I got a new razor in the mail today, the RazoRock GOAT. GOAT is meant to stand for “Greatest Of All Time”, and it’s a copy of the Merkur 34 series. The ad copy says it’s a copy of the “German 34” which is an old design with an expired patent. I was wondering how closely it would match the 34C, and it’s almost exact!
There are differences, of course. It’s a 3-piece razor, so you can use whichever handle you like (as long as it has standard M5 threads). The razor is wider in order to cover the blade tabs (which it does completely). The 34C has a small amount of blade tab exposed.
I did a 1 pass shave with the GOAT just to see how it felt, and my initial impression is that it’s very very close to the 34C. I love mild yet efficient razors like the 34C, so I’m excited to have a durable, stainless steel version.
I know I didn’t get it from all angles, but it’s pretty much an exact copy where it counts.
The picture below might make it look like they’re slightly different size, but since the 34C is a 2 piece I had to leave the handle on, so any difference is due to the slight height difference. The width of the baseplates is the same. Image
The GOAT is a 3 piece razor, so the baseplate is not attached to the handle. The included (optional) handle is longer, but not too long. I like both handles just fine. Image
stangel@lemmy.world 3 days ago
I have this razor and I love it, but the chrome on the center plate has delaminated, leaving bare steel. Also the center post tends to cruft up a bit, making it hard to remove the used blade without slicing up your fingertips. I hope someday to find one that’s solid stainless steel.
snooting@sub.wetshaving.social 3 days ago
You’re in luck! The Razorock GOAT walden is posting about is a stainless steel clone of the Merkur 34C. :)
stangel@lemmy.world 3 days ago
Oh cool, I’m glad I posted! Yeah it’s probably the 34C that I have.
walden@sub.wetshaving.social 3 days ago
This particular 34C that I have has relatively good chrome plating. I used to have another 34C which I ended up giving away because the plating was similar to yours, and the knurling was super shallow. That one also had a crack in the handle… and it was brand new!