Merkur Futur does not work for me

[Mvanz9999]

How many different blades have you tried, peoples skin, and beard changes with age.

Oh goodness. Dozens? Astra ss, Astra platinum, feather (not this one again please), Gillette sb, merkur, derby plat, derby Xtra, shark, permasharp, perona, and i settle on Gillette platinum. But these have mostly gone away or are insanely expensive

 

[Mvanz9999]

The Rockwell 6C is s great razor and you can get a few different bases with it.

I'm seriously leaning toward this to start over

 

[Mvanz9999]

I've never had good results with the Futur (or the Q-Shave clone) either. You can strip shingles off a roof with this rig. To take this slasher movie prop above the ears and attempt a headshave? Was that courage or a collegiate frat party dare? The fact that you got good results is beside the point. What tempted you to even dabble in that kind of insanity? I wouldn't attempt a headshave with this rig under any circumstances. Big box retailers should relocate the Futur to the lawn and garden section.

Oh this was worth joining and posting for

 

[Mvanz9999]

OK. Here we go again.

To the original poster: Beats me completely why you continued using a very aggressive razor that clearly doesn't work for your face for 15 (!) years. I hope you find a razor that will work for you. As some members already mentioned, how many blades have you tried? Also what were the other razors you used?

Most importantly, even though you do not want to buy a bunch of razors, we cannot tell you which one will work for you. So it is an inevitable process.

To all Futur haters: There are actually some of us with very tough whiskers who not only appreciate the Merkur Futur, but consider it one of the best adjustables. I only use it @5. It is subjective, yes. It is made of 98% ZAMAK (only a small ring inside it is brass, and I have seen terrible cases of Futur ZAMAK rot). This is from a user who currently has 7 Futurs (Did I overdo it again? Yes, perhaps. Just because I found two gold Futurs at ridiculous prices).

I wouldn't say I hate the Futur itself, it just doesn't work for me at all. I love the look and pop off cap, and despite ZAMAK it looks and functions the same as the day I bought it. People rant and rave so I figured it was just me. After shaving three layers of skin off this am, I decided it's not for me. I fall back to my chintzy Gillette fusion cartridge which, while they work, have become ridiculously expensive. I'd like to go to DE but without the razor burn so bad it takes 2 days to heal.

Thank you for the advice gentleman. I'm going to look at the Henson and rockwell 6c!

 

[Frito Ray]

If I had to start from scratch I would go the Razorock razor route from Italian Barber. Buy one complete razor, then a bunch of completely different heads. You would get a clearer understanding of what is out there and where YOUR preferences lie.

-Razorock German 37 slant with choice of stainless steel handle…$25 (you get a slant head)
-Razorock Old, Mission, Mentor heads…all $8 each(you get an OC, a mild and a more agressive CC head)
-Razorock SLOC head…$9…(never tried it but it looks so damn cool)

 

[Jens]

The Futur is not for everyone. It happened to be my first razor when I turned to DE shaving as a hobby, vendor sent me a Futur by mistake, I had ordered a Merkur 34C ..!
I kept the Futur, ordered the Merkur 34C again (and received the correct razor the second time).
Those two Merkur razors were the beginning of my DE razor collecting bug..!

I still like my Futur, but I think it has helped my appreciation of it that I got into straight razors too.
I would not say the Futur behaves like a straight, but there is something about the blade handling of a straight (and a shavette) on your facial skin that is transferable to a Futur because the latter is so bulky. I think of the Futur as a super aggressive razor in the same league as the Muhle R41, though I probably prefer the Futur to the R41. You have to pay attention, but you can get super close shaves with relatively little contact between skin and razor. Very nice..!

Anyway, nothing wrong with not getting along with the Futur.

You ask for recommendations for a different razor.
GIven that you are an experienced DE shaver, one option I can recommend without hesitation is the Razorock stainless steel LUPO.
From what I understand, the Lupo (meaning wolf in latin), is a replica of a 500 dollar Wolfman razor. It's an incredible razor, feels like a surgical precision tool, very comfortable and efficient. You can get different plates for it, just as with the Rockwell. I have the .72 blade gap version, which is the second most aggressive Lupo available, just right for me as a daily shaver.
I don't have experience with the Rockwell, perhaps you want to consider some comparisons between the two.
Good luck with it, hope you find a razor that suits you.

 

[cpcohen1945]

. . .
GIven that you are an experienced DE shaver, one option I can recommend without hesitation is the Razorock stainless steel LUPO.
From what I understand, the Lupo (meaning wolf in latin), is a replica of a 500 dollar Wolfman razor. It's an incredible razor, feels like a surgical precision tool, very comfortable and efficient. You can get different plates for it, just as with the Rockwell. I have the .72 blade gap version, which is the second most aggressive Lupo available, just right for me as a daily shaver.
I don't have experience with the Rockwell, perhaps you want to consider some comparisons between the two.
Good luck with it, hope you find a razor that suits you.

From the Italian Barber website:

. . . If you already own a Lupo 72, 95, 127 or DC, . . . .

The Lupo has grown to include the 0.58 and 1.27 mm gaps -- razors for everyone!

If Jens is still listening, the original Aluminum Lupo (with roughly a 0.58mm gap) is half the price of the stainless-steel Lupo's, and gives a nice, gentle shave. For someone thinking about going back to cartridges -- or like me, who sometimes shaves without full attention -- it's worth looking at.

. Charles

 

[DesertIguana]

My buddy has your Murkur he has heavy beard, the Razor is his one & only.

He has owned for ever it work for him, Astra is his blade.

 

[Mvanz9999]

Thank you for the kind advice. I have decided to plunge full steam ahead and back into the DE. What have I got to lose? Ha, ha!

 

[Cannon Cocker]

I have quite a few razors and would highly recommend the Muhle Progressive. St James of London (out of the Chicago area) has a few of them on sale for $50 which I believe includes shipping.

 

[Slapo]

I have quite a few razors and would highly recommend the Muhle Progressive. St James of London (out of the Chicago area) has a few of them on sale for $50 which I believe includes shipping.

Did you, by any chance, mean "Merkur Progress", rather than "Muhle Progressive"?

 

[Cannon Cocker]

Did you, by any chance, mean "Merkur Progress", rather than "Muhle Progressive"?

Yes, I did mean the Merkur Progress. Thanks for catching my error.

 

[WetShaveVet]

I still have mine. Haven't used it in years. I tried so hard to like it for 2 or 3 months, but I hated it.

 

[cpcohen1945]

Thank you for the kind advice. I have decided to plunge full steam ahead and back into the DE. What have I got to lose? Ha, ha!

How much do you have to spend?

 

[Andy_Bandy]

I've had the Futur as my first razor and did daily shaves with it on level1. Gradually I purchased other razors and came to the conclusion that the Futur is way too aggressive and not smooth at all for my daily needs.
In conclusion, it's a piece of history (due to the futuristic design from 1986), but on the practical side, it's inconvenient.

 

[Mvanz9999]

Well, I had quite a nice shave the the Futur and Gillette Nacet today. But it did it take forever....no time for that when I'm working. I've gone the 6S route just to get an idea of where to start. I've already got some new brushes coming from Italian Barber. I'm excited to start over again. Once I get an idea of what, if anything, works for me, I think Italian Barber will be getting a whole lot of my business....

 

[om2000]

To the gentlemen who find it super agressive: are you sure you have it adjusted correctly?

Turn it to the 1 level (minimum), then squeeze the head between your thumb and index+middle fingers and see if you can turn it (clockwise) once more. If you do, it means that you have shaved at levels of 11-12 until now. So turn it past that resistance point and you'll have it adjusted correctly.

 

[razorfool]

I find the Futur decent, but very unrefined razor and I rarely use mine. The only reason I've got one, was because I've managed to find a used one for $30 and I couldn't pass.

I like the looks and the shaves I get from this futuristic looking razor. I'm beginning to reach for it more often for some reason. I have plenty of good alternatives but just like the easy shaves I get with this heavy razor. Easy to clean and fun to disassemble once in a while for a deep cleaning.

 

[Lane101]

New to the boards, not to shaving. I have had the Futur for about 15 years (using on and off), and pretty much always hated it (everyone said 15 years ago it was the best adjustable available - it was a horrible first DE razor). Way too harsh for me. I've tried all the settings and every available blade. I am able to get BBS on about 2.5, but that can easily take me 30 minutes. Any other option (too fast, more or less aggressive) leaves me with horrifying razor burn (mouth and chin). I have, however, mastered the art of getting right under my nose. Shockingly, I CAN use it for BBS head shaves with no irritation whatsoever. I'm done with the Futur.

I think the best option is to start over. I have no idea what aggressiveness or blade gap is best for me. So I'm leaning towards Rockell 6(c or s), or am I better off with RazoRock Gamechanger and ordering both the .68 and .84 heads (or the Lupo?) I don't want to spend 100s on a bunch or razors that may or may not work. Any advice?

I'm not a newbie (maybe a little?), so what would you advise a newbie to do?

Hi, a belated welcome to B&B as you joined us last month. If you are looking for a milder razor there are two current production models that use the same type of adjustment mechanism found in the classic Gillette Super Adjustable's (Black Beauties) from the 1970's and 1980's. One is the bargain priced Razorock Adjust Twist to Open (TTO, under $15, rebranded Baili) sold by Italian Barber and also sold under a different name by Stirling. I've this one and it works well with mild to moderate aggressiveness.

The second razor is the Rockwell T2 TTO, a more premium $100+ option that is well regarded by many B&Bers. Also considered mild to moderate.

All three of my razors are moderately prices starting with my King C. Gillette (KCG) that is extremely mild yet effective with the right shaving angle. I also use a Weishi 9306 Long Handle TTO that is moderately aggressive. My Razorock Adjust falls in between these two razors in aggressiveness.

Definitely consider some of these milder razor options as you get back into DE. Good luck with your journey.

 

[AshleyC]

The thing about the Futur is that it is important for other people to know you use a Futur. Kind of like owning an iPhone. Or driving a Prius. I'm mean...I have a Futur. And not just any old Futur, but the bright chrome slippery chrome Futur. Because the gold plated one is just a shade too far into the realm of tacky. And the matte finish one is for ex members of Stasi.

Where the heck am I going with this? I don't even know. I like my Futur. It's so bright, I've got to wear shades. No...now I'm just getting further away from it.

It is one of my most blade-feely, aggressive, "dangerous" razors. I find that it shines when I've gone like four days without shaving. With a sharp blade, it just cruises right through the hair folicles.