I've been using a Mergress XL for the past few days and love it. I have the Futur as well (and an iKon Deluxe open on it's way) and I interested in how the Mergress and Futur can shave so distinctly different when visually they are so similar. Tomorrow I go back to the Futur since my Mergress is packed for a trip...can't wait!!
I desperately need help... I've had the Merkur Futur for nearly 3 years now and absolutely love it... the only issue is sometimes when I change blades it becomes incredibly painful to shave. Instead of the flawless swift shave I normally get, it'll suddenly be arduous and painful. I played around with the settings but it doesn't make a difference. My question is, am I getting flawed blades? I'm buying the Merkur brand but still, I can't figure out any other reason why this would happen. Any help would be much appreciated.
Sounds like it could be bad blades. How often does it happen? Have you ever tried other brands? You might want to try corking or hand stropping a new blade before you put it in the razor, and see if that helps. BTW, Welcome to The Shave Den! A great community of guys and gals that enjoy wet shaving, I hope you enjoy your stay! While its not required, how about you hop over to the Newbies Section and give yourself a proper introduction thread, I'm sure you'll receive many warm welcomes from the friendly folks of this community.
Maybe your angle is off. The Futur puts some serious bend in the blade and it requires a different angle of attack to avoid doing damage.. If you are having problems when the blade is new, this could be it. Sharp blade, steep angle...no good.
I love my Futur! I get great shaves, even with drugstore Wilkinson Sword blades (go figure). My only complaint is that my Futur has slightly uneven blade exposure. It's not overwhelming, but it's there, and I feel it every time I shave.
Hello, Johnny Reno, That is a great name to say hello to; has your problem been corrected with the suggestions? Different blades, etc. I had a thought that on a London shave shop they warn that you must clean your razor thoroughly especially if you have hard water. I have not taken my completely apart but there was a post somewhere showing you how and use an old tooth brush and distilled or non-hard water to clean it. I assume scrubbing bubbles would be ok as long as you do not let the razor sit without cleaning and rinsing.
Yup. Great shave. Funny you mention it, though. I just dropped a Shark Super Chrome blade into my Futur this morning for tomorrow's shave.
My Futur is a true pleasure to use, combining it with a Feather blade at a 3 setting. At the age of 43 after wetshaving for years I have finally learnt the meaning of "me time"
Shark blade and Futur Razor...now that is a great combination which works for me. Some blades and razors seem to go together well(apologizes to Paul McCartney) and that is the Futur and Shark I think after a couple of shaves. My first experience with the Sharks is a good one.:signs021
This has been a Futur week and sad to say, I think we are growing apart. Loaded with a fresh Personna.. Set at 2.5. Seems like I have to pay such a higher level of attention to every stroke when armed with the Futur. Not entirely ready to move on from this razor, but right now the scales are tipped that way :mad:
Mike, you may want to try a Shark, Bleue, or 7 o'Clock blade and move the setting to 1.5 for a few shaves. And, rotate with another different style razor like a 40's SS, three piece, or a Twist/Knack. That is what I did after using a blade that did not work for me at all and some ugly nicks. I was surprized when using the Futur again with the above and rotate on a regular basis now.
I do have a few Shark & 7 O'clocks in my blade jar. And I already loaded the Slant with a fresh blade for tomorrow, just to take a rest. I ended this morning with a fine shave...still nice and smooth, and no major blood-shed. But a momentary lapse of concentration would have cost me big-time.
With the Slant loaded, I actually used the SS. Funny thing is that dialing the Futur back mid-shave hadn't dawned on me... I just plowed through it. SS again tomorrow, then Slant and the Futur over the weekend..
Still using the Futur almost daily, and I continue to love it. If I had to complain about one minor thing, it would be that the handle is a little awkward to grip - but just a little because of the odd shape and the size of my hand. I can't really be more specific, and I know YMMV. I've heard people complain about how loud the shave can be (you can hear a lot of popping as the whiskers come off), but I really prefer that sound, since it gives me some auditory feedback about the shave. Overall, I'm still very pleased with the Futur and love shaving with it.
