One of the perks of running a wet shaving blog is that I need very little justification for purchasing yet another razor. If my wife happens to comment: “What? Another razor?” I can simple raise my hands in surrender and state: “The blog honey…it’s for the blog.” So armed with my blog as an excuse I picked up the Merkur HD 43C.

I decided on the 43C because it seemed to escape my attention the entire time that I have been running this blog. I wasn’t too keen on another Merkur closed comb head but the design of the handle and positive reviews had me intrigued.

First Look

Without question the feature that stands out most with the Merkur HD 43C is its handle. It has a great looking stainless steel handle that is not only quite long (3 3/4″ but also rather robust. It has a much larger girth than any of my of other razor handles.

Next to the sharp looking handle, the weight was rather surprising as well. I expected heavy and I received really heavy – none of my other razors have the same weight as this one.

Assembly

The 43C has a two piece TTO design which is my least favourite of the three possible designs, but the 43C feels like a quality build so I don’t expect any issues with the mechanics.

The Handle

As mentioned above, I’m really impressed by the handle of the 43C. The chrome finish looks great, the simple but graceful oblong shape feels good in your hand. I suppose the smoothness of the handle could make the handle a bit slippery when wet – but I have never dropped a handle as a result of it being wet so I am not too worried- regardless, the weight I’m sure will make up for any loss in grip.

Then of course is the length of the handle which essentially dwarfs that of my “1904” Classic. I am finding that I am beginning to favour the long handle over the short, the same could not have been said when I first started using DE razors. There are benefits to both I suppose – but currently I find myself reaching for my longer handles. So after full disclosure of my current preference I have to say that I am excited to give this razor a go.

Cutting Head

I expected the closed comb cutting head to be identical to other Merkur closed comb heads but I appears that the design is a bit different with the 43C, at least compared to that of the Merkur “1904”. The 43C seems to have a slightly different design to it’s safety bar and as a result has made the gap between safety bar and blade greater. So we shall find out how much more aggressive this razor is after a couple of passes.

Final Thoughts

Overall I am impressed with the Merkur HD 43C – having not used it of course. But overall I get the feeling that I am going to enjoy using this razor – it feels and looks like a proper razor. It feels well built, it will look great on the counter, and the weight should add another element to the experience. I will use it for a few weeks and then return with a proper review.