Edwin Jagger DE89 review
Sixty-eight grams and a mild closed comb, same as the Merkur - and an 83 mm handle, which is the entire reason to choose it. We have not shaved with it; here is what Edwin Jagger publishes.
By Sawyer V. · Published
We have not tested any of this. Everything below is compiled from published manufacturer specifications, and the arithmetic is printed so you can check it. This page carries affiliate links: if you buy through one we earn a commission at no extra cost to you, and it does not change the order of the picks. Full disclosure.
The short version
Buy it if the Merkur 34C's short handle is what is putting you off. Mechanically these are the same proposition - 68 g, closed comb, chrome over solid brass, nothing to adjust - and the DE89 puts it on an 83 mm handle for 93 mm overall. Edwin Jagger also publishes its dimensions properly, which is more than most of this category manages. You lose nothing by choosing it and you gain grip.
| # | Pick | Lasts | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edwin Jagger DE89 The same shave with a longer grip | 5,200 shaves* | 8.9/10 | $36.42 - view on Amazon |
Prices last verified September 24, 2026. They move constantly; the figure on Amazon when you click is the real one.
What it is
A three-piece double-edge razor machined from solid brass, triple chrome-plated and hand polished in Sheffield. Mild closed comb, no adjustment, standard blade fitment. It is one of the two or three razors that get recommended to every beginner, and it earns that for unexciting reasons.
| Specification | Published |
|---|---|
| Weight | 68 g |
| Overall length | 93 mm |
| Handle length | 83 mm |
| Material | Chrome-plated solid brass |
| Made in | England (Sheffield) |
| Head type | Closed comb, straight guard |
| Blade gap | Not published |
| Blades included | 0 |
The handle is the whole point
There is no honest way to claim the DE89 shaves differently from the Merkur 34C. Same weight, same class of mild closed-comb head, same lack of adjustment, same standard blades. Anyone telling you the difference is in the shave is describing a preference, not a specification.
The 83 mm handle is a real, measurable difference, and it matters more than it sounds for two groups: people with large hands, and people shaving a head - where you are gripping the razor at awkward angles behind your own skull and length gives you leverage you cannot get otherwise.
Who should buy it
- Large hands. The single clearest case. If a short-handled razor feels cramped, this is the fix and it costs nothing in shave quality.
- First-time safety razor buyers. Mild, forgiving, standard blades, nothing to set. It does the job the beginner roundup asks for.
- Head shavers who want a manual razor. Grip length is the constraint back there, not aggression.
- Anyone who values published dimensions. A small thing, and this site is built on it.
Who should not
- Anyone who wants to adjust aggression. Nothing here is adjustable. The Rockwell 6S publishes six blade gaps instead.
- Anyone who dislikes handling bare blades. Three-piece means dismantling it over a sink every few days.
- Anyone who wants the razor to be the object. Plated brass is the sensible construction, not the romantic one.
The verdict
The DE89 is the correct answer to a narrow question: I want the standard mild beginner razor, but with more handle. It answers that completely, publishes more of its dimensions than its direct rival, and asks nothing else of you.
It is not more razor than the Merkur and it does not pretend to be. Choose between them on grip length and stop researching - the roundup ranks both, and the time is better spent on a soap and learning to lather, which change the shave far more than either razor does.
Every pick, with the working
Each entry shows the published specifications, the axis scores they produce and what you give up. The order is the computed order, not a commercial one, and the arithmetic is open underneath every score.
Our pickThe same shave with a longer grip
Edwin Jagger DE89
Mechanically the DE89 is the same proposition as the Merkur: 68 grams, closed comb, chrome over solid brass, nothing to adjust. The difference is the handle, which at 83 mm gives a longer purchase, and the fact that Edwin Jagger publishes its dimensions properly. If the Merkur's short handle is the thing putting you off, this is the answer and you lose nothing.
- Weight
- 68 g
- Length
- 93 mm
- Material
- Chrome-plated solid brass
- Head
- Closed comb, straight guard
- Blade gap
- Not published
- Blades in the box
- 0
- Made in
- England (Sheffield)
- Refill
- Universal standard
- Warranty
- Not published
- Assumed service life
- 5,200 uses
The arithmetic: 260 shaves a year x 20 years of assumed service life = 5200 shaves.
What it gets right
- 83 mm handle against Merkur's shorter grip, which is the whole reason to pick it
- Machined from solid brass, triple-plated and hand-polished, made in Sheffield
- Published overall length, handle length and weight — more than most of this category discloses
- Standard double-edge blade fitment
Flaws
- Three-piece design means the head comes apart into two pieces over a sink
- No blade included
- Chrome plating over brass, so the same long-run edge wear as the Merkur
The working behind the 8.9
- How long it lasts: not scored
- Not scored. This is a durable item, not a consumable, so how long it lasts is an assumption about service life rather than something the pack size tells us.
- Ease of switching: 8.5
- Closed comb (+), no adjustment (+), 68 g (+), 83 mm published handle length, the longest grip of the mild three (+), three-piece head (-).
- Refill economics: 10.0
- The refill is a commodity standard that dozens of factories make, so the price is set by competition and no single maker can raise it.
- What the maker publishes: 8.6
- 6 of 7 specifications a buyer would expect are published: weightG, lengthMm, material, madeIn, headType, bladesIncluded. Not published: bladeGapNote. 6 / 7 x 10 = 8.6.
Axes with no published input are dropped and the remaining weights re-normalized, so a product is not punished for a category where an axis does not apply. Specifications compiled 3 September 2026 from Edwin Jagger DE89 published specifications.
Prices last verified September 24, 2026. They move constantly; the figure on Amazon when you click is the real one.
If this is not the one
The alternatives named above, in one place. Each links to its own page, where the published specifications and the scoring are set out in full.
Merkur 34C HD
The same head and weight with a shorter grip. Pick on handle length, not on shave.
Mühle R89
Four grams lighter, a blade in the box, and effectively the same head geometry.
Parker 99R
A butterfly door if you would rather never handle a loose blade.
Henson AL13 Medium
Half the weight, with a published blade angle and machining tolerance.
Prices last verified September 24, 2026. They move constantly; the figure on Amazon when you click is the real one.
Questions people actually ask
Is the DE89 better than the Merkur 34C?
Not better - longer. The heads are effectively the same mild closed-comb geometry at the same 68 g, so the shave is not the variable. The handle is: 83 mm against the Merkur's notably shorter grip. The head-to-head covers it properly.
Is it good for beginners?
Yes - it is on the beginner roundup for the same reasons the Merkur is: mild geometry, no adjustment, standard blades, and enough weight that you never need to press.
Does it come with blades?
No. Budget for a blade sampler alongside it - blade preference depends on your beard, water and skin, and it is the one question in wet shaving that reading cannot answer for you.
Chrome over brass - does the plating wear?
Eventually, at contact points, on any plated razor. It is the standard construction at this price and it is why a solid stainless razor like the Feather AS-D2 costs a multiple of it. For most owners the plating outlasts their interest in the hobby.
How many pieces does it come apart into?
Three - handle, base plate and top cap - so a blade change means holding two parts over a sink. If that sounds like a hassle, a butterfly razor solves it with a twist.