Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I shopped for a long time before deciding on the Merkur Model 180 razor. Price was not the determining factor for me -- I wanted something solid, well-made, and that would last a very long time. I paid about $60. This razor has a good solid feel and the long handle suited me. All was well until, after 18 months, the screw 'welded' to the top plate broke. The screw attaches the handle to the rest of the assembly. There's no way to repair. This is very disappointing. To fully disclose, I did drop it in the shower -- but it should have held up to a single 5-foot drop. I tried to contact Merkur (Merkur Solingen, a division of DOVO) but they do not sell directly to consumers [...]. I will try to return this through Amazon to its sales partner. This is no reflection on Amazon or its seller, but with Merkur. Today I found a Schick one-piece stainless steel razor at a vintage shop; the razor is probably 30-40 years old, is at least as well-built as the Merkur, and I bought it for $5. Very disappointed with Merkur's build quality and reliability. Merkur Model 180 Long Handled Safety Razor RATING UPDATED to 5 STARTS: After I posted this review, I searched deeper and found a contact email address for Merkur customer service. I explained what happened and sent along three photos of the broken razor. Within a few hours, I had a personal reply and an offer to ship a free replacement for the broken part. They also sent a info sheet on how to maintain the razor. I admit I never cleaned it beyond rinsing after each use. According to them, calcium build-up from hard water causes the metal to corrode and weaken the connection point. It's not often I receive good customer service, but I was impressed that Merkur followed-up quickly and offered a replacement part. Thanks, Merkur!