Merkur Progress Adjustable Double Edged Safety Razor - No Blades Included

From first use it was clear why this razor has stayed in production for so long (1955 or '56). After shaving, the skin feels different from the post-shave experience with other DE safety razors - smoother and cooler. If possible, the Progress also seemed to extend the life of a poor quality blade transferred from another razor.It helps to read about the Progress before starting, to know the quirks: lining up the head the correct way - notch and triangle need to be at the same end - and that the blade sticks out slightly more on one side than the other.Some reviews say, "Not for beginners": the detachable head is slightly fiddly, which means extra time handling a double edge blade. Having first seen a Progress in a Nottingham Barber's shop almost thirty years ago, I can't help wishing I had bought one then, instead of a 34C. As with the Merkur 34C, the detachable Progress head has a long screw: these are prone to snap off, eventually, from repeated dropping.The much-debated plastic setting knob can be removed for cleaning, but is difficult to get back in and probably best left in. A unique and difficult to describe colour, it pairs well with a cream plastic travel case - which only fits the short handle version - sold by Executive Shaving (also available from Amazon: search 'Safety Razor and Blades Travel Storage Case'). The ES case also seems less brittle than the black Merkur original, which matters as there is a weak point at the hinges, which can break off.This seems to be a razor-for-life!

I shave my head with a razor and wanted to cut down on the amount of disposables I was using for two reasons:1. Costs - nearly £3 per cartridge for a few shaves is ridiculous and I heard that DE razors are 10-35p each and can be used for up to 10 shaves.2. Wanted to help the environment by cutting down on the disposable plastic I’ve been using.I’ve been searching for the best razor to meet these for a while, with varying degrees of success. I have the Merkur Progress 510 long handle version and love it but it gets a bit weighty in your hand after a while.I decided to try the standard Merkur Progress and it is BRILLIANT. Perfect size for manoeuvrability. I dial in setting 1 for my head shaves and 3/6 for my face and it delivered outstanding results. I use King C. Gillette blades and sometimes use Feather if I want a really close cut (Ninjas). You can get a great shave with 1 pass.The razor has two drain channels which work really well in getting used foam/stubble away from the blade and ready to be washed away.The TTO mechanism is good and I love the plastic turning knob, which shows off its 1950s design. One can opt for metal aftermarket replacements and some places sell these already in place.I get ZERO nicks or cuts with the Progress and would buy again if I had to.

buy it. you wont regret it. im generally hard to please and this thing is solid, plus it makes shaving super easy. not much else i need to say. it does what you want it to do, only thing is the handle is a bit short. i read online that there is a longer version but i thought id chance it with the regular, it is actually a tad bit small, but not an issue.

I have tried many shavers. I have found the adjustable ones to be the most useful. You can choose how close you want to go, this is of particular use if you shave, both head and face. Also, if your new to traditional shaving, you can start mild and work up to the place you are happy with. Another great option is to turn it down, if your in a rush and want a quick cut free shave. My only criticism, is the adjustment knob, it's just so cheap looking. Great all round shaver

I was a little apprehensive about buying a Merkur Progress. I had read many reviews on the shaving forums mentioning that uneven blade alignment could be a problem. I've never found it a problem with this razor. All that's needed is slight adjustment of the blade's alignment when tightening it down, much like many other double edged razors. I decided to buy this from Executive Shaving as I wrote them an email explaining my concerns and they wrote back promptly explaining that uneven blade alignment shouldn't be a cause for concern. It's this kind of customer service I like.As for the shave itself, I'm very impressed. My go to Razor was a Merkur 34HD and the shave with this is different, but not so different that you can't adjust your shaving style quickly. The razor is comfortable to hold, well balanced and always feels secure in the hand despite not having the knurling of other razors such as the Merkur 4HD. I'm enjoying finding out which blades out of the ones that didn't work so well in the Merkur 34HD work well in this model. I'd recommend this model as a razor for someone who has had at least a little experience with a fixed blade gap model as I think that shaving method should be worked on before messing around with a variable like blade gap. The workmanship on the razor is great and to me it looks stylish (although I've read that a few people dislike the plastic knob). Best of all, it gives a fantastic smooth and close shave and I reckon it could do the same for most people due to it's adjustable nature. As the title says, this is my new favourite razor.

Good shaver. Build quality could be better

NB. Nothing against Amazon here - they've been excellent.Having done a bit of reading up about the Progress before buying, I knew there had been some comments about alignment and setting of the blade - not least Mantic himself - but then the Progress is his favourite so I bought.The one I received resonated all the poor alignment comments. There was a gaping tolerance between the pins of the cap and the holes of the body. Try as I might, the capacity for skewed setting of the blade made the razor useless. Even when set to 3-4, it was easy to twist the cap such that the blade was asymmetrical and slanted.Try as I might to follow tips, such as holding the cap down when screwing together, using different blades, different makes of blade etc, the same thing happened. I have real difficulty understanding how a manufacturing process can apparently turn out a perfectly working product for some and flawed for others. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't spent last night checking it over and over.So it's gone back and I've ordered a Futur.

I had several Merkur razors before buying the Progress, a 34HD and a 37 Slant C, both of which give excellent shaves. I wanted to add an adjustable razor to my collection, as the idea of changing the aggressiveness of the razor on each pass appealed. I started off enjoying using this razor but unfortunately I experienced many problems with it.When I first used it, I set the adjustable dial to 3.5, having loaded my standard blade, a Voskhod. The razor felt surprisingly aggressive at 3.5 and so I turned it down to 3 for the remainder of the first pass. I then switched down to level 2 for the second and third passes and had a nice, close shave. I was impressed and pleased with the razor. It then entered my rotation and after several weeks of use, I made a terrible mistake. I decided to give the Progress a good clean by dismantling the handle.My other Merkurs are easy to dismantle. You pull on the locking ring and out comes the inner stem. You press an internal ring to slide the inner stem back into the handle after cleaning. Nice and easy. NOT so on the Progress!The ring around the inner stem would not easily compress or stay in place and so it was a nightmare trying to refit the stem into the handle. I suffer from arthritis and had to resort to using pliers to compress the ring enough to get it back in place. I eventually managed it. I checked the operation of the razor and all seemed fine. The alignment of the scale on the handle was not affected so I thought I was good to go. Sadly not.Since then, the razor has provided awful shaves. Shaves at 3 are seemingly mild, shaves at 2 are too aggressive. I had a number of very unsatisfactory shaves, which made me doubt the alignment of the blade and the razor’s consistency. I used it for the last time yesterday.I followed my standard process, start at 3 for the first pass and go down to 2. Again I had a terrible, inefficient shave. I looked in the mirror after dressing and noticed that I’d had numerous cuts and scraps on my neck which had slowly bled after I’d finished my shave. It looked awful. I’ve never had that before, even when using “aggressive” razors and sharp blades such as a Mühle R41. So that was my final shave with the Progress.I realise many people have and enjoy the Progress. I fully admit I may well have badly affected the operation of the razor after attempting to clean it and having to use tools to get it back together again. Although a razor should be built to allow easy and thorough cleaning. However, even before my dismantling, I was not altogether sure about the quality of the shaves with this razor. The severe trouble I had trying to reassemble definitely diminished my confidence in it. For me, I’ll stick to using the 34HC, the 37C and the R41 - easy to clean and they provide consistent results.

Onestamente ero un po’ indeciso visto i tanti pareri negativi che leggevo in rete . Poi vedendo vari video mi sono deciso . Premetto che l’ultimo rasoio che ho preso prima di questo è stato un Merkur Futur che sicuramente è un ottimo prodotto però l’ho trovato veramente troppo aggressivo .Anche a settaggi bassissimi la lama la senti quasi viva sulla pelle e onestamente ogni sbarbata rischiavo il taglio .Con il progress è tutta un’altra cosa . L’ho provato con barba di due giorni e a settaggi minimi ha una delicatezza incredibile . e si vede già dal gap, che per esempio nel futur anche a settaggi bassi è notevole . Col progress a settaggi minimi si ha comunque una resa di taglio notevole( alla prima passata anche a settaggio 3, quindi medio , ti porta via quasi tutta la barba ) ma con una delicatezza sul viso ai livelli di un ed 89. L’ho provato 4 -5 volte e onestamente non ho mai avuto nè arrossamenti ,nè taglietti o altro .Credo che diventerà il mio rasoio definitivo a questo punto e un po’ mi dispiace anche visto che mi piace comprare rasoi diversi , ma è veramente il top per me .Ps sul discorso del disallineamento della lama forse sarò stato fortunato ma il mio è perfetto .

È a mio parere il miglior rasoio di sicurezza regolabile del mercato. Consente di essere utilizzato in tutte le versioni dalla più dolce ( livello 1) alla più aggressiva ( Livello 5). Praticamente da solo fa tutta la gamma partendo da un Edwin Jagger 89 fino al Muhle R41. Con un solo rasoio se ne possiede una decina . Il nottolino color crema (che a molti non piace) è a mio parere molto bello e robusto. Rasoio pesante come deve essere , solido, trasuda qualità da tutti i pori. Non ho riscontrato nessun difetto . La lama va pulita bene dopo la rasatura perché tende a rimanere sporca , ma per il resto direi assolutamente il TOP. Esteticamente a mio parere molto meglio del Futur ( sempre di casa Merkur) con il suo design anni 50.

E' il miglior rasoio prodotto dall'ottima marca "Merkur". La regolazione dell'inclinazione della lametta nella testina avviene in modo continuo e quindi tutti possono trovare la giusta combinazione per ottenere la migliore rasatura possibile. Trovo incomprensibile la critica, che talvolta viene fatta alla scala posta nella parte terminale del manico,circa il fatto che il fine corsa del serraggio della testina non corrisponda allo " 0 ". Se la regolazione avvenisse per scatti avrebbe un senso ma, stante la regolazione in continuità, le tacche hanno, secondo me, solo il compito di memorizzare la posizione scelta.

Ho acquistato questo rasoio attratto dal fatto che è un modello così prodotto dagli anni '50; ma l'esemplare arrivato a me aveva due gravi difetti: il primo era quello dell'errato settaggio del meccanismo di regolazione della lametta (che ho letto essere molto comune e sul quale sarei stato anche disposto a transigere) ; il secondo era il disallineamento della lametta che da una parte sporgeva in modo talmente irregolare ed eccessivo da correre il rischio di ferirsi il viso. Ho dovuto avviare la procedura di reso, e aggiungo che stavolta Amazon non mi è venuta incontro, considerando che sono un ottimo cliente. Vedrò il da farsi per il futuro.