Merkur 41c first shave - My new favorite Razor?

Today we are trying a brand new but classic German razor, THE MERKUR 41C.
We are using a Merkur blade that was in the box.
We are also using (some affiliate links)
Proraso pre shave:
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DSCosmetic brush:
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Palmolive shaving cream:
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Proraso aftershave:
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Nivea Sensitive Cool balm:
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[@vfamily2406]

You betcha I am watching Heiko! Now I need to get a Merkur 41c….my wife will be thrilled.😅 Great review! Love the coffee mug….

[@Heiko-shaves]

The 41c is a good razor for a good price.

[@okiedokie_cool]

That is an excellent shave Heiko. Some quick notes - old school zinc alloy based razor heads, especially the open combs tend to tug in the first pass, generally in my opinion, irrespective of the blade. The new ones cnc finished ones are designed to be softer and the finish (good quality metal coated really well) mitigates the tug feel. Your experience is relatable and for a first time open comb use, this was just a brilliant shave. Cheers!

[@Heiko-shaves]

Thanks for your comment, I appreciate it.

[@saguarosmart4100]

Great shave Heiko. I am glad you are starting to find razors that are the right combination of efficiency and comfort for you. Nothing more satisfying than that feeling of knowing you can return to a razor for a flawless shave with great result and comfort. I can tell you were genuinely happy and excited that you got such an efficient and comfortable shave! I own many closed comb razors but I too found that mild to medium razors with an open comb tend to give me great results, especially in my "problem areas" where I normally have to do touch ups, open comb razors tend to get rid of the stubble in those areas without touch ups. I've also read some people claiming that open comb razors are more like straight razors and give better results due to the beard hairs making it though the comb while still being lathered and not pressed down by the "safety bar" so the hairs are standing straight and more easily reached by the blade. When you stop and think about it, a safety bar razor does wipe the lather off the beard before cutting it which seems counter intuitive, it also presses the hairs down against your skin before the blade reaches them, which also seems counter intuitive since we are told the whole point of lathering with a brush is to exfoliate and get the hair elevated, standing and held with lather to be cut more easily. Anyway, no scientific proof of that, just some opinions and analyses I read by some people online but it does make sense to me. I still enjoy closed comb razors though and get great results from many of them.

[@Heiko-shaves]

Interesting. I guess that makes sense, the hair is untouched with the OC until it gets to the blade. I wonder if I could capture that in video somehow. Thanks for your comment.

[@saguarosmart4100]

@@Heiko-shaves So after watching this video, I got curious about this little guy (the 41c) and decided to order a Merkur 15c (same head as the 41c) and I can confirm, what a pleasant shave it is. It is very mild with low blade feel almost like the DE89 or 34c but with quite a bit better efficiency in my opinion. The open comb also makes it easier to catch all those pesky hairs growing parallel to the skin on the neck and along the jaw line. I already had many DEs but still great addition to the collection! Overall, super glad you made a video about this one as I feel like it flies under the radar, I hadn't heard much about it.

[@MonoLake02]

I have tried open comb razors, but prefer the closed comb. I do like Merkur blades, but they are expensive. My first safety razor was a Merkur, and I have had it for more than 30 years. I used it until I got my Henson. Thanks for the great content.

[@Heiko-shaves]

Thank you for your comment. Yes, Merkur blades are a bit pricey.

[@melteds3008]

Really enjoyable shave to watch, good one Heiko. I love the look of the merkur 41c , the open comb was a little intimidating until I shaved with one, and it gave me a great result, nice smooth and close shave . Great shave to watch.

[@Heiko-shaves]

Thank you. I appreciate your kind words.

[@petekadenz9465]

Really interesting shave! Mild and yet efficient is certainly what I’m looking for. I use Palmolive shave cream a lot and, amazingly, it costs only £2 in my local Sainsbury’s supermarket in the UK.

[@Heiko-shaves]

Palmolive is good stuff.

[@ChefIan07]

I have 6 vintage razors 3 closed combs some super speed flare tips and a fat boy and 3 open combs a Gillette old type and new improved model and a 1913 ever ready and my favorite will always be open combs so sad Gillette didn’t make more of them😖

[@hassyg4083]

i like you're using clashing scents from the shaving to the aftershave to the balm lol

[@Heiko-shaves]

That is how I roll. 😉

[@nofrillsshaving4244]

I just ordered a 41c. Can’t wait. 😁

[@Zack-xz1ph]

open combs are great, I have an old german 4 piece travel open comb and a gillette new. such efficient little razors, and great for taking down several days or more of growth

[@Heiko-shaves]

That German 4 piece sounds interesting. Thanks for your comment.

[@walachia81]

Merkur 41c have a brass handle. I also have it and love it!

[@dappershaves]

it’s a great hair product. wonderful channel and content. blessed week, regards Mr Straight Razor

[@Heiko-shaves]

Thank you, you too.

[@williammurphy1756]

Nice shave Heiko. You did a great shave for a first time open comb shave. I have 2 open comb razors and always end up cutting myself, and not just a nick so I don't use them very much.

[@Heiko-shaves]

Thank you. It made me more confident that I will definitely try more open combs.

[@Zack-xz1ph]

have you tried a parker or pearl open comb? they are pretty forgiving

[@williammurphy1756]

@@Zack-xz1ph Haven't tried them. Maybe in the future. Right now I'm happy with the razors I use. Thanks.

[@ivermec-tin666]

Nice kit. When you place your order with Sterling be sure to try out their balm. It is made of pronounceable ingredients and works a treat. A bargain at the price and comes in their whole universe of scents or unscented, with or without menthol.

[@Heiko-shaves]

I'll check it out. Thanks

[@LawrenceWhitaker]

We have the same coffee grinder Heiko! I don't have an Aeropress though - just a stove top moka pot.

[@Heiko-shaves]

I tried all those different ways of making coffee including Keurig, drip, french press, pour over etc. Aeropress is the most consistent. I love it.

[@flitch77]

That felt like a very satisfying shave for you. The 41c was my third razor. Loved how it would take off 5 days of stubble effortlessly. I recently used it again and was surprised how good of a razor it still is. I think I will take it out tonight and use it to see how my shave is next to yours! While I am looking forward to getting my hands on some of the great new aftershaves being made today, when I get back to the mainland, there is a special place for a lot of the drugstore aftershaves in my shave routine. Love Skinbracer, Aqua Velva, Gillette Cool Wave, Adidas and surprisingly, since I am not always a fan of floral things, I really enjoy Brut these days. Cheers and see ya next shave! (Oh! no German word of the day? or did I miss it?)

[@Heiko-shaves]

I like those inexpensive aftershave options too. The German word wasn't announced but I did have Rostfrei = Rust Free in the video. See you

[@Long-Ball-Larry]

Unfortunately Merkur stopped selling razor parts online (in Germany) after they parted from Dovo it seems. But you can get a CC/straight bar base plate for just around 10 bucks (plus shipping I guess) in the US on merkurshave (ends with d ot c om). You can stack them inside each other (head plate, OC plate, SB plate) and either screw the handle on for storing or put it in a Khaki pouch knock-off like those sold by Yaqi or DSCosmetic. Makes a great travel razor. This way you have two razors in one. For some reason the three-piece straight bar/CC is a tad milder than the two-piece model (like 34c) but still more efficient than the OC (imo).

[@Heiko-shaves]

That is great. I will look into that. Will give me another combination to try out. Thanks

[@RC44E]

My sister has the same WTP Mug. As kids that was her Nick name Pooh. My aunt called it that. 44 and still sticks.

[@Heiko-shaves]

Thanks for sharing.

[@ijaapajuk]

If you enjoyed the Open Comb; i feel, you definitely should try a Double Open Comb (DOC). The Original Phoenix DOC Safety Razor is a mild yet efficient razor... Using that, i never need more than 2 passes, and it has never given me any nics or cuts.

[@Heiko-shaves]

I will have to check it out. Thanks

[@rhglpk2800]

👍👍👍👍👍

[@geauxtigers_8458]

Hello Heiko, new subscriber here. Great shave by the way. I highly recommend trying out the Stirling Barbershop soap as well as the AS. Great scent and performance. -Josh

[@Heiko-shaves]

Hi Josh, thanks for joining us and thank you for the recommendations.

[@tomassalazar2798]

I love menthol 2 irratation free shave plus i use cold water when i rince the razor and my face

[@Heiko-shaves]

I do that too. I am not using warm water anymore. 👍

[@Shaverboy516]

Super smooth shave Heiko, you should seek out the Vintage Gillette Senator.☕️

[@Heiko-shaves]

is that an open comb TTO razor?

[@Shaverboy516]

@@Heiko-shaves Yes, from 1938, it’s a twist to open like the super speed series, open comb.

[@RichardE62]

Nice Shave.

[@thomasbeaton5467]

I think you're right that yaqi copied merkur in making their open comb head. I have the yaqi version and I love it, just like how you described the merkur; mild yet efficient. I wanted the merkur 41c but I'm cheap 😂. I paired the yaqi head with a $2.00 tech razor on aliexpress that had an octagonal handle. Sprayed the blue section of the handle black and I think it looks pretty nice! All in all I think I paid $15 Canadian for it.

[@Heiko-shaves]

That is definitely one way to get what you want. I noticed that the Yaqi razors on AliExpress are almost as expensive as the original Merkur razors.

[@thomasbeaton5467]

@Heiko-shaves that's true, but I'd say you're getting quality for the money. I have yet to try any of their stainless steel offerings but according to Josh Perkins over at Subie shaves they are all top notch for the price. I think if I do get a stainless steel razor from yaqi it would be the ultima, if they decide to make another batch, or the trifecta. How about you?

[@Heiko-shaves]

I like stainless. I would give it a try.

[@MaestroAki]

Night shift + shaving + a big mug of coffee. Heiko sir, how do you sleep? 😂 I have a 42c coming soon. It's called 1904 closed comb.

[@Heiko-shaves]

I don't sleep much these days but shaving is fun and keeps me going.

[@martinvegas1327]

I think the 41C has the same head as the 15C, the 42C has the same head as the 34C, i have the 15C the 33C and the 42C, the 15C gives the closest shave out of all three!

[@Heiko-shaves]

Yeah, they change model numbers just because of longer or shorter or thicker handles. I think Merkur is actually only using two head designs plus the adjustables.

[@martinvegas1327]

@@Heiko-shaves No it's over 5 different heads with open and close comb variants👍

[@brodyberry6253]

Hello friend, what are some good German shaving creams/soaps?

[@Heiko-shaves]

One shave cream that I like is Speick. It is in a tube like Palmolive. It is very mild shave cream.

[@brodyberry6253]

@@Heiko-shaves Thanks man i bought a tube last night from Amazon and can’t wait to check it out! Thanks for the recommendation. My name is Ben btw and I’m just getting back into shaving after a 10 year break lol. I’ve keep a full beard trimmed down with clippers for a long time.And before that i never put much thought into how & what i shaved with you know. But i’m getting into it & enjoying it now using my Merkur 33c. Hey have you ever tried the Mühle or Fendrihan pucks style soaps before? I haven’t i but they’ve been catching my eye. Especially the sandalwood and Lavender one. They are a little more pricey though and I was wondering what you think of them?

[@Long-Ball-Larry]

How does the Yaqi OC compare to the Merkur OC - and in general how does it perform?

[@Heiko-shaves]

That is a good question. The Yaqi is still unused. Let's try it out.

[@arturgatzke5631]

Hallo Heiko, sehr schöne Rasur. Diesen Kopf gab es mal ganz früher mit einem Ball-End-Griff von Merkur und damit war die Verwandtschaft zum Gillette Old Type noch deutlicher. Besonders schön ist die alte Reiseversion dieses Rasierhobels mit zweiteiligem Griff in einer kleinen verchromten Blechdose mit Hammerschlagdekor. Die Haut über dem Adamsapfel lässt sich weit genug zur Seite ziehen und sich dort gefahrloser rasieren. Sehr gerne würde ich dir den HLS Taiga während deines Besuches in Deutschland (Oktober ?) für ein Video zur Verfügung stellen. Meine Kontaktdaten bekommst du über Jörg L., dann einfach eine Woche vorher mich kurz dran erinnern und ich sende den Taiga an deine alte Heimatadresse. Bei deinem Beruf traue ich mich kaum dir ein schönes Wochenende zu wünschen - dafür kommen am Wochenende zu viele Leute auf dumme Ideen und brauchen dann Hilfe. Gruß Artur

[@Heiko-shaves]

Vielen Dank Artur, das Angebot nehme ich gerne an. Ich werde mich mit Sicherheit bei Dir melden. Dann kann ich den Taiga gleich in Deutschland ausprobieren. Super. Da freue ich mich jetzt schon. Ich arbeite immer nur jedes zweite Wochenende, diese Wochenende habe ich frei. Ich wünsche Dir auch ein schönes Wochenende. Gruß, Heiko

[@RichardE62]

Do you get the caffeine effect through the skin?

[@Heiko-shaves]

Not really. But I am a coffee drinker, I might not notice it.

[@brownbeaner8005]

Hello Heiko shaves can you use cella crema de barba?

[@Heiko-shaves]

I got it on my shopping list. Let me see what I can do.