merkur futur shaving help!!!

[biker70_01]

Hi,
I just bought the merkur futur after reading rave reviews online. I bought this thing because I have very sensitive skin, and my Mach 3 Turbo blows. I haven't quite adjusted and am still cutting myself a lot- I use setting 3. I am very new to wet shaving- using a badger brush and Art of Shaving lavender soap. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get a comfortable shave out of this thing?

[guenron]

Hi,
I just bought the merkur futur after reading rave reviews online. I bought this thing because I have very sensitive skin, and my Mach 3 Turbo blows. I haven't quite adjusted and am still cutting myself a lot- I use setting 3. I am very new to wet shaving- using a badger brush and Art of Shaving lavender soap. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get a comfortable shave out of this thing?
Welcome BIKER!
FIne choice in a razor. Would you like to tell us some more about your routine? How you prep you skin? The size and type of hair in your brush? The kind of blades you are using? What you do with the razor on your face? i.e. shave North to South, South to North? Everywhich way? Perhaps with some insight we may be able to help you find the road to the GREAT AMERICAN SHAVE!"

[biker70_01]

Welcome BIKER!
FIne choice in a razor. Would you like to tell us some more about your routine? How you prep you skin? The size and type of hair in your brush? The kind of blades you are using? What you do with the razor on your face? i.e. shave North to South, South to North? Everywhich way? Perhaps with some insight we may be able to help you find the road to the GREAT AMERICAN SHAVE!"


Hi Ron,
I shave in the morning. start by putting a hot towel on my face and neck. Then I use the Art of Shaving lavender cream with a badger brush (small- it came with the AOS sample pack- but it lathers well). I start by shaving North South, then reapply lather and go South north, against the grain. This is obviously when most cuts occur. I use the Merkur blades (still using the first one).
Then I liberally apply the styptic to my face. I finish with the AOS after shave. As a side note, I am thinkng about trying the Taylor of bond street Avocado shave cream, any thoughts?
Thanks so much for your help!

[obsessis]

taylor avocado is a pretty good choice.

[guenron]

Hi Ron,
I shave in the morning. start by putting a hot towel on my face and neck. Then I use the Art of Shaving lavender cream with a badger brush (small- it came with the AOS sample pack- but it lathers well). I start by shaving North South, then reapply lather and go South north, against the grain. This is obviously when most cuts occur. I use the Merkur blades (still using the first one).
Then I liberally apply the styptic to my face. I finish with the AOS after shave. As a side note, I am thinkng about trying the Taylor of bond street Avocado shave cream, any thoughts?
Thanks so much for your help!
I am not going to needle you for details, so let us try just a couple of items. First, the shave really goes something like this:
1 Prep
2 Lather Build
3 Reprep and Lather App
4 Razor Pass
Repeat 3 and 4 as dictated by your particular needs and regimen

Let us address a couple of items in 1. The warmer the water and longer the exposure of your beard to the hot water (short of turning your visage into a prune) the better. This tends to soften the whiskers. Some folks use a facial scrub followed by a hot rinse/soak with hot washcloth, others use facial (moisturizing) soap and then the rinse/soak with hot washcloth and yet others actually apply a light coat of lather and soak under a hot wet washcloth to soften their whiskers. I am not sure exactly what you are doing/using here, but this is an important part of the shave.
The importance of step 2 can not be underestimated. A good, moist, slippery lather is fundamental to every good and enjoyable shave. You feel that your lather is satisfactory? Good!
Let us move on to step 3. Note that I said reprep and lather app. The idea is to keep your face wet and beard ever softening. So application of a hot, wet washcloth followed immediately by brushing on your lather is the best way to ensure that you are going to get a good start on your shave. I am not quite sure how you handle this step, but perhaps there is something here that may help.
Finally in step 4, the step that your Futur has been made for, we take nice one half to two inch strokes depending on what particular style you ave developed and where you are on your face. The whole goal of the razor pass is to reduce the length of the whiskers on your visage without getting you cut or irritated. At this point you are saying, "D'oh?" WHat is really important to learn is do NOT set out to get down to baby's butt smoothness on a single pass or even two. The goal of each pass should be to reduce your beard a bit more than the previous pass left it.
The symptoms you are reporting sound as though your beard is not quite ready for an against the grain pass when you do your South - North, i.e. it is too long and too stiff.
Before I bore you to death with all of these words, let me make this suggestion. Try some of the things I said for prep and reprep. Do two N-S passes without a S-N for a week, i.e. Step 1, Step 2, Step 3 then Step 4 N-S, then Step 3, then Step 4 N-S. THe next week add another Step 3 and Step 4 with a S-N (against the grain). Your whiskers will be softer and shorter and you will probably be on your way to a cut/nick free close shave.
Let us know how it goes.

[axel]

Hi Biker,

good choice with the Futur, this is a great razor I also use and love :)

With regards to you problems: first of all it may take some time for you and your face to adjust to the new shaving method.

Then, especially with the Futur, I would advise to dial it down to "1" to reduce blade exposure and start from there. When you get fine shaves at this setting you can gradually move up to higher exposures (don't need to, though - I use my Feathers in the Futur set to "1" and get extremely fine shaves).

Finally, other important points with DE shaving in general and the Futur in special are: no pressure and right angle !! Just let the weight of the razor do the cutting, just guide it over you skin. With regard to the angle: start off with the handle perpendicular to your skin. Then gradually lower the angle (handle) until you feel a cutting action start. This is the angle you would want to keep, so you get cutting but not scraping action. This technique may take a while to learn, but its the key to irritation-free shaves with a DE !

Just my 2 cents,
-Axel-

P.S.: Oh, and one thing I forgot: it could be that the blade supplied with the razor is not quite good ! I had this happen several times with my Merkurs, could be due to the blade being buffed around in the razor package. So perhaps it would make sense to start with a fresh DE blade.

[vontech]

After trying WAY TOO MANY razors, creams, etc., I've been using a Futur on a setting of "2" now for two weeks, every other day, and it works great for me.

Only took 3 months for me to figure it out, too! :tongue_sm

[biker70_01]

Thank you all for your help!
The shaves are getting better- using taylor Avocado now and I am cut free on my neck. Ron- great prep advice! I still get nicks on my face and chin but I find that just using cold water to close the pores is enough- no styptic for me. Also, no after shave either, that was irritating my skin.
Thanks again.

[guenron]

Thank you all for your help!
The shaves are getting better- using taylor Avocado now and I am cut free on my neck. Ron- great prep advice! I still get nicks on my face and chin but I find that just using cold water to close the pores is enough- no styptic for me. Also, no after shave either, that was irritating my skin.
Thanks again.
A HAPPY Wet Shaver is our most important product! Hopefully, the nicks will disappear as you develop the smoothness that comes with muscle memory.

[javyn]

I've used my Futur, about 5 times or so (it's still pretty new), and have yet to nick myself , knock on wood. I do far more damage to my face with a little Merkur 1904, actually. But anyway, my advice on starting out with the Futur is to go all the way down to setting 1 and start from there, and use no pressure, this razor is weighted perfectly (for me, at least). Angle is important, too. I'm not moving the razor unless I feel that safety bar touching skin, or else I'd nick myself up, no matter what razor I'm using. One thing I don't like about the Futur though is that I can't really adjust it while I am shaving. I don't trust myself gripping the head of that beast with glycerin-slick fingers. Being able to dial the razor up while I'm shaving my cheeks, and then dial it all the way down when I'm going against the grain on my neck and chin with my Gillette adjustable makes a huge difference to me as far as closeness and comfort go.

But I still think the heft of the Futur allows it to give a great and comfortable shave as long as you're careful. This is definately the most fun razor I have used.

[Scotto]

I have nothing to add to this thread, other than to give props to John and his "Scanners" avatar. I love that movie.

[javyn]

Scotto, brothers should be close, don't you think???

[guenron]

I've used my Futur, about 5 times or so (it's still pretty new), and have yet to nick myself , knock on wood. I do far more damage to my face with a little Merkur 1904, actually. But anyway, my advice on starting out with the Futur is to go all the way down to setting 1 and start from there, and use no pressure, this razor is weighted perfectly (for me, at least). Angle is important, too. I'm not moving the razor unless I feel that safety bar touching skin, or else I'd nick myself up, no matter what razor I'm using. One thing I don't like about the Futur though is that I can't really adjust it while I am shaving. I don't trust myself gripping the head of that beast with glycerin-slick fingers. Being able to dial the razor up while I'm shaving my cheeks, and then dial it all the way down when I'm going against the grain on my neck and chin with my Gillette adjustable makes a huge difference to me as far as closeness and comfort go.

But I still think the heft of the Futur allows it to give a great and comfortable shave as long as you're careful. This is definately the most fun razor I have used.
Greetings John,
Here's your chance to light a candle rather than curse the dark. I have found on the rare occassions when I wanted to change the balde exposure on my Futur that grasping the head in a shaving towel and twisting the handle overcomes the issue of SLICK and unshielded blade. While one must still exercise care, having the business end of the razor wrapped in a towel is a good way to lend flight to those fantasies wrought by adjustability..:thumbup1:

N.B. There are/is certain central Baja Oklahoma merchants who would probably donate a box of shavesheisters to a worthy cause to wax that poetic.

[obsessis]

you can press the head of the razor up against the sink and then just twist the handle.

[biker70_01]

Ron,
One more question. How long should a good shave take, assuming the four pass method? My shaving takes about 35 minutes...

[DoubleE]

My 4 pass method takes about 20 minutes from start to finish.

[guenron]

Ron,
One more question. How long should a good shave take, assuming the four pass method? My shaving takes about 35 minutes...
While this might sound facetious, as long as you can take!! I never rush my shaves, it's a formula for disaster, and it reduces the pleasure I find in shaving. Depending upon the razor, state of the blade, and my particular humor, my shaves last from ≈15 minutes to ≈30 minutes. You will find your own rhythm when you become really comfortable with your shave and muscle memory plays a greater roll in your razor strokes.
Please note that there are certain things we do when enjoying a shave that add to our time. Worst of all, these things are not really productive items and lend nothing to the shave other than an additional dose of pleasure. This morning I found myself almost carried off by the fragrance of the Floris soap I was using and was daydreaming as I listened to the whiskers getting sheared off. Tends to slow things down, but it sure is relaxing. BTW, it was an A+++++ shave. I felt like a million bucks when I did my second rinse and rubbed in the aftershave balm.. Shaves like that are meant to be enjoyed. Too bad I have to eventually leave the shave shack to go to the office. (I guess it was one of those carpe diem moments)

[Webro]

Biker what is your name?

I myself use the same razor although I started off on setting 2 and found it worked for me.After about three months I put it up to 3 only to find I was cutting myself all the time even after three months practice.Iwould suggest that you maybe started too high, dial it back down to 2 and you may find it easier on your skin.

Alan

[willhs]

I've been at it for a few weeks with my Futur. I love it, and I keep it dialed down to 1. I started out with U.S. Personna blades, and now I'm using Merkurs. Looking forward to trying out my Feathers.

[Joe Lerch]

The futur is a great razor. I have more than a thousand shaves with mine, so I know it pretty well. The thing about this razor is that it tends to be harsh on aggressive settings. The 3 may be a little high to start with. I suggest you start with a 2 until you get used to it.

If you're getting nicks, also pay attention to your stretching. As a minimum, you need to flatten out the skin so the blade contacts it evenly and doesn't snag on any skin folds. Also, keep the razor pressure at a minimum and use a flat blade angle.

[biker70_01]

Hello all,
Thank you so much for your posts. After 2 months of using the futur I have really gotten the hang of it and I enjoy every shave. There's rarely a nick and I still can't get over the closeness of my shaves! Thanks to Ron for his 4 pass shaving method and to all of you for your replies.

Daniel

[Kyle]

Congrats, Daniel! The best part is, your shaves will just keep getting better and better.

[Pilfer]

Just finished a shave with my new Futur. It's unbelievable compared to the cheap chinese one that was the only one I could find around here. I did my first shave on a setting of 1 just to start off safe. Being so closed compared to the other razor it would only cut when at the perfect angle. I doubt it was even possible to nick myself if I tried! Unlike the other razor which was so likely to cut it has to be close to as dangerous as a straight!
Well, first pass, smooth, fast, took the hair right down, closer than with the other shaver with less irritation, in fact I can't feel ANY irritation. decided I didn't need a full four passes. Did a S-N pass and a hald 3rd pass from my chin to ear. Unfricken believe! Same Derby blades from the same packet yet where the other razor grabbed on the S-N pass this was like a hot knife through butter. I could hear the hairs cutting but couldn't feel a thing!
I am so glad I got this razor, I was a little worried that the difference wouldn't be obvious or that I'd have to go through the weeks of learning again.

[guenron]

Hello all,
Thank you so much for your posts. After 2 months of using the futur I have really gotten the hang of it and I enjoy every shave. There's rarely a nick and I still can't get over the closeness of my shaves! Thanks to Ron for his 4 pass shaving method and to all of you for your replies.

Daniel
My heart soars like an eagle! Good show and enjoy!:001_smile

[SSLStudio]

Hello Biker ,

All I can add is that Ron is Da man ! and listen to him he is a very wise man!

NEVER EVER NEVER EVER EVER EVER RUSH ! your holding a Sword in your hand.
You think its just a tiny razor blade but the damage it can cause oh boy!

2 days ago I was shaving with a Fatboy the first time. I was done but wasnt happy with the result of my chin so I wanted to touch up. but instead of taking time I went into it with a bad attitude called "Rush" I used a custom home made milk/honey cream and that stuff is so slick that ! for one careless second that I was rushing not paying attention the head of the Fatboy which is quite heavy and I have to get used to it having shaved with the thin gillette and superspeed the thin slide under my chin in such an angle it cut right into my skin in the blades full width ! thats 2.5 cm ? wide or so. I felt it immediatly like a sting and stopped right there doing anyting I hoped it was just a dream that the razor slipped but the blood soon proved otherwise... Go SLOW!

Another thing which I caught myself NOT doing is being to rushed to re-lather! I follow the 4 passes method of Ron to reduce the beard on each pass and dont go for BBS in 2 passes but what I forgot was to re-wash my face with warm/hot water. I would shave then forget to re-water but put on immediatly Lather as if being afraid that the lather would dry out. are you washing you face with warm water to wet it in between lathering you should ! its a tiny difference there but still lubricates better....