Fantastic razor. Fantastic shave.

I consider Merkurs to be the Mercedes-Benz of DE razors and Mühles to be the BMWs of DE razors. So I purchased a Merkur 39c slant bar razor (nicknamed "the sledgehammer") and a Mühle R41 open comb razor. The Merkur is a real honey. It made short work of my three-day stubble and left me with a BBS face. It was smooth and precise...a real joy to use and it looks like a million bucks. I would not, however, recommend it to inexperienced wet shavers or those with poor technique.

I'm a relatively new wet shaver. This is my second safety razor, the first being a Merkur Futur. Both are far superior to any disposable I've used. According to barbers that have shaved me I have a very tough beard and tender skin compounded with a beard that is curly with no grain. (Lots of in grown hairs.) As I'm learning to use the Merkur 39C, I'm liking it a little better than the Futur though I would not rate the Futur any lower than the 39C. They both have a nice balance, feel, and are well made. I can get a much closer shave due to my being able to adjust the Futur but also am much more likely to nick/cut myself. The Futur also works better when I have a longer beard. For my normal shaving, about every 2 days, the 39C is my go to razor. I can get a comfortable shave that's close, but not so close that I get in grown hairs. If I want a baby's bottom shave I do a second shave with the Futur. I'd also add that I purchased a razor sample pack and have found that the Feather blades work best for me; there is a big difference between blades.

I have used it only so far with Merkur blades; the razor is excellent and provided a pleasant job without irritation and mows very well. Highly recommended.