I bought a MR8 handle from Maggards to try out and when i got it in my hand i thought "no way it is just to heavy". I like to choke up on my handles when i shave, to get better control. I am also a big fan of letting the razor head weight do the work, no pressure from me. My latest acquisition was a Parker 26c, very nice razor really but that 4" handle was working against me so i put the 3" handle from an EJ89 on it and instantly liked it more. I put the MR8 on a Muhle r41 head and they are side by side below. After messing around a bit it came to my attention that when i take my regular grip on the Parker and stroke down like i do on most of my first pass, the head falls against my face very nicely. But, when i turn that razor over to make an up stoke the opposite happens and head natureally pulls away from my face due to the swing weight of the razor being head heavy. The heavy MR3 handle has the exact opposite effect, when you choke up on it for an upward stroke it tends to want to put presage on your face due to the heavy handle. So here is where i am going with this, for fun, I put a Personna Blue in the Parker and made my first WTG pass and a second XTG pass that we all know is irritation free. then broke out the r41 with a PolSilver and did the touch up, mostly ATG work with a very light pressure provided by the heavy handle on each up stroke. My face is a total stranger when i touch it, i had to take time out to stop laughing when i was finishing up. up side down on the up stroke that heavy handle rocks. it is a lot of fun to play with.
Got one of those on the way. Lately I've been noticing that the heavier the handle, the smoother and less irritating the shave. Not certain of why exactly and this idea might not work for everyone, but the added weight really seems to make a significant difference for me...
