to Merkur but both worked well for me. Again, YMMV.

I have found that EJ89(Muhle R89) to be more aggressive than the Merkur 34C. 34C seems to be a more comfortable shave that it is almost impossible to cut yourself with but does not cut as well. I am kind of disappointed with the 34C. I started with the R89 and wanted to got with another razor that has a better grip. If I want to get a close shave then I go with the R89. But more comfortable without the best results in closeness = Merkur 34C. The weight of each razor is different as well since the R89 Grande is heavier(less pressure) than the Merkur 34C. I am more of a one razor type guy so once I reach the terms in B&B I will probably be looking to sell or trade for my Merkur 34C which has been used no more than 20 times. I have a Parker 97R coming in so if I don't like the head, I'm sure I can mix it with the R89 head.