Muhle R99, the new Muhle Open Comb R41?

Hey guys,

I tried searching this forum for R99 ( as found here http://www.fendrihan.com/classic-doubleedge-safety-razor-with-open-comb-p-923.html ) and I couldn't find a single instance where they mention this Muhle Open Comb DE.

I did find however a lot of discussions about the R41 open comb.

The teeth on the R99 look "rounder" than the Merkur 1904, so it is definitely not the a Merkur head. To my newbie eyes the R99's head looks better.

So what's up with the R99? is that a new model?

I am mainly looking to buy my first DE and settled between the Muhle R99 and the Merkur 1904 Open Comb.


Thanks.

IMO, the handle looks like crap.

Indeed, it does look cheap, but I am really liking the head. reminds me more of a Gillette New than an open comb Merkur.

That looks like the old R41 that was made by Fatip, though they are an Italian company and the one in the link says it is made in Germany.

Here is a link to the Fatip razor:

http://www.casadelrasoio.com/pagine/scheda.asp?ID=1720

They look the same.

Jobol said:

Indeed, it does look cheap, but I am really liking the head. reminds me more of a Gillette New than an open comb Merkur.

Click to expand...

I am not sure what is wrong with that picture, but I am fairly certain that Muhle would not put their name on a razor with shoddy construction. Also, the Muhle name is nowhere to be found on this razor. On my Muhle R89, the Muhle name is very prominent around the base of the handle.

Also, I find it curious that all of the other Muhle, and Edwin Jagger razors are labeled as such in the adcopy, but this one is just labeled generically as "Classic Double-Edge Safety Razor with Open Comb", that seems odd to me, as Muhle is a well known name, and would be a huge selling point to someone who knows what they are looking at!!

Doesn't look like the quality they're known for, IMO.

Thats a Muhle but the older ones with very aggressive heads. The replacement is the R41 2009 vintage.

I recently bought one of those from Fendrihan - it is definitely the old version which is exactly what I wanted. An aggressive razor that rewards with a very good shave. The handle doesn't look any better in real life than in the photo. I replaced it with a bulldog deluxe handle from Bob. The thread size is close enough to the Gillette one he uses that it works fine.

End result - a very nice razor that gets a lot of use in my rotation.

nice. thanks for your replies. So this is the precursor to the R41 and not the successor as I originally thought.

blantyre said:

I recently bought one of those from Fendrihan - it is definitely the old version which is exactly what I wanted. An aggressive razor that rewards with a very good shave. The handle doesn't look any better in real life than in the photo. I replaced it with a bulldog deluxe handle from Bob. The thread size is close enough to the Gillette one he uses that it works fine.

End result - a very nice razor that gets a lot of use in my rotation.

Click to expand...

How would you compare it to a 1904 Open Comb?

Do you think it is worth it to have both for a first timer DE user?

I had a 1904 OC for a while. It is not nearly as aggressive as the old Muhle OC. I would get the Muhle and try it - carefully if you are not used to very aggressive blade exposure. It should be easy to sell if you don't like it.

Thanks for the help everyone. Much appreciated.

Jobol said:

nice. thanks for your replies. So this is the precursor to the R41 and not the successor as I originally thought.

Click to expand...

Yes it is; the reason you didn't find more is because you searched for a R99 while this one was called R89 also.

Quality is fine compared to what Merkur does but is not in the league with what Mühle makes today. It is indeed Italian (fatip) and also sold as Mühle.

One of the most aggressive fixed razors available whereas the new R41 is pretty mild. Interesting razor to add to your collection though and built like a tank.

Mine is not for sale!!

lol, all right talibeard.

I will try the 1904 Open Comb first and see how I like that one. If I don't find it aggressive enough I will try the R99/R89

Thanks.