Merkur Futur vs. Progress - a comparison

Hello TSD

Over the course of the past few weeks I shaved with these two Merkur Adjustable razors - and since quite a few people were interested in my assessment, here is my final evaluation.

I absolutely love the looks of the satin finished Futur. Elegant, simple, classy. But as I said in one of my SOTD posts, the Progress also looks nice, it has a certain old fashioned retro charm.



The Progress, though a heavy razor, is much smaller and lighter than the Futur: 8.8 cm vs. 10.8 cm in length, the kitchen scale showed 92 grams for the Progress, 123 grams for the Futur.

The Futur's surface is very smooth, the workmanship top notch. The Progress is by no means a cheaply made razor, but the finish is not on the same level with the Futur. On my specific unit the plastic adjustment knob had some sharp edges which I sanded for smoothness.

To open the razor you have to turn the adjustment knob on the Progress. With the Futur you just "pop off" the head - there's an indentation on one side of the headplate for better grip:







While some people say this particular head design runs the risk of cutting yourself while changing the blade, I actually prefer the Futur's design over the Progresses. Just makes blade change easier and more comfortable. And there's one more thing to note about the progress: Always be sure to align the markings on head and base plate as shown here, otherwise the Adjustment function will not work correctly:



But the big question is: How do they shave?

Simple answer: Both are fantastic razors, capable of smooth, irritation-free and close shaves. Which one you prefer is simply a matter of personal taste.

The more in-depth answer: My favorite is the Futur because of its overall package - it just appeals to quite a few senses. Firstly this razor sounds just incredible. I have never shaved with a straight razor, but I imagine that this is how some straights might sound.

And then it just feels great while shaving. It glides ever so smoothly and at the same time is so very efficient. Some call this razor aggressive, but I don't really think it is. And for me it becomes an even more pleasant shaver on the higher settings. Though I have to admit: The Futur set to 6 and loaded with a Feather blade might be just a touch too much.

The Progress shaves very similar, but not quite as efficient. A really good Futur shave will last quite a bit longer than a Progress shave. But let me remind you: We are talking about minor differences on an already very high level here. On a scale from 1 to 10 the Futur would be a 9 and the Progress an 8.5 (just have to leave some space at the top, who knows what the future will hold). In comparison I would rate the Gillette Slim and Super Adjustable at about 7.

While I usually prefer shorter handles I really like the Futur's long one - I guess it's because of the unusual shape which makes it quite comfortable to hold. And although both razors lack any knurling I don't think they are particularly slippery. Both razors are nicely balanced, the Progress being a little more top-heavy.

The one thing that might make the Futur a not so great choice for some people is the big and bulky head. It takes some getting used to, especially because of the width, which makes it difficult to determine where the blade is:



This is easier with the Progress:



So if you want a bit more maneuverability or maybe have to shave around something like a chin strap the Progress might be the better choice.

Oh and ... one more thing I really like about the Progress is this:



I just think it looks cool and somewhat old-fashioned.

After the first few shaves the Futur became my favorite razor and I actually thought about selling the Progress. But the last week of shaves with the Progress made me change my mind about that - I will keep and enjoy them both

Okay - so these were my thoughts on two fantastic razors. Thanks for reading - and please excuse all my mistakes and odd expressions ...

 

Wonderful review and comparison of the two razors. Thank you for taking the time to write such a detailed review.

 

Thanks for the review of the two razors.

 

Great information and write-up. Thanks! I've added a Progress to my list of "must-have" razors.

(BTW there's a Futur listed for sale on the Goodwill website if anyone is interested.)

 

Excellent evaluation! I want both razors now. Thanks.

 

Don't you just hate when that happens? LOL

 

Excellent thorough review! I enjoyed reading about your progress with the two razors over on the 30 Day Thread.

 

Thank you for a great review. I just might have to start looking for a Futur.

 

Great job on the comparison!
The Futur was probably my favorite adjustable DE razor.

 

What a wonderfully written, insightful post @Marverel. Thanks for taking the time. Now I have a reference for my purchase as one if not both of these is on my list.

 

I too find my Future fantastic. I wanted to try a Progress at one point but it passed. I especially find the Future head hard to manoeuvre around corners (nose) but I got somewhat used to it. Based on that I would give it an 8. Probably a 9 if it were Stainless (I don't know what it is about Stainless but it just feels real solid). Like you said, even though the handle is quite big, it is well balanced. For comparison, I would give the Mongoose a 9 (although it's a really different razor altogether), the R41 (2013) an 8, and the Weber PH a 7, all of which shave really well, in their own way. Cheers!

 

Thanks for the detailed review. It was a very good comparison of the Progress and the Futur. Of the two, I'd select the Progress based simply on aesthetics. IMO, the fit and finish on some of the Merkur razors should be better.

 

I had both of these razors but neither one was right for me so I gave them to my Dad who loves them.

 

Thanks for the great review! I'm a huge Gillette Adjustable fan with the Gillette 195 "Fat Boy" being my almost daily driver, until I got a Murker Futur in chrome, for Christmas. It shaves great, and after finding the beginning of the blade, gets into those hard to get places, with no problem. With the blade totally covered on the ends, I find it very easy to maneuver. My FB is enjoying a nice break, cleaned up and resting in it case,

 

Thanks for the review. I own both and I would give the nod to the Progress for the added maneuverability, but both are great razors.

 

Thank you all for the kind words - and sorry for fueling some RAD

I have yet to try a Mongoose ... I hope I'll be able to buy an AlumiGoose as soon as they will be available. That particular razor is one of the reasons I left some room on the upper end of the scale. And I agree with you on the R41. It is a fine razor, capable of very close shaves, but I can achieve almost the same results with the Futur on a higher setting - and that will be a much smoother experience.

 

That was a great review because the Progress is my favorite razor of all time. I do have a Futur clone that I never liked, so I may have to try a real Futur someday.

 

Great review! I almost pulled the trigger on a progress, but decided on vintage adjustable instead. I suspect my next purchase of a new razor will be one of the Merkur adjustable.

 

Excellent review. I owned both and the Futur is one of my favorite DE but I was not enamored with the Progress and sold it. I found the progress handle to be slippery and hard to maintain a good grip. The Futur is more aggressive with I prefer. Nice pics too.

 

I've always wondered about these two razors. Thanks for the comparison Martin.