You should find the 1949 Gillette Super Speed a milder shaver than the Merkur. The blade exposure and angle will be different offering you that milder shave. You may have a little touch up to do in some areas with the SS but since it is mild. You should have no problems and end up with a satisfactory shave. This is one of the reasons it's often touted as a beginers razor but I still keep one in my rotation.
Me too. Every time I feel in the mood for a little irritation, I reach for my 49 SS. If I want a good shave, it's the Merkur for me. I cannot get a good shave with a SS. I don't know why.
Not all Super Speeds are the same. My first post in this forum was about variations in Super Speeds. Since I wrote that I went on to acquire over 30 Super Speeds. What I found was only one in five, six out of the 30 plus I tried, was an excellent shaver. Three out of five were mediocre and one out of five was a rough poor shaver. I've found more variation in Super Speeds than any other Gillette model. I found more variation in Super Speeds than I have in razor blades. A person might have to try a number of Super Speeds to find a good one. The only '49 SS I owned was a rough poor shaver. I think quality depends on past treatment, not year of production. Two '56 SS's (that I still have) were excellent while another '56 was the worst I ever tried. It's a big mistake to think all Super Speeds are the same or that all 1949 Super Speeds are the same. Having said that I tried nine NEWs and all of those were about the same, all excellent. Richard
I've never seen anything to distinguish a good one from a bad one. The only way I can tell is to shave with it a few times. Richard
I love the 40's SS I have, I don't have an HD to compare it too, but I think it provides a smother shave then my 38C and is smother than my slant too A great razor that will remain in my rotation + another on the SS / Feather combo....always gives me a nice shave.