Merkur

Why r/BuyItForLife recommends Merkur

62 mentions from real owners

• #1Dec 29, 2025

  Replacing my safety razor

  Merkur 34c 20 years strong and still going

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• #2Dec 5, 2025

  Hi, I need help deciding what should i buy.

  Nah trust, leaf razor for body hair Merkur double edge razor for facial hair

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• #3Dec 5, 2025

  Is there anything you're convinced is "the cheaper the better"?

  I have a classic safety razor handle. The blades you buy don't really matter tbh. Buy a 500 pack for like $5-8, the "fancier" merkur platinum or whatever lasts for a few shaves at $14 for the same count. The dirt cheap ones only last one shave. Doesn't matter since they're so cheap I can just use a new razor every shave if I want.

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• #4Dec 4, 2025

  Is there anything you're convinced is "the cheaper the better"?

  Disposable razor blade and old-school Gilette shaving cream (the white foamy kind). Merkur double edge works great for the heavy stuff, but for a smooth final pass, the Sensor 2 disposable razor is amazing--and so forgiving. I can finally get shaves like they have in the commercials.

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• #5Dec 1, 2025

  Straight razor for personal grooming

  A straight razor is this https://www.classicshaving.com/cdn/shop/products/HS-68-ST-WS-1_c580a630-e9d9-46ec-a0f2-558067440227_1000x1000.jpg?v=1645119997 - I assume you mean a safety razor. If you search for that you’ll find plenty I like my merkur

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• #6Nov 5, 2025

  Razors' lubrication strip becomes awful no purpose = planned obsolescence !

  I shaved my body with one for years, eventually bought one of the single blade leaf razors for the smaller head. it doesn't shave better or worse than the 10 year old merkur DE safety razor, but it's more comfortable to hold while shaving where my groin meets my legs. still uses the same blades, they just snap in half.

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• #7Oct 3, 2025

  A good razor, I like keeping a clean shave

  I have a safety razor (Merkur 33c if I remember right). Used it for 5 years no, with Feather blades (the sharpest, the less irritant they are for my skin). There is no sign of aging on the razor.

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• #8Oct 2, 2025

  A good razor, I like keeping a clean shave

  Merkur 23c to start imo. Good price, different angles, and a pack of sample blades will do the trick.

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• #9Oct 2, 2025

  A good razor, I like keeping a clean shave

  I love my merkur Futur adjustable safety razor. Been using it for about 4 years. I still haven't finished the carton of blades I bought with it. Razor blades are super cheap.

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• #10Oct 2, 2025

  A good razor, I like keeping a clean shave

  Merkur (OG, current safety razor) or Hanson (haven't tried this, Canadian brand, seems like an interesting improvement). Astral Platinum blades but get a sample pack from Amazon or somewhere to find what's best for your hair. 

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• #11Oct 2, 2025

  A good razor, I like keeping a clean shave

  [https://merkurshave.com/](https://merkurshave.com/) been using the same one for over 25 years

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• #12Sep 4, 2025

  What's a purchase under $50 that has genuinely improved your daily routine?

  I personally like the Merkur 34C razor and Astra platinum blades in green packaging. I have tried a butterfly safety razor that I hated and I originally bought a sample pack of blades on Amazon to try various which is how I ended up with Astra. Also if shaving face using a hot towel for prep could make a big difference, the shaving cream matters also, I like Taylor of Old Bond, just not the menthol minty one. Also use a good shaving brush. Hopefully that helps.

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• #13Aug 1, 2025

  any razor recommendations?

  I looked at the one blade when buying a razor for my oldest son and was surprised by how cheap it felt.  I bought him a Merkur so he could learn proper wet shaving and a midrange Philips electric in case he wanted to go that route. 

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• #14Aug 1, 2025

  any razor recommendations?

  Merkur 34C 👌🏻

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• #15Jul 11, 2025

  Safety razor for life?

  Merkur. I’ve been using my ten years and it still looks new.

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• #16Jul 10, 2025

  Safety razor for life?

  I paid 40 bucks for my Merkur 10 years ago. It isn't showing any signs of slowing down yet.

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• #17Jul 10, 2025

  I upgraded my BIFL razor to make it portable!

  I had a TSA agent holding my safety razor handle between his fingers and the top part in his palm making a fist like he was xman wolverine. I think he thought it was some sort of weapon until I told him it's a razor. I didn't keep a blade in mine when traveling, but kept it assembled. It seems that a lot of younger people have never seen a safety razor or know what they are. I never thought of disassembling it, I think the handle is the part TSA hones in on since it looks kinda stabby in the x-ray. Cheap disposables have an added advantage of being a lot lighter. My merkur razor probably weighs as much as 20+ disposables, it's a heavy chunk of metal.

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• #18Jul 10, 2025

  I upgraded my BIFL razor to make it portable!

  Very safe if you know what you're doing, less irritation. I've only shaved with safety razors like this since entering puberty and I've literally never cut myself with one.

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• #19Jul 10, 2025

  Safety razor for life?

  I have a Merkur 37c that I bought at 16. That was 40 years ago and it still functions like the day I bought it. It’s got some soap scum build up, but when I clean it, it looks like it did the day I bought it.

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• #20Jul 10, 2025

  Safety razor for life?

  I use the Merkur 34c from this list, very good razor.

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• #21Jul 9, 2025

  Safety razor for life?

  This is the exact way. I have a modern Merkur, but most of the time I use a Gillette from the 60's that I got. Both are awesome!

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• #22Jul 9, 2025

  Safety razor for life?

  Merkur and Edwin Jagger are solid, long-lasting picks without breaking the bank.

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• #23Jul 9, 2025

  Safety razor for life?

  I have been using a Merkur 23C for a few decades. If you really want to BIFL avoid the barn-door-style and even the adjustable ones like the Merkur Futura. A normal safety razor handle is two solid pieces of steel with matching threads. Nothing more complicated than that (aside from being properly shaped, but no moving parts or anything).

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• #24Jul 9, 2025

  Safety razor for life?

  I bought a Merkur 20 years ago and it's still going strong. Safety razors out the "thirty seven blades that lift and pull and walk the dog" garbage that men have been getting scammed by for two generations. Next best thing to a straight razor. Good luck!

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• #25Jul 9, 2025

  Safety razor for life?

  Merkur or an old Gillette. They aren't expensive.

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• #26Jul 9, 2025

  I upgraded my BIFL razor to make it portable!

  https://a.co/d/0Zmiqtl

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• #27Jul 9, 2025

  I upgraded my BIFL razor to make it portable!

  Blades are stupid cheap. You can buy good blades on Amazon for 10 cents a piece and cheap blades for 5 cents. I change blades after 3 to 10 shaves usually. It feels like a waste of time to change before 3 or 4 shaves, you won't be able to notice the difference. If I use soap, I use the same cheap organic soap bar I wash my hands with. If someone was really cheap af I could see consistently going close to 10 shaves every blade. That puts it at .005 per shave. If you shave every other day that puts you at $0.92 per year. If you shave every 3 days or less you're at 61 cents per year or less. OP is barely exaggerating, if at all. Even replacing a blade every 3 shaves and shaving EVERY other day puts you at $3. 1 bar of cheap soap could last you a couple years if you only used it shave, and not wash your hands.

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• #28Jul 8, 2025

  I upgraded my BIFL razor to make it portable!

  I have the same one going on 10 years now! Throw in 100 blades for $10, and you're golden. It's amazing how cheap shaving is with safety razors.

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• #29Jul 8, 2025

  I upgraded my BIFL razor to make it portable!

  > changing your blades every MONTH is wildly unrealistic. For me it isn't. I have a beard and only need to shave the high parts of my cheeks and my neck. I also use a safety razor and blades last forever.

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• #30Jul 8, 2025

  I upgraded my BIFL razor to make it portable!

  It rules - it handles hard water like a champ too.

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• #31Jul 8, 2025

  I upgraded my BIFL razor to make it portable!

  Get a nice triple milled soap and it lasts forever. Use a brush and learn to lather your own soap from that triple milled soap. It really does take forever to go through. Double edge safety razors are also notoriously cheap. A pack of like 200 blades depending on brand is somewhere in the neighborhood of $15-20, lasts me multiple years tbh. A refill of soap is $10-20 depending on how nice you want to go. Razor and brush were bought several years ago personally and they aren't in any danger of needing replacement for years. I don't believe less than $1 per year at all. That is just someone who doesn't shave much or gets gifted stuff. But I can easily say since I switched to using a safety razor I spend about $10 or a year on razors, soap. Especially if you average it out over the course of the past couple years since there are years where I buy nothing.

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• #32Jul 8, 2025

  I upgraded my BIFL razor to make it portable!

  Personally I've found shaving cream is totally unnecessary if I just shave in the shower under running water after washing my face. Then if you're using a single blade razor like this and changing the blade about once a month, that's less than a dollar worth of blades a year. Once a month is a bit long to go without changing the blade for me, but if you actually dry it off properly after shaving and don't shave every day I suppose it's doable.

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• #33Jul 8, 2025

  I upgraded my BIFL razor to make it portable!

  I don’t remember how much it cost but I bought I think a 200 pack of razor blades and a safety razor a little over 10 years ago, and I’m running low now, but it’s lasted me this long. I didn’t have to change the blades as much when I first got them and didn’t need to shave every day, and now that I do it’s still like an every other week change. — I do still buy shaving cream but over this time period I can’t have spent… more than $150 shaving. I think $150/520 weeks is like 30 cents a week so it’s obviously more than a dollar a year but how much more affordable can you get?

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• #34Jul 8, 2025

  I upgraded my BIFL razor to make it portable!

  # r/BuildItForLife

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• #35Jul 5, 2025

  Stuff you will continue buying for life

  I am still using merkur, I should branch out.

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• #36Jul 3, 2025

  Ever Bought Something That Quietly Changed You?

  I have a Merkur 34c handle and I bought 100 feather blades like 10 years ago and still have about a dozen left. I shave part of my face (I have a goatee) about 1 time a week. I’ll change out my blade every 5 or so shaves. I bought a brush and bowl when I got my razor, but now I’ll use just regular Barbasol shave foam from a can, rub it on, shave once over with the grain, then rinse. I’ll go back over against the grain in short back and forth movements. Baby butt smooth, no razor bumps and it only takes 2-3 minutes total, including clean up. Best part is I only have spent about $30 on shaving since that initial purchase.

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• #37Jul 1, 2025

  Metal Handle Single Blade Safety Razor - Not Harry's

  Look at Merkur. I've used a Meekur Futur for about 10 years and it's great. Get a sample pack of different blades to see what works best on your face.

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• #38Jun 9, 2025

  Best razor (cheapest option)

  Merkur, Muhle or Edwin Jagger are all good.

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• #39Jun 8, 2025

  Best razor (cheapest option)

  Get a double edge razor and a big box of blades. Try an assortment until you find a type you like, then stock up. As for handles, I like the Merkur, but the old Gillettes are good too. Spend maybe 30 to 70 bucks on a decent handle and you'll just need the cheap, long lasting blades for as long as you shave. Forget about those Mach 5 cartridges that cost $40 a pack and last 3 days each...

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• #40Jun 7, 2025

  BIFL razor for the not so hairy man?

  Merkur safety razor

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• #41Jun 7, 2025

  BIFL razor for the not so hairy man?

  Merkur or honestly any kind of safety razor

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• #42Jun 7, 2025

  BIFL razor for the not so hairy man?

  I bought a Merkur in 1985 and used it exclusively for 35 years before I tried some other DE razors. I now use mainly my vintage Gillette slim adjustable or my Blackland open comb (can’t remember the model). The Merkur looks like the day I bought it. Possible that they’re not made as well today, but mine is definitely BIFL.

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• #43Jun 7, 2025

  BIFL razor for the not so hairy man?

  I picked up a Merkur in 2020 and it's going strong with no signs of wear. I did read that it needs to be disassembled to dry after each use, so I'm always careful to do that. Don't know if that might account for the different experience with quality that some folks are relating. Regardless, totally agree that a safety razor plus bulk steel blades is the way to go - plus you get to explore the world of shaving soaps which is very lovely!

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• #44Jun 7, 2025

  BIFL razor for the not so hairy man?

  Merkur makes a good razor or Henson

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• #45Jun 7, 2025

  BIFL razor for the not so hairy man?

  I do recommend going the stainless route. I had a Merkur with the chromed zink head and the screw portion corroded badly over about 10 years.

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• #46Jun 7, 2025

  BIFL razor for the not so hairy man?

  Merkur 34c will last a lifetime if taken care of.

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• #47Jun 7, 2025

  BIFL razor for the not so hairy man?

  I bought a Merkur Futur razor, and disposable feather brand blades. The blades come to pennies each. I usually replace the blade each use - really satisfying to have a new blade each time. Used to spend way too much on disposable Gillettes - made the change over 15 years ago & never looked back.

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• #48Jun 7, 2025

  BIFL razor for the not so hairy man?

  15 years ago I bought a Merkur barber pole razor and 100 feather blades for 120 bucks. I shave 3 times a week. I still have a years worth of blades left. Go the safety razor route. There’s a bit of a learning curve but once you got it down you’ll get the best shave.

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• #49Jun 7, 2025

  BIFL razor for the not so hairy man?

  Just get a stainless steel safety razor from Amazon. Look that it’s not a Butterfly but a screwtop. The thing will last longer than most marriages. Mühle, Rockwell, Merkur just to name a few decent options

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• #50Jun 3, 2025

  What are your favorite niche BIFL items that are currently available?

  Murker, Slant bar safety razor. $45, German made and you only need one. Shame is hipsters made the cost of blades go up. A ten pack used to be .99cents now it's more like $5 but still far better than three bladed disposable crap.

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• #51Jun 3, 2025

  What are your favorite niche BIFL items that are currently available?

  Murker Saftey Razor. $45 for life.

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• #52Jun 3, 2025

  What are your favorite niche BIFL items that are currently available?

  Merkur 34C Safety Razor. I'm pretty sure this thing will belong to my grandkids some day.

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• #53May 3, 2025

  I'm using my Grandpas gillette ball end razor handle.

  I bought a Merkur double edge razor and a box of blades. The blades last about a few weeks and I have 100. At that rate, I have years worth of blades and very little waste. Best of all, the blades work out to about 25 cents each and I get less irritation vs a disposable razor.

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• #54May 1, 2025

  Gillette razor handle my sister gifted me 22 years ago

  The buy it for life razor has been a safety razor quite a while. The blades are a lot cheaper but you pay for the actual handle. The Merkur 34C gained notoriety about a decade ago but there are a lot of models. You still have to buy blades but you could spend about $30 to get a cassette of them and be set for years. The true buy it for life however is a cut throat razor and a leather. Strop it and use it daily and it will last the rest of your life.

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• #55Apr 9, 2025

  Items that made your life so much easier/saved time?

  Btw, another one if you grow beards: a safety razor. You can buy a cheap one from Gillette or Wilkinson just to get the hang of it but be warned they’re crap (yet, they *used* to be the go-to). Either ask your dad or grand-dad if they have one in the back of some drawer or get online a Merkur (if you’re in Europe like me) or a Mhule (they’re said to be cheaper in the US), both very good quality, not pricey razors. They’ll get you smoother shaves and less skin irritation, truth is you’re hurting your skin less by running a single, sharp blade over it than 3-5 in your typical cartridge razors. Then, you’ll save some good money because a 10-pack is like a dollar and you can even go as far as buying 100-packs for around 5 bucks. If you wanna go the extra mile, you can then get a traditional shaving soap, brush and bowl, also no need to go too fancy. Technically any soap does the trick, but you can use all-natural ones such as Aleppo soap to minimise irritation. You’re putting less chemicals on your skin and a tiny scoop of soap per use will make it considerably cheaper than your grocery store canned foam of choice.

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• #56Mar 12, 2025

  BIFLers, what things do you not understand why people spend their money on?

  Edwin Jagger, Muhle, and Merkur all make good razors at reasonable prices. A decent double-edge safety razor will set you back $35-50, which might sound like a lot. But good blades typically cost 10 to 20 cents when bought in packs of 50 or 100. So the overall savings versus cartridge razors will arrive fairly quickly.

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• #57Mar 12, 2025

  BIFLers, what things do you not understand why people spend their money on?

  I'll save you the trouble. When I was 16 and started growing a beard I spent literally a year researching the best safety razors because my father always used disposable ones and I did not want to start that way. The Merkur 34c is the ultimate by far for durability, functionality, and overall design and weight. I've had mine for over a decade now and it's literally like new. I use it once every 2-3 days and the few times I have dropped it, I was more concerned for the tile underneath than the metal body. Do not waste your money on anything else aside from maybeeee Henson just because I haven't bought anything from them so I can't judge.

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• #58Mar 11, 2025

  BIFLers, what things do you not understand why people spend their money on?

  Merkur and Feather are quality products. Not sure if BIFL but Henson has a safety razor that takes some of the pressure of the razor off your skin if prone to nicking yourself.

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• #59Mar 4, 2025

  amazon budget beard trimmer choices?

  Just those brands! They make solid electronics. Sharp too, but they’ve been focusing on certain products as of late. Panasonic’s most expensive models are pretty affordable at ~$100, anything less than that wouldn’t last: https://shop.panasonic.com/collections/mens-trimmers That’s for electric trimmers. Henson, Merkur, etc., make high quality safety razors for less.

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• #60Feb 2, 2025

  What’s one item you bought that has lasted for YEARS and was worth every penny?

  Merkur 39c FTW.

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• #61Jan 10, 2025

  What did you buy not realizing you bought it for life?

  My Merkur safety Razer, it still looks brand new after 15 years.

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• #62Jan 4, 2025

  What is the best old school safety razor and spare blades? Price isn't a concern unless it's something absolutely ridiculous.

  I've had the Merkur 34c for about ten years now and it's still amazing. I've run Top, Shark, Voskhod, and Feather blades. Of all the blades the Feather were the best IMO. I also run a "badger" brush (not sure it's really badger) and Taylor's of Old Bond Street shaving cream. I have tried a few other handles but I keep going back to the 34c. I wish I could find a butterfly action that's as solid as the Merkur.

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