I received this razor as a gift when I complained to my friend during a discussion of the many inadequacies of my Van Der Hagen safety razor. I have shaved with the Merkur razor and blades for about three months now, and I must say, I love it. In particular, the heft of the razor and the length of the handle are two of my favorite points. The blades shave my beard perfectly. I couldn't be happier. I'll never go back to multi-blade razors.