Merkur Futur Brushed Steel Razor

A well made razor that takes time to get used to, if you are coming from Mach 3 Gillette type of products, etc. A design that may well be appreciated by some, or found that great by others. Blade is held very well in place, whole thing is pretty heavy, razor is fairly short (in my own personal and subjective opinion), hence I am also looking getting a Merkur Vision.

Most important: take your time to get to know your skin, how your face hair grows (grain direction), get a very good badger, a nice bowl, some good (Personna or Merkur) blades, some nice and classic shaving soaps and creams (contact me or check my wish list for recommendations), learn to make proper and good lather, then take your patience during the first few shaves. If it is the first time you shave with a DE (double edge) razor, the whole process will take time to adjust to.

It is a ritual, not a three-minute habit you have to do every (other) morning. Shaving should be enjoyed, and the Futur helps a lot in this direction.

Overall: Recommended.

I've been using one of these for about 10 years now. Have never got on with disposables or electric shavers. I've used various single-blade razors over the years, but the weight of this is beautiful, with a good, sharp blade it gives a great shave. (And I'm a fan of the Merkur blades as well, get more shaves out of them than Wilkinson Sword -- but there's no noticeable difference on the first couple of shaves).

I haven't used shaving foam for about 20 years, so I don't know about soap and foam making it slippy, but it's fine with oil.

As for heat conductivity, you simply don;t need to have the water so hot!

I don't normally write reviews but I'm compelled to write one about this razor. I've been using it for nearly a year now and found the Futur to be a nicely balanced razor. It has a good weight and always gives a smooth shave. Since using this I've no more razor rash and a much closer shave.

Forget using plastic razors and the ridiculous Mach toy razors. This is a mans razor for men and is the only way to go if you are serious about getting a good clean shave every time.

This razor, quite properly, is not designed for novice DE safety razor shavers. It is a superior item for those with the experience to properly utilise it. If you are unused to a real shave, then, merely start at setting 1 and take your time. For those who have already used a DE, you will know where the money you have spent has gone when you shave with this beautiful object.

As to gripes about changing blades and adjusting settings being dangerous; are you joking? That's the equivalent of complaining that buttering your toast is risky because of the knife. This is a cutting device, containing a very sharp blade. Just keep your fingers away from the blade when you handle it - easy!

I've been using the razor for 2 weeks so these are only initial impressions. As my skill improves so should my shave!

The Futor is a well made and weighty razor and feels very satisfying in the hand. My only previous double edged razor has been a wilkinson classic. It's no surprise that this improves considerably upon that. Having a well balanced razor means that very little, to no, pressure needs to be applied. Useful when it comes to the thick hair on my neck. The razor is very agressive, perhaps too much. I have had the razor on "3" and found this was aggrevating my skin a little.

The fact that a lot of care has evidently been taken in design makes some of the design choices surprising. As has been mentioned in other reviews, there's a reason the flip cap blade replacement system is not used in other razors. It's rubbish. Fighting a sometimes slightly stiff cap with your fingers next to razor blades is a recipe for disaster. I personally cover the razor with a towel whilst I perform this dangerous operation. The same is also true for the blade adjustment system. This is performed by twisting the razor head or the very bottom of the razor head! Not something to do with soapy hands mid-shave and a lesson I've learnt the hard way: treat the futor with respect. However, unlike other reviewers I've had no problems with gripping the futor, even with soapy and wet hands. Not that having a grip at the bottom would make things more difficult for me..!

The futor will give you a great shave but unusual design decisions stop this being the perfect razor. Having learnt to deal with these though I can only imagine my enjoyment of shaving to grow.

There is no doubt that this razor is beautifully engineered and will last a lifetime. I have not gone through all the maths yet but I'm sure in the long run it will work out cheaper using this razor along with 100 Derby Extra Stainless Steel Double Edge Safety Razor Blades than using the multi blade razors endlessly hyped on TV. ( If they are that good why do they need that much advertising? )

Using this razor is not about the money though, it is about the quality of the shave it gives. And it gives an excellent shave, much better than "The best a man can get" making every shave a pleasure to look forward to and no longer a chore.

It is heavy and does take a bit of getting used to. The first couple of shaves I picked up the odd nick or two bit but now I'm getting a perfect result every time. Also it is great to use a razor that does not clog up. For best results use a luxury shaving soap, and apply it with a badger bristle shaving brush. I'm using either Erasmic shave soap or The Bluebeards Revenge Luxury Shaving Cream (180ml) and I cannot believe how smooth my face is, not just after the shave but several hours later!