After a year of introducing myself to wet shaving using a Merkur Classic with the open comb, I figured I'm pretty good at it now and was ready to trade up to something a bit more high-tech.

Well, two weeks in and I can't rave enough about the Merkur Vision 2000 razor. It combines in perfect balance those three essential elements of good design: it's useful, it's usable, and it's desirable.

Useful obviously - it's designed for wet shaving and clearly it does that. It's the usability and desirability that make it an absolute champion. Usable because is completely adjustable to the thickness/length of your beard and to whatever razor setting "just feels right" - I've already got one setting figured out for a 1-day growth and another for 2-day growths. Its "missile silo" design makes cleaning and blade replacement quick, easy and safe. Its weight and (relative) bulk allow you to shave using the weight of the razor, letting the razor do the work. (I have no problems shaving the difficult hairs between nose and lip). And it easily disassembles for maintenance.

Desirable because - well - it's just a beautifully engineered, great looking razor. If you take your shaving seriously and you want to use the right tools and enjoy how they look, this is for you. It's got a lovely brushed steel finish and a slightly retro look - very European - it's distinctive.

Within a few days I'm getting the best shaves I've ever had and with zero skin irritation. (Still a small nick here and there, but that's just me getting used to the new razor).

I am using this with the Merkur Vision 2000 silvertip badger brush and after years of using boar bristles I can never go back.

Heavy but not cumbersome, the Vision 2000 is the "bee's knees" of DE wet shaving. One can set the perfect angle for the blade to match the beard growth and skin sensitivity. The mass/weight of the razor allows one to use a mix of gravity and gentle guidance to get the perfect shave. I use this with Wilkinson Sword Economie blades from the European Union. A match made in heaven.

I have had the best shaves ever with this razor. I really hope it will last a long time (its sturdy!) as I don't think I will ever need or want to use another razor again. Amazing! Really is worth the money.

The Vision 2000 is certainly the Roll Royce of safety razors - not one nick or cut so far.

Just had my first shave with this and it was hands down the BEST DE razor I've ever used! The adjustment is smooth and you can open or close it over a much wider spectrum than is possible with my last razor (the Merkur Futur) which means you can get it just how you like it. It's not as bulky as it looks and I had no problems manoeuvring it. 10/10

Comfortable to use giving a very very close shave. Makes shaving a pleasure. Definitely worth the money.

Merkur Vision 2000 Double Edge Razor review.

There's no way I could justify spending $AUD 199.00 on ANY kind of razor (electric included) so it came as a bit of a surprise to me
to receive one as a gift.

The person who bought it for me didn't buy it from Mens Biz, she bought it online from a website in the UK and even with the cost of shipping included
it landed here in Oz for well under the Mens Biz price. That's not a back handed criticism of Mens Biz's pricing, with the much smaller market in Australia
there's less chance to make a reasonable profit than there would be selling the razor (or anything for that matter) on the UK/US markets.

Now on to the razor itself. It's a beautifully engineered piece of equipment and is certain to outlast me, and possibly my heirs and successors.
The one I have is finished in a brushed chrome finish and it's a beauty to behold.

The razor is adjustable for just about any beard density. Under the razor's head there's a collar with the word VISION stamped on it.
Between each of the letters there's a small dot, so either a letter, or one of the dots between the letters, can be aligned with a tiny head which is stamped just below the
word VISION. So ......... there are 10 levels of adjustment. My beard's not very heavy so I have it set at it's most gentle setting. With a Feather blade (my blade of choice) I
can achieve an excellent shave with just one pass in the direction of my beard's growth.

I have a goatee moustache and beard so I have no "under the nose, top lip" problems, although I can see where someone with no moustache would have a slight problem
shaving the top lip due to the bulk of the razor's head.

I always shower before shaving so my stubble's nicely softened before the shaving begins.

I've tried a few shaving creams, Proraso, Geo F. Trumper, Men U, Mr. Taylor's Shaving Gel, King Of Shaves shaving oil (the menthol in that made my eyes water tremendously !),
but I finally settled on Musgo Real shaving oil (applied with the hands to a wet face) and the shave I get is BBS (Baby Bum Smooth - for those who don't know !) most days.
At $AUD40.00 for 100ml it's excellent value for money and I can see my bottle lasting a long time. Only a couple of drops in the palm of one hand, rub the hands together and
apply to the face. It's a lot lighter than, say, sewing machine oil and has hardly any frangrance. I've only started using oil as a pre-shave in the last year or so but had I tried it
when I first started shaving (more years ago than I care to remember !) I think I'd have saved a fortune, otherwise spent on creams, shaving soaps etc.

As I said earlier, my beard's not too tough so a Feather blade can last me up to two weeks, especially if I don't shave every day.

The weight of the Merkur Vision is such that no pressure is needed when shaving with it. The hand's just there to guide the razor, the weight does the shaving.

If you've been holding off buying one of these marvelous instruments, don't delay, I can't recommend it highly enough.

I have used this since December 2010 and been very happy but alas dropped it and it broke.
So be very carefull as now I am looking for a replacement.

I had one, broke it and went with out for 6 months. Went back to my standard merkur razor in the mean time and then I appreciated how good the Vision is. Being without made me appreciate just how good it is. Now I have another and I look after it so I dont spend another shave without it. It is easy to use, closest smoothest that lives up to every promise

A superbly built razor. The large shaving head takes some getting used to, but with practice you can get into all the nooks and crannies on the average face.

It is heavy, and this gives the user a tendency to use too much pressure, but again, with practice it becomes second nature after a few shaves.

The adjustment is this razor's best feature. Daily shaves or heavy growth can be easily set up, and once an optimum setting is found, it does not vary from blade to blade.

This is an expensive razor, but it is high quality, exceptionally useable with a minimal learning curve, and looks as if it will last a lifetime.

Highly recommended. ***** stars.

The Vision 2000 is, without a doubt, the best DE razor I have ever used. Its large size takes a little getting used to, but once you have "dialled in" the best setting to suit your shaving style, it performs flawlessly. Dismantling is a little complicated, but there are a number of You Tube tutorials to show you how to do it, and once successfully done, the process is easy.
Very well made, everything fits closely with no rattles or gaps, (as you would expect with such an expensive razor) and I confidently expect to be shaving with this razor for many, many years to come. Highly recommended for gentlemen who enjoy the ritual and luxury of traditional shaving.