Before I even thought of buying this razor I didnt want to jump the gun becuase I wasnt sure if I was going to enjoy DE blade shaves. But now my shaving routine is a part of me. I started with the merkur 23c and built the confidence to buy the 34g. First of all let me say this. the leagnth of the razor gives an advantage of maintaing the right angle when doing multiple passes at once. The word smooth doesnt give justice to how good of a shave I get with this razor (I use feather blades). And the gold finish just outstanding it makes the experience of shaving what it is. its your face so you want the best and this is it.