Merkur Futur

[Jimmyinkedup]

So I am relatively new t this but I have purchased and used several razors. My first purchase was a merkur long handled safety razor (180), then i got the merkur 45 bakelite (for travel). Shaved with and thoroughly enjoyed both of them. Picked up a couple vintage gillettes (61 SS flair tip and a 1920's gold ball end OC). I wanted to venture into an adjustable so i bought and restored a gillette 60's slim adjustable and then a merkur futur.
So far (until today) the onky razor I didnt care for was the 1920's open comb but I really didnt buy that to use per say. It was in great shape and cheap and I felt it would be a nice addition to a budding collection (down the road with more experience i may even like it more. The OC design seems to me to be suited towards the more experienced amongst us). The surprise of the group has been the merkur 45 bakelite. I had low expectations but what an excellent shave. Today I tried the futur. Man was I disappointed. To bulky, tough to maneuver. I really had a rough time. Handle too thick for my liking. I have yet to use the gillette adj I restored, that is next, Im hoping i enjoy it much more. All in all im very disappointed in the futur. It could be my lack of wet D/E shaving experience Im not sure but what i thought would become my go to razor or at least most used is at least for now relegated to "the back row". I will try it again of course, several times, but if the experience doesnt improve someone will get a hell of a deal on a matte finish futur!
Anyone share my opinions or have any suggestions?

 

[fuzinboston]

The Futur has never been accused of being light or compact, and is one reason why many stay away from it when they enter the world of traditional shaving. What setting are you using it on?

 

[bosseb]

Anyone share my opinions or have any suggestions?

I am not new to this and I have never been able to get an enjoyable shave of a Futur even on the mildest setting. It is simply too aggressive for me regardless of blade.

I have tried it at three different times during a five year period without any success whatsoever. Unfortunately it was my only razor for a while. It has now found a new home.

 

[Jimmyinkedup]

The Futur has never been accused of being light or compact, and is one reason why many stay away from it when they enter the world of traditional shaving. What setting are you using it on?

I had minimal growth so i used it set at a tad over 2.

 

[Kingofseoul]

I had minimal growth so i used it set at a tad over 2.

I bought a Futur as my first razor but felt like I needed something more forgiving, so I got an Edwin Jagger DEl89l.
The EJ is more forgiving and gives a great shave. I liked the weight of the Futur but the head was a little big for me.
However, I fully intend to pick up the Futur again at a later date.

That being said, I did manage to shave my head with the Futur once without incident.

 

[fuzinboston]

I had minimal growth so i used it set at a tad over 2.

While it's hard to argue with the physical properties you've mentioned, 2 is still relatively mild. I started with a Futur about 16 months and have picked up several razors along the way, but always enjoy going back to the Futur.

 

[Bearded Buckeye]

I experienced a frustrating period with my Futur, but I adjusted my attack angles and it is now one of my favorite pieces of hardware. Yes, it is a bit bulky and heavy...but, those are desirable characteristics in some situations.

I can't find the post that discussed and troubleshot "Futur form", but I would suggest that there is probably a sweet spot that lives a few degrees from your current form.

If you want to stick with the Futur for a few more days, try some subtle blade angle adjustments.

If you have reached the apex of your frustration, that Slim Adjustable should be a very suitable replacement.

 

[Daytodaze]

I didn't care for my futur until shave 4 or 5. I found that cranking it up actually made it shave smoother. I also had to remap my beard growth, because it's not as forgiving as my Merkur 180.

 

[Jimmyinkedup]

Thanks for the input and advice guys. I have set it aside for a few shaves and will certainly take into account and try the above advice re: form and setting adjustments. Im not giving up on it yet. Im still hoping this can become a "cornerstone" razor for me.

 

[Jimmyinkedup]

Ok so i put the Futur down and today shaved with the Gillette slim adjustable. Set on # 5 for 2 passes and #2 for one pass. I used a VDH blade and proraso menthol and eucalyptus soap (not cream) with an Omega 10065 Boar brush-mug lathered.
All I can say is WOW - this is to date my finest shave. It will be difficult even picking up the futur any time soon after the absolute pleasure this shave with this set up was. On top of it the Gillette is my first safety razor restore (albeit minor) which simply added to the experience but that aside, results alone, this was a truly great shave.

 

[Leslie145]

No-one is ever going to call the Futur light or compact - it's a beast.

Whilst I wouldn't call it my go-to razor, however, I really enjoy shaving with it. Yes, it needs to be treated with a great deal of respect (especially ATG), but get the angle right & it's a beauty.

I actually find the additional bulk an advantage, it really is a case of set your angle & let gravity do the work - I honestly think if you give the beastie a chance, you'll come to like it.

 

[sinik]

Are Merkurs considered very aggressive closed comb razors? I have a Merkur 34C that I use with Personna Blues and I'm wondering where that falls in the aggression spectrum?

 

[infotech]

I'm not surprised to hear your experience with both razors. When I first started shaving with DE the Merkur HD was too aggressive much less the Futur.

However, I loved the Gillette Slim Adjustable. I used it every shave for about a year before I started using and buying ohter Merkurs, including the Futur. Now days, I don't touch the Slim and used the Futur for nearly every shave. Not that the Slim is a bad razor, I just prefer Merkur these days. The Slim at it's highest level doesn't even come close to a Futur on 2.

 

[sinik]

I'm not surprised to hear your experience with both razors. When I first started shaving with DE the Merkur HD was too aggressive much less the Futur.

However, I loved the Gillette Slim Adjustable. I used it every shave for about a year before I started using and buying ohter Merkurs, including the Futur. Now days, I don't touch the Slim and used the Futur for nearly every shave. Not that the Slim is a bad razor, I just prefer Merkur these days. The Slim at it's highest level doesn't even come close to a Futur on 2.

so you would say that the Merkur 34 HD is a very aggressive razor?

 

[infotech]

so you would say that the Merkur 34 HD is a very aggressive razor?

No, I wouldn't say it's overly aggressive when used correctly. You can say that about any razor, but I found that I could get away with more mistakes using a Slim than I could with the HD.

 

[sinik]

No, I wouldn't say it's overly aggressive when used correctly. You can say that about any razor, but I found that I could get away with more mistakes using a Slim than I could with the HD.

yeah I find it to be pretty tame honestly, my 'aggression issue' with it turned out to be just poor quality Merkur blades that were originally packaged with it

 

[infotech]

yeah I find it to be pretty tame honestly, my 'aggression issue' with it turned out to be just poor quality Merkur blades that were originally packaged with it

Mine was too much pressure. It took me an absurdly long time (~6 months) to learn how to shave with a light touch.

 

[sinik]

Mine was too much pressure. It took me an absurdly long time (~6 months) to learn how to shave with a light touch.

I had a weird journey. After shaving only with electrics I tried a Fusion for a few months before buying the 34C. The 34C tore up my face so I went back to cartridge for a bit before using a straight razor. I found the straight really easy but the maintenance was too much for me so I tried the 34C again but this time with different blades and loved it. Think the few weeks of straight shaving made my handling better for when I returned to DE

 

[ultra]

Sinik time to shop de Weber
I've heard availability is always an issue. Is that correct?

 

[sinik]

Sinik time to shop de Weber
I've heard availability is always an issue. Is that correct?

I just got the Weber Stainless Steel with Classic handle! They have an Amazon store, it'll be here next week probably