The Merkur Futur and Futur Clone Ming Shi 2000S: A Side by Side Review and Test; The Clone War has Begun!
- Summary:
The Ming Shi 2000s adjustable razor is available from Ali Express sellers, Qbrush, Qshave, and Ebay USA, and shipped directly from China. It's a Merkur Futur copy. It's well made and shaves as well as the Futur.
The Merkur Futur is a popular razor and gets many positive reviews on Amazon, and in my opinion, deservedly so. It's not my favorite razor, but it is a very solid performer, and so I wanted to see whether a near clone, the Ming Shi 2000s that has come onto the market from China, is able to deliver an equally good shave.
It's not an exact clone because the handle is marginally thinner and therefore the razor is a shade lighter but only very slightly. However the Merkur Futur currently retails at for about $56 on Amazon ( I paid less for mine over a year ago) and I've seen it sell for over $70. My Ming Shi 2000s clones from China cost me under $8 each including shipping!
When using an adjustable, (and following advice from others on this forum, including Jim Chandler, plus my own long experimentation) I've found the best way, for the smoothest and most comfortable shave is to INCREASE the aggression with each pass. It seems counter-intuitive at first but it really works best. It's like lowering the blade on a lawn mower to get a closer cut. I increased the aggression on each pass on this test.
This is an aggressive razor even at the lower setting, so I chose a set of numbers in the middle of its range. I may try another with settings at the upper end of the range.
I shaved using exactly the same setting on both razors WTG at setting #1.5, XTG at setting #2.5 and AGT at setting #3.5. Final cleanup, touch up, buffing and J-hooking is done at setting #4. The Futur is a very aggressive razor at the higher settings, and fairly aggressive at the lower ones. For a comparison one Amazon reviewer of the Futur reported the following:
The blade gap for the Futur is;
On setting
1) 1.12mm
2) 1.19mm
3) 1.35mm
4) 1.47mm
5) 1.60mm
6) 1.65mm
To give you a sample of some others
Above the Tie R1 = .58mm
Gillette Fatboy at 1 = .56mm
Gillette Fatboy at 9 = 1.14mm
Merkur 38C = .64mm
Merkur 34C = .71mm
So this is a pretty aggressive razor by any standards. I'm not geeky enough to measure the settings on the Ming Shi 2000s but I'm going to assume it's pretty close to those above for the Futur.
If you don't use or like aggressive razors, (or have never used an aggressive razor) using this one for the first time can be shocking. It's not like a Gillette Tech, or a mild Merkur 34C, or any other mild razor for that matter. However, it can produce some wonderfully close and comfortable shaves when appropriately handled.
Now some on this forum don't like the Futur, and say some odd things about it. One constant complaint is that the head is “too big”, and shaving under the nose is difficult because of this. I disagree completely. I have a small face and I have never found this to be true. In fact the smooth contours of the Futur head make even, XTG and ATG passes under the nose easy. It's fine on the jawline, chin AGT and neck too. It's just about good technique and some practice. You don't need to have a large face to make this razor work. If you have poor technique and press too hard or are clumsy, then this razor will nick you. If your technique is sound it will deliver a very close shave almost effortlessly.
The Merkur Futur is not my favorite razor, (currently that honor goes to my RR Wunderbar slantand I now own 54 razors) but it is in my rotation, I have used it many times and it gives very close and comfortable shaves.
So the appearance on the market of a clone intrigued me. I bought three! Why three? Well at under $8 including shipping from China (they arrived in five days only) if the clone is remotely as good as the original it's not only a bargain, but may be the greatest bargain in wet shaving. Worth the risk. Even though it's heavier than say a bakelite, or smaller razor, it may be a contender for the “ideal travel razor” contest, because it's so cheap. No big deal if it gets lost. Plus it produces shaves close enough and long lasting enough to take you through a long business day, looking good, if that's what you need on your travels.
When I got my first Ming Shi from Qshave.com I was very impressed by the craftsmanship and finish. Some Chinese razors are horrible. I especially don't like the RR Teck II, and DE1. They are well made, but indifferent razors. The Ming Shi 2000s razor is very nicely made. Some people have complained about alignment issues with the Ming Shi 2000s, but I can find none, nor is there any problem feel on the shave itself.
The Blade used for the Test
I chose to use the Rapira Platinum Lux. I've found this blade to be consistent and reliable in just about every shaver, and it's always good for at least four shaves, often six, in just about any razor. It's sharp, smooth, comfortable, quite cheap, and easily available and my personal favorite of the Rapira line. I loaded each razor with a brand new blade.
The Routine
For testing I go through the same routine.
I clean my face and wet the beard by washing with a glycerin soap. I rinse off the soap, wet it thoroughly and apply two drops of a pre-shave oil.
I use an Arko shave stick applied directly to the beard and lather with a Stirling Synthetic “Kong” brush. I rinse and lather again between passes. I thoroughly rinse the head of the razor between passes. I remove the blade from the razor when I'm done. I dry it with a microfiber cloth. Naturally I dry the razor too when I'm done.
I finish with an Alum block which is a good indicator of razor burn or irritation.
The Shave
I had shaved 36 hours before this test with a Merkur Bakelite, loaded with a Silver Star that rendered a pretty good shave. But after 36 hours my coarse, fast growing beard had plenty of growth for the test. Loaded with an identical blade I shaved one half of my face with the Merkur Futur and one with the Ming Shi 2000s. A three pass shave: WTG, XTG, ATG, as indicated above with touch up. I couldn't tell the difference between the two razors on any pass, including touch up and buffing. Perhaps the original is a very, very, very small amount smoother, but I'm not even sure that's true. I might be imagining that! All passes were really comfortable. ATG was very comfortable. Buffing was easy. No blade gap issues whatsoever with either razor.
Barely any feedback from the alum block; perhaps a little more on the side shaved with the original. I finished with Thayer's witch hazel. Neither razor is blade fussy (I've used many in the original Futur and had used two different blades, a Polsilver SI, and a Gillette Nacet in the Ming Shi 200s before running this test, and it liked those too) but both razors like the Rapira Platinum Lux is seems.
The Ming Shi 2000s is a bargain. I was very, very happy with its performance. At under $8 including shipping it's the greatest value in DE shaving bar none. It's really nicely packed and comes with a packet of blades. The construction looks solid and precise. I have no idea how they can sell it at this price. At double the price it's still a bargain. If you have ever wanted to try the Futur but held back, buy this razor, or buy them for your friends for birthdays and holidays!
Conclusions:
The Ming Shi 2000s is an absolute winner. Indistinguishable in performance from the original and a slam dunk bargain. I rate it as the greatest bargain in DE wet shaving, and a great way to try out the world of adjustable razors at an unbeatable price. Even at twice the price it's a bargain. It could even be a great travel razor; adjustable, cheap, robust, and not blade fussy.
This razor is not a beginner's razor. It's aggressive, no doubt. Probably the most aggressive adjustable currently on the market. It offers plenty of auditory feedback. You only need to glide it gently over your skin, no pressure needed.
I'd like to know what others have discovered. I look forward to your comments,
