I'm 6 weeks into my new lifelong trend of wet safety razor shaving and enjoying it so far. However, there is one thing that bothers me every time I change a blade. There seem to be a good deal of blade alignment leeway. The razor I’m using is a Merkur 180 with Crystal “Super +” Platinum blades. When inserting a new blade, if I’m not careful, I can easily get a misaligned or uneven blade. When tightening the razor I have to eyeball getting the blade in the perfect spot. I’ll be honest. I’m tired in the morning and I’ve gotten it wrong more than once. Is this normal for safety razors? Or is this possibly just an issue with the Merkur 180, the Crystal blades, or a combination of both? Getting the alignment off a little really affects the quality of shave and helps in irritated and sometimes bloody results. Thanks, Mike
Hey, Mike. My 37c slant is the same way. I've sent it to cooncatbob for a handle conversion. I'll see when I get it back if Bob's handle helps or not. I can't tell you why some of Merkur's razors are like that. It's a pain, that's for sure. If you're a razor manufacturer, the last thing you want is the customer/user worried about seating the blade in your razors. What I do for my slant is, line up the blade, grab the short side edges of the blade (non-sharp edges) and gently lift up on the blade as you tighten the handle. Maybe that helps.
That about how I line up mine. I've typically been changing the blades pre shower when getting the brush started soaking. Perhaps I should wait to change the blade till post shower when I'm more awake and can focus enough to ensure it lines up better. There is the classic noob question of what razor to buy, that generraly no one wants to really answer. Perhaps a better question to ask is what razor not but buy and why. For example, if I found people saying that seating the blade in the 180 is a presision thing best done after a good nights sleep; a full cup of coffee; and by using a micrometer, I may have considred purchasing a different razor. However, I must say that I do like the weight and size of the 180 so maybe I would have still bought it. But I would have bought it prepared for the fine adjustments it requires.
I have a merkur hd34c and that is similar although only slight the shave is still ok, but since I got an Edwin jagger 89l I haven't used the merkur, the finish and build quality is just better.
If you're going to buy a 3 piece, I recommend Edwin Jagger's as well, higher quality and cheaper than Merkur... Its funny, my favorite technical 3 piece is my Parker 96R, which sat in a box for over a year it was my first real DE and I wrote it off as junk; turns out it shaves pretty ok and sadly is plated better than Merkur....
I find some blades just fit better in some razors. I have noticed alingment problems with Wilkinson blades in one razor and not another. While a Derby or Feather will fit fine in that razor. I think the tolerances were higher on vintage blades and the vintage razors were made to suit. IMHO
I notice with my slant and my HD I have issues but not with any of my other razors. It may be a Merkur quality thing?
It was teh same thing with my Single ring and using a Red Personna blade...it would shift around a little bit (...loosk like I need to break into my vintage Wilkinsons...lol) But then again i guess I am comparing apples to oranges. I would say it might be razor specific, because all of my other DE razors (gillette and Muhle) don't really have that issue, especially the Muhle, no blade can move around in that one!
I agree with both Wyatt and Aaron on this. Tolerances were tighter when DE's ruled the market (vintage) and you really owe it to yourself to get an EJ89DbL. I like mine because it is high quality at a reasonable price!
With it being Xmas and having two young kids all my spending in the near term for luxury items will go their way. However, once my wallet rebounds I may have to order a EJ80Dbl to give it a try. I was thinking about trying a adjustible next, but perhaps I should wait until I have a little more experience before I go there. I'm sure, like many here, I'll end up with many razors.
I really like my EJ89, but a month or so ago, I bagged up all 80+ razors in the fleet and have been using the Muhle R-41 exclusively. The R-41 is not for everyone, but for me, it is the end-be-all. I will most likely be selling off everything else after the first of the year. The fit and finish on the R-41 is top notch, just like the EJ razors. I have had no blade alignment problems with either razor, but I have had alignment issues with every Merkur I have owned with the exception of the Futur.
The best thing about the EJ89L is if for some reason you really didnt like it (cant see that happening but) you can always sell it on ebay and get your money back for it, here in uk, I have seen some 89l sell for £25 used but still with box etc.etc., when at the same time you sould get it for £21 with 5 derby blades on amazon!! Basically it will be risk free investment.
For those whose skin can handle the R-41, I say go for it. It is a wonderful looking as well as effective razor. For those whose skin cannot handle the aggressiveness, the EJ89 is the way to go. It is a wonderful looking as well as effective razor. Both are some of the very best examples of the currently manufactured DE razors!
One of the reasons I chose the Merkur 180 is the length of 3 7/8". Is switching to a 5/8" shorter (the EJ89L) razor hard to get used to? I see a deal on Amazon for Ej89L with a 35 blade (5 brand) razor sample set for $39.95.
IMO the length difference is negligable. If it really becomes a problem, I am fairly certain the handles are interchangable. I can send you my EJ89 for a test drive if you want to try before you buy.
I've just noticed that for 2011 Edwin Jagger changes the 89's Have any of you tried the 2011 versions?
@Jeff, very generous offer. Thank you! I'd love to take you up on it. But, could it wait until after the holidays? I'm in an out of town alot over the next few weeks. I also plan on purchasing a good blade sample set around then as well.
