Mühle R41, so good it deserves its own thread!

Discussion in 'Safety Razors' started by Simon Smailus, Jun 9, 2015.

  1. I have now owned my Mühle R41 Grande for just over three weeks. Every time I use it I smile! Now that I've gotten used to it I can shave in 10 minutes and get a BBS all over my face, even the nooks and crannies, even my neck where the grain flows in all kinds of directions and my jawline where there always seems to be a residue of stubble.

    When I first started I must admit to a few nicks and cuts and more than a little razor burn. The Derby blade that worked reasonably in the Merkur Futur and the Israeli that was excellent didn't work well in the R41. I placed in a Feather with a little caution. Putting in a blade known for it's extreme sharpness in a razor known for it's large blade exposure seemed a recipe for disaster. The first shave was with caution, but boy was it smooth. The second shave was actually better than the first and now the Feather and R41 are a great combination for me (although I'm still trying other blades).

    To try and balance this a little here are my negatives (few though they may be!). Blades don't last as long as my old Merkur. Perhaps after 3-5 shaves, I'm done whereas the Merkur could easily handle 8-10 shaves. The Chrome is nice, but covers easily with shaving foam, even after the first shave. This means on subsequent shaves the head can occasionally stick if you are going over the same area more than once without re-lathering.

    I'll finish with a tip I've learned using this razor. This is a no pressure razor. It doesn't need any! When going against the grain, NO PRESSURE whatsoever. In fact I find that lifting the razor off so it's cutting without fully connecting with your face and then moving closer works great against the grain.

    So in 10 minutes I have a shave that is awesome! I'm sure I'm not the only one and would love to hear your views on the R41.
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  2. Metro

    Metro Well-Known Member

    I love my R41 rosegold, even though it is not my daily driver. I am currently using a Personna Lab Blue in it and it works great! Used an Astra SP before and it wasn't the best fit, even though it's my go-to blade inevery other razor. The Feather also worked nice for me in the R41.
     
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  3. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    This is a family friendly forum, so I can't express my thoughts on the R41 adequately.

    Let's just say that I'm not a fan of aggressive razors and leave it at that. :D
     
  4. 178-bplatoon

    178-bplatoon Well-Known Member

    I'm really glad to hear the MuhleR41 is working so well for you.:happy088: I tried but, could never find any love for either the R41, the Slant or Feather blades for that matter:happy097:. While it does takes me more than 10 min. to shave with my Weber DLC or my "NEW" LCOC, the shaves are close, smooth and completely irritation free.:)
     
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  5. HolyRollah

    HolyRollah BaconLord

    :eatdrink047::eatdrink047::eatdrink047:
    Still my go-to DE razor…should I ever feel the urge to drag out a DE razor. :D;)
     
  6. RaZorBurn123

    RaZorBurn123 waiting hardily...............

    That's the one razor I have that I absolutely must pay attention to. Great shaver, so good I can skip a day of shaving. Blade of choice, Personna Lab Blue..
     
  7. ARGH

    ARGH Well-Known Member

    Mine is up in the rotation tomorrow and Thursday. If I get a repeat performance of its last couple outings I will be parting ways with the brute. I will give your tips and blade choices a try.
     
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  8. Omelmad

    Omelmad My printer email address is..........

    I want this razor but not now. Im not buying any new razors for a while.

    But I would only need to get the head =D
     
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  9. steelheart1948

    steelheart1948 New Member

    When I started D.E. shaving about 2 years ago, the R41 was my 3rd razor. Coupled with a feather blade, I ripped my face up. Fast forward to 3 months ago. I pulled it out and threw in a Personna med prep. Very carefully and slowly I shaved with it. Fantastic shave! Experience counts.
     
  10. nelius22

    nelius22 Member

    My R41 Rosegold is my second razor after the EJ89. Compared to the latter, the R41 needs more time of shave but the results are much better. Moreover, the number of passes is inferior and this combined with good technique translates in a better experience for the skin. No razor burn from my R41 so far.
     
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  11. Primotenore

    Primotenore missed opera tunity

    Article Team
    The R41 is a terrific, aggressive, yet stable razor, which when combined with a steady hand, great prep, no pressure, and a smooth blade (my #1 & #2 choices are Personna Med Preps and Polsilver SI), will give you a phenomenally close shave. :happy088: I, however had to ditch the standard handle in favor of a Weber Bulldog. The factory Mühle handles are a menace, due to their extreme slipperiness.
     
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  12. gwsmallwood

    gwsmallwood Well-Known Member

    I like my 2013 so much I decided to pick up one of the Spitfire 3D printed caps from Aimsport to transform it into a 2011.
     
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  13. The Madscraper

    The Madscraper New Member

    I recently picked up an R41 with a Weber Bulldog Wave handle on E-Bay. I love the weight and balance and I don't mind the aggressiveness but the angle that it cuts at feels like it is ripping the hair more than cutting it. Feather blades seem to work the best for me. Very close and smooth shave though.
     
  14. Metro

    Metro Well-Known Member

    I've tried both the factory handle and the weber bulldog and I still prefer the factory one. I find the Bulldog to be of better quality but its weight is overkill for the lighter head and throws off the balance for me. It is a bit slippery though...
     
  15. Primotenore

    Primotenore missed opera tunity

    Article Team
    I would address your soap. The R41 needs a slick surface. I have great success with Mystic Water for example.
     
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  16. Primotenore

    Primotenore missed opera tunity

    Article Team
    You are correct about balance. I have the factory handle on my R89. Completely different feel compared to my R41/Weber.
     
  17. gwsmallwood

    gwsmallwood Well-Known Member

    I use an MR3 handle. I really wish they would do a SS or at least a brass version of the head, because I prefer a little more weight, but I still think I prefer the unbalanced MR3 handle to the Grande handle.
     
  18. Mojorisin35

    Mojorisin35 Active Member

    I am an absolute fan of the R41 it is my everyday razor. I too have purchased the Aimsport spitfire and hurricane and will never go back the standard 2013 head. I like the spitfire but I find it suffers from the same blade stutter that the original 2011 R41 suffered, the hurricane on the other hand has the blade gap of the 2011 with a touch more thickness in the head to calm the stutter, if it was made in steel I would buy one instantly!

    I found the secret to a smooth insanely close shave is light pressure and a shaving with a steep angle. When I was told this tip the R41 went from tearing me apart to instantaneous bbs. Seriously nothing has helped me tame the beast more than shaving with a steep angle.

    Give it a try and I think you will be pleased.

    however a cautionary tale I am bald and tried to shave my head with the R41 in the shower, it ended up reminiscent of the shower scene in psycho. My wife said to quote “that was next level stupid”. Not recommended

    Gary
     
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  19. preidy

    preidy Just call me Dino

    Great razor. I'm a fan of the R41 also. Went thru a similar learning period. I've been using for about three months with a Plat-Lux. I've tried about 6 other blades and the Rapira gives me great close shaves. I do not use as a daily driver (although I could) but use every 7th day in my rotation. Also use a 1908 Old Type and a 1919 Bulldog. Would rate the R41 and the Old Types as very similar in agression with same BBS results.
     
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  20. Mojorisin35

    Mojorisin35 Active Member

    Interesting the Rapira Platinum Lux are my favorite blades with the R41 as well. I tried to be manly and all and tried using feathers, super sharp but super rough for me. I find that the blades only last for two maximum three shaves with the R41 butI was lucky and bought 200 Rapira's when the Russian currency was super weak and the Canadian dollar was strong so i doesn't feel so bad..
     
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