MERKUR DOVO Safety Razor Futur Chrome, 100 g, 1 Stück

WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW!!!!!!I loooooooooove this razor indedinitelyI have honestly and 100% NEVER shaved with a DE (double edged) razor before and was wondering and intrigued and curious as to what all the fuss about DE shaving was aboutI spent a good month looking at DE razors online and all the different types, designs, shapes, sizes, functions etc.... and the design of this one caught my eye and I loved how it looked and looked at reviews online from at least 6 different sited and was immediately impressed by the look, weight, sound and functions of this DE razor and saw at LEAST 3 rip-off versions of this genuine Merkur Futur razor on here and elsewhere and thought to myself "Why are people buying these cheaper versions when they can get the original and best in terms of build and engineering quality"Fair enough I get that some people maybe can't afford this German branded razor BUT think about it this way - most cartridge blade shavers spend £20 give or take on blades every 8-10 weeks on average - that's £100 a year at LEAST on replacement cartridgesYou can get 100 blades (yes that's right - 100 blades) for a DE razor for £20 or less and you can get at least 5, maybe 6 shaves per blade before it needs changing (I've worked out I change my blade after 6 shaves)Assuming you shave 3 times a week (like I do) and one blade lasts 2 weeks, that's 200 weeks (or 4 years) in which 100 blades would have been used and for £20, that's a ridiculous amount of saving AND you're easily getting a better, closer and smoother shave over cartridge blade razorsSo whilst the savings on the blades are significant and obvious, spend £60 on the real genuine German built Merkur Futur and rest assured that it will be of excellent quality and not a cheap rip-off version which could rust and most importantly not fit the blades properly, which in turn will be very costly and damaging to your faceBottom line - I wish I switched to DE shaving 20 years ago but better late than neverThe other products in my pictures are the Proraso red shaving cream which just smells out of this world, a Proraso after shave balm cream which was sent to me as a trial and that feels and smells even more amazing, my Razorock plissoft brush which is EXTREMELY soft and king of shaves shaving oil which I apply before brushing my face with shaving creamWhen I shave now, I use a hand towel and use boiling hot water from the kettle and wet the middle of the towel, wring out excess water and apply to my face gently (NOT whilst it's still boiling hot straightaway) and hold it on my face until it cools down (this is my home version of a Turkish hot towel shave)I then apply the shave oil all over (including neck and sides of my neck where the hair grows) wash my hands (the oil is quite slippery obviously), lather up my cream in a bowl for a minute or so, apply to my face and do my first pass on number 1 of the Merkur Futur razor with the grain, apply more lather to my face, second pass against the grain on number 3 and apply lather for a 3rd and final time on number 5 and finish off any areas I may have missedDon't forget to rinse the razor under warm/hot water inbetween shavingEnd result - baby bum smooth face and an invigorating and fresh feelingI actually look forward to and enjoy shaving now whereas with a cartridge razor, I couldn't wait to finishI see shaving as an art now and love it so much that I could shave 24/7 !!!!!!Oh and by the way - I can actually HEAR the razor cutting the hair/stubble off as I glide the razor on my face - something I never heard with any cartridge razor and to hear it do it's job is a somewhat new but weird feeling (in a good way) and the feedback from the razor is just insanely wickedI would seriously suggest and strongly recommend buying this over the 3 rip-off versions because you're paying for quality and build and it's no secret that Germany are known for their exquisite attention to detail and engineeringWhen I finish my shave, I take off the "lid" of the razor, wipe the sides of the blade with a kitchen towel and replace ready for my next shaveThe whole process from boiling the kettle to finishing cleaning my razor takes 20 minutes at the most and it's something I love doingWith a cartridge razor, it took 5 minutes to have a shave and I couldn't wait for those 5 minutes to passYou may need to click on the pictures I've left to see their full resolutions as I believe they don't always look good as thumbnailsI'm happy to answer any questions and help in any way possible

In common with a lot of people I went to a safety razor in exasperation with the cost of cartridges, plus the unpleasantness of the experience using them. I don't understand how it took me so long!First of all there is quality of the manufacture, lovely shiny chrome and a weighty feel that allows the razor to do the work. No pressure needed just let it glide and do the job. The adjustability drew me to this razor, 1 is mild, 6 aggressive but because it is thread driven the razor allows any setting in between which is a great idea.Paired with Astra blades and good soap the shaving experience is actually a pleasure, first time in 50+ years of this man's life that he has said that. One pass with the grain and one across and I am done for a normal day. Now and again I do a third. Short strokes and taking a little time I've not cut myself at all.The shiny handle does not slip in my hand, blade loading and cleaning is a breeze and I really cannot fault this razor at all. It feels great in the hand the weight is somehow reassuring and imo lends to the quality of the shave.One point to note is the head feels large the first few times and I did wonder how this would work initially but I've found it no issue at all.In terms of settings I am happy on 1 (mild) or 1.5ish to two if I want totally smooth I don't feel the need to go higher but the option is there for those that need it.Utterly brilliant piece of kit23/3/18 Update after living with this razor a while.I'm still using this razor at the same settings and it performs excellently. I've had it opened out to 3.5 a couple of time and for my skin/beard that's about as far as I'd go. You need to take a deal more care but as this is pretty aggressive and feels akin to my R41! For me that's not an everyday shave. My normal shave remains a two but a couple of days a week I'll go three. The Astra blades are working brilliantly and shaving every day of the week (never been able to do that with a cartridge) I really enjoy the morning experience of it.

I always used cartridges from the age of about 16 up until about 35, when I stopped shaving and went to stubble with an electric razor. I would occasionally shave it off using a cartridge. More recently at the age of 43, I decided to have a go at trying a double edge razor. I did lots of research online and decided to buy this. The packaging is very German...quite uninspiring, so on initial looks, it might look underwhelming as a gift or present, but opened up, out of the box, this is a beautiful looking razor and feels special.Someone had bought me a shave cream for Christmas, so I was eager to try this out. It did not disappoint. I've started on the least aggressive setting, 1. I took my time as the blades are very sharp and was nervous. Do not attempt to change the setting whilst wet as there's a good chance your hand could slip and cut. I've let the razor do the work as it's got a good, weighty feel to it. It looks fantastic and cuts superbly well with the Merkur blade that comes supplied with it.It's quite a high initial outlay, but I'll have it for life as I'll clean after use and look after it. It oozes quality and engineering. On reflection, I might have started with a cheaper razor such as the 34C or Edwin Jagger DE89 or Parker variant...but I might get one of those too as I now feel I've missed out all these years. This type of shaving, whilst needing a bit more skill and respect, delivers a closer shave and a massive reduction in cost in the long term. I'm actually enjoying shaving now and will never go back to cartridges again. This is an awesome razor and I would thoroughly recommend it.