Muhle 99R Open Comb. Opinions?

Hello everyone,

I have been lurking on this forum for almost 2 years. Traditional DE wet shaving is something I started out with as a teenager but then 2, 3 & more blade systems invaded the market. Everyone thought them so cool and DE razors were relegated to the past. After 20 years of carts & canned goo I rediscovered DE shaving through a search for my favorite carts that had been discontinued. Now I am enjoying wonderful smooth irritation free shaves and have about 30 razors (as a result of RAD). Now I am looking to buy a new razor which appeals to me by the looks of it - Muhle 99R open comb. Before I pull the trigger, I would like to hear any opinions. The description says it is a fairly aggressive razor. Do any of you gentlemen have this razor or did you shave with it?

http://www.fendrihan.com/classic-doubleedge-safety-razor-with-open-comb-pi-923.html

Thanks

PS. I assume it is Muhle because the description of the vendor has this (under the generic designation of DE OC razor): [MUH.99R].

Not sure about this razor, but i know the R41 gets a lot of good reviews here on the forums.

Just another one you might want to take a look at.

I have never used the Muhle 99R. Personally my 1st open comb will be a Merkur Classic 1904....here

It's a little cheaper than the Muhle and I hear that you can swap handles with Gillette Techs and possibly other 3 piece razors. There's plenty of reviews on these boards for the Merkur 1904. Check them out.

I have the Joris with the same head.
It's a very agressive razor.

This razor is actually the old (pre '09) Mühle R89 made by Fatip. It is a good shaver but, as LeGaulois pointed out, very aggressive indeed. Careless shaving will easily result in lots of cuts and nicks.

Easier to use is the new Mühle (post '09 R41) open comb or one of the Merkurs. Geometry of the head is with all these razors the same but overall quality of the Mühle is superior to the Merkurs.

I had one...very well made, great shaves, but more aggressive than my slant. Little too much for me.

I have an identical one in gold, I wish I could say I loved it but I don't.

This razor should be perfect, great feel, heft and aggression but it has a very small sweet spot so it is rather unforgiving. Maybe I just need to find the right blade for it but I'm reaching for the New R41 much more often.

This is a very aggressive razor thats why Muhle doesn't make them anymore. This is one of the last vendors still selling them.

Vladbkf said:

Before I pull the trigger, I would like to hear any opinions. The description says it is a fairly aggressive razor. Do any of you gentlemen have this razor or did you shave with it?

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Like talibeard said that's old r89 OC. It is indeed aggressive razor, but on the other hand it gives a very close shave and if you're not clumsy and pay little more attention on the shave, you shouldn't have any nicks or cuts... In worst case I once had razor burn (but that time I was in a hurry, so it's my fault).
Finish on this razor isn't in the league with current Muhle models (which is flawless), I would rate it between Merkur and current Muhle razors.
btw. it looks way better live than on that picture, very handsome and hefty.

talibeard said:

This razor is actually the old (pre '09) Mühle R89 made by Fatip. It is a good shaver but, as LeGaulois pointed out, very aggressive indeed. Careless shaving will easily result in lots of cuts and nicks.

Click to expand...

+1. We have no way to tell if that picture is what they're selling (a pre '09 R89) or if the picture is mistakenly attached to the link (the Mühle 99R) from that page.

talibeard said:

Geometry of the head is with all these razors the same but overall quality of the Mühle is superior to the Merkurs.

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One note of caution: my pre '09 R89 has a problem with uneven blade exposure. It's possible to correct, but only after a lot of fiddling with the blade. I am disappointed with the quality of the fit, since they're no longer made and thus I can't get a replacement. The plating and finish are excellent, though. The razor -- as aggressive as people say it is -- does shave well once I get the blade situated properly.

Thanks for the help everyone. Much appreciated.

Thanks for the information everyone. I have ordered for myself Muhle R41.

soapbox said:

One note of caution: my pre '09 R89 has a problem with uneven blade exposure. It's possible to correct, but only after a lot of fiddling with the blade. I am disappointed with the quality of the fit, since they're no longer made and thus I can't get a replacement. The plating and finish are excellent, though. The razor -- as aggressive as people say it is -- does shave well once I get the blade situated properly.

Click to expand...

I have heard this before and there seems to be a dubious batch of old Mühles around. Mine doesn't give any problems; load a blade and shave. But in the quoted statement I was referring to the new Mühles compared to the current Merkur OC's which are not made by Fatip anymore.

AFAIK the old Mühles are still in production by Fatip (Italy); it is just that Mühle doesn't sell them anymore.