okay, if your everyday shaver is an OCMM then I think you'll find the fatip lacking. It's a good razor, but it's a ways down on the aggression scale compared to the OCMM. And for the record, I did some research and found that yes, the fatip is the same thing as the pre-redesign M.P. r89.
Wow, I'm really appreciating all the responses so far but I'm quite surprised at how unloved the slanthammer is.
Whoa there cowboy, I didn't say I didn't love it. It just doesn't feel that aggressive to me. I am longing to try the R41 though to see how it compares.
, well I'll definitely share my thoughts on the two. I'm actually hoping to have them tomorrow, Wednesday at the latest.
There they are. I think I've decided to put the R41 to the ultimate test. I'll be using it with a Feather on only 1 days growth (which is after an OCMM shave this morning). I will definitely be sharing my experiences with all 3.
I have all three. In my opinion, the slant is more hype than anything else. In my experience, the most mild is the slant. In 2nd I would place the Fatip. In 3rd I would place the R41. However, with that being stated, I haven't done a shave to shave direct comparison of the fatip with the R41. Maybe the fatip has the edge, but it is probably very close.
I broke out the R-41 with a fresh feather this morning. The feather really pairs well with this razor. I was moving a little quickly and ended up with two minor weepers. Other than that, the shave was an excellent 2 pass affair. No burn from either the alum or aftershave.
It's official... The R41 is a Game Changer! What an amazing experience! Was it perfect? Absolutely not. Was there blood? For sure. Is my technique and angle in need of some change? Affirmative. So even though there was blood which I don't normally see, there is no irritation & the shave left me super smooth. I'm confident with a few tweaks to my shave game that this razor will be a favorite. All weepers came on my ATG pass and only in my trouble spots along the jawline & Adams apple. I definitely can't whip this razor around my face like I can the OCMM. I believe this is just a case of familiararity considering I've had countless shaves with the OCMM & this is just #1 for the R41. But what an impressive #1!
I'll say one thing for it...Whether you like it or not...In the future...the R41 will probably be the 'Classic' from this current generation of razors....It seems to be the one thats shaking things up the most...and capturing the hearts of many confirmed 'vintage razor' lovers....My hats off to Muhle....'Well Done'
After today's shave with the R41 I'm a little confused & need to take a step back. This razor can definitely remove your whiskers, but it's not a real pleasant experience. I actually finished my shave today with the SlantHammer (39C) and finally felt a bit of what I'm after... a nice & smooth shave. The R41 is rough though it doesn't give me irritation like other razors can. More weepers definitely. And my face just feels really sensitive to the touch too. I will take tomorrow off and then try the R41 with a different blade, I'm thinking Voskhod. Even if I can get a blood free BBS easily with the R41, but the shave itself is rough & unpleasant, then I don't see myself adding this one to my rotation.
I don't find a slant to be overly aggressive (I don't use a sledgehammer though as I prefer the vintage slants with a lighter weight handle). I do find that a slant gives one nice smooth shave. I really think that the most aggressive razors I've used so far, are an R41, OCMM, and Barbasol floating head in that order. The R41 and the OCMM are only rarely used in my rotation as they are too aggressive for me to use frequently, they both can easily give me an unpleasant shave. The Barbasol IMHO gives a very comfortable but aggressive shave, similar to a futur cranked wide open.
First shave with the FaTip this morning. This razor definitely mows down the stubble, but I found myself wanting to be using the slant. The FaTip is great, but I think the slant is what I'm looking for. Very efficient, yet super smooth while doing its work. The R41 is super aggressive but its blade presentation will not work for me. If you like open comb DEs though, you really should try to find a FaTip. As far as the R41 & Slant though, I'm going to be working on some thoughts here soon & will look forward to hearing others thoughts & experiences.
Hiya, Of the three razors in that group, I've used exactly none. Yeah, no sense in trying something that I know won't be a good fit. However, I've used lots of aggressive razors in the past and can maybe suggest a couple more to sample. Anything with an Old Type Gillette head has lots of bite. Those feel like a solid #10 on the Gilette adjustable scale (only goes up to #9). Yeah, give one of those a try sometime. For whatever the reason, many French made razors are pretty aggressive. Brands such as Le Coq and Leresche (ancien rasoir listings) are ones to look for on ebay France and can sometimes be found for a reasonable price.....especially the Le Coq version. The Leresche is probably gonna be a better built and more expensive model......quite often silver plated. Here's a few pics of those French Floozies. First two is a Le Coq and the others are of the Leresche.
Yeah, I've got a single ring on deck to try soon. As early as Sunday if I can avoid the slant calling my name again. Based on the head geometry though, I don't see my self like the Old better than the slant. The French razors to have a nice look to them & I have been keeping an eye for for a Leresch. Thanks for sharing your pics.
Hi there, I'll be curious how the Old Type compares with your slant. I think you'll find the shaves are not even close to being similar, and the Old Type is gonna have lots more bite. Anyway, you'll see for yourself soon enough and maybe even prove me wrong (which I kinda doubt). The technique tweak needed with a Single Ring is figuring out the pressure. Yeah, it's an aggressive razor with a light head, which can take a time or two getting the hang of. Martin
I don't mind an aggressive razor, in fact I enjoy & prefer them. What I don't like is a blade with very little tension on it which jumps up & down while cutting & leads to weepers. This was horribly present in the R41 & it will definitely be noticed more in the Old than the slant. While all may be & are efficient & aggressive, the slant gives me the best shave experience both during & after.
While I a currently on a R41 kick, I must say that I'd never describe it as smooth, there are things that take quite a bit of the edge off and rounds out the spikes and skipping. First is the angle. There's a pretty good video out there describing and showing a good angle for me. I'll search for it. And no, it's not the. One where that dude slices up his face. The second little technique is to not crank down when you are screwing on the handle. Try for snug, but don't torque it down hard. For me, that's just snug enough so it doesn't back off. Too little torque and it will back off. Too much torque and it will bite. While the angle seems obvious, it wasn't until I watched the video that made the angle for this razor click. I really got skipping with the incorrect angle for me. Once i got the angle correct, the razor didn't skip anymore The torque technique really is going to fine, tune I nailed the angle. If the razor is bouncing all over your face, you'll never get to the point where torque comes into play. I know...that may be a little too much for some and YMMV, I think the extra effort and time spent taming this razor was worth it. I'm thinking folks that just look at DE as an alternate way to shave may not feel like spending this much trouble learning a razor, but for me, learning this razor, and others, is half of the fun in the hobby! If you decide to go down this path, please let us know how it goes.
