First time DE shave - Merkur Futur

[Beantin]

After years of cartridge wet shaving I opted to give DE shaving a go.
I have used TOBS soaps, creams and other shaving stuff for 10 years.

Now I was planning to use a EJ DE89 knurled as my first DE razor, as I ordered it 2 weeks ago with a blade sample pack. Also last week I ordered a merkur futur new at a good price, which is what I was planning to use after getting to grips using the EJ.
However the futur turned up first, so gave it a go with the supplied merkur platinum blade.
It all went well with no cuts at a 0.5 setting. I likes the weight and feel of the razor in the hand. Also really liked the sound feedback when shaving.
Only slight problem i found was getting the area under my nose. Think this will improve with a bit of practice.
Ended with the closest shave I have ever had!

 

[CallMeNugget]

Congrats! I've been using a Futur almost exclusively for a month or so. I've tried different settings and found that for me the 3.5 or 4 works well for me. I also find the same area to be problematic because of the size of the razor head. And it will improve with practice and technique.

Funnest part is trying different settings and blades to find out what works best for you! Enjoy!

 

[Tomo]

Nice set up. This was my first razor too. Try pulling your nose up and over. You will get in there just fine.

 

[Beantin]

Congrats! I've been using a Futur almost exclusively for a month or so. I've tried different settings and found that for me the 3.5 or 4 works well for me. I also find the same area to be problematic because of the size of the razor head. And it will improve with practice and technique.

Funnest part is trying different settings and blades to find out what works best for you! Enjoy!

I will look forward to shaving again with it. Was just a little nervous with the razor and the merkur blade for the first time. As the razor seems to have a bit of a reputation as being aggressive. Just need to take my time and handle with care.

 

[sdimartino]

Futurs are known for making it difficult to get under your nose because the head is quite a bit larger than other DE razors. Just takes some practice. It is a fantastic razor, and despite its reputation for being aggressive, I actually find it quite mild at lower settings. One thing I would warn you about, however. In my experience, Futurs are very picky about blade choice. Some blades feel like butter, others will tear up your face. So I recommend you find a blade that works and stick with it. Use other razors for experimenting with different blades.

 

[Invicta]

Welcome to B&B.

I will look forward to shaving again with it. Was just a little nervous with the razor and the merkur blade for the first time. As the razor seems to have a bit of a reputation as being aggressive. Just need to take my time and handle with care.

You need to try different blades to find ones best for you.
The DE89 is a great razor with an Astra SP or Gillette Silver Blue; does the top lip area easily too.

 

[ajkel64]

I have the gold version. Love the weight of the razor and getting under the nose can be an issue. Glad you liked the shave.

 

[NickCutlip]

Welcome to the forum !!

 

[Beantin]

My shave still feels closer 20 hours later, than what I was getting with the cartridge!

There is loads of great information on B&B and YouTube which helps with the transition. I actually understood what I had to do, feel and expect, while shaving, even though I had never used a de razor before.

Looking forward to the next shave, and will try to get a bit better on some trickier spots.

Thanks all! And I am so grateful to be a member on B&B!

 

[Beantin]

Well today I received my EJ de89 knurled handle so thought I would give it a go.
To be honest it feels like a feather in my hand compared to the futur. I also didn't get any audible feedback like the futur. So was unsure if it was actually doing any thing. Half way through the shave, after nipping a mole on my neck. I throw the blade back in the futur. Then finished off the shave with the futur.
I think the DE89 is a very well made razor. I just think with it being so smooth it rattled me a bit. So will try to master the futur before trying the DE89 later.

 

[BigJ]

Congratulations!! You have some fine kit!!

Give ’traditional‘ wet shaving a bit of time and effort and you will be well rewarded!

 

[Clay S]

Well today I received my EJ de89 knurled handle so thought I would give it a go.
To be honest it feels like a feather in my hand compared to the futur. I also didn't get any audible feedback like the futur. So was unsure if it was actually doing any thing. Half way through the shave, after nipping a mole on my neck. I throw the blade back in the futur. Then finished off the shave with the futur.
I think the DE89 is a very well made razor. I just think with it being so smooth it rattled me a bit. So will try to master the futur before trying the DE89 later.

Mastering one razor is a great idea. Adjusting a developed technique to other razors is easier than trying to develop a technique with multiple razors.

 

[Beantin]

Mastering one razor is a great idea. Adjusting a developed technique to other razors is easier than trying to develop a technique with multiple razors.

I was surprised how different both razors felt. I honestly thought the DE89 was not doing anything.
When I find a blade that suits the futur, would it be the right blade for the DE89?
I have only tried the merkur blade so far. On the first shave it was okay with slight neck irritation. But on the second shave it tugged a bit and caused more neck irritation. Still have 6 other blades to try from my sample pack.

 

[Clay S]

I was surprised how different both razors felt. I honestly thought the DE89 was not doing anything.
When I find a blade that suits the futur, would it be the right blade for the DE89?
I have only tried the merkur blade so far. On the first shave it was okay with slight neck irritation. But on the second shave it tugged a bit and caused more neck irritation. Still have 6 other blades to try from my sample pack.

The same blade might not be the "one" for both razors. I would find which blade works best in the razor you plan to learn on and then go with that blade. Later, when your proficient with both razors, I would get samples to try in both razors. Blades that were great to learn with might not actually be the best blade for the razor.

The second shave causing more irritation might just be the same amount of irritation applied to already damaged skin. Sometimes reducing the number of passes or skipping a day shaving is a good idea after having a bad day of shaving.

 

[FreeBlues]

I'm not a big fan of Merkur blades. Maybe try a Gillette Silver Blue or Derby?

 

[Beantin]

I ditched the merkur blade after the second shave as was quite tuggy, causing neck irritation. I was not impressed with them.

Went for a parker blade which was a lot better for me. Second shave was as smooth as the 1st with the parker. Will see how long the parker lasts.
Still have Derby, Wilkinson, Astra, feather, rockwell and muhle blades to try. Will try the others then build up to the feather blades.

 

[dmshaver]

Welcome! Glad you've joined & are enjoying your shaves. With time it will get smoother & less irritation. Take your time, pay attention to your technique, apply no pressure, & enjoy!

 

[skibik]

Welcome! I found the Feather blade was no different than the other blades I tried other than they don't seem to last for me but around 3 shaves while I get around 6 from my other 2 I use. It seemed that all the reading I have done and what I read about Feathers it sounded like I would get cut by them be just looking at them the wrong way. Treat them like any other blade you are sampling. They may or not be for you. I wanted to try a Futur razor for the longest time so I bought a Futur clone(Qshave brand) instead and I didn't like the way it holds the blade, like it is not solid. Glad you like the razor.

There is a cure for the "under the nose" problem is grow a mustache! Kidding aside, I do have a mustache and usually a couple times a year I shave it off for a week or two before letting it grow back in. I have a hard time under the nose and just end up carefully using the very corner of the razor to get at the nostril area. Since I rarely shave in that area I can't go ATG so I leave it at XTG in both directions and that seems to get what I missed in the WTG pass.

Good luck!