Merkur Futur - First Shave

[Steve_in_CT]

Yesterday I received my new Merkur Futur. I'm not exactly sure why I bought this razor, but I guess I just had a hankering to try an adjustable razor again and I always found the design of the Futur ... interesting. My previous adjustables (not counting razors with multiple plates, as I consider an adjustable to be a razor you can adjust "on the fly") were a Gillette "Black Beauty" back when it was not a vintage razor and a Merkur Progress.

I chose the shiny chrome version, and it is certainly quite shiny given the mass of this razor. It doesn't look like any other razor I've used or seen. In general I prefer double edge razors with small, thin heads like the Game Changer, but the unusual design of the Futur somehow appeals to me. The obvious, unanswered question was, how well does this razor work?

So this morning I gave it a try. I loaded it with a Personna Red blade as it is one I find works well without drama in most razors, and chose the medium setting, #3, for the first shave. My initial reaction was surprise at how maneuverable it is despite its size. Even getting under my nose was not a problem. At this setting it provides good audible feedback and a very smooth and comfortable shave. I had some concern about the smooth handle and rubbed my fingers on an alum block, but I never had any issues with grip. I completed my normal two pass shave with a bit of touch up in quick order and was rewarded with a comfortable and reasonably close shave. Although the two don't look anything alike, the smoothness of the shave and the results remind me of my Edwin Jagger DE89.

Tomorrow I'll move up to 4 and see how that goes. Can this razor deliver the closeness of my Game Changer OC or even my Rocca? If so, how comfortably can it do it?

 

[santamariasteve]

Brother Steve,

I have about 45 DE razors and I have been a daily wet shaver since November 1951, my 15th birthday. At age 83 I have tough "old man" whiskers. The Merkur Futur is a fav of mine. It has a unique feel that is solid and smooth. One caution: don't go overboard on high settings. The Futur is an aggressive razor. Though my whiskers are tough, on a modest setting of only 1.5 I get outstanding shaves that are close and comfortable. I'm a "set it and leave it" guy. 1.5

More is not necessarily more. Sometimes in life less is more.

BTW I've never met an adjustable razor that I didn't love. I have about 12 adjustable razors. Other favorites are the Gillette Super Adjustable, the Gillette Slim, and the Apollo Mikron.

 

[BigJ]

Enjoy the new shaver!

 

[fast shaver]

Its a Top Tier Razor for me..! I would stick at setting #3 for awhile before you go to a higher setting.

 

[paulmich]

I own this razor and as aggressive at it is, I have had rare cuts/weepers probably user error. It is a fine shaving tool. My so called cons of this razor were: no knurl handle, bulky head. Well I have not had any use for a knurl handle on this razor to date nor has the bulk head caused me any malady. This is one of my fav go-to razors in my collection. I plan on doing alot of experimentation with different blade samples.

 

[hydro-magic]

The Futur is a fantastic razor. I usually use mine at 2.5 or 3. By all means try the higher settings. It's smooth even up there. My skin doesn't like a lot of blade exposure though and I always try to use the lowest setting that'll give me a BBS shave

 

[shupey]

Careful with the Futur....they tend to bite

 

[LoveTheSlant]

The Futur can definitely shave as close as the Rocca, though I enjoy the feel of the Rocca more. The Futur is like a massive shotgun whereas the Rocca has the feel of a precision instrument (less gap, more exposure, lighter, smaller profile, more maneuverable etc.). The Futur is calibrated to be both aggressive and smooth (vs the Progress which is very smooth at lower settings but loses smoothness as the settings are adjusted higher).

The Futur was my first razor and every time I use it I ask myself why I ever bought another. We all know the answer to that question. But truth is my Futur doesn’t get that much play.

 

[Steve_in_CT]

Today was shave 2 with the Futur set on #4. There was a bit more blade feel, but it was still very comfortable and non-threatening. As paulmich said above, I keep expecting the bulky head and/or the smooth handle to present a problem, but they never do. No nicks, cuts, weepers or irritation and the results seem to be slightly better than the Game Changer OC or Fatip OC. I'm not sure it shaved as close as my Rocca (the razor that gives me the closest shave), but I'll have to try a side by side to be sure.

 

[bkatbamna]

I have had one for a couple of years. I concur that it is a great razor. I have the ATT H1 and H2, the CG level 3 OC, the Muhle R41, 2 Wolfman Wr-1 OC(.86 and .91), a Wolfman Wr-2 OC 1.45, and various vintage gillettes and the futur is as good as any of them.
I bought the gold version so that it would look different than the Chinese copies that flooded the market a while back.

 

[Steve_in_CT]

For my third shave with my Futur, I upped the dial to 4.5. I also shaved one side with the Futur and the other with a Muhle Rocca. From a blade feel standpoint they were quite similar, although the Rocca made me feel as if I had to be slightly more careful with it than the Futur. On the other hand, the Rocca was more maneuverable. But both were a pleasure to use. I think 4.5 is the setting at which the Futur becomes more efficient for me than the Rocca, yielding a