Great article. I've thought of measuring this myself but Giovanni beat me to it. The results fit my results from trying blade sampler packs. For instance, while many have reported great shaves with a Derby, I have bad results with it: nicking myself on 2 out of 3 days using different razors. The Derby blade really highlights the inevitable flaws in my shaving technique! Sure enough, according the article, the Derby is the widest blade (of those I've tried) coming in at a scary 19th -- much blo... uh, blade exposure. The two blades that are even wider I have never found, thank goodness. Blade width may well be a major factor in blade aggression.
BTW, I was at Lowes one day, I picked up a pack of #10 O-rings on impulse. I rolled a bunch of them over the handle of my Future, into the hollow on the upper part. I made a great non-slip grip. Now that I switched to the Progress, I moved the O-ring to it's handle. Next time I'm at the HW store, I'll get some more. I think covering a good portion of it will improve handling.
Opps, Sorry! I meant #7. My came in packages of 10! Anyway, depending on the handle, you might want to go a little bigger or smaller.
Seconded, with the exception that I *thought* the Redtip was supposed to be one of the most aggressive Gillettes..? If you buy a user grade Adjustable like the Fat Boy you can easily re-sell it, and that adjustability let's your personal sweet spot. And the Fat Boy's feel and look wonderful - there's magic in those weighty metal checkered handles.
I would have to say that the Merkur Progress is one of my favorite razors. It fits my hand well, it feels solid, heavier than a Super Speed, but didn't feel as heavy as the gargantuan Merkur 38C (that thing never quite felt right). The Progress also seems to make good technique easy (I don't have to pay attention/try as hard with a Progress). I also like the Slant, English Gillette rocket and English Gillette HD rocket. Blue Tip Super Speed. Good luck. I would say that a Progress is definitely in the top 10 best shavers ever made. Chris
