Merkur progress VS HD

[CoolBurn]

I've been DE shaving for a year now, with great results. An HD with a Feather blade is my standard setup, and I have enjoyed many different creams and soaps. I have recently tried the Merkur Progress and have had very poor and bloody results. I am still using my beloved Feathers, and I have the razor set at 1, the least aggressive possible. Could it be that I just need time to adjust to the new comb and weight, or could this razor simply not be for me? Anyone else have any similar issues? Any suggestions?

[bonusmarple]

When you use the progress, you need to make sure that the notch on the cap lines up with the arrow on the body. If you are doing this, take a look at the blade and head alignment, there have been quality issues reported by other owners. Mis-aligned heads could also cause this problem.

[CoolBurn]

Arrow and notch are definitely lined up. But on careful inspection blade on one side seems to be less straight than on the other. Not sure if that could cause a problem.

[bonusmarple]

It would be best to post a picture, but yep, uneven exposure will cause weepers, nicks, and irritation.

[PhoR]

Uneven blade exposure can definitely be a problem.
I've had nary a single problem with feathers in my Mergress.

How are you loading a blade into the razor?
I stand the cap on the counter, drop a blade onto it, and then turn the handle upside-down to connect the two together, all while the cap is still standing on the counter.

I think it's much more consistent this way than holding the razor and cap together as I bring the cap to the handle.

[Tha Baron]

Could be an angle issue since youre used to the HD...

It appears that the bar angle on each of the razors is different... take a look down the long edge of the head of both razors next to eah other. Looks like the HD has a flatter head (more shallow from bottom of bar to top of cap) relative to the Progress which appears deeper.