I'm thinking of getting an adjustable, and am looking at the Progress or Futur from Merkur. Which has the greatest range of adjustability?
I vote for the Futur. Easier to adjust with better range. The Progress on the other hand can sometimes have adjustment problems. It was once said no two Progress razors are the same and it was referring to the accuracy of their settings.
I have the long handled Progress and it is a very good razor. I just ordered the Futur and waiting for it to come. I heard that it was a great razor, can't wait to find out.
Not having a Progress, I should probably not even weigh in; That said, my preferred setting on the Futur is about in the middle of its adjustability range, which seems very wide. All the way on 1, and it's too mild; At the top end (hmm, 6, I think?) it's too wild. 2.5 is just right, for me.
Thanks for the replies gents, got to make a choice and from my reading they are both good but Futur has fewer issues and I don't think the ones it has would be a problem to me! (i.e. size, blade changing and adjusting on the fly) But I will have to wait as my none of my favoured retailers have the chrome one in stock at present.
Just to make this a bit harder for you to choose, Ill say - go with the Progress.. IMHO a much better razor than the Futur.. And much easier to get a pleasant good shave with.. The Futurs large head makes it a tad difficult to use under the nose and if you have eg sideburns of a beard it is close to impossible to see where the edge of the blade is.. Thats my 2c..
:whacky011 Just get 'em both. I know, though I love the Futur, that I want a Progress too. In gold, if possible. I have no issues with under-the-nose or sideburns with the Futur; Progress looks like it has a smaller head, though, so it might be even easier. After about two shaves, though, you know where the blade is in relation to the head, if you're paying attention, and properly caffienated.
I suspect that the Futur won't cure the RAD so a progress may follow. Its just that ugly knob that gets me, yeah I know you can buy a custom replacement but I don't understand why Merkur make them like that. JMHO Edit: I see they've got the Progress in stock...... Hmmmm
I don't think you'll regret it. The polished chrome Futur is a beautiful instrument (I love mine)! I've had mine for more than a year, and with just a gentle cleaning with scrubbing bubbles every time I replace the blade, it still looks brand new. Like you say, blade changing is safe if you pay attention to what you are doing. I don't adjust on the fly, so that is a non-issue for me as well. I hope you enjoy yours once you get it!
Well I've ordered a Chrome Futur and I'm advised it has been shipped Hopefully it will be with me Fri/Sat
:happy088 If you are familiar with adjustable razors, stop reading now. If you are not familiar with adjustable razors, I offer this advice. Set the Futur at 1 and do a complete shave at that setting. If you do two passes, do both at 1. If three passes, do all three at 1. DO NOT ADJUST DURING YOUR SHAVE. For your next shave set it up to 1.5 and do the whole shave at 1.5. For the next shave, set it up to 2 for the whole shave. You get the idea - adjust up .5 until you reach the, "Whoa, that's half a step too much!" setting. Drop it back .5, lock and leave it! For me 3 was just that half step too much. I keep mine locked at 2.5. My Gillette adjustables are a bit different. I started at three but followed the same procedure as above. Both my Fatboy and Slim are now locked at 6. Enjoy your new toy!
You may also want/need to experiment with different blades.Some of the very sharpest (eg Feather or Kai) may well be a little too harsh until you get more used to the Futur. As advised above,start at '1' and move up gradually. I'm currently using Shark blades and haven't got to level '2' yet!:scared001 Haven't got a Progress yet, so cannot comment.-- Probably going to get one after reading this thread. N.
You've already decided, but I'l weigh in anyway. Both are great razors. The Future is more aggressive and has a wider adjustment range. That is, the highest setting is higher than that of the Progress. I rarely, if ever set my Progress above 4, usually keepinf it at 3 - 3.5. It depends on the blade I'm using. So, the Progress has all the range I need and allows for easier fine running. Also, set the Progress ABOVE the highest setting. You can make about two full revolutions of the knob before it starts to let go of the blade. The knob on the Futur has stops at the high and low end of the range. The Progress goes to zero when there is no blade in place. With a blade, depending on the thickness, it usually lands at about 1 - 1.5. The Progress handle IS a bit slippery when wet or soapy. My solution is to put a stack of a dozen o-rings (#7, IIRC) around the handle. Make it very "sticky." The best shave I've had so care is with a single trimmed Feather AC blade in my Progress set to 5+1. That is, turn it to 5 then keep going to 1 again. The AC blade is so thick, the Progress bottoms out at about 3! I get a combination of safety, smoothness and sharpness that is unmatched.
Thanks all, I intended to work up the range but I would probably have started at 1.5, but thats just 1 day. Although I'm working my way through a 5 pack of Red Personas but I'm only on the 1st blade, however it strikes me as a good blade to try the Futur with that or a Derby.
I use my Futur every time I try a new blade, mostly because I've used more than any other razor I have but also because I regard it as the best razor I own. Personnas and Derbys have worked well for me in my Futur but YMMV because I really, really like it with a Feather.
I can only vouch for the Progress. It IS an animal as far as aggressiveness even on the middle of the road settings, but a very well made, solid razor with great heft and balance. I can shave with it on a 3 setting and stay smooth a lot longer than if I use my Parker 22 or my son's Fatboy, for that matter. The Futur I imagine would be absolutely beautiful with in chromed choice, but the head on that thing just makes me think it would be awkward in the hard to get spot (under the nose).
Check out the blade gaps on both razors. http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/index.php/Double-Edged_Safety_Razors_Ranked_by_Aggressiveness Lowest settings: Merkur Progress at 1 = 15 (thousandths of an inch) Futur at 1 = 44 Highest Settings: Merkur Progress at 5 = 37 Merkur Future at 6.5 = 69 Take from this what you will because shaving with something is far different than looking at numbers, but it gives a good indication what each razor can do. The Futur is the heavier and more aggressive and is more adjustable at the high range while the progress is more adjustable at the low range. You'll probably get more out of the Futur since there are few razors that give you the blade gap it can...
Thank you all for your input, gentlemen, the Futur arrived today. I'm not saying I won't be tempted by a Progress but I'm impressed by its feel so far. I'll probably try it out this evening, but I've got a martial arts class too and sometimes I come home so exhausted that I dare not shave lest I shred my face.
