I was fortunate enough to acquire a Merkur Futur from a fellow member from a shaving forum. So, my thanks to him for making it available for sale. It was only used a few times and came to me in brand new condition! (I made sure to sanitize it in Barbacide.)
As of this writing, I had a chance to use the the Merkur Futur once this morning and it’s enough for me to shout to the mountains! (Note: Since this writing, I’ve used the Merkur Futur many, many times. Frequent use has only affirmed and reinforced my initial impression.)
I know I raved about the Qshave clone and encouraged everyone to buy one for the ridiculously low price of 7 bucks. I still stand by that. You can’t go wrong….at THAT price. 7 bucks. Once the Qshave starts to get into the 20 and 30 dollar range, it’s time to set your eyes on the real deal! The Merkur Futur!
Finish
The finish is GORGEOUS! It’s heavily chromed and simply gleams and shines! True, the smoothness of the handle and head only enhances and accentuates the shine and polish. But if you’re gonna chrome a smooth-handled razor you might as well go to town! And Merkur did. It’s a highly polished mirror shine!
Weight and Build Quality
Now that I have a Merkur Futur, I can comment on the weight as compared to the Qshave. Yes, the Qshave is lighter. And while the Qshave is well built, the Merkur Futur is SUPERBLY well built. Yes, you can say the Merkur Futur is built like a tank. But it is so precisely well built, and so gleamingly good-looking, it’s a bit more accurate to say it’s a futuristic, 21st century streamlined tank.:)
The Merkur Futur is heavier but very well balanced. The balance is to the point where there is no maneuverability problems at all. I was able to shave under the nose near the nostrils (a tight area for me) with great ease and precision. The Qshave lacks this maneuverability. I don’t know exactly what it is (and I will investigate further), but the Merkur Futur is designed differently in some way. Having used them both, I doubt the Qshave is an identical clone. There is some quality that makes the Merkur more sleek, trim, and clean. At the moment, I simply cannot put my finger on it.
Whereas the Qshave is a very solid razor, the Merkur Futur feels like it will last for generations! Your great-grandson will be using the Merkur Futur.
Grip
Like the Qshave, the Merkur Futur is a smooth-handled razor. Again, the indentation in the handle body lends itself to a sure grip. Even though it is highly chromed to a mirror finish, I still had good, sure gripping. Just to note, this morning, I used TOOBs Eaton College shaving cream. I loaded some cream into my Vikings Blade Black Knight badger brush. I rinsed and dried my hands of cream and did a face lather. Perhaps this process kept my hands a bit dryer than usual? Regardless, the razor just fit properly in my hand. The razor felt right at home, so to speak.
Blade Loading and Adjustment
Again, like the Qshave, the process is is very straightforward. Pop off the cap, drop in a blade, pop the cap back on.
Now, I need to amend my Qshave review. I have noticed through repeated use, just a bit of uneven blade alignment from one side to the other. It’s nothing major and very, very slight. Not a deal-breaker for the Qshave.
In contrast, the Merkur Futur is EXACT and extremely precise. The blades sits evenly on each side. No question. Bam! Right on the money!
To adjust, simply grab the ENDS of the razor head and turn the entire handle to increase or decrease the blade gap. This morning, though, due to the precision and close tolerances of the Merkur Futur, I found I had to hold the razor head with a hand towel in order to turn the handle and adjust to the next half step. My hands were a bit slick but not enough to allow the razor to slip out of my hand. The Merkur Futur handle has a very slow, smooth, sure, weighted feel when adjusting. The Qshave turns more easily because, I guess, there is more slop in the tolerances. Again, the Merkur Futur’s precision build is on display.
The Shave
I started at level 1. I read other reviews and most stated that the Merkur Futur can be an overly aggressive razor. Okay, level 1 it is.
Whereas the Qshave at level 3 was on the mild side, yet highly efficient, the Merkur Futur was INCREDIBLY EFFICIENT and IMPECCABLY SMOOTH. At level 1! It gave me plenty of audio feedback and even though I used the increase method, I suffered no irritation, nicks, or cuts!
My shave started at level 1 on pass one, level 1.5 on pass two, and level 2 on pass three. You could hear the blade cutting the whisker and see the cream being plowed away. But, it was oh so smooth. (Again, the Qshave’s audio feedback is wanting.)
As mentioned before, I was able to get into the tight areas of my face and cut whiskers cleanly. I also have whiskers on the top corners around my mouth that need to be given extra attention to make sure they have been completely and cleanly shaved. The Merkur Futur took care of these areas with no problems.
The shave is simply superior to that of the Qshave. It’s smoother and more balanced. A real pleasure. I plan on dialing it up a half step to improve the closeness of the shave. But starting at level 1, the shave was wonderfully close and beautifully smooth! I’ll have to use it for a few more shaves, but, so far, the Merkur Futur promises to be even better than the Merkur Progress.
Minor “Blemishes”
None.
Final Words
I know I raved about the Qshave clone, but the Merkur Futur is the real deal. If the clone is a nicely well-made sedan (take your pick of make and model), the Merkur Futur is the Mercedes Benz!
I look at it this way…would I ever take the Merkur Futur on a trip or weekend getaway? NO WAY! I would be absolutely heartbroken if I lost or misplaced it. I cannot afford to lose the Merkur Futur!
The Qshave clone? It would travel with me every time. I can afford to lose it, drop it, break it, etc. No great loss.
Given the build, balance, weight, quality, precision, and gleaming good looks, the Merkur Futur just might be the cure for RAD (Razor Acquisition disorder). Then again, you can never have too many safety razors in your collection! And, if you find you no longer use certain razors, you can always sanitize them and PIF (Pay It Forward) to introduce others to Traditional Wet Shaving.
To borrow a line from an amazon reviewer, the Merkur Futur is not a razor, it’s a shaving instrument!
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Words from my youtube channel
The Merkur Futur is worth every penny of it’s 50 dollar plus price (depending on the type of finish you select)!
This razor is VERY well made! Not only will you be able to give it your son, he’ll be able to give it to his son!
I bought the River Lake clone first for $9.95, then the Qshave for $8.90 on sale at AliExpress.
I live in Mexico and am patient and frugal so I often order from there.
The River Lake shaves much better, adjusts smoother, and holds the blade more ridgid similar to the Merkur. The Merkur was better but not by much where the differences with the Qshave were very noticable. The Qshave also needs a higher # for the same aggressiveness.
I found a friend with the Merkur satin and we did a comparison. Unanimous decision.
The Merkur is slightly better than the River Lake which is considerably better than the Qshave.
The only difference in specs was weight but internals are obviously different.
I weighed all 3 on a 200gr jewelers scale and found the Merkur was 127.4, River Lake 112.8 and the Qshave 88.2 grams.
Perhaps that’s the cause in how the razors handled?
I use Astra green, a The Body Shop synthetic brush and TOBS Jermyn soap.
I gave the Qshave away to my cleaning woman’s son, who just became a doctor, along with some of my homemade pre shave oil, a boar brush, alum cylinder, and some Taylor of Bond Street Sandalwood cream. He’s much happier than he was with 3 blade disposables and canned Gillette cream. Thanks for the review. Well written with good info.
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I bought the River Lake clone first for $9.95, then the Qshave for $8.90 on sale at AliExpress.
I live in Mexico and am patient and frugal so I often order from there.
The River Lake shaves much better, adjusts smoother, and holds the blade more ridgid similar to the Merkur. The Merkur was better but not by much where the differences with the Qshave were very noticable. The Qshave also needs a higher # for the same aggressiveness.
I found a friend with the Merkur satin and we did a comparison. Unanimous decision.
The Merkur is slightly better than the River Lake which is considerably better than the Qshave.
The only difference in specs was weight but internals are obviously different.
I weighed all 3 on a 200gr jewelers scale and found the Merkur was 127.4, River Lake 112.8 and the Qshave 88.2 grams.
Perhaps that’s the cause in how the razors handled?
I use Astra green, a The Body Shop synthetic brush and TOBS Jermyn soap.
I gave the Qshave away to my cleaning woman’s son, who just became a doctor, along with some of my homemade pre shave oil, a boar brush, alum cylinder, and some Taylor of Bond Street Sandalwood cream. He’s much happier than he was with 3 blade disposables and canned Gillette cream. Thanks for the review. Well written with good info.
Rich, Thanks so much for al this wonderful information!:) Greatly appreciated!:) Time to check out the River Lake!:)