After yesterday’s shave with the Merkur 37G slant, I decided to go this morning with the RazoRock clone, the German 37. Unlike the 37C/G and the other Merkur slant clones, the German 37 is a three-piece razor, which offers two significant advantages: 1) you can swap handles if you want, and 2) you can buy the head by itself ($12) if you already have a handle.
First, of course, came the prep. After my shower and then washing my beard at the sink with MR GLO, I loaded the Italian flag synthetic (a 24mm knot) with Zi’ Peppino, which is a very nice soap indeed, in terms of both lather and fragrance. I took my time lathering my face before the first pass simply because I was enjoying the feel of the brush and the look and fragrance of the lather.
As I shaved with the German 37 I could not help comparing it to yesterday’s shave with the Merkur 37G. I was somewhat surprised that, at least this morning, the German 37 felt noticeably more comfortable (and was equally efficient). I’m not sure why that is. It could be, of course, that the German 37 head is more comfortable, but it also might be because yesterday’s shave was good practice for today’s shave, or because today’s prep was in some ways better—e.g., Zi’ Peppino lather works better for me than The Dead Se lather.
At any rate, I had a thoroughly enjoyable shave with no nicks or other problems, and it was comfortable throughout.
A good splash of Zi’ Peppino, and I’m look the weekend right in the eye.