Merkur 39c Review (HD Slant Bar “Sledgehammer”) – Buying Guide

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In this article, we do a Merkur 39c review and buying guide, a razor that is sometimes referred to as the Sledgehammer.

If you are new to wet shaving, your head might be spinning from all the choices you are bombarded with. As more and more people are gaining interest in classic shaving, more blades are being designed to match the growing demand. As a beginner, you have no clue where to start.

But you know you have a lot to learn before you can call yourself a pro. Luckily for you, on this site, I have taken the liberty to review and compare some of the best safety razors on the market. These tests are designed to reduce the hassle you go through to get the best double edged safety razor for your needs.

Merkur 39c (Summary)

Below are some features of the “Sledgehammer” to get us started:

Merkur 39C Features

One of the razors we have reviewed recently is the 37c HD.

In that test, we went into the details of its designs, pros, and cons, and even why some shaving pros refer to it as the slant. To jog your memory, or get you in the know (in case you have not read that review yet), this name is courtesy of its slant design.

The safety bar on its headpiece is constructed starting from the upper left to the bottom right of each side. The whole idea of incorporating this idea is to help slice through the facial hair with minimal effort.

This design makes it feel like a beard mower – its efficiency is through the roof.

But while the Slant Bar is efficient and preferred by most experienced wet shavers, there is yet another blade that gives it a run for its money – the razor which we are reviewing today. Now, you can consider this razor as the bigger brother to the short handle slant bar. It is sort of an (evil) twin to the Merkur 38c Double-Edge razor.

Compared to the slant bar double edge safety razor – the Sledgehammer is thicker, bigger, and needless to say, heavier. The weight and dimensions are about the same as the long-handled sibling – but with a slant bar design.

So you can call it a hybrid between the short handle slant and 38′ – the functionality of the 37′ in a long handle version. Wet shaving enthusiasts refer to it as the Sledgehammer.

This name alone should give you a hint as to how efficient this blade is. But before we sink our teeth deep into the review, let’s look at the slant design that this blade boasts of.

The DE 39c Slant Bar Vintage Double Edge Razor

We have hinted at the slanting design above. But what exactly is a slant bar? Well, the slant design is on the head. Rather than a flat design, once a blade is loaded onto the head, it is held in a slanted position. The principle used here is similar to that used in a guillotine. The angled blade is bound to cut slightly more efficiently compared to flathead designs.

The only downside to this setup is the fact that the blade used will become dull faster. Additionally, courtesy of this design, the razor is not ideal for beginners who have not yet mastered the classic mens shaving technique. A single wrong move could result in a quick nick.

Weight and Balance

This razor is one of the few double edge safety razors that feature heavy construction. It weighs slightly over 4.0 ounces. Needless to say, this is heavier than most of the men’s shaving razors available in the market – even some from the same company – like its best-selling model the adjustable Merkur Futur, and also the before mentioned MK38C.

It even gives Parker 99R Butterfly Opening a run for the money in this regard.

Given this heavyweight construction and design, a user needs to put in very little work to obtain a clean shave. The slant design also plays a role in making this blade easy to use and efficient as well.

For beginners, it is important to note that the balance point of this blade is at about a quarter of an inch along the length of the handle from the head. Some users prefer a higher balance point, but this is not a big issue for your shaving results.

Speaking of balancing the blade, note that the length of the unit allows one to grip the razor at the bottom of the razor with the pinkie. This eases the pressure applied when shaving.

Geofatboy, one of the great experienced wet shaver enthusiasts, shows you how it is done on the YouTube video posted.

Grip

The first thing that should pop into your head when you see the word grip about the razor we are testing – is the barber pole grip design it features.

This grip design and style are similar to the MK38C. If you have both of these blades and you hold them each on either hand, you will not notice a difference in the grip quality.

In addition, when performing a comparison of Sledgehammer vs. 38C, it is important to note that both of these units are constructed as 2-piece designs. They feature the same design from the head to the bottom of the handle.

Left-handed wet shavers will have an easier time shaving as the thumb will be aligned perpendicularly to the grooves while shaving. The barber pole grip design features grooves that spiral counterclockwise from the top of the handle (right below the head) to the bottom of the handle.

But this does not mean that the grip is not good for right-handed wet shavers. It is, just that it is not quite as good in the hands of a right-handed individual as it is in the hands of a left-handed shaver.

At the very end of the handle, past the spiraling grooves is a knob designed to improve the grip. With this knob, the chances of the blade slipping from your hand are reduced. Overall, the grip of this traditional safety razor is OK and great for most wet shavers.

Length

In addition to being heavy, the unit is also long in comparison to most safety razors. The length of this traditional shaving razor is 4.1 inches. The handle itself measures about 3.5 inches. While you might wonder why we are making a big fuss about this, it is imperative to the comfort and handling of the unit.

Here is the thing.

Not all men are created equal. Some grow up to have big hands, some normal and some small. It is all God’s design and there is nothing wrong with that.

However, when it comes to using safety razors, all these different hand sizes require different handle lengths to be comfortable. That said, it goes without saying that individuals with larger hands will only benefit from long handles. And since very few old school razor features lengthy handles, this razor comes as a huge relief to these individuals.

Individuals with small hands normally have no problem maneuvering and handling all safety razor types and handle lengths. Like most things in life, it just takes a bit of getting used to.

Aggressiveness

Almost everyone who uses this safety razor terms it an aggressive razor. Now at this point, I would like to make a difference between aggressiveness and efficiency.

You might have noticed that all through, up to this point in the article, I have used the terms, aggressive and efficient almost interchangeably. However, they are not, especially in the case of this razor.

Here is the thing.

While the razor might provide you with a close shave (closer than any other safety razor can), and has a higher chance of beginners nicking and cutting themselves, aggressive is not the best term to describe the razor.

Efficient is a much more accurate term.

Why is this? Well, as pointed out earlier in this review the slanted design the unit features is designed to slice through hairs and not struggle to cut through them as many safety razors do.

That said, it would be unfair to rate it as a mild safety razor. As such, in my aggressive rating scale, the Merkur 39c slant earns a 10/10.

Its efficiency is also impressive. However, bear in mind that this unit does require a different technique to use. As such, if you are a newbie to shaving with a safety razor, you are better off starting with a low-level shaving unit and working your way up to the Sledge Hammer.

Blade Replacement

Given that this razor is a 2-piece safety razor, the safety razor blade replacement is a fairly simple process.

The Sledgehammer’s design is similar to the classic 2-piece double edge safety razor. While the unit is not exactly an easy twist and open type of safety razor (AKA butterfly safety razor), it is far less challenging to perform safety razor blades replacement than many other models.

With the quality this unit oozes, it is bound to last you a lifetime. While on the same note as blade loading, there are different techniques to achieve your end goal.

If you are a fan of watching videos from the producers of this razor, there are high chances that you have probably come across some of their videos displaying some unorthodox ways of blade loading. Most of these videos recommend that one loads the blade onto the top cap while it is upside down and then screws the handle over it. However, this is not the best blade loading technique.

Why?

Well, this technique often results in misalignment. The exposure of the blade on both ends is usually uneven.

There is a better way of blade loading on a 2-piece razor. Numerous videos, including this one, show the proper way of doing it. While loading your blade, you should ensure that the blade is properly aligned for even shaving.

What Consumers and Other Reviews Have Noted

While this razor from Solingen is marketed by most individuals as being an aggressive unit, some users are of a different opinion.

As mentioned earlier, rather than being aggressive, Merkur 37c razor online users consider it as being efficient courtesy of the slant design it features.

Some individuals who have had the opportunity to take this piece from one of best safety razor brands on the market for a test run say that this unit is more aggressive and efficient compared to the earlier mentioned Merkur Futur – one of the most popular adjustable safety razors on the market.

I cannot stress this enough – this safety razor is not a ’34c long handle, or for individuals who are learning about wet shaving.

Instead, it is for those who have some experience and are looking to improve their chances of getting a clean shave fast and might have been struggling with ingrown hairs and/ or razor burn/ razor bumps with other razors (typically as with an electric razor or a cartridge razor), but not yet ready to take the jump to a straight razor.

There is no way you can use the same technique that worked on a cartridge razor. The results will be far from what you are looking for. In some ways you can compare it to the Muhle r41, both razors leave no room for mistakes.

Using this razor, you need to apply very little force and pressure. To ease the pressure on the razor blade, support its barrel with your pinkie.

Also, you must pay close attention to the process you follow to load your blade. While the process is straightforward, some techniques may leave you with an uneven blade.

Last but not least, you might want to use this safety razor with a sharp blade like a Feather. A great safety razor requires a great blade and a good shaving cream to compliment it as well, but I would personally try with a variety pack to find your perfect fit.

Price

This razor is available to buy on numerous online sites. If you are looking for the Merkur 39c as part of a safety razor shaving kit – this is available over at Shave Nation.

Here are Some Other Popular Double Edge Safety Razor Kits

Last update on 2024-08-12 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

I hope you have found our Merkur 39c review of use in your hunt for the perfect razor for YOUR needs and happy wet-shaving!