Greetings From CuttingEdge60

[CuttingEdge60]

Welcome

One of the best all around brushes for me is the Semogue SOC Mistura (left one in Butterscotch) that is a mix of 50% boar and 50% Finest badger. Can be found with wooden or resin handles.

View attachment 1448621

Thank you
I just looked some up on the internet. Beautiful handles and doesn't break the Bank. Thank you. I was not aware of a 5050 boar badger brush thanks for letting me know. I found a site called the Portuguese Factory after reading your reply. I am looking at the 1305 because I like the Green and White handle. I don't know if I'll like the bristle yet. Its a tossup Between that butterscotch, the white on the left, or the 1305. Thanks for the advise. Me being a Badger person, I may end up buying the half and half first then branch out to full boar.

 

[CuttingEdge60]

Welcome to B & B, glad you've joined. Boar brushes are wonderful! I have plenty of badger, and plenty of boar. We all have different tastes in our brushes, but I'll pass on to you what I like. Zenith is an Italian brush maker that makes some wonderful boar brushes. I especially enjoy their unbleached boars as well as their 80N boar. Those can be found at yourshaving, an online supplier. In Semogue, I like the SOC & Torga C5 brushes. And in Omega I like the Omega Proraso Pro. My favorite is my old Omega Premium Jade, but Connaught is getting a different density of brush these days from Omega, so I wouldn't recommend that as my top brush anymore. My top boar brushes are the Zenith's.

I like a boar brush with a larger knot, densly packed to have good backbone & scrub, while having enough loft so the broken-in soft tips can be felt & enjoyed on my face. A brush with too short of loft doesn't let me feel the soft tips as well because the scrub is much more pronounced. A brush with higher loft splays too easily & doesn't have the backbone I desire. All that said from a bleached boar perspective. The Zenith unbleached boars are my top two brushes even though based on what I just said, they should be too high lofted for my taste. But the unbleached properties of those brushes cause the brushes to perform differently than a bleached boar brush.

And BTW, all of the brushes I mentioned above are in the neighborhood of $20, except for the more expensive Semogue's.

And by the way, all of this is just my opinion. Others feel differently & that's accepted here. We are a merry band of brothers enjoying this wonderful journey of wet shaving. Enjoy your journey!

Thank you for the wealth of information from everybody. I love the couple DE razors and brushes I own now. I used a Micro Touch "As Seen On TV" for a long time before I started going quality. I used an Art of Shaving pure badger for quite a while also. Now that I have a few years I started really getting into it and finding there is so many excellent products. I now have a Gillette King C and two Merkurs. I recently set up a second mortgage to buy a Simpson Chubby 2. (joking). I love it. Like going from a Pontiac to a Rolls Royce. My go to razor now is a Futur Merkur. I've heard several bad reviews but so far I love it I have it on level 3 right now and as long as I respect it, It doesn't bite.

Thank you again and we'll keep in touch and have a great shave day. I will look at the Zenith and Semogue. So far I really like being part of this forum.

 

[Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker]

Thank you for the wealth of information from everybody. I love the couple DE razors and brushes I own now. I used a Micro Touch "As Seen On TV" for a long time before I started going quality. I used an Art of Shaving pure badger for quite a while also. Now that I have a few years I started really getting into it and finding there is so many excellent products. I now have a Gillette King C and two Merkurs. I recently set up a second mortgage to buy a Simpson Chubby 2. (joking). I love it. Like going from a Pontiac to a Rolls Royce. My go to razor now is a Futur Merkur. I've heard several bad reviews but so far I love it I have it on level 3 right now and as long as I respect it, It doesn't bite.

Thank you again and we'll keep in touch and have a great shave day. I will look at the Zenith and Semogue. So far I really like being part of this forum.

Oh my gosh, thats so cool! I ordered a Merkur Futur, and its supposed to come on Monday. I really can't wait to try out my new razor. Yes, I am aware of the negative reviews too, but most of those, are coming from folks who don't know how to use a DE razor.

Yes, I know, I threw a bit of shade out there. But seriously, think about it, bottom nose hairs, moostash area, if you don't know how to make that face, to get at them easier, then you haven't been DE shaving very long, thats what I say about those reviews. Anyone who has experience, should be able to make the Merkur Futur work for them.

And you are also correct, when it comes to aggressive razors, you must give them respect. I've already seen a guy using a Merkur Futur on Youtube, he was using level 6, and he was going way too fast shaving like a dang road runner. And guess what? He gave himself a solid weeper on his neck, and I was like, dude, alum block stat!

So ya, enjoy your razors, just don't forget to respect them, great solid advice from you, love it! And now were Merkur Futur brothers, I like that too, awesome. HEHE

 

[CuttingEdge60]

Omega boar brushes can be bought for less than 20 bucks and in a couple of weeks of use, they become very nice brushes. They just take a little time to break-in. Some people complain about a scent but I don't notice it after a couple of cleanings. They have a backbone and give a little scrub. Soap doesn't hide in them and they clean up and dry quickly. Give them a try and welcome to the Forum. I'm an old guy and to this day still have problems with forums. But I think they are better than all the social media things going around like Facebook tweets and others. Those just **** me off.

Greetings

Thank you for the Info and I'm an old guy myself getting there at least, just on the cutting edge of 60 this month. I too am not a fan of Social Media and the past couple days find this forum interesting and it's the first I ever joined. I like it. I'm looking to by one of those Boars either Omega or Semogue. They both appear to have nice products.

My Badgers are very good. I only go with the Silvertip anymore. I'm hoping to find a quality boar. I know it's nothing very different from the Badger. Even the inferior Boar I tried years ago wasn't bad after I got used to it. It was the first brush I ever bought/tried until it broke apart and a lot of hair came out. Next I got a badger and stayed. I never gave a boar brush another try. After reading some reviews I read where some thats all they use.

Sincerely

Lou

 

[CuttingEdge60]

Omega boar brushes can be bought for less than 20 bucks and in a couple of weeks of use, they become very nice brushes. They just take a little time to break-in. Some people complain about a scent but I don't notice it after a couple of cleanings. They have a backbone and give a little scrub. Soap doesn't hide in them and they clean up and dry quickly. Give them a try and welcome to the Forum. I'm an old guy and to this day still have problems with forums. But I think they are better than all the social media things going around like Facebook tweets and others. Those just **** me off.

Greetings Mr. Hazmat Shaver,

Based on your reply and others. I bought and am using a Semogue, Green and White handle. Superior Boar 1305. It's breaking in quite well. I did not think a boar brush would have such quality, and the lather it creates is fantastic. After I thought about the Omega you mention I went and bought an Omega Professional Red Handle a week after for a little over 10 or 11 dollars from Amazon.
I did notice some smell. A little stronger than the Superior Boar Semogue, but its not that bad and the smell on both are about gone. No complaints. This Omega is actually turning out to be a very good brush. It feels like I'm getting more lather from the Omega than the other brushes I own, including my silver tip Badgers. The two Boars are breaking in Nicely. By the way Do you use Badger Brushes at all? If so what Kind?
I've put my Chubby 2 Simpson away for a while including a Silver Tip I bought from Razor Rock. The Razor Rock was $80 the Simpson $250. I'm going to keep using these Boars for a while and hope I do get back to the Badgers. They are all beautiful brushes and very satisfied with these Boar brushes.
Thank you for the reply/advise and Stay safe on the road. its a hazmat out there.

 

[CuttingEdge60]

Oh my gosh, thats so cool! I ordered a Merkur Futur, and its supposed to come on Monday. I really can't wait to try out my new razor. Yes, I am aware of the negative reviews too, but most of those, are coming from folks who don't know how to use a DE razor.

Yes, I know, I threw a bit of shade out there. But seriously, think about it, bottom nose hairs, moostash area, if you don't know how to make that face, to get at them easier, then you haven't been DE shaving very long, thats what I say about those reviews. Anyone who has experience, should be able to make the Merkur Futur work for them.

And you are also correct, when it comes to aggressive razors, you must give them respect. I've already seen a guy using a Merkur Futur on Youtube, he was using level 6, and he was going way too fast shaving like a dang road runner. And guess what? He gave himself a solid weeper on his neck, and I was like, dude, alum block stat!

So ya, enjoy your razors, just don't forget to respect them, great solid advice from you, love it! And now were Merkur Futur brothers, I like that too, awesome. HEHE

Hello Futur Brother,

How's Shaving with the new Merkur. Do you like it? haven't had a chance to go on here for a while and I'm just seeing your post. I did get to level 6 slowly. I had my Alum ready for weepers Ha,Ha. I find level 4 about adequate for me and I like to go different levels to play around. I have the chrome, a little slippery but manageable. It's a beautiful razor. One could say it belongs in a Museum. .
I just received a Rockwell 6C gunmetal. For me it's a very nice razor although it's made in China. I liked it so much I ordered the Rockwell 6S matte black which is made in the US. I like razors with a lot of Heft. Haven't received it yet.
I returned my second Merkur, it was a Heavy Duty Barber 38C I think was the number. Beautiful razor but the shave seemed just so mediocre. Maybe I'm getting spoiled on the Futur and Rockwell 6C with all the interchangeable settings.

Are you familiar with any Edwin Jagger razors?

I exchanged the Merker Barber with an Edwin Jagger, its called a Chatsworth. Supposed to receive it Wednesday. I'm trying how different brands feel. If you have any experience with any of these razors I mentioned I would like to here your take and comments on them, or other products. Again good shaving and enjoy your Futur.

Sincerely

Lou

 

[CuttingEdge60]

Of the 3-shown here, I like the look of the middle wooden one best.

I bought and am using a Semogue, Green and White handle. Superior Boar 1305. It's breaking in quite well. I did not think a boar brush would have such quality, and the lather it creates is fantastic. I went and bought an Omega Professional Red Handle a week for a little over 10 or 11 dollars from Amazon.
I did notice some smell. A little stronger than the Superior Boar Semogue, but its not that bad and the smell on both are about gone. No complaints. This Omega is actually turning out to be a very good brush. It feels like I'm getting more lather from the Omega than the other brushes I own, including my silver tip Badgers. I think I'll use these boars off and on while they break in. I've stowed the badgers in their boxes for now and use them when I start getting board with the boars.

Simcerely

Lou

 

[Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker]

Hello Futur Brother,

How's Shaving with the new Merkur. Do you like it? haven't had a chance to go on here for a while and I'm just seeing your post. I did get to level 6 slowly. I had my Alum ready for weepers Ha,Ha. I find level 4 about adequate for me and I like to go different levels to play around. I have the chrome, a little slippery but manageable. It's a beautiful razor. One could say it belongs in a Museum. .
I just received a Rockwell 6C gunmetal. For me it's a very nice razor although it's made in China. I liked it so much I ordered the Rockwell 6S matte black which is made in the US. I like razors with a lot of Heft. Haven't received it yet.
I returned my second Merkur, it was a Heavy Duty Barber 38C I think was the number. Beautiful razor but the shave seemed just so mediocre. Maybe I'm getting spoiled on the Futur and Rockwell 6C with all the interchangeable settings.

Are you familiar with any Edwin Jagger razors?

I exchanged the Merker Barber with an Edwin Jagger, its called a Chatsworth. Supposed to receive it Wednesday. I'm trying how different brands feel. If you have any experience with any of these razors I mentioned I would like to here your take and comments on them, or other products. Again good shaving and enjoy your Futur.

Sincerely

Lou

Yes as a matter of fact, I've been enjoying my Merkur Future for a couple of weeks now. And because I've been using so long, I feel the need to go back to my Rex Ambassador for awhile. OK, so here's some things that I have found that might be of interest to you, in regards to the Merkur Futur razor.

The Merkur Futur is an overall aggressive razor, even on setting 1, its more aggressive then a Feather AS-D2! Always keep that in mind. Now, the head on the razor is quite fat, and it will present difficulty in you getting the bottom of the nose hairs, but if your an experienced wet shaver, you will get around that in no time, and get it done, as I do.

Another negative would be, because the handle is super smooth, you will lose grip if your fingers have soap on them. Having said that however, I do find that I still have solid grip on the handle, if my fingers are just wet. One more negative, changing blade aggression is far too dangerous if your gonna touch the head, so press it against a towel instead, and rotate the handle to change the settings.

Now onto the positives. Blade change is by far, the easiest of any razor! There is no screwing things in and out, simply pull the top cap off, slap a blade in its happy place, then snap the top cap back down, its literally that simple. And I tell you what, if someone is a beginner to wet shaving, their gonna appreciate the simplicity of the blade change system.

Comparing the Merkur Futur to my Rex Ambassador, it is immediately clear, that the Ambassador is a higher end razor in its construction makeup. Having said that however, after experiencing the Merkur Futur razor, IMO, that the Futur is a smoother shaving razor. But here is something important to note. For the first several shaves, I was using a Bic blade in the Futur.

At first it seemed like the razor was doing OK, and maybe after the first or second shave it was. But by the 3rd shave, I had it confirmed to me, that it was indeed the Bic blade, that was doing a little too much tugging then cutting. The Bic's seemed to work out fine in my Rex Ambassador, so why not right? Well, not every razor works great with every blade, so, I can't recommend the Bic's in the Futur, please avoid.

So I switched out the blade to the Gillette Nacets, holy cow what a night and day difference! When you run a Nacet blade in the Futur, it instantly transforms it, into a smooth shaving razor, smoother then the Rex. But I haven't tried a Nacet blade in the Rex yet, so not sure if it was just the blade the whole time, or the Rex. So ya, Nacet blade for the win, remember that. If you get a Futur, use Nacet's!

I don't remember if you like heavy weighted razors or not, but the Futur is 4.5 OZ razor, which puts it in the heavy weight classification. Absolutely DO NOT use any pressure! Let the weight of the razor, carry the blade, through the cut. The top cap holds the blade well, there is no blade chatter, but you will hear the razor sing to you, as its slicing them course whiskers away hehe.

I recommend quality slick lathers at all times when using the futur, none of that photograph ready foamy BS. Use slick yogurt like consistency lathers. This is how I typically shave with the Futur, I also report this in my SOTD posts.

(1) I use level 4 WTG passes, to remove the bulk of 2-day or 3-stubble.
(2) I use Levels 1, 2, and 3, for the ATG passes.
(3) I use level 2 for a partial XTG these days on the neck.

What would I like to see improved?

(1) I'd like the handle to be improved, to provide a quality grip, so that soapy fingers, don't cause you to possibly slip, and cause weepers, that flow crimson read rivers.

(2) I'd like to see an improvement in the blade aggression adjustment. The Rex Ambassador is far superior in that area, without a doubt!

(3) The head of the razor needs to be decreased in size, or adjusted in a way that the blade, can be more easier maneuvered, to get the bottom of the nose hairs.

Conclusion: The Merkur Futur is not a perfect razor by any means, it certainly has its issues! However, if you are able to work around those issues, I think you will find that, the Futur is an excellent razor. I personally love it. And its probably also because I haven't been spoiled by a Rocnel Sailor lol. But keep in mind, my Rex Ambassador is a much higher end razor, and yet, I still enjoy the smoothness of shaves I get from the Futur. So that should tell you something.

 

[Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker]

Are you familiar with any Edwin Jagger razors?

I exchanged the Merker Barber with an Edwin Jagger, its called a Chatsworth.

Yes, I am familiar with Edwin Jagger razors, primarily their DE89 razor. I have never heard of the Chatsworth before, first I've heard of that razor in my almost 3-months being here on B&B. I really hope that you enjoy your Chatsworth, I expect a full report now you hear? lol!

 

[HazMat Shaver]

Greetings Mr. Hazmat Shaver,

Based on your reply and others. I bought and am using a Semogue, Green and White handle. Superior Boar 1305. It's breaking in quite well. I did not think a boar brush would have such quality, and the lather it creates is fantastic. After I thought about the Omega you mention I went and bought an Omega Professional Red Handle a week after for a little over 10 or 11 dollars from Amazon.
I did notice some smell. A little stronger than the Superior Boar Semogue, but its not that bad and the smell on both are about gone. No complaints. This Omega is actually turning out to be a very good brush. It feels like I'm getting more lather from the Omega than the other brushes I own, including my silver tip Badgers. The two Boars are breaking in Nicely. By the way Do you use Badger Brushes at all? If so what Kind?
I've put my Chubby 2 Simpson away for a while including a Silver Tip I bought from Razor Rock. The Razor Rock was $80 the Simpson $250. I'm going to keep using these Boars for a while and hope I do get back to the Badgers. They are all beautiful brushes and very satisfied with these Boar brushes.
Thank you for the reply/advise and Stay safe on the road. its a hazmat out there.

Hi Lou.
I keep a Badger, a Boar, and a Synthetic in my bathroom so that I can use whatever I feel like using for my shave. I also rotate them out every 2 or 3 weeks with other brushes but always keep the 3 types ready for use. I do use the Omega boar brushes and recently bought the same red brush. Your right, it took a few shaves to get rid of the smell. And it is a little bigger knot than I normally use but after 5 or 6 shaves it is working lovely. I have close to 100 brushes and I'd have to say most are vintage boar. I have expensive and cheap Badger brushes too. But my favorite badger is a fan shape SHD 24mm from Maggardrazors. I've made brush handles and have set many knots over the years.

So to answer your questions. YES. LOL. And then some.

 

[CuttingEdge60]

Hello Sir,
I have to check out Maggardrazors when I finish here. As you may be able to tell I'm still working on my brush collection. Also I'm starting to acquire some better quality razors. I just received a Rockwell 6C and I like the feel and heft. Although it's made in China it has a very good like quality to it. So, I ordered the Rockwell 6S, its their Made in USA razor. It advertizes well and I'll soon find out if it stands up to what it says.
My most elegant brush I own as of today, I have to say, is the Simpson Chubby 2. Decent backbone, great feel and the first very high end brush I bought. When I first started using a Brush, I thought the Art of Shaving was the best out there because I didn't know any better and thats the only specialty razor store I knew of. I since have crossed over into other realms and discovered so many different brands, I do not know If I can buy another AOS Brush again. I feel there is better quality out there at the same prices they offer. Shave soaps and other products also. This forum has led me to more stuff out there than I ever knew existed.
I myself would like to learn to make Brush handles but it seems one must own a Lathe to make the best looking shapes. I have enough going on tinkering with small engines on lawnmowers, trimmers and other lawn equipment in my shed.

Thank you for the post.

Lou

 

[Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker]

Hello Sir,
I have to check out Maggardrazors when I finish here. As you may be able to tell I'm still working on my brush collection. Also I'm starting to acquire some better quality razors. I just received a Rockwell 6C and I like the feel and heft. Although it's made in China it has a very good like quality to it. So, I ordered the Rockwell 6S, its their Made in USA razor. It advertizes well and I'll soon find out if it stands up to what it says.
My most elegant brush I own as of today, I have to say, is the Simpson Chubby 2. Decent backbone, great feel and the first very high end brush I bought. When I first started using a Brush, I thought the Art of Shaving was the best out there because I didn't know any better and thats the only specialty razor store I knew of. I since have crossed over into other realms and discovered so many different brands, I do not know If I can buy another AOS Brush again. I feel there is better quality out there at the same prices they offer. Shave soaps and other products also. This forum has led me to more stuff out there than I ever knew existed.
I myself would like to learn to make Brush handles but it seems one must own a Lathe to make the best looking shapes. I have enough going on tinkering with small engines on lawnmowers, trimmers and other lawn equipment in my shed.

Thank you for the post.

Lou

I'm a engine mechanic. Reading your post about working on your lawn equipment from the shed, instantly got my attention. Lol I love working with my hands. I get deep satisfaction when I fix stuff

 

[CuttingEdge60]

Yes as a matter of fact, I've been enjoying my Merkur Future for a couple of weeks now. And because I've been using so long, I feel the need to go back to my Rex Ambassador for awhile. OK, so here's some things that I have found that might be of interest to you, in regards to the Merkur Futur razor.

The Merkur Futur is an overall aggressive razor, even on setting 1, its more aggressive then a Feather AS-D2! Always keep that in mind. Now, the head on the razor is quite fat, and it will present difficulty in you getting the bottom of the nose hairs, but if your an experienced wet shaver, you will get around that in no time, and get it done, as I do.

Another negative would be, because the handle is super smooth, you will lose grip if your fingers have soap on them. Having said that however, I do find that I still have solid grip on the handle, if my fingers are just wet. One more negative, changing blade aggression is far too dangerous if your gonna touch the head, so press it against a towel instead, and rotate the handle to change the settings.

Now onto the positives. Blade change is by far, the easiest of any razor! There is no screwing things in and out, simply pull the top cap off, slap a blade in its happy place, then snap the top cap back down, its literally that simple. And I tell you what, if someone is a beginner to wet shaving, their gonna appreciate the simplicity of the blade change system.

Comparing the Merkur Futur to my Rex Ambassador, it is immediately clear, that the Ambassador is a higher end razor in its construction makeup. Having said that however, after experiencing the Merkur Futur razor, IMO, that the Futur is a smoother shaving razor. But here is something important to note. For the first several shaves, I was using a Bic blade in the Futur.

At first it seemed like the razor was doing OK, and maybe after the first or second shave it was. But by the 3rd shave, I had it confirmed to me, that it was indeed the Bic blade, that was doing a little too much tugging then cutting. The Bic's seemed to work out fine in my Rex Ambassador, so why not right? Well, not every razor works great with every blade, so, I can't recommend the Bic's in the Futur, please avoid.

So I switched out the blade to the Gillette Nacets, holy cow what a night and day difference! When you run a Nacet blade in the Futur, it instantly transforms it, into a smooth shaving razor, smoother then the Rex. But I haven't tried a Nacet blade in the Rex yet, so not sure if it was just the blade the whole time, or the Rex. So ya, Nacet blade for the win, remember that. If you get a Futur, use Nacet's!

I don't remember if you like heavy weighted razors or not, but the Futur is 4.5 OZ razor, which puts it in the heavy weight classification. Absolutely DO NOT use any pressure! Let the weight of the razor, carry the blade, through the cut. The top cap holds the blade well, there is no blade chatter, but you will hear the razor sing to you, as its slicing them course whiskers away hehe.

I recommend quality slick lathers at all times when using the futur, none of that photograph ready foamy BS. Use slick yogurt like consistency lathers. This is how I typically shave with the Futur, I also report this in my SOTD posts.

(1) I use level 4 WTG passes, to remove the bulk of 2-day or 3-stubble.
(2) I use Levels 1, 2, and 3, for the ATG passes.
(3) I use level 2 for a partial XTG these days on the neck.

What would I like to see improved?

(1) I'd like the handle to be improved, to provide a quality grip, so that soapy fingers, don't cause you to possibly slip, and cause weepers, that flow crimson read rivers.

(2) I'd like to see an improvement in the blade aggression adjustment. The Rex Ambassador is far superior in that area, without a doubt!

(3) The head of the razor needs to be decreased in size, or adjusted in a way that the blade, can be more easier maneuvered, to get the bottom of the nose hairs.

Conclusion: The Merkur Futur is not a perfect razor by any means, it certainly has its issues! However, if you are able to work around those issues, I think you will find that, the Futur is an excellent razor. I personally love it. And its probably also because I haven't been spoiled by a Rocnel Sailor lol. But keep in mind, my Rex Ambassador is a much higher end razor, and yet, I still enjoy the smoothness of shaves I get from the Futur. So that should tell you something.

Welcome to B & B, glad you've joined. Boar brushes are wonderful! I have plenty of badger, and plenty of boar. We all have different tastes in our brushes, but I'll pass on to you what I like. Zenith is an Italian brush maker that makes some wonderful boar brushes. I especially enjoy their unbleached boars as well as their 80N boar. Those can be found at yourshaving, an online supplier. In Semogue, I like the SOC & Torga C5 brushes. And in Omega I like the Omega Proraso Pro. My favorite is my old Omega Premium Jade, but Connaught is getting a different density of brush these days from Omega, so I wouldn't recommend that as my top brush anymore. My top boar brushes are the Zenith's.

I like a boar brush with a larger knot, densly packed to have good backbone & scrub, while having enough loft so the broken-in soft tips can be felt & enjoyed on my face. A brush with too short of loft doesn't let me feel the soft tips as well because the scrub is much more pronounced. A brush with higher loft splays too easily & doesn't have the backbone I desire. All that said from a bleached boar perspective. The Zenith unbleached boars are my top two brushes even though based on what I just said, they should be too high lofted for my taste. But the unbleached properties of those brushes cause the brushes to perform differently than a bleached boar brush.

And BTW, all of the brushes I mentioned above are in the neighborhood of $20, except for the more expensive Semogue's.

And by the way, all of this is just my opinion. Others feel differently & that's accepted here. We are a merry band of brothers enjoying this wonderful journey of wet shaving. Enjoy your journey!

 

[CuttingEdge60]

I'm a engine mechanic. Reading your post about working on your lawn equipment from the shed, instantly got my attention. Lol I love working with my hands. I get deep satisfaction when I fix stuff

I know, Same here Especially when something I have of quality and then being able to fix it to get it to work like new. My last 2 projects were a Stihl Trimmer and Echo Blower. The trimmer is professional Grade and stopped working this year. Its about 6 or 7 years old. My fault forgot to winterize. I was going to rebuild the carburetor but when I went to my parts person the kit was over 20 dollars and the complete brand new carburetor was at a discount $49. Stihl keeps backordering parts. I bought the Carb for a little over half the price of the kit. Trimmer running like new. I like to fix Fishing Reels also.

Razors
Reels and
Small engines

 

[CuttingEdge60]

Yes as a matter of fact, I've been enjoying my Merkur Future for a couple of weeks now. And because I've been using so long, I feel the need to go back to my Rex Ambassador for awhile. OK, so here's some things that I have found that might be of interest to you, in regards to the Merkur Futur razor.

The Merkur Futur is an overall aggressive razor, even on setting 1, its more aggressive then a Feather AS-D2! Always keep that in mind. Now, the head on the razor is quite fat, and it will present difficulty in you getting the bottom of the nose hairs, but if your an experienced wet shaver, you will get around that in no time, and get it done, as I do.

Another negative would be, because the handle is super smooth, you will lose grip if your fingers have soap on them. Having said that however, I do find that I still have solid grip on the handle, if my fingers are just wet. One more negative, changing blade aggression is far too dangerous if your gonna touch the head, so press it against a towel instead, and rotate the handle to change the settings.

Now onto the positives. Blade change is by far, the easiest of any razor! There is no screwing things in and out, simply pull the top cap off, slap a blade in its happy place, then snap the top cap back down, its literally that simple. And I tell you what, if someone is a beginner to wet shaving, their gonna appreciate the simplicity of the blade change system.

Comparing the Merkur Futur to my Rex Ambassador, it is immediately clear, that the Ambassador is a higher end razor in its construction makeup. Having said that however, after experiencing the Merkur Futur razor, IMO, that the Futur is a smoother shaving razor. But here is something important to note. For the first several shaves, I was using a Bic blade in the Futur.

At first it seemed like the razor was doing OK, and maybe after the first or second shave it was. But by the 3rd shave, I had it confirmed to me, that it was indeed the Bic blade, that was doing a little too much tugging then cutting. The Bic's seemed to work out fine in my Rex Ambassador, so why not right? Well, not every razor works great with every blade, so, I can't recommend the Bic's in the Futur, please avoid.

So I switched out the blade to the Gillette Nacets, holy cow what a night and day difference! When you run a Nacet blade in the Futur, it instantly transforms it, into a smooth shaving razor, smoother then the Rex. But I haven't tried a Nacet blade in the Rex yet, so not sure if it was just the blade the whole time, or the Rex. So ya, Nacet blade for the win, remember that. If you get a Futur, use Nacet's!

I don't remember if you like heavy weighted razors or not, but the Futur is 4.5 OZ razor, which puts it in the heavy weight classification. Absolutely DO NOT use any pressure! Let the weight of the razor, carry the blade, through the cut. The top cap holds the blade well, there is no blade chatter, but you will hear the razor sing to you, as its slicing them course whiskers away hehe.

I recommend quality slick lathers at all times when using the futur, none of that photograph ready foamy BS. Use slick yogurt like consistency lathers. This is how I typically shave with the Futur, I also report this in my SOTD posts.

(1) I use level 4 WTG passes, to remove the bulk of 2-day or 3-stubble.
(2) I use Levels 1, 2, and 3, for the ATG passes.
(3) I use level 2 for a partial XTG these days on the neck.

What would I like to see improved?

(1) I'd like the handle to be improved, to provide a quality grip, so that soapy fingers, don't cause you to possibly slip, and cause weepers, that flow crimson read rivers.

(2) I'd like to see an improvement in the blade aggression adjustment. The Rex Ambassador is far superior in that area, without a doubt!

(3) The head of the razor needs to be decreased in size, or adjusted in a way that the blade, can be more easier maneuvered, to get the bottom of the nose hairs.

Conclusion: The Merkur Futur is not a perfect razor by any means, it certainly has its issues! However, if you are able to work around those issues, I think you will find that, the Futur is an excellent razor. I personally love it. And its probably also because I haven't been spoiled by a Rocnel Sailor lol. But keep in mind, my Rex Ambassador is a much higher end razor, and yet, I still enjoy the smoothness of shaves I get from the Futur. So that should tell you something.

I just looked at that REX and I remember I reviewed it a while back. It looks really nice but the price. I'll need to wait a while before buying the REX. I do like heavy weighted razors by the way. Something about heft seems to me makes a well balanced product. Like fishing reels. Some like lighter reels with a lot of finesse. I like heavier reels with sustained durability for salt water.
I seen the weight on the Rex Ambassador is 3.5 ounces if that's correct. It has to be of very high quality steel I'm sure. Looks amazing. As you mentioned the Merkur Futur being 4.5 ounces and that was exactly what I was looking for when shopping around. The thick head does not bother me too much and I have been able to finagle it under the nose. Somewhere I saw a page of the different weights on various razors and the Futur was the heaviest. I love it also including the ease of replacing blades. I agree with the issue of changing the adjustment. I seen from day 1 I would be better off adjusting with a towel during the shave. I don't consider myself a well seasoned craftsman yet at DE shaving but I am definitely not a beginner. Probably about 3 quarters to being a Craftsman.
My next razor to focus on is the Rex. It may take a while. I'll get a lot of use out of the four I have now or will have once the E Jagger and USA made Rockwell arrive.

 

[Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker]

@CuttingEdge60

DUDE, I love quality equipment, thats another reason why I buy quality razors. I have a lot of love for Stihl, so much so, that I own a Stihl FS250R 2-cycle brushcutter, 40.2CC, I bought it in 2004, carb failed after 10-years, I also replaced mine, got it going again. Sucker weighs so much, its impossible to use it without a harness. But that machine has the power to take down the everglades, thats how much power its got, brushcutting blade, or string trimmer head, it will get it done. I did change out the autocut head that was falling apart, to a much nicer Echo 450 speed feed head, those are nice!

These days it doesn't get much use anymore, because most of the time, I am taking down 1-foot or less of grass around homes. So I decided to get another commercial string trimmer, but this time, I went with a Honda 4-cycle 35cc trimmer. I've owned the Honda since 2019, and no way was I going to use that terrible head on it, I changed that sucker out too, to the Echo 450 speed feed head, best decision I made there. But its far quieter due to being 4-cycle, and it can take on a foot of grass at a time. Its a beast!

The Honda only weighs about 2-pounds lighter then my Stihl FS250R, so I still need a harness to use it, but its a more manageable machine, puts out less bad emissions too, cause your not mixing oil with the gas. I have a Husqvarna 570-BTS backpack blower 2-cycle 65cc, I think its 730 CFM if I remember correctly, sucker has the power to move a brick! But it also weighs a lot to 24 pounds, so good thing its designed to be strapped to your back, cause I could never carry that weight in my arm for long lol.

I have 3 mowers in rotation right now. Unfortunately, the machines went through a flood months ago, and well, each one is screwed up in their own way, but thankfully, all of them run regardless, cause I had to get the water out of them, to get them running. I have a 2017 Snapper 21" Hi-Vac with a Briggs 3rd generation 8HP Intec OHV engine on it. Its got electric start, but motor is fried thanks to the flood, pops fuses now, so only pull start available, sucks!

Snapper also has the friction disk drive mechanism, as well as the rear differential transmission. I had to fight like mad to free up that friction disk slide shaft for the vertical disk, sucker was rusted siezed. Thankfully it runs and cuts, but I really would like to get the electric start going again for it, sadly, to buy a new start motor, OEM parts costs are through the roof since B&B declared bankruptcy during the pandemic.

The next mower I have is a 1996 Toro Super Recycler, with a Briggs Europa 6HP engine on it. It also has electric start, and thankfully, it did not get fried and still works today! However, the pull starter assembly rusted out due to both its age, and mostly the flood, and the recoil just got shredded to bits. I can get aftermarket recoil assembly replacement for it, but it does not match the engine design at all, so it would take it away from the stock look, and I just can't get myself to do that, so I only got electric start for it.

Its got the typical 3-speed transmission that all the Toro's had back then, standard bail bar drive system. But it also has a blade break clutch, which is operated from the same drive lever. This is back when Toro's were Toro's, when the consumer models were built almost as good as the commercial models, with the rear discharge on the deck, quality piece that is. My Snapper is also high quality, just wish it didn't get flooded out.

The 3rd mower in rotation was actually a more recent acquire. And believe it or not, I acquired it right after the flood. One of the neighbors couldn't get their mower to start, and they decided to buy a new machine and give me there's. Its a Husqvarna AWD mower, its only 3-years old. Its got a Briggs 3rd generation 7HP Intec OHV engine on it, but its the residential class model, so it has the plastic carb, ugg, I know. At least my Snapper had the commercial series engine and has a metal carb.

With that one, its the typical problem that all of them get, literally every single year, these machines come in my shop for repair, cause Briggs so badly designed those carbs. All it takes, is a single grain of sand or dirt, clogs the main jet, then the engine either surges, or won't run alltogether. So I cleaned the carb, and she purring like a kitten now lol. Infact I need to use that machine, I haven't used it yet, I really need to mow some lawns with it.

 

[Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker]

I just looked at that REX and I remember I reviewed it a while back. It looks really nice but the price. I'll need to wait a while before buying the REX. I do like heavy weighted razors by the way. Something about heft seems to me makes a well balanced product. Like fishing reels. Some like lighter reels with a lot of finesse. I like heavier reels with sustained durability for salt water.
I seen the weight on the Rex Ambassador is 3.5 ounces if that's correct. It has to be of very high quality steel I'm sure. Looks amazing. As you mentioned the Merkur Futur being 4.5 ounces and that was exactly what I was looking for when shopping around. The thick head does not bother me too much and I have been able to finagle it under the nose. Somewhere I saw a page of the different weights on various razors and the Futur was the heaviest. I love it also including the ease of replacing blades. I agree with the issue of changing the adjustment. I seen from day 1 I would be better off adjusting with a towel during the shave. I don't consider myself a well seasoned craftsman yet at DE shaving but I am definitely not a beginner. Probably about 3 quarters to being a Craftsman.
My next razor to focus on is the Rex. It may take a while. I'll get a lot of use out of the four I have now or will have once the E Jagger and USA made Rockwell arrive.

The Rex is 3.7 OZ actually, but yep, probably just enjoy the Merkur Futur for now. I tell you what, I went back to my Rex Ambassador today, and I definitely noticed the weight difference, its lighter then the Futur for sure! I used a brand new Bic blade in it, and just as I remembered, a new Bic blade begins smoothing out, throughout the first shave. The edge coating can be bit on the rough side till smoothed out, then its a smooth cutting blade. But not for all razors!

I was aiming for a 100% BBS shave today, and I almost achieved it with the Rex, I was just shy by 2%. I remember to be careful with this razor, cause you apply any real pressure, and the Rex is the dino that will bight you for it lol. I manage to do my shave without any bleeding, didn't even nick my mole, but there were alum block stings, which just means I went over areas too much, and I knew it already too lol.

I need to write up my SOTD post. I literally had no time to take a proper SOTD photo, so I will have to use my old approach, just post the individual already taken pictures. Anyways, good luck on your journey, I hope you reach Craftsman levels of pure awesomeness in no time.

 

[CuttingEdge60]

@CuttingEdge60

DUDE, I love quality equipment, thats another reason why I buy quality razors. I have a lot of love for Stihl, so much so, that I own a Stihl FS250R 2-cycle brushcutter, 40.2CC, I bought it in 2004, carb failed after 10-years, I also replaced mine, got it going again. Sucker weighs so much, its impossible to use it without a harness. But that machine has the power to take down the everglades, thats how much power its got, brushcutting blade, or string trimmer head, it will get it done. I did change out the autocut head that was falling apart, to a much nicer Echo 450 speed feed head, those are nice!

These days it doesn't get much use anymore, because most of the time, I am taking down 1-foot or less of grass around homes. So I decided to get another commercial string trimmer, but this time, I went with a Honda 4-cycle 35cc trimmer. I've owned the Honda since 2019, and no way was I going to use that terrible head on it, I changed that sucker out too, to the Echo 450 speed feed head, best decision I made there. But its far quieter due to being 4-cycle, and it can take on a foot of grass at a time. Its a beast!

The Honda only weighs about 2-pounds lighter then my Stihl FS250R, so I still need a harness to use it, but its a more manageable machine, puts out less bad emissions too, cause your not mixing oil with the gas. I have a Husqvarna 570-BTS backpack blower 2-cycle 65cc, I think its 730 CFM if I remember correctly, sucker has the power to move a brick! But it also weighs a lot to 24 pounds, so good thing its designed to be strapped to your back, cause I could never carry that weight in my arm for long lol.

I have 3 mowers in rotation right now. Unfortunately, the machines went through a flood months ago, and well, each one is screwed up in their own way, but thankfully, all of them run regardless, cause I had to get the water out of them, to get them running. I have a 2017 Snapper 21" Hi-Vac with a Briggs 3rd generation 8HP Intec OHV engine on it. Its got electric start, but motor is fried thanks to the flood, pops fuses now, so only pull start available, sucks!

Snapper also has the friction disk drive mechanism, as well as the rear differential transmission. I had to fight like mad to free up that friction disk slide shaft for the vertical disk, sucker was rusted siezed. Thankfully it runs and cuts, but I really would like to get the electric start going again for it, sadly, to buy a new start motor, OEM parts costs are through the roof since B&B declared bankruptcy during the pandemic.

The next mower I have is a 1996 Toro Super Recycler, with a Briggs Europa 6HP engine on it. It also has electric start, and thankfully, it did not get fried and still works today! However, the pull starter assembly rusted out due to both its age, and mostly the flood, and the recoil just got shredded to bits. I can get aftermarket recoil assembly replacement for it, but it does not match the engine design at all, so it would take it away from the stock look, and I just can't get myself to do that, so I only got electric start for it.

Its got the typical 3-speed transmission that all the Toro's had back then, standard bail bar drive system. But it also has a blade break clutch, which is operated from the same drive lever. This is back when Toro's were Toro's, when the consumer models were built almost as good as the commercial models, with the rear discharge on the deck, quality piece that is. My Snapper is also high quality, just wish it didn't get flooded out.

The 3rd mower in rotation was actually a more recent acquire. And believe it or not, I acquired it right after the flood. One of the neighbors couldn't get their mower to start, and they decided to buy a new machine and give me there's. Its a Husqvarna AWD mower, its only 3-years old. Its got a Briggs 3rd generation 7HP Intec OHV engine on it, but its the residential class model, so it has the plastic carb, ugg, I know. At least my Snapper had the commercial series engine and has a metal carb.

With that one, its the typical problem that all of them get, literally every single year, these machines come in my shop for repair, cause Briggs so badly designed those carbs. All it takes, is a single grain of sand or dirt, clogs the main jet, then the engine either surges, or won't run alltogether. So I cleaned the carb, and she purring like a kitten now lol. Infact I need to use that machine, I haven't used it yet, I really need to mow some lawns with it.

I owned a Craftsman lawnmower for years with a Briggs and Stratton 7HP OHV. It also had the electric start and it quit working after several years. I bought a new charger and it still didn't work even changed the fuse. But it pull started fine on to 1 or 2 pulls. It was the push drive and all I ever had to do was season it and yearly tune up gas and oil. Kept up year after year. After about 8 years, I bought a Husqvarna 4 years ago. It has a Honda engine easy start. Still starts after 1 sometimes 2 pulls. I gave the Craftsman to my daughter and son in law and it eventually died a few months ago. I didn't know until he told me and I found he was borrowing a friends. Their still somewhat newlyweds at the time and my wife saw there were ones on sale for less than 200 dollars. I have access to military exchange and the lawnmowers reasonable and what she saw was pretty basic. So I seen a Troy Bilt for about 300 Man its a pretty machine. After discounts I ended up at about 283. Push mower Briggs and Stratton. I bought. Had them give me a hundred bucks.

I want to get the old Craftsman and work on that. I don't do this for a living but I like to keep good stuff working if I can and the more I get my hands on them the more I learn. Like you I love quality things and I love to keep my equipment up.

My trimmer is the FS91R professional it's a Brushcutter also. Not as much a beast as your FS250 which is more powerful, but the FS91R is great for a home trimmer and it's commercial grade. I have a MS251R Stihl chainsaw also. I don't have to use it often anymore but its nice thought in the back of my mind that it will deliver when I need it. Besides I live a few miles from the Stihl Plant and though their backordering parts we are still fortunate being in an area where the company is. We are in the Mid Atlantic area of the country by the Chesapeake Bay entrance.

I have an Echo PB250 that stopped working a couple years ago. It was priming OK and Had spark. I changed out the spark arrestor and started running fine for a few months until it stopped priming. Changed the bulb, fuel filter and nothing. Took it apart I suspect it's the fuel pump diaphragm cutout in the gasket, I saw a HIPA aftermarket carb on Amazon for less than 20 bucks. I of getting a ZAMA replacement for a few dollars more but for less than 20 dollars I had to try. It's running top notch. The blower is a noise reduced model. I feel I can get more power, it does the job. I think I may open the carb. I beleive there and adjustment just at the bottom of the fuel inlet cover than can be adjusted. As long as it's doing the job it's OK. But my curiosity/compulsiveness may get the best of me and I just may try and go in there just to see if I can do it.

 

[Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker]

I owned a Craftsman lawnmower for years with a Briggs and Stratton 7HP OHV. It also had the electric start and it quit working after several years. I bought a new charger and it still didn't work even changed the fuse. But it pull started fine on to 1 or 2 pulls. It was the push drive and all I ever had to do was season it and yearly tune up gas and oil. Kept up year after year. After about 8 years, I bought a Husqvarna 4 years ago. It has a Honda engine easy start. Still starts after 1 sometimes 2 pulls. I gave the Craftsman to my daughter and son in law and it eventually died a few months ago. I didn't know until he told me and I found he was borrowing a friends. Their still somewhat newlyweds at the time and my wife saw there were ones on sale for less than 200 dollars. I have access to military exchange and the lawnmowers reasonable and what she saw was pretty basic. So I seen a Troy Bilt for about 300 Man its a pretty machine. After discounts I ended up at about 283. Push mower Briggs and Stratton. I bought. Had them give me a hundred bucks.

I want to get the old Craftsman and work on that. I don't do this for a living but I like to keep good stuff working if I can and the more I get my hands on them the more I learn. Like you I love quality things and I love to keep my equipment up.

My trimmer is the FS91R professional it's a Brushcutter also. Not as much a beast as your FS250 which is more powerful, but the FS91R is great for a home trimmer and it's commercial grade. I have a MS251R Stihl chainsaw also. I don't have to use it often anymore but its nice thought in the back of my mind that it will deliver when I need it. Besides I live a few miles from the Stihl Plant and though their backordering parts we are still fortunate being in an area where the company is. We are in the Mid Atlantic area of the country by the Chesapeake Bay entrance.

I have an Echo PB250 that stopped working a couple years ago. It was priming OK and Had spark. I changed out the spark arrestor and started running fine for a few months until it stopped priming. Changed the bulb, fuel filter and nothing. Took it apart I suspect it's the fuel pump diaphragm cutout in the gasket, I saw a HIPA aftermarket carb on Amazon for less than 20 bucks. I of getting a ZAMA replacement for a few dollars more but for less than 20 dollars I had to try. It's running top notch. The blower is a noise reduced model. I feel I can get more power, it does the job. I think I may open the carb. I beleive there and adjustment just at the bottom of the fuel inlet cover than can be adjusted. As long as it's doing the job it's OK. But my curiosity/compulsiveness may get the best of me and I just may try and go in there just to see if I can do it.

Craftsman is manufactured under AYP, as such, they are higher quality then MTD. Your Craftsman mower probably just needed a new battery, those lead acid packs usually last only but a couple of years, then they die. That was a really nice thing you did for your daughter and son, getting them a nice new mower, I applaud you sir!

Yeah, I aint gonna lie, those Husqvarna AWD mowers are pretty neat. They use two belts, one for each transmission drive, but wow do they provide nice traction. You get on hills with them Husqvarna mowers, they just plow right up them. If only they had breaks on them like a car for when you are going back down though. Get it a set of wings, and she will take off.

Dude, those Stihl FS91R's are real sweet machines too. They are lighter, easier to use without needing a harness, and they got some beast power too, about 28cc's of it, should be able to handle 8 inches of tall grass without breaking a sweat. Yeah, chainsaws are low demand here, so I just got an electric one from Oregon, 18" bar 15-AMP, sucker has power for an electric, I aint gonna lie!

The EchoPS250 are nice machines dude. I agree, first breakdown was your spark arrester 100%, those tend to get clogged, you can either burn the carbon off them with a propane torch, or just leave the screens out. As a professional small engine shop, I'd get fined out the yazoo if I did that, so by law, I have to replace them, I can't just take them out, and leave them out.

Your second breakdown was indeed the pumping diaphragm, from your description, that is the first likely suspect. You can thank ethenol in your gas for that one. We had none of these problems back in the day, pre-ethenol. But our governments decided that we should put corn alcohol in our gas, and let small engines be dammed.

I can 100% recommend the Hippa carburetor kits, dude, those things are super nice. We didn't have those back in the day, and I have actually been buying those to fix many of my customers machines. Only time I don't do that, is if a customer wants to keep their machine stock for resale purposes, then I will order the OEM carbs. But ya, those Hippa carb kits are sweet man, excellent choice on your part!

If the engine is old enough, its going to have HIGH and LOW carb adjustments. Some carbs have the adjustments still there, but are hidden beneath metal caps, cause. And many carbs today don't come with adjustments and are set to run lean out of the box, once again, thats your government EPA's handy work, they don't want people messing with adjustments.

 

[CuttingEdge60]

Craftsman is manufactured under AYP, as such, they are higher quality then MTD. Your Craftsman mower probably just needed a new battery, those lead acid packs usually last only but a couple of years, then they die. That was a really nice thing you did for your daughter and son, getting them a nice new mower, I applaud you sir!

Yeah, I aint gonna lie, those Husqvarna AWD mowers are pretty neat. They use two belts, one for each transmission drive, but wow do they provide nice traction. You get on hills with them Husqvarna mowers, they just plow right up them. If only they had breaks on them like a car for when you are going back down though. Get it a set of wings, and she will take off.

Dude, those Stihl FS91R's are real sweet machines too. They are lighter, easier to use without needing a harness, and they got some beast power too, about 28cc's of it, should be able to handle 8 inches of tall grass without breaking a sweat. Yeah, chainsaws are low demand here, so I just got an electric one from Oregon, 18" bar 15-AMP, sucker has power for an electric, I aint gonna lie!

The EchoPS250 are nice machines dude. I agree, first breakdown was your spark arrester 100%, those tend to get clogged, you can either burn the carbon off them with a propane torch, or just leave the screens out. As a professional small engine shop, I'd get fined out the yazoo if I did that, so by law, I have to replace them, I can't just take them out, and leave them out.

Your second breakdown was indeed the pumping diaphragm, from your description, that is the first likely suspect. You can thank ethenol in your gas for that one. We had none of these problems back in the day, pre-ethenol. But our governments decided that we should put corn alcohol in our gas, and let small engines be dammed.

I can 100% recommend the Hippa carburetor kits, dude, those things are super nice. We didn't have those back in the day, and I have actually been buying those to fix many of my customers machines. Only time I don't do that, is if a customer wants to keep their machine stock for resale purposes, then I will order the OEM carbs. But ya, those Hippa carb kits are sweet man, excellent choice on your part!

If the engine is old enough, its going to have HIGH and LOW carb adjustments. Some carbs have the adjustments still there, but are hidden beneath metal caps, cause. And many carbs today don't come with adjustments and are set to run lean out of the box, once again, thats your government EPA's handy work, they don't want people messing with adjustments.

I can tell by your writing you are a true expert. Professional. I'm just a half ast amature but I enjoy working on my equipment when it needs some TLC. I need to tighten up the throttle on the trimmer. It feels like it starts to sputter half wa between idle and full throttle.