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merkur futur vs merkur progress

hello people so im really curious and intrigued by this one as i've never used both of these de razors,
ive use two clone futur razors which i really like but i know the merkur futur and the merkur progress are very popular within the wet shaving scene

looks wise the futur looks much better, dont like that plastic bottom bit of the merkur progress but i do like that brass mod on the other thread i saw a few days ago

so i was wondering which one do you like better and whats the pros and cons of each razor?
 
The progress is one of my favourite razors efficient smooth and obviously very versatile tried the futur clone (Qshave) which is very efficient but I'm not a fan of the head geometry...too bulky so I didn't take the plunge for a genuine futur
 
I have both. For me the Futur is much much to aggressive to be a useful daily shaver. I have never had a blood free shave from it regardless of the setting. The Progress is the better option of the two. Having said that, all i use now is a Rockwell 6s. Neither Merkur comes close to it. If you are stuck on a Merkur, the 34c beats both the Futur and the Progress in my opinion.
 
Both shave really well and are a couple of my favorites. Both give me great irritation free shaves every time as long as I do my part. The Futur for me shaves just a bit closer and smoother but the large overhang on the sides makes it a bit tough to get under my nose. Not a huge problem once you've figured out ways to get around that but if I had a moustache, the Futur would be the winner for me. Even though the blade gap is huge it actually feels very mild as long as you don't use any pressure.
 
I have owned and used both. For several years I used the Progress daily, and I'm sorry that I sold it off. Unlike you, I like the retro touch of that plastic knob, but you can spend a bit more for the Mergress with the metal adjustment knob if you find it cheap looking. I have found other DE razors that I prefer to the Progress, but its versatility (none of those other razors are adjustable) alone makes it a worthwhile purchase.

The Futur and I got along great - except for the handle. As @hydro-magic says, the large head and overhang take some getting used to, but once you've figured out how to use it, it is a great razor. If they made a Futur with a textured handle, I would buy it tomorrow. I tried pencil grips, rubber bands, plasti-dip and probably a few other things. Some of them worked but I like my razors to appeal to me visually, and none of those solutions produced an attractive (to me) razor.
 
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Progress is like a classic car (68 Mustang may be :biggrin1: ) that you can buy directly from the factory back in 60's. The bakelite knob is a fantastic item with gives its cool and vintage look.
The setting 1-5 is very good for each step. The short handle ergonomics is impressive. The weight and the size balance is very good.
You have to pay attention to the direction of the top cap when you insert the blade in order to have a proper setting alignment.

Futur is looks like a hammer. But this hammer can give very smooth shaves. It's setting on the mild side 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5 can give daily good shaves. You can obtain more aggressive shaves starting from 3.5 to 6. If you are a 10-15 days shaver you will not need a straight razor it can give same result of a SR in two aggressive pass. The hefty size is very well balanced.
When you insert the blade into the futur, you need no pay attention to the direction of the top cap.

I may say about the the Futur compared to Futur clone;
1- Futur clone have a lot blade chattering
2- Futur clone setting is very close to the mild side (Clone settings 1-2-3-4 are very mild)
3- Some futur clones requires attention to the direction of the top cap
4- Futur clone are lighter but the Original Balance Futur is not here
5- Some Futur Clones spring can get rusty very fast

Verdict ; I have two Progress, two Futur(s) and one Futur Clone. If I have to pick only one I'll pick Progress
 
I like the retro touch of that plastic knob
If it was good enough for Mercedes Benz, . . . :)
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I have a Progress and absolutely love it. Shaves very differently from the vintage Gillette adjustables (i.e. Slim/BB). Definitely worth picking up. I've never tried a Futur, so can't comment on how they compare.

I'm also in the camp that really loves that plastic knob -- there's something "vintage cool" about it.
 

never-stop-learning

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I have the Progress (recently modified to Opgress) and the Futur clone.

The Futur clone is too big and bulky for my preference. I prefer the Progress. :)
 
Of the two, I prefer the Progress, and Mergress, the Futur is a bit too bulky and heavy for me. Also the loading seems awkward to me and I have sliced myself trying to adjust the setting with a blade in.
YMMV
 
I love both. If I could only have one, it would be my gold futur. It is gorgeous, and can be mild at setting 1 and 2 and get wild at higher settings. Plus it's very smooth.

Fayiz D.
 
You can't go wrong with the Progress. I find the Futur too aggressive for daily shaves even on the mildest setting.
The Progress is just excellent. Very smooth and very efficient. Works well with pretty much any blade u put in it. I love the retro plastic knob. Reminds me of the knobs on older German sports cars. All round fantastic razor. It's been around for over 70 years. That says a lot.

Sent from my CPH1969 using Tapatalk
 
I've recently picked up a progress in a trade here.
Haven't used it yet, but mainly wanted it for my collection and to try it out.
If it's not the longest production razor it's got to be close... been making them since the 50's.
I'd like a Futur just for the cool factor, but that's about it from what I know about them.
 
I have both. For me the Futur is much much to aggressive to be a useful daily shaver. I have never had a blood free shave from it regardless of the setting. The Progress is the better option of the two. Having said that, all i use now is a Rockwell 6s. Neither Merkur comes close to it. If you are stuck on a Merkur, the 34c beats both the Futur and the Progress in my opinion.
Agree on this post. I actually like the Futur clones better than the Merkur branded Futur because they are much milder as a rule. Between an actual Futur and Progress, I'm with the Progress.
 
I love progress with white knobs, shaves like charm. Efficient & smooth. Design is appealing compared to furtur.
 
I have both and I love both. It's almost like having a preference for a classic car versus a preference for a modern-styled car, when all other variables are comparable.

Which do I prefer? Too close to call, but if pressed, maybe the Futur.

I have tough whiskers, and use the Progress on 3.5 and the Futur on 3.
 
I assume a lot of you are face shavers I'm a head shaver so not really an issue in regards to the head of the razor on the merkur futur
 
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