Merkur Progress

After having owned a Merkur HD and a Gillette Super Speed for over a year now,I can safely say that the Merkur Progress gives me far superior shaves to either one of those two classic razors.
I have a light beard so I set my Progress to 1.5 and I get perfect shaves every time.I find it much gentler than my Merkur HD and the Progress seems to leave my skin in better health than that razor.
The grip is odd at first,but after a few shaves I find it much more comfortable to hold.
Where this razor beats all others for me is the weight and the head of the razor.I find it perfectly balanced,and the head IMO has the easisest cuting angle of any safety razor i have tried,and is so thick that it feels more like shaving with a rigid Shick Injector blade than the normally thinner double edge razor blades.
I highly recommend this razor to anyone who wishes to try an adjustable safety razor,I think this will become my one and only razor.

Yesterday I received a package in the mail, and one of the things that was in it was my new Merkur Progress adjustable razor.

Being relatively new to the double edge razor world I've already accumulated quite a number of them in my collection. This is only the second new one I have purchased however, the first being the Merkur HD Classic, or 34C.

Unlike the Merkur HD, the Progress is an adjustable razor, meaning you can adjust the level of 'aggressiveness'. Low number = less aggressive, high number = more aggressive.

I started my shave after a nice prep and was really looking forward to seeing how this razor worked for me. After putting in a Personna blade and adjusting the razor to '1' I made my first WTG pass with success. Right away I noticed the change in angle for the blade to make contact with the skin, this seemed more natural to me than previous razors. Proceeding from the left side and to the right, then down on my neck and finally my upper lip and chin, no problems. After a re-lather and adjustment to '1.5' I made a second pass ATG, same procedure as before and again, no problems. Since everything was going smoothly I opted for a 3rd pass XTG and set my razor to '2'. Prior to re-lathering I checked my neck for the direction of growth. Mine happens to grow down and out, which I never really noticed before. Keeping this in mind I then re-lathered and made my XTG passes on my face and proceeded to my neck.

Folks... if you use an adjustable razor, please... remember that the neck is probably the most sensitive area you shave.

That said, I forgot to dial my razor back down and shaved against the grain at the required angle. Now, it wasn't terrible... but it definitely would have been more enjoyable had I turned it back down to '1' or at least '1.5' before hand. Chalk it up to learning curve both in the razor and learning my hairs direction of growth. As you'll see above, I did my ATG pass on my face using a '1.5' setting, not '2' like I did on my neck.

All said and done I have the closest DE shave of my life with little irritation, no nicks and no cuts of any sort.

This is my new daily shaver, but will definitely keep the HD in my rotation!

I purchased the modified 'mergress' version.

The vision was previously my daily shaver and I don't think that the progress has exactly de-throned it but it's still a great razor. Compared to the vision I feel like it's a tad bit less agressive so it takes a little longer to get to BBS but it delivers a close, comfortable shave.

It's lighter than the vision but still substantial and I feel like it is a bit more maneuverable and gives a bit more feedback during the shave. It is built like a tank and is free from the adjustment quirks of the vision.

My only beef with it is the grip, it's pretty slippery if the razor is wet but if you can keep your hand and the grip dry during the shave it's not much of a problem.

This review is for the Mergress version, which is the last razor I bought - it's ended my search for a better razor.

Aggressiveness got a ten because... it's an adjustable, so you can dial it either way. I never go above halfway so it's clearly as aggressive as I could want and then twice as aggressive that I don't need.

Price - The razor is very decently priced especially for an adjustible

Quality - Very high (both from the factory and for the modifications in the Mergress)

User Friendly - This razor is extremely easy to use. Especially in small hard-to-reach areas like the lower lip, upper lip (moustache), the jaw line. The one ding is because of the need to line up the notches on the lower and upper parts when putting it back together after putting a blade in it

Grip - The grip is OK. I haven't had it fall or even slip yet

Ease of Blade replacement - Easy

Aggressivness - Adjustible

Adjustability - I used it on 3, so lots of room to adjust in both directions

Balance - very comfortable

For all my Wetshaving brethren considering a choice between the Futur and the Progress, my advice is - Get the Progress (or the Mergress - which would be more expensive but well worth it). The Futur is very hard to use under the nose, period !

Price: I bought my Progress for 40 dollars from Coolshaving.com. I understand the retail is usually around 50-54 dollars if you are paying a non-sale price. To me $40 for an adjustable is a great deal since an HD is around 30-35 dollars. To me that price is a great deal for a razor that will hopefully last me a lifetime.

Quality: This razor does seem to be fairly high quality. Mine came fairly well calibrated. When fully tightened the dot is to the left of the "1" on the dial. I do however find that to make sure the Blade-gap and exposure on each side is the same I do have to monitor the blade as I replace it. To me this is slightly annoying, as I did not have to do this with my SuperSpeed. I'm assuming this is an issue innate to adjustables so it does not bother me much.

User Friendly: If you are willing to spend maybe 10 seconds making sure the blade is correctly aligned things should be fairly simple.

Grip: I have not dropped any razor yet. I am fairly careful and if I get soap on my had I rinse it before continuing. I am not blind the the fact that this razor does have a mediocre grip for no apparent reason. Merkur could have easily added a grip to this razor. Some may say this would effect aesthitics but to me that is not important in a DE. Also the unmodified Progress seems to look a little silly to me anyway.

Blade replacement: It's not a TTO. You have to check to see if the blade is aligned well. A little annoying but it is still a 15 seconds process. So it is pretty easy in my book.

Aggressiveness: I put a 10 here because this razor can be anywhere from very-mild(like a SS) to quite aggressive at five. I found the ability to make the razor aggressive for easy areas such as the sideburns and cheeks and tone it down for the neck and mustache area very convenient.

Adjustability: I feel this razor has an impressive range to it. It can be very mild to very agressive. At five the razor does not irritate my face but I do not have an unruly enough beard to merit it's usage at that level.

Balance: This razor has a nice heft to it that I appreciate. I had used SS before it and found that I never nicked myself but my stubble would grow back fairly swiftly and it required more touch-up. I do not blame the SS for this, it was probably me not possessing a true mastery of the razor. When holding the razor upside down I did notice that if my grip were any less firm it could potentially start to slide downward when wet.

Over all I would say this razor is really nice. I think that it's adjustability will actually make shaving with it perhaps a little less technical if that makes sense. It allows one to be a little lazier and not have to learn all the nuances of a fixed razor, like the mellowness of a SS or the aggressiveness of a slant.

I've been shaving with the Progress for a while now. It is a more gentle razor than the HD for me. but I miss that "zen moment" that Mark/Mantic talked about in one of his videos that for me usually came on the second pass or so with the HD.

That's my major gripe with the Progress.

On the other hand, it does what I bought it to do; which was remove the slight redness from certain areas of my four corners of my mouth. (upper right/left) (lower right/left). All the irritation is gone from the neck that was present with the HD.

If I could just have the Zen back....

EDIT: Price is a 10 because after paying with a gift certificate, the razor cost me $13.65. So, yeah, that's a 10 in my book.

OK, so I cheated a little here and my scores are actually for the "Mergress."

Moving on:
I really love this razor and assuming that I decide against being buried with it I will certainly pass it on to my children or one of my brothers. True, the grip could be a little better but I think that it was only a small sacrifice to keep the aesthetics of this razor beautiful. The only other thing that I rated this razor an 8 on is the aggressiveness only because I was unsure which way the scale was going here. Needless to say with it being an adjustable you can pretty much go from uber-gentle to ninja deadly with a twist.

Regarding Randy's comments on the razor coming back to 1 after putting in a new blade, I have never had this problem. I'm not sure if this varies with the razor or if Eric (Mer) did some sort of tuning to make it work this way.

And, finally the only reason why there were not more 10's is because I am sure that somewhere out there is a better razor but that may just be my excuse to keep buying new ones. That said, this is a fantastic razor and one that I highly recommend.

I've shaved with my new Progress for a couple days now and I have a few comments.

Size - it's nearly ideal for me. The handle length and thickness is great. The razor is heavy for it's size, but the handle makes it easy to use. The head is a good size and shape.

Adjustability. I have mine set on 3 (about midway) and it seems to shave very nicely with no irritation using Crystal blades. lowest setting barely cuts at all. Highest is scary But the adjustment mechanism is really grotty and grindy feeling. I took mine apart and lubed it with some Mobil 1 synthetic grease and that seems to have helped. But it's still not smooth. Not like a Gillette adjustable.

Finish. Mine is perfect. Blade alignment you have to look out for. Make sure the blade is centered.

Overall I have had my most comfortable shaves to date using this guy. Very highly recommended. Much cheaper than many Gillette adjustables unless you buy a considerably less than pristine example, and possibly a better shaver. Start low and crank it out until you are comfortable with it.

This is the razor I began wetshaving with. If my house burns down this is the first thing that I would try to save.

This razor is an excellent value for the money. I mirror above users statements in that the dot and adjustment level don't stay the exact same every time you throw a new blade in and each Progress is different. Quality Control at Merkur needs to step up a notch with these but hey, for the price you get an affordable, highly intuitive razor with few faults other than the dot and settings don't match up all the time. The difference in each blade changeup is hardly noticable, just make sure to line the head up correctly.

(Based on the modified Mergress version, so ratings reflect this version)

When considering an adjustable, the plastic knob at the bottom of the Progress instantly made me wary of the razor. As highly as it is regarded by it's owners, I just couldn't get myself to buy one simply due to the plastic.

So I tried the Vision, and while it gave great shaves, I just couldn't bring myself to like it because of the bulkiness and size. So I sold it and ordered a Mergress.

After about two weeks, it arrived and the stainless steel knob at the bottom really completes this razor. I can't compare the feel to that of an unmodified one, but I can only assume that the extra heft improves the balance.

The adjustment is easy, especially with the color coded dots that Eric adds. Adjustment range should be fine for anything I'd be willing to put to my skin.

First shave yielded great results and this razor will definitely be in heavy rotation.

If only Merkur could make an adjustable slant in this form factor!

I have switched from Fatboy to Progress several month ago and would never go back. In my case (sensitive skin) the head geometry of Progress works better for me and with the same effort I achieve closer shaves than with Fatboy. The adjustability, balance and grip are great.

The downsides of this razor are the QC issues and convenience. The fixed part of the head on my Progress started rocking on the stem after just 4 month of use (waiting for replacement from Dovo). Changing blades is a bit of a pain, compared to TTO design of Gillette. The quality of the finish is not spectacular. The blade exposure was not even on my razor, so one side was a bit more aggressive than the other. Still, I think that Progress is a very good razor and if not those QC issues you could call it great.

I have been DE shaving for a little more than 7 months. I started out with an HD that I still use but I have to say that for me the Progress shaves the best out of all the razors that I have tried. My RAD has taken me through various Gillettte, Schick, and Merkur razors but I always come back to the Progress.

Price: I gave this a 7, it is a bit more expensive but for an adjustable the price is more than fair compared to other adjustable razors.

Quality: A solid 8 this thing is built like a tank, I don't have that big of a problem with blade repacement. What ever number it closes down to I just use as my starting point. I do have to add that I also picked up a Mergress from Mer, his work turns the quality rating to a 10+. The Mergress always ends up on the 1 when replacing the blade.

User Friendly: For me this is the easiest razor to get a great shave, I find it incredibly easy to find the right angle.

Grip: I like the feel of the grip I don't have a problem with slipage and the handle length helps ne to easily get a good angle for shaving.

Blade Replacement: As easy as any DE razor that I have owned.

Agressiveness: It's adjustable you can shave anyway you like 1 is quite mild and I don't find the 5 setting to be harsh.

Balance: The weighting of this razor provides great balance. The weighting allows for the head of the razor to easily rest on my face and lets just the weight of the razor do the work.

I know that shaving is a major YMMV subject but I would recomend to anyone this razor. From the experienced to the novice I feel you would get a ton of enjoyment from the Progress. If you find the Progress suits you, you owe it to yourself to try the Mergress. The Mergress really kicks it up 4 or 5 notches.

I have been using a progress for about 12 years now, my only gripe is that the chrome has tarnished a little on the top and chipped off on one corner, though after 12 years of exstensive use and some poor care it's lasted well.

The asethitics are let down in my opinion buy the plastic adjuster, why merkur did not use a metal one is beyond me.

The razor handles very well and the adjustability is great when switching from face to neck. The balance for me is Ok but the grip is a little slippery compared to my Apollo non adjustable.

A very nice looking razor, but I found that getting the blade 'even' on both sides, and changing blades is a bit fussy, especially when compared to a plain old Gillette Adjustable.

Just doesn't work as well as the Gillette for me.

I've tried very hard to like this razor, but I can't. I get a decent shave with it, but I find it cumbersome and bulky particularly when I compare it to my English Rocket and SS; moreover it's ugly. In a word, it's brutish; reminds of a chunk of metal that has been machined into a razor with little thought. I've ordered a 38c from Jim @Vintage Blades and if it is as good as the initial reviewers say it is the Progress is history

I've been using my Mer modified Progress for a couple of weeks now and I'm disappointed to say that it seems to have killed my RAD desire. This razor does absolutely everything I need it to and more.

I keep a Tech in my travelling bag and used it for the first time in a week the other day. Now you have to understand what an upgrade this was from my Wilkinson Classic, but it is nothing when compared to the Progress (or perhaps Mergress).

The incredible weight of the razor surprised me, and so did the quality of the first shave - and every shave since. In fact, I wonder whether there should be a separate review section for the Mergress, as I'm sure the balance is different without that horrible plastic end. How much better can razors get?

The balance of this razor is superior, and its grip is very good, too. Even its more "aggressive" settings deliver a smooth shave. – You like the design or you don't; I do, right down to the plastic knob. I have other razors, but always return to this one. – I have heard reports of shoddy engineering but, on the evidence of my specimen, can't confirm them.

I have a Fatboy and a progress and find that the progress is becoming my go to razor. I agree the blade change can be a bit cumbersome at times but this is far outweighed by it's good points, namely :

1/ Very user friendly as regards doing what it is supposed to do i.e shave your face, in fact i use it set at 6 not only to shave my face but my head as well and it glides over both like a downhill skier!!!...erm...though not as fast you understand.

2/ The balance of the razor, for me anyway is spot on and after a while you treat it like an old friend. Although you still have to treat it with respect and concentrate when using it.

3/ O.K when replacing the blade it doesn't reset to a "zero" setting, but you simply adjust it to the setting that suits you...simple.

I would thoroughly recommend this razor to all you guys out there, having erm progressed from the Merkur HD when i started wet shaving and tried the futur et all i find this little beauty a regular up aginst my face

thanks for taking the time!!!...Jim

I haven't had this razor for that long but I like it. I think it's a good shaver. The plastic knob isn't detrimental, it gives it a nice classic style. Besides, what do you think all those shaving brush handles are made of? (ok, if they made it out of metal it would be better)
The fluted handle isn't bad either, I think it's a nice feel and I haven't felt like I was going to drop it yet. The razor has a nice heft to it which I think makes it easier to control, especially in a small item like this.
Blade change is relatively easy but you should be careful. Obviously the butterfly doors of the Gillette are far easier but this isn't bad.
I really like having the adjustment at the bottom of the razor and since I already have a Gillette Slim Adjustable as well, I can say that I actually like this razor better. I don't think it's a bad design and contrary to other people's impressions, mine DOES adjust down to 1 easily and consistently and the head and blade align pretty well. I can see where they could have built it to better tolerances but it works as it is.

Where this razor falls flat on it's face is in the finish quality. The one I received had a pretty disappointing finish. It just made it look cheap. This isn't the glowing example of fine German engineering I am used to but I am expecting a replacement soon.

Even if the next one has the same finish, I would still recommend one to shave with. So maybe it's not an heirloom quality product like the Gillette's of yesteryear, it's still one hell of a good shaving razor.