Identifying the Gents (and Ladies) Who will Love the Merkur 15C

Yesterday I wrote about a gent, me, who has a face and beard that doesn't match up well with a well-known blade, Feather. Today, on a more positive note, I'd like to discuss the person with the type of face, beard, and shaving habits that may be ideally compatible with the shaving head of the Merkur 15C, open-comb razor.

The Merkur 15C open-comb razor.

Facts:

• The 15C has virtually unlimited shaving capacity due to its open-comb baseplate, so it can be used as a daily shaver, or for those who shave very infrequently -- or anything in between.
• Yet the 15C is a mild shaver, without an aggressive blade exposure, and therefore not prone to bite sensitive skin.
• The 15C has a blade angle in relation to its cutting plane (formed by the top cap and the baseplate) that is conducive to more of a shearing action than a scraping cut, again likely to be less irritating to the skin.
• The 15C has a small blade reveal (the amount of blade visible when viewed from above the top cap), which will tend to limit micro-vibrations of the edge, thus contributing to a more skin-friendly shave.
• The 15C comes with the classic-sized handle, which is well suited to a finger-tip grip.
• If one has sensitive skin, the razor would be paired with a coated blade to minimize irritation.
• If one has tough hair, the chosen blade should be on the sharp end of the bell curve, and, ideally, durable.

Conclusions:

• If one has tough hair and tough skin, this razor may be unnecessarily mild, and a more aggressive razor may be the optimal choice, although when paired with a very sharp blade (not necessarily coated) it may be adequate -- especially if one doesn't shave every day.  

      However.... for those with sensitive skin:

• And who are otherwise susceptible to nicks and cuts, this razor now becomes a choice closer to ideal.
• And who shave infrequently, this razor, because of the unlimited shaving capacity of the open comb, the 15C becomes a choice closer to ideal.
• And who will hold the razor in their fingertips rather than like a hammer or paint scraper, this 15C comes closer to an ideal choice.

Ultimate Conclusion:

The gent (or lady) who may love the Merkur 15C:

• Does not always shave every day, and...
• Has sensitive skin, or skin otherwise susceptible to nicks and cuts (because it may be rather thin or loose), and...
• Is comfortable holding his razor with a finger-tip grip, and...
• Has found a coated blade that is just sharp enough to handle the type of hair being shaved.

These are the persons who are ideally suited for a razor such as the Merkur 15C.

Using this type of analysis of both shaving gear as well as skin and hair characteristics, one can get much closer near the bull's eye when choosing shaving gear without resorting to trial and error.

Happy shaving!