Is the Merkur Futur really THAT aggressive?

**LordTyranus** · 04-12-2010, 03:43 AM

The Futur is an aggressive razor but that can be, in my case, easily mastered. It was my first DE and I now obtain almost systematically an irritation-free BBS with this razor opened at 1.

Surprisingly, I have much more difficulties to master the FatBoy, which is known to be quite a mild razor. I use it opened at 4 for now and I get disappointing shaves (far from the Futur) and razor burn under the jaw line.

So in my experience, aggressiveness/mildness does not equals danger/safe, pain/comfort or difficult/easy...

**lagaffe** · 04-12-2010, 05:36 AM

Like others here, the Futur was my first DE razor and I love it. It's been neglected a little lately as I try out each new acquisition I receive but a recent run with it has proved that - armed with a Feather - it gives a superior shave to almost all of my other (mainly vintage Gillette) razors.

Even as a complete newbie I managed not to cut myself with it, so it's not as dangerous as others may lead you to believe. It has such a lovely weight that it applies its own pressure and you just need to guide it across your face.

**alanbarnes** · 04-12-2010, 11:07 AM

Okay, I went ahead and ordered a Futur. Got a Progress, too. (Hey, it made economic sense - by spending the extra $47 I saved $9 shipping.) Will report back once I've had a chance to try it out and recover from any resultant injuries.

**dpm802** · 04-13-2010, 08:20 AM

Originally Posted by alanbarnes

Okay, I went ahead and ordered a Futur. Got a Progress, too. (Hey, it made economic sense - by spending the extra $47 I saved $9 shipping.) Will report back once I've had a chance to try it out and recover from any resultant injuries.

Aaaaah, yes. Spend $47 to save $9. Perfect economic sense. I've done that many times. And it provides a perfect excuse to justify RAD. (As if we even NEED an excuse for having so many razors.)

Once you get your Progress, you'll be wanting to get one of the enhanced knobs that are available to replace Merkur's default white plastic thingy, to add weight and balance to the razor. They are available from a number of vendors, and will turn the Progress from a mediocre razor into an engineering marvel.

**alanbarnes** · 04-16-2010, 09:21 PM

First shave - on 1 - very mild. CCS+. Tomorrow we'll dial it up a notch and shoot for DFS in three passes. In the meantime, for those who, like me, might be worried that the lowest setting is too aggressive...

Survey Says - Nope.

**SirPhobos** · 04-26-2010, 01:26 AM

The Merkur Futur is slightly more aggressive and I'd personally recommend starting on the 1 setting and working up from there. I think that what a lot of people mistake for aggressiveness is that the Futur is a heavy tank of a razor. You literally do not have to push. Gravity together with the technology of the blade holder will do their job.

It's just like when you buy a $300 chef's knife: you're paying for the knife to do more of the work; you're not paying extra just to be able to say that you have a fancy knife, but still expect to have to muscle your way through whatever you're cutting. Let the tool do its job and you'll be golden.

Cheers!

**Tattooedfagin** · 04-25-2012, 12:46 AM

Hi, I'm Chad, new here but not to DE & thought I'd reopen old wounds on this one (bad pun, sorry). Been using a Feather AS & iKon OSS in rotation for quite some time, I tried the Merkur Vision last year & swiftly ditched it due to it being too aggressive, curiosity led me onto a Futur to see if any milder but it's just as lethal. Suffering with Alopecia I shave my head every day & gave the Futur the benefit of the doubt (setting 1) & won't be doing that again, must add it gave me my closest ever face shave though this morning (setting 2)

**Frosty** · 04-25-2012, 01:15 AM

I love the Futur- imo it's the most effective razor ever made
i don't think it's any more aggressive than any other razor. I find I get bad shaves from so called milder razors with more nicks and cuts. It's ultimately about technique and getting the sweet spot on each razor.

**Debrushman** · 04-25-2012, 02:12 AM

Try that Futur on 6.5 with a feather. Its almost straight razor good.
It gives a phenomenal shave, plus it teaches you to use the lightest touch.

**Tattooedfagin** · 04-25-2012, 02:37 AM

Originally Posted by Debrushman

Try that Futur on 6.5 with a feather. Its almost straight razor good.
It gives a phenomenal shave, plus it teaches you to use the lightest touch.

i think i'll take a miss thanks, my head looks like i've had a fight with a drunken barber at the moment & i've got to go to work like this (not good !!)

**peterrdean** · 04-25-2012, 02:52 AM

My normal razor is a straight but recently I felt the need for a DE.
I went for the Futur and I have no problem with it.
Great shave set to 2.5. The most dangerous part of blade changing is getting the blade out of its packaging.

Peter.

**ERVARGASNY** · 04-25-2012, 08:31 AM

Strange buy true, some razors work better when cranked up then in a lower setting, and i have sensative skin, sometimes if something doesnt work for me in setting 1 or 2 i crank it up high and even though those high numbers are agressive then tend to give a smoother shave, Try it crank it up 2-3 Settings then the lower setting your using and watch the Magic happen. For now My Magic is Happending with SE's , it's a whole new RAD LOL.

**Lephturn** · 04-25-2012, 12:22 PM

Love my Futur - I've settled on a 2 or 2.5 with a very sharp blade with the Med Prep's being my current favorite.

**Simpleminded Rob** · 04-25-2012, 12:33 PM

I have two Futurs (don't ask me why) and I don't use either one. To my mind, it's not a matter of "aggressiveness" but simply that I feel it's a pretty clumsy design and handles in a clumsy fashion. I'd much rather use a Progress, a Gilette Fatboy, or even a Vision for that matter. Some folks like the Futur, but then some folks liked Corvairs too.

**Ski-Patroller** · 04-25-2012, 02:44 PM

Don't fear the Futur!!

I use 3 razors, a Futur, a Progress and a Feather AS. I use Feather blades almost exclusively. The Futur (on 3) gives me the best shaves. The Feather AS is the easiest to use, since I really don't have to pay to much attention when using it. I seldom get cut with any razor, but the Feather is almost like driving with AutoPilot. The Futur gives a better shave, but I have to pay a little bit of attention to what I'm doing. I prefer the angle on the Futur (and Progress) to the Feather, but it's not a big deal. I usually recommend a Futur to anyone who asks what razor to buy. So far the my friend and my nephew who bought them are quite happy with them.

**VirtualAsylum** · 04-25-2012, 07:50 PM

The Futur is, IMO, one of the top 3 DE razors money can buy. It's hefty, it's beautiful, it's adjustable (and plays nice with most blades), and it provides glass-smooth shaves when you master the right setting/blade combo for your face. I love mine, as I love aggressive razors...

I've got an R41 en route to me as we speak. I'm waiting to see if that has what it takes to dethrone my Futur. Until (if?) that happens, however, I won't even think about shaving with any other DE. It's that good.

**cwnidog** · 04-26-2012, 07:17 PM

Originally Posted by alanbarnes

Okay, I went ahead and ordered a Futur. Got a Progress, too. (Hey, it made economic sense - by spending the extra $47 I saved $9 shipping.) Will report back once I've had a chance to try it out and recover from any resultant injuries.

I like the way you think, 9 bucks might come in handy some day.

As regards the Futur, yeah it's definitely not a toy and it's not at all forgiving of lapses in attention, but once you get the hang of it you'll love it. BTW - be careful on your upper lip, like Miles Gloriosus in "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum", the Futur takes large steps.

**Rhinehoth** · 04-27-2012, 11:13 PM

I have the Futur, along with the 39C slant, Muhle R41 Grande, Muhle R89 and Merkur 12C. It is by far the best razor that I own. I use it at 6.5 and have never cut myself with it, it is easy to hold and is not slippery at all. The two open combs that I have are more likely to cut you (small weepers) but will not give a closer shave than the Futur.
Cheers.

**Rhinehoth** · 04-27-2012, 11:19 PM

Originally Posted by VirtualAsylum

The Futur is, IMO, one of the top 3 DE razors money can buy. It's hefty, it's beautiful, it's adjustable (and plays nice with most blades), and it provides glass-smooth shaves when you master the right setting/blade combo for your face. I love mine, as I love aggressive razors...

I've got an R41 en route to me as we speak. I'm waiting to see if that has what it takes to dethrone my Futur. Until (if?) that happens, however, I won't even think about shaving with any other DE. It's that good.

It will not dethrone your Futur. I am so disappointed with the Muhle R41 (and I love aggressive razors).

**valleyrider** · 04-27-2012, 11:56 PM

Easiest way to use a futur is too do the whole head on face and come down to proper angle technique not come up to angle. If you are used to straight razors or wanting to get into straights the futur is a perfect stepping stone. It will teach you angle and pressure better than any other razor I have tried. It is aggressive.