Merkur 39C Slant Review – See Our Slant On The Sledgehammer
Merkur 39C Safety Razor
The Merkur 39c is also known as the “slant sledgehammer” due to its slant and heavyweight design. It’s a safety razor that’s quite mean in efficiency at cutting through tough stubble but not in an overly aggressive manner.
Pros
Great on coarse beards and 3+ days of growth
Long handle for larger hands or if you have a longer handle preference
Heavyweight if weight is important
Cons
Might be bulky for some users
A little tricky under the nostril area
Not best suited for daily shaving or every 2 days
In this shave-down review we take a detailed look at the ever-so-interesting Merkur 39C safety razor and its features, its pros and cons, the all important shaving experience after testing it out, and finally a recommendation for who it’s best suited for.
What’s a slant razor?
It’s worth adding a few words here for those that know nothing about these peculiar slant style razors. They kind of look just like any other double edged razor but the head has been twisted or bent slightly which provides a slight different action while shaving.
The action with a slant razor is that in a way it slices rather than cuts which mimics an angle a straight razor can be used at.
On certain hair and skin types, and with more than three days of growth the slant can be more efficient than standard DE razors.
The 39C holds a spot in the Best Merkur Razor recommendations article as it is a good option for those with heavy growth who want efficiency from a razor and not just additional blade gap.
The Brand – The company situated in Germany behind the Merkur brand named DOVO Stahlwaren was established in 1906, and the brand Merkur dates back even further. The life span of the company alone gives its products some credence. Merkur safety razors are sold and known worldwide with many great models including the Merkur 34c, Futur, Progress and others.
Merkur 39C Description & Features
Before we go into the shaving experience, let’s take a look at the all-important features and what they mean to the end user.
- Materials and Finish – The handle is made from brass and the razor head is manufactured using a zinc die-casting method. The razor is coated with a shiny chrome finish which protects and makes it look attractive and modern.
- Double edged – Double edged razors are the most popular style of safety razor. Each side of the razor head has blade revealed and users may shave with both sides.
- Closed comb – Closed comb means the bottom bar of the head does not have any openings or teeth, it has a straight safety bar. The 39C also has indents and grooves on the top cap and bottom bar to support the shaving experience by guiding the whiskers.
- Two parts – The 39C is a two part razor. A few twists at the bottom of the handle loosens the top section and the top cap is then pulled of which has a threaded post in the center. With this type of razor the handles are not interchangeable like three part types.
- Blade replacement – Blade replacement is very easy because it’s a two part razor. The top is loosened and then a blade is popped inside the top section posts then replaced and tightened via the bottom of the handle.
- Handle – The Merkur 39C is a long handled razor that suits gents with large hands and those that just like a bigger handle. It has an engraved grip which is not as good for gripping as fully knurled types. You will notice the bottom and top of the handle alongside the engraved pattern gives it that barber pole appearance.
- Aggressiveness – I would say the 39C is a medium razor in aggressiveness. The slant style makes it cut or slice very efficiently without the aggression of a large blade gap type razor and a straight blade angle. I wouldn’t call this a mild or an aggressive razor, so I shall stick in the mid-range.
- Size and Weight – A weighty long razor. Overall length: 100mm, handle length: 77mm, weight: 110g.
- Warranty – Merkur offers a 2 year warranty that’s limited.
How Well Does The Merkur 39C Sledgehammer Perform And Shave?
The last safety razor I used and reviewed here was also a Merkur, the Merkur 42C. This is a totally different razor, and I think the closest recently used razor that has some similarities was the Parker 98R that’s a heavyweight barber pole type (non-slant).
The Merkur 39C was the first slant razor I got to use, and I was really looking forward to testing it out in my local bathroom and seeing what all the fuss was about these bent-up razors.
First impressions – The 39C felt very much like the Parker 98R I just mentioned that I have used recently and that’s because it looks and feels almost identical apart from the slant head. I love the heavyweight and can see how the longer handle would suit some guys although I do prefer them a little shorter.
I tested and used the Merkur 39C for about 3 weeks and shaved with various levels of beard and stubble growth. I used it over 2, 3, and 4 days worth of growth and tried out a few razor blades (including Merkur, Derby, Astra & Feather).
How did the 39C shave with 3+ days of growth? This is where this razor performed at its best for me personally, and I could see and feel the benefits of using a slant razor with courser and longer growth. It felt quite comfortable and was very audible while shaving.
It was a three-pass shave and touching up with 3+ days of growth but others may get away with two passes (I have difficult variable directional growth facial hair).
How did the 39C shave daily or every 2 days? Shaving every 2 days with the Merkur 39C was not as good or, should I say as well-matched as shaving with 3+ days of growth. I can’t say it was too mild or too aggressive, it just didn’t feel as comfortable as shaving with other razors I have.
I didn’t even try a daily shave as I knew for sure it was not going to suit my skin as a 2-day growth picked up some neck irritation.
What blades were best suited? I found a Feather a bit too much for me, and the Derby and Personna pretty good. The Personna was overall best suited for me.
I would go easy as a first-time user and step up to something like a Feather after getting to know this razor a bit more. If you always use something sharper like a Feather then go for it!
Is it easy to use shaving under the nose and chin area? I found the chin area was quite efficient with this razor and no tugging even with 3 days of growth. Because this razor is quite bulky it did need a bit of concentration and a little more effort for clearing up all the hair under the nose area.
How about blade overhang? There is a very small amount of blade overhang on the sides of the head but it’s insignificant and does not affect the shave experience.
What was the overall shaving experience like? The Merkur 39C very much felt like a great razor for heavier growth and if I was a person that shaved every 3+ days I could easily stick with this razor. However, it just never felt like a razor I could shave daily with or even every 2 days.
It is very much about getting the right razor blade set up that can make all the difference with the 39C and getting the right angle. It’s a razor where an extra 10°, either way, makes a huge difference (i.e., 45° too mild and under 30° too aggressive), but a user can play around with this.
Handle and Grip 7/10
Barber pole razor handles are not going to be every guy’s preference, but for those with larger hands or just like larger handles then size-wise it’s great.
There could be some slipping for some users because of the handles’ engraved and non-knurled design with the extra weight it carries. I did not experience this though!
Weight and Balance – 9/10
There’s a good weight (110g) to balance ratio and the weight can do some of the heavy lifting when shaving coarse growth. It’s likely to be a bit too hefty for guys transitioning from using cartridge razors, though!
Look & Design – 8/10
There’s no doubt that the Merkur 39C looks like a great chrome razor and has the perfect design (i.e., a weighty slant razor) for the right user. The slant design makes it work well on coarse growth.
Ease of Use – 7/10
As mentioned, the ease of use with courser growth or 3+ days of growth with the 39C is very good, under these conditions.
The bulkiness will not suit every user while suiting others perfectly.
Blade replacement is done with ease because it is only a two-part razor.
Value for Money – 9/10
The Merkur 39C costs around $55 USD, £41 GBP and €60 Euro. This kind of price is heading up into the mid-price range for a safety razor and is to be expected for the level of quality Merkur provides alongside its weight and slant design.
Any Common Consumer Issues, Complaints, or Positive Reports?
A number of users mention that they have used both the Merkur 39C and 37C and prefer the extra weight and size of the handle the 39C provides despite costing slightly more.
A fair few guys agree it is not to be feared, as others may state in terms of aggressiveness –which I totally agree with.
As expected, there is a common theme among users stating it’s not a razor for novice safety razor users despite the razor not needing any special technique that the slant design could present.
Final Thoughts – and who is the Merkur 39C Slant best suited for?
The Merkur 39C is an excellent shaving tool for the right kind of use. Although it is touted as the sledgehammer that gives the impression it can do damage –it does the damage but in a comfortable manner.
Beginners to wet shaving with a safety razor need to get to know how best they function personally and the type that would suit them before jumping in with the 39C. They would also know after using a standard DE razor or a couple of models if this Merkur and its slant design and large handle are of maximum benefit to them.
Users of the Merkur 37C, the younger brother with a smaller handle could really benefit from the 39C and its long handle and extra weight if they find the 37C handle is too short or would like more weight.
Those guys with course growth and those that need to chop down their whiskers every 3 or more days are going to feel the benefit of shaving with the 39C. It’s made for you!
Other guys that use larger razors like the Parker 98R and others with the barber pole style and are heavyweight might benefit from checking out the 39C for the slant effect. They’ll be just upgrading the head to the slant, really.
It was an absolute joy to test, shave and review the 39C Slant.
See you on the next shave down!
–– Related: Merkur 37C vs 39C – Which Is Best Suited For You?
About the Author
Jason
I’m the chief shaverer over here at ShavingAdvisor and when I am not shaving off any hair I have left, or writing about what I have shaved off – I do a load of other life stuff and enjoy a good cup of tea between doing stuff!
