Merkur 43C safety razor

One of my newest acquisitions was this razor, a Merkur 43c. Merkur is one of the best known razor makers, but this particular model is rarely mentioned in the forums, don’t really know why… maybe because it is one of the more recent models of the Merkur range, launched in late 2010.

It is also one of the heaviest: my unit weights exactly 150g, a real hammer and it is heavier than most of the razors on the market today, even heavier than PILS, EJ Chatsworth or Merkur 38c…

I saw this razor being offered by a British vendor on ebay.co.uk at a bargain clearance price (~€25 shipping included), and couldn’t resist… I had never tried a closed comb Merkur before, so I jumped on it. However, it is not its normal price - these razors usually go for usd $60 or €50.


You can disassemble this razor in an extremely easy way. Just turn the end of the handle until the top piece of the head looses itself – just like other Merkur models, like the 34c or the 37c.

Although it is designed to be a 2-piece razor, just like the 37c or 34c, (it features a retention ring in the interior of the handle), you can disassemble the two pieces of the handle very easily, thanks to the “curved” shape of the external cylinder of the handle. Which I find to be very convenient, since it allows a better cleaning of the razor


The Merkur logo engraved at the end of the handle is a very nice detail…


A good part of the extra weight of this razor is given by the external cylinder of the handle. This piece is, according to the manufacturer, made of brushed stainless steel. Well, I had to test that, of course… :D


The magnetic lady says yes! It is indeed stainless steel.

And how is the shave with this razor? Well, I have never tried a closed comb Merkur before, and I was really surprised. I found it to be a very pleasant and mild razor, maybe a bit more aggressive than my Mühle’s/EJ’s, but not that much. I really liked this razor.


At 150g, it is pretty heavy, but I must say that it is also extremely well balanced. I have tried an EJ Chatsworth in the past, and I surely wasn’t thrilled – the Chatsworths surely have some extra weight, but great part of that weight is situated in the opposite end of the handle, which I find not to be ideal to me. This Merkur distributes the handle weight in an entirely different and more homogeneous way, and I definitely prefer that.


Overall, I’m very happy with my purchase. I would definitely recommend this razor, especially if you like a milder razor with a very heavy and hefty handle. The extra weight given by the partially made stainless steel handle is a very nice touch, especially at this price point.


Hope you liked reading this!