Merkur Vision Review: The Most High Tech Safety Razor in the Market

by Garrick Dee | Last Updated: June 25th, 2020

The Merkur Vision may be the most high-tech razor in the market today – not just in terms of looks but also the functionality.

This razor is the third razor in the Merkur triumvirate of adjustable razors and also the biggest.

If you’re a big dude with large hands, this razor is one of your best options.

It is adjustable with 5 different aggressiveness settings, so it will meet all your shaving needs.

So whether you need a mild shave or something more aggressive, the Futur can handle it with ease.

The biggest issue would be the price – this safety razor is expensive. But for those who can afford it, this razor is worth it.

Merkur has discontinued the production of the Vision. If you don’t want to pay $70 for this, then there’s a cheaper alternative, the Merkur Futur. It has the same versatile adjustable feature as the Vision, but you don’t have to spend as much.

A quick look at the features

• Utilizes a twist to open design (it takes over 10 turns to open this beast)
• Has a satin finish
• Around 4.75″ from top to bottom
• If you buy it from Amazon, you will get 10 free Merkur blades
• Fully adjustable blade exposure
• Aggressiveness: 10/10
• Blades included: 5

Pros

• Being adjustable gives it a lot of versatility
• Easy to load the blade
• Great for men with big hands

Cons

• Very expensive
• Twist to open mechanism takes ten turns to open
• The colossal head will make it difficult for you to navigate this on the lip area

What to expect from perhaps the most gigantic razor in the market today

Make no mistake; the Vision is enormous. If you’re as big as Shaq, this probably is a good option for you because of the size and weight. At close to 5 inches long, this razor easily dwarfs all the other products in the market.

Unlike the Futur that uses a clip-on mechanism to secure the blade, this razor uses a twist to open mechanism to load the blade.

The good news is it is easier to load the blade and a lot safer than the Futur. The bad news is that it takes around 12 full turns to open it.

If you compare it to the Gillette Fat Boy, that only takes 3 turns to open, it is a lot.

Another difference with the Futur is the marking on the adjustment knob. Instead of using numbers, Merkur marked with used the letters “V I S I O N” which looks cool, but it can be confusing.

The V represents the lowest setting, while the N represents the most aggressive setting, so you better keep this in mind when using this.

The Merkur Vision is no longer in production but still available in online stores like West Coast Shaving.

Is it easy to load the blade?

This razor uses a twist to open mechanism to load and unload the blade. It makes it much safer to load the blade compared to the Futur that uses a clipping mechanism to lock in the blade.

But it will take around 12 full turns to fully open the butterfly doors…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqYHBnriHb0

Aggressiveness

This razor has 5 adjustable settings from 1 to 5, but instead of using the number, Merkur marked it with the model (V – I – S – I – O – N).

The lowest setting (or V) will provide a mild shave. This setting is suitable for shaving sensitive areas like the neck.

Turning up the dial towards N makes this one of the more aggressive razors capable of shaving off your face.

While I wouldn’t recommend it for a newbie shaver because of the price, I wouldn’t stop you from buying this if you can afford it.

Craftsmanship and finish are excellent as you’d expect from Merkur. And they did something unique with the adjustment knob. Merkur used the word V I S I O N instead of numbers. Honestly, I’d prefer that they use numbers, but this is a personal preference.

Grip

Even though the Vision does not have any knurling, the handle itself isn’t straight – the top and bottom parts are wider than the middle portion, and this alone will give you a pretty solid grip. If you have larger hands, you can rest the bottom part on the palm of your hand with your first three fingers on the middle part of the handle.

Another technique would be resting the pinkie or last two fingers on the bottom of the handle. Since this razor has substantial weight, you don’t really need to put too much pressure.

Length

This razor is one of the longest in the market at around 4.75″ long dwarfing other safety razors like the Merkur 34C HD or even the long-handled version of the Merkur Progress.

Razor specifications

Model	Vision
Overall Length	4.75"
Handle Length	N/A
Handle Diameter	N/A
Weight	N/A
Material	Metal
Finish	Satin
Type	Adjustable (twist to open)
Adjustable
Knurled handle
Blade included	5
Manufactured in	Germany

What consumers say

Even if it’s one of the most expensive razors in the market, it’s still got positive reviews because of its great quality and performance.

The adjustability allows you to get close as you want to or as mild as you want to depend on your mood for the day.

This razor will provide excellent results. The important thing is finding the right setting for your skin and facial hair type. Be mindful when choosing the settings, or you’ll end up loosing some skin!

The twist to open design makes this hard to clean, though, and you will need to take it apart once every two weeks or so and do a thorough clean up so that soap and scum do not dry up and corrode the inner parts.

Here’s a tutorial from GeoFatBoy on how to clean the Vision…

Overall this razor is a high-quality piece of shaving tool that deserves a look if you don’t mind spending a little bit, but if you want one, you will have to hurry before it goes extinct!

Where can I buy this?

You can buy the Merkur Futur from online stores like West Coast Shaving. Unfortunately, this Merkur razor isn’t available on Amazon, but you can buy a comparable product in the Merkur Futur that won’t cost as much.

To wrap up

This top of the line adjustable from Merkur is a beast literally and will mow down your four or five-day growth even with just two passes because it is adjustable.

Two things stand out – build quality and versatility. This razor could be a collector’s item down the road because Merkur has stopped manufacturing it. Consider this an investment because it would be capable of handling any type of facial hair and skin type.

The twist to open mechanism is a welcome change, and it is safer to load a blade here compared to a Futur.

But it takes around 12 full turns to open it. If you don’t mind this and the high price, add this to your shopping list but make it fast as Merkur has discontinued production of this.

However, this complexity also makes it hard to clean, and it’s not something I’d recommend to use every day.

Merkur has another adjustable that looks like the Vision but not as expensive called the Futur. If the Vision is too costly, then you can opt for this.