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Australia, Canberra
1 Level
450 Review
0 Karma

Review on Merkur Progress Adjustable Safety Razor with Extended Handle by Kimberly Becker

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Merkur Progress: Tight, but not a cigar.

German adjustable razor. Worth the price? Yes. do i like mine Yes. Would I buy it again? Hmm, probably not. The Progress shaves well, but the Merkur Futur shaves better and the Futur can shave much more aggressively. I also don't like the crappy plastic progress button, which just looks cheap and doesn't go well with a razor of this caliber. There is an aftermarket in the razor industry solely to replace these plastic handles with metal handles that MUST come with the Progress razor. The secondary craftsman also properly calibrates progress razors, adds a click adjustment, adds a color point, and usually does what the Merkur designers MUST do. The updated Merkurs are on the waiting list for buyers who love these razors but hate their flaws. I also don't like that the head could potentially be installed incorrectly if the markings are not observed and properly aligned. I also don't like that almost every Progress razor adjusts differently because they aren't calibrated the same. The ONE setting may not be the ONE setting. This razor also doesn't click through every setting like other adjustable vintage razors. Because of this, the Merkur Progress doesn't make it onto my razor list very often. Before I go with Merkur Progress I would buy a vintage 1950s Gillette Fatboy Adjustable, 1960s Gillette Slim Adjustable, 1950s Gillette TTO Super Speed Red Tip, 1948 Gillette Aristocrat TTO, Merkur Futur or Muhle R41. It's a good razor, but not my favorite. This razor could have been much better if Mercure had designed it more carefully.

Pros
  • Sturdy design
Cons
  • I don't remember but there was something