Muhle R41 shave impressions

Discussion in 'Safety Razors' started by Bluesbishop, Feb 28, 2012.

  1. Bluesbishop

    Bluesbishop Active Member

    I have been primarily a Vintage Gillette guy since I started wet shaving. I am 48 yrs old and learned how to shave with my fathers vintage Gillettes. My twin brother and I were adopted by older parents...Dad was 43 when we were born. A WWII Vet that pretty much his whole life only used DE razors. My only other new razor has been the EJ DE89, which for me has proven to be too mild. My vintage Gillettes, primarily the Slim and the NEW open comb have become my "go to" daily razors.

    My first impression when I took it out of the box was how well built the razor was. Everything fit perfectly and the finish is flawless. Weight seems nice and very well balanced. Well worth the price. Quality is evident is this product, much better than Merkurs other other new razors I have checked out.

    When I loaded a blade (I know everyone seems to recommend feathers in this...BUT my "go to" blade is the Supermax Super Platinum...so to keep it "fair" that's what I loaded) my first thought was "Holy crap! that blade really sticks out a lot more than it does on my other razors! I compared it to a loaded NEW and the R41 seems alot more intimidating! To say I was slightly nervous to give it a try was a under statement.

    After my prep I started my shave under the side burns....Hmmm...what's this,,,, a slight tug? I took a short stroke and slight adjusted the angle. I continued with my first pass....no weepers, nicks or cuts...!! What I did notice is this razor GIVES alot of feedback, and will tell you the right angle and touch needed. it requires ZERO and I mean ZERO pressure.

    I rinsed my face after the first pass, and to be honest, was not that impressed. My WTG pass had left more stubble than I would normally see with my NEW. I lathered again, this pass ATG starting on my neck.My neck is always sensitive, prone to bad razor burn...so again I kept my tough light. small light stokes with some "buffing" in between strokes....washed my face...WOW...with two passes I had a DFS and my cheeks were BBS!

    OK, lets push it and do another pass.

    I lathered up again...(my favorite lather lately is a combo of soap and cream....I load my silvertip with VDH soap till the puck is dry, then put a almond size of Bigelow/ Proraso in the mug..add some water and WOW!) This pass was a combo of "V" and a XTG pass...again, very light touch...I was amazed at the feeback this razor gives! I can feel and hear the stubble removal, but yet it seems to glide flawlessly across my face! This pass I used longer strokes, rinsed with cold water and applied a sample aftershave gel sent to me by Razor Blades and more..Velerio...Highly recommended!! Great scent and feels wonderful!

    Up till today, I would have said that the Gillette NEW was the closest, best shave ever. I was WRONG..the Muhle R41 IMHO gives the BEST SHAVE OF MY LIFE!!

    I am now a card carrying member to the Cult of the R41!

    I would highly recommend this razor to newbies and experienced shavers alike. What it will require is a light touch and a good technique. For a beginner, I think this will help to shorten his learning curve. For experienced shavers, you will attain a shave Nirvana you never dreamed was possible.

    My mind is still blown away on how smooth my face feels...BBS isn't just a saying...cheeks, jawline, neck...feel like I've never had hair on my face.

    This is NOT a razor to use if you are in a rush....I spent 12 minutes shaving, can probably reduce that some next time...but take your time! Don't be afraid, give this razor a shot... I'm pretty sure you will love it!!
     
    battle.munky, PanChango and Llyr like this.
  2. PanChango

    PanChango Not Cute

    Nice write up.

    The R41 is a wonderfully effective razor providing great shaves.

    Have you ever tried a Gem OCMM? Next to the R41, the ocmm gives me the closest shaves.
     
  3. SharpSpine

    SharpSpine Well-Known Member

    The R41 ('11) is a stubble destroying beast. For my face and stubble combination though it really needs a much stiffer blade to be an enjoyable shaver for me. Too much flex from that flat blade leads to too many weepers for me, even though my face is glass smooth. So while it was a great shave result for me, I didn't enjoy the experience of shaving with it. I'm excited for you and all the others that this razor works for and I'm even happier that I was able to test drive it without purchasing.
     
  4. Bluesbishop

    Bluesbishop Active Member

    Today I used the Crystal (IP) with the R41, and it was a equally excellent shave. BBS with very little effort. I have extremely sensitive skin, prone to razor burn and irritation very easily. I think that this razor, combined with a good sharp blade and proper angle will give any DE user the closet shave of there life. Throw out anything you though you knew about shaving angles.

    For reference, I would recommend watching Geofatboys excellent R41 video:

    Fast forward to around the 10:00 mark......
     
  5. battle.munky

    battle.munky Has the menthol.munky on his back!

    I've found little variation in blades with the R-41. That flat blade angle seems to give the razor a good span of blades that are effective. Other than the old carbon blades, I haven't had any issues with any blade. I will get 4 shaves out of most blades too.
     
  6. CyanideMetal

    CyanideMetal Wild and crazy guy

    Geo has the razor handle almost perpendicular to the floor and looks like he's scraping his face, while I've heard some guys say that the handle should be nearly parallel to the floor. Which angle is correct?
     
  7. SharpSpine

    SharpSpine Well-Known Member

    Not to be snide, but the angle that cuts the hair and doesn't leave irritation is correct for you. I tried both with no difference to me. Geometrically you'd think that the blade should be coming in more parallel to the face rather then perpendicular but I've heard of stranger things work for people.
     
    CyanideMetal likes this.
  8. CyanideMetal

    CyanideMetal Wild and crazy guy

    I tried both angles too, Brian and it didn't seem to make much difference either. I do keep reading people say "forget what you know about blade angle" and wonder what they mean.
     
    SharpSpine likes this.
  9. fishcrow

    fishcrow Birdman of TSD

    Great review and thank for sharing your impressions.
     
  10. PanChango

    PanChango Not Cute

    I dunno. I just use the razor and don't worry about finding the right angle.

    It always seems to present itself and allow me a decent shave.

    If I get it wrong it either won't cut anything or slice me up something good.
     
    CyanideMetal likes this.
  11. battle.munky

    battle.munky Has the menthol.munky on his back!

    I can't get it to cut unless I have the angle such that the handle end is pointing nearly at the ground.
     
    CyanideMetal likes this.
  12. newb

    newb Resident Newb

    That's the same way I use er. The R41 to me is a scraper. If I change the angle I'd be better served to use a shavette. (with a shavette I have better control)
     
  13. SharpSpine

    SharpSpine Well-Known Member

    Man, y'all are making me consider using this razor again before I send it back to its home. I don't want to have missed something with this razor and then end up buying it just to try out again. I'll have to finish a couple blade tests but I think I'll have to revisit the beast again.
     
  14. battle.munky

    battle.munky Has the menthol.munky on his back!

    To be completely honest, I've only tried to use it like a "normal" razor once and got nowhere. Then I let the razor dictate the angle and now it is smooth sailing. Admittedly, the shave isn't as smooth as with ,say, my 89l but the 89l doesn't deliver dolphin smooth 2 pass shaves either. I'll sacrifice a tiny bit to get that much higher level and likelihood of BBS chance.

    I'd give it another run Brian.
     
    SharpSpine likes this.
  15. Ron Trosclair

    Ron Trosclair Member

    I've been using the Russian Vol blades from Jody's group buy. They aren't as smooth as the feathers I l've been using. But they seem to provide a ver smooth result though. The Russians definitely give a different feel for me!

    Keep on keeping on.
     
  16. southernscribbler

    southernscribbler Well-Known Member

    The 41R is the new benchmark for DE razors IMHO.
     
    thinklikeh20 and SharpSpine like this.
  17. Bluesbishop

    Bluesbishop Active Member

    That is the point of my post....I posted Geofatboys video as an example...BUT I find this razor to be very intuitive. It WILL give you feedback....just like any tool...let the tool do the work .

    I think PanChango said it best..."I dunno. I just use the razor and don't worry about finding the right angle"
     
    SharpSpine likes this.
  18. Llyr

    Llyr Stay frosty, my friends!

    I just pulled the trigger on the R41 grande,I like a longer and heftier handle for headshaves.
     
  19. SharpSpine

    SharpSpine Well-Known Member

    Well the R41 is packed up & will be making its journey back to its owner tomorrow. However, I made time for 1 more shave with it utilizing the much steeper, scraping orientation technique. I had an injector razor ready as my backup for when I see my skin peeling off like paint flakes. Surprisingly, this technique worked splendidly for me. No weepers at all this time around. 1 nick on my jawline from a slight mishandle while turning the razor in my hand. Otherwise this was a blood-free shave with glass smooth results. The shave itself was much smoother than my previous attempts but I still wouldn't call it an enjoyable & comfortable shaving experience. The results, though, are undeniable. This razor is a game changer & I will most likely own one eventually. It's not a high priority as my curiosity is currently satisfied. Maybe by next Christmas they'll be a good bit cheaper.
     
    lindyhopper66 likes this.
  20. battle.munky

    battle.munky Has the menthol.munky on his back!


    I thought the same thing Brian but after a week (as with most razors with a steep learning curve) one learns how to use it comfortably. It was a bit weird initially for me too, but you get through it.
     
    CyanideMetal likes this.

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