Interested in wet shaving and looking for a good first safety razor? You could do a lot worse than the Merkur 23C Long Handle Safety razor.
Merkur is a German-based company that makes a wide variety of shaving products ranging from safety razors to blades to shaving brushes and even straight razors. There safety razors have a reputation of being high quality, durable and functional. Spend anytime online researching safety razors and you’ll see that Merkur safety razors are some of the most popular on the market.
Merkur makes over 10 different safety razors. Their line of safety razors comes in a variety of sizes, weights, aggressiveness, finishes. But out of all their safety razors, the “Long Handled” 23c is their most popular safety razor. Why is it so popular?
Because it’s just an excellent straight bar, closed comb, 3-piece safety razor. Plus, it has a longer handle and excellent knurling for grip. This razor is well known for delivering a close, comfortable shave for a lot of men.
But is it the right safety razor for you? Let’s find out.
Pros
- Excellent weight distribution and ideal balance point
- Long handle great for wet shavers with bigger hands
- Non-slip grip
- Durable
- High quality design and materials
Cons
- “Lighter” handle
Product Overview & Specs
- 4.2 inches long
- Weighs roughly 2.2 ounces
- Chrome plated
- 3-piece fixed safety razor
- Closed comb
- Comes with 1 Merkur blade
Key Features
Long Handle
The key feature that really distinguishes the Merkur 23c from other Merkur safety razors is the handle length. The 23c is called the “Merkur Long Handle” safety razor for a reason — it has a pretty long handle at 4 inches. The total length of the Merkur 23c is around 4.2 inches long. This is definitely longer than most safety razors on the market, which are typically closer to 3 inches long or shorter.
So if you want a safety razor with a longer handle, this is an excellent option. I typically recommend it for men with big hands because it can be difficult for men with small hands to handle. But if you prefer a long handle, this is one of the best.
Light Handle But Good Weight Distribution
Although the Merkur 23c is one of the longer safety razors on the market, it’s still very easy to use because it has such good weight distribution.
The 23c weighs in at roughly 2.2 ounces which is a little heavier than the average safety razor, which is good. You don’t want a big safety razor to be light as a feather because it makes it very difficult to use good technique while shaving. Remember, you don’t want to apply pressure with your safety razor, you should let the weight of the razorhead do all the work for you. And a light safety razor makes this pretty much impossible to do.
I do wish there was a little more weight in the handle, but the balance point is at the top of the grip so it is really easy and comfortable to use. This is the ideal location for balance point in my opinion.
Excellent Grip
Pretty much all Merkur safety razors have excellent grip, and the 23c long handle is no exception. It has the same cross-sectional knurling that is on the Merkur 33c. Even with wet hands, this thing sticks to my hands really well.
In addition to the knurling, it also has 3 horizontal grooves of knurling on the bottom knob area. Overall, you should feel very comfortable with this in your hands. Really no matter how you hold the razor, there should be more than enough texture to grip it securely.
Moderate Aggressiveness
The Merkur 23c is really similar to the 33c in terms of aggressiveness. I rate the 23c as probably a 5/10 on the aggressiveness scale. Since it’s razorhead heavy, it’s a really nice smooth shave. The razor does all the work for you -- if you let it. You just have to use good technique.
Because it’s moderate aggressive, the 23c can be used by a diverse set of wet shavers. Men with thick, coarse beards can put a sharp Feather razor blade in it and get the shave they need. Men with a light beard and sensitive skin though can put a smooth blade in it like a Shark and get the shave they need. This razor has good range.
Durable 3-piece Design
The Merkur 180 long handled safety razor is very durable. The 3 piece design makes it really easy to take apart and clean. And 3-piece designs are typically more durable because they have less moving parts that can potentially break.
Now it is only chrome plated, so it’s not going to be quite as durable as stainless steel. But as long as you take care of it, the 23c should last you a long, long time.
Who Do We Recommend The Merkur 23C For?
The Merkur 23c long handle safety razor is a fantastic option for any wet shaver that wants a safety razor with a longer handle. It’s a really well designed safety razor that has a great balance point and excellent grip. And even though it’s bigger and longer than most safety razors, it’s still very easy to handle.
And like I said earlier, it’s got a good amount of aggressiveness so you can either up the aggressiveness and use a sharp blade or dial it down and use a really mild, smooth blade. Overall the Merkur 23c just delivers a really smooth but close shave.
What Are Some Other Safety Razors To Consider?
Edwin Jagger Double Edge Safety Razor
Edwin Jagger’s DE89 safety razor is one of the most popular on the market. It’s a little bit shorter than the 23c at only 3.75 inches long, but I actually prefer this length. Additionally, it has a great balance point and weight distribution.
The aggressiveness on the Edwin Jagger DE89 is probably around a 4/10. This is one of the reasons it is so popular with beginners. It’s a great safety razor to learn good technique with. In fact, this was my first ever safety razor!
Really, my only gripe is that it doesn’t have a ton of grip. There are vertical grooves at the bottom on the knob and there is a good ridge at the top right above the balance point. But the rest of the handle is just smooth chrome. I’d prefer if it had some knurling to make it easier to grip.
Overall though, the Edwin Jagger DE89 is just a very clean and durable 3-piece safety razor.
Parker 99R Butterfly Open Safety Razor
The Parker 99R is probably one of the most popular and well made butterfly open safety razors you can find. It’s pretty heavy at 3.4 ounces because it is made from chrome plated brass. This also makes it very durable.
The 99R also has a long handle at 4 inches. And it has excellent grip. I would prefer some knurling on the bottom knob, but the overall grip is still really good.
I don’t usually recommend the Parker 99R to beginners because it is really aggressive. It’s probably an 8/10 or even 9/10 for most men. If you know how to use good technique, this will be one of the smoothest razors you could use. But if you’re still learning how to use a safety razor, this probably isn’t the right razor for you.
The 99R is one of the best safety razors, especially for the price it is sold at. It’s great bang for your buck.
Merkur Futur Adjustable Safety Razor
The Merkur Futur 700 is a very modern looking 2-piece safety razor. It really doesn’t look like ay other safety razors because it’s a smooth finish all over. So this means there’s no texture for grip, but what it lacks in grip it definitely makes up for in style.
One of the key features of the Merkur Futur is that it is an adjustable safety razor. This means you can adjust the blade gap to have full control over the aggressiveness. The Futur 700 has a dial with 6 settings on it. You simply rotate this dial and it either increases or decreases the blade gap. And FYI, 1 is the most mild and 6 is the most aggressive.
Although I do typically prefer safety razors with better grip, the Merkur Futur 700 is one of my favorites because of its sleek design and the ability to adjust the aggressiveness.
Need a little more help figuring out which safety razor you want to buy? Then I recommend reading my comprehensive guide on the best safety razors. It has all the information you need to find the perfect safety razor in your budget.
