The Merkur Safety Razor is a traditional safety razor that is available in many different models - with different shapes, sizes and styles - that are carefully designed to suit different individual needs. If one is looking for a close professional shave with minimal risk of nicking oneself with an overexcited blade, a Merkur Safety Razor is a good choice. There are many different styles and designs to choose from so that one might find the right razor to suits one's style of shaving - to make sure that the grip is comfortable, the pressure is effortless and the movement is smooth and easy.
In the 1970s, American companies stopped manufacturing safety blades that would accept any razor blade and introduced cartridge blades; these were specific to specific companies and increased the profit of the company and promised additional safety on account of the cartridge being designed to protect the skin from exposed parts of the blade. Merkur is an extremely dependable German company that is highly recommended by professional barbers and individuals who consider themselves somewhat of an expert on shaving. The Merkur Safety Razor accepts any kind of blade - the most preferred being the double edged blade that gives as smooth a shave as any two, three or five bladed razors - and is much safer to use. The cost of the blade is also less and therefore the cost of using a Merkur Safety Razor as compared to a two, three or five blade razor comes down to much less on a long term even though the razor itself might cost more.
Many people prefer old models of double-edged razors that have been in use wince the 50s but some people say that the razors available now - with a special mention of the Merkur Safety Razor - are the best double-edged razors that have ever been made. The classic Merkur Safety Razor is made with an old world charm that adds to the experience of a quick smooth shave that the razor provides.
Many people have said that the Merkur razor takes some time to get used to. The razor is heavy and quite different in the hand from a two, three or five blade razor and the first shave with a Merkur razor often turns out to be an aggressive one. However, within the next few shaves, the hand gets adjusted to the Merkur razor and one finds that the safety razor gives a better and a safer shave than the two, three or five blade razors that one was previously accustomed to.
The best way to shave with a Merkur Razor is to let the sharp blade do all the work and refrain from applying any pressure yourself. The weight of the blade actually helps in this process. However, if you have sensitive skin then you might want different blades to go with your Merkur razor instead of Merkur ones as this gives a rather harsh shave to someone who's skin is sensitive in the first place. Then again, the razor is very good with safety issues and with a little bit of practice, can be used to great advantage even on sensitive skin.