A mechanical press, with at least one drive shaft having a driver that is eccentric with respect to a shaft axis, and a sliding block. The sliding block is driven by the driver to perform a forcibly guided movement. During an execution of a pressure stroke, the sliding block is guided on at least one sliding surface on the pressure-input side opposite to a pressure-input-side surface of a slide guide. The sliding block has a sliding surface on the pressure-output side lying opposite to the pressure-input side surface, this surface being guided on a pressure-output-side surface of the slide guide, wherein the sliding surface on the pressure-input side of the sliding block has a concave or convex curvature. The sliding surface on the pressure-output side of the sliding block has the opposite concave or convex curvature, respectively.