Merkur vs EJ DE89 vs Muhle R89 vs Parker 98R

Just looking for opinions and info on this... I just started about a month ago with my Merkur 23C and I like it, but I'm thinking about gifting it to my brother and trying something different.

Here are my thoughts, as a total noob, after using the 23C for a month and looking around at other alternatives:

I really like the head of the 23C. I like that it's the simple 3-piece design that can really be thoroughly cleaned and doesn't involve any moving parts. I like the smooth feel of the curved outer surface. Only minor neg is that it's a bit bulky and hard to fit under my nose. I don't have any other DE experience to compare to but I've found it to be surprisingly non-aggressive - not a complaint but I'd have no problem moving to a slightly more aggressive razor.

The handle, I'm not so impressed with. It is good in that it's extremely easy to grip. However, the styling and finish looks about on-par with the handle of a cheap off-brand chrome ratchet. Not really bad, just not very pretty and doesn't really feel "nice" in your hand. I probably wouldn't have cared except I looked at some photos of the EJ DE89 in a review on this site, and realized just how much better a handle could look (and probably feel) for the same price. BTW I'm specifically looking at the DE89L because I'm guessing the lines on the handle would help offset the loss of grip.

So now I've got my eye mainly on the EJ DE89, but also kinda looking at the Parker 98R and the pricier Muhle R89. Thanks in advance for any info or suggestions.

Why not a vintage? Aggressive shave check out an Old Timer open comb, which is a 3 piece. If your ok with trying a TTO check out a red tip, slim adjustable, or a Fat Boy. All these razors can be had for 45 or less. Just post in the BST that you want one and the pms will fly in. I prefer the 1930s Aristocrat, first gillette TTO and also open comb. The case inside is old and tattered but the razor is still sexy! And shaves like a dream won this with 2 other razors (Probak & Ronson) for $83 one the bay.

1934 Aristocrat

The EJ DE89 is a great razor IMO. I switched to this razor from a Merkur 23c. The fit and finish on the EJ is impeccable and it's such a smooth shaver. The head is pretty similar to the Merkur, it might actually be a bit larger as the base plate on the EJ is a little thicker. One thing to consider though is that you're not going to get a DE under your nose like you were able to get a cart...some nose manuvering with your free hand will be necessary...three piece razors actually have the least bulky heads compared to a TTO. As far as Parker goes, my first razor was a Parker 22r...a piece of junk IMO as it had a number of issues. There are many who like Parkers, but I didn't have a good experience with mine. I would spend the few extra dollars and treat yourself to a really nice piece like the EJ DE89.

The EJ DE89 and the Mühle R89 have the same head, the difference is in the handle - the former has a solid handle, the latter a hollow one. I bought and sold the EJ as I didn't like the added weight; I'm now more than happy with the Mühle.

The Seeker said:

The EJ DE89 and the Mühle R89 have the same head, the difference is in the handle - the former has a solid handle, the latter a hollow one. I bought and sold the EJ as I didn't like the added weight; I'm now more than happy with the Mühle.

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Me, exactly the opposite opinion. I have the EJ89L and Muhle R41. I have tried the Muhle handle with the EJ head, and I personally prefer the heavier EJ handle.

David

I own the Muhle R89. I've had it for 5 months (it's my one and only DE razor that I've used). I absolutely love it. The craftsmanship is unrivalled in my view. A lot of people with Merkurs say that Merkurs are like factory 2nds compared to the quality of the Muhles (or EJs). It's an incredibly smooth shave, even with a Feather. I've settled on Astra SPs as my blade of choice and have bought about 4 years' worth as a result!

I can't rate the R89 high enough - now I want the matching silvertip brush and stand ... check it out below...

Why not try a Merkur 11C (HD style open-comb) or a slant?

Thanks for the great responses, it's given me a lot to think about.

jtadmin: I do see the appeal of the vintage razors and I actually have poked around ebay a bit, but was kind of hesitant to drop money on a vintage razor due to my lack of knowledge about them. Also, my financial situation is quite tight so I can't really afford to experiment with buying collectibles. Plus, I like a new looking razor over something that looks like it outlived several owners. There's something to be said for modern-day manufacturing precision, which has come a long way even in the last 40 years.

BladeDE40: Your sentiments pretty much echo exactly what I'd gathered from my research on google. A lot of people don't seem to think the parkers are up to par. Thanks for the tip about shaving under the nose, will keep that in mind during my next shave.

Seeker/Optometrist: Thanks for the informative and helpful point/counterpoint. Little details like that you never notice until you've already purchased the razor. Hopefully I'll prefer the weighty handle since it's half the cost.

kiwichris: THANK YOU for posting that photo, I had been unable to find a good photo where you could see the detail of the muhle handle's grip pattern. It looks like it uses a much smoother, more refined and comfortable pattern than the roughly machined Merkur. And yes that set looks amazing... something to ask my gf for next xmas.

dreadpirate: Actually, I had taken a look at the slant merkurs, especially the ones with the more attractive barber pole handle. In fact the only reason I didn't mention it was because I was worried it might make the original question too complicated, and the 3 mentioned in the title seem to be pretty directly comparable. I'm intrigued by what people say about the "slicing action" of the slant head, sounds like it might be just what I'm looking for.

I've noticed that when I shave, I try to focus on the feel of the blade edge on my skin, ignoring the rest of the razor head as much as possible. So in my mind's eye it's like i'm shaving with a bare blade attached to a handle, if that makes any sense. So it seems like a razor with a more aggressive stance would let me focus more on the blade without the guard bars occasionally getting in the way.

kiwichris said:

I own the Muhle R89. I've had it for 5 months (it's my one and only DE razor that I've used). I absolutely love it. The craftsmanship is unrivalled in my view. A lot of people with Merkurs say that Merkurs are like factory 2nds compared to the quality of the Muhles (or EJs). It's an incredibly smooth shave, even with a Feather. I've settled on Astra SPs as my blade of choice and have bought about 4 years' worth as a result!

I can't rate the R89 high enough - now I want the matching silvertip brush and stand ... check it out below...

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Not as glamorous a picture, and an R41 not an R89, but here's mine...

Ceri said:

Not as glamorous a picture, and an R41 not an R89, but here's mine...

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I'm jealous!

kiwichris said:

I'm jealous!

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It's beautiful isn't it?

I bought a larger version of the stand in error, but can't help thinking my DE89L would look very nice on it, matched with the Lined version of EJ's Chatsworth brush...

Brawndo said:

BTW I'm specifically looking at the DE89L because I'm guessing the lines on the handle would help offset the loss of grip.

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I have a DE89L and find the handle to be too slippery WHEN WET, so much so that I'm looking for a replacement handle. I know Bob's Razor Works makes replacements but I'm not ready to spend the 45 bucks.
It's a great razor and I'm glad I bought it but I wish the handle was more textured.

bdev said:

I have a DE89L and find the handle to be too slippery WHEN WET, so much so that I'm looking for a replacement handle.

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I have a DE87 with the same problem. Solved it by using a bit of white surgical/bandaging tape on the handle. Got a fine grip on it now and it even (sorta) matches the white handle.

i would go with the edwin jagger de89l it look so nice compared to a merkur you can really tell the blue chrome they use i dont have any problems with it slipping plus it uses a muhle head so u get a nice razor great quality for a fraction of the price muhle $65.00 edwin jagger $35.00

glad to hear the good comments on the Muhle R89. i have one on the way.

mcdesant said:

i would go with the edwin jagger de89l it look so nice compared to a merkur you can really tell the blue chrome they use i dont have any problems with it slipping plus it uses a muhle head so u get a nice razor great quality for a fraction of the price muhle $65.00 edwin jagger $35.00

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+1

The Edward Jagger is much, much nicer than a Merkur.

BTW, none of us can give you the right answer. Razors are very subjective. The good news is that if you buy one, don't like, and B/S/T it, you will lose no more than a few bucks.

I also recommend trying vintage razors. Don't get them on ebay, since you never really know what you'll get or if it's in good condition.

I tried about 10 different razors and settled on the EJ DE89L, with the Gillette Rocket HD a very, very close second.

As for it being slippery, it's fine for me. It's not water that makes it slippery, it's soap. As long as there is no soap on your hands or razor, it's works great. I just wash my hands and razor when I rinse off the blade after a pass.

Received it in 1 day from West Coast Shaving. Opened it up and I knew I'd made the right choice. I hold this next to my merkur 180 and just cannot believe they are the same price. The EJ looks like it should cost 3 times as much. The handle is beautiful. Yes, it's a little bit slippery with wet soapy hands but it's nothing I can't get used to, the only time you really have to watch out is when shaking it off under the water stream, since you're applying some g-force to it. Otherwise had no problems with the grip. The two pieces of the head fit together with much less play than the merkur, possibly due to the more cylindrical shape of the pins. The difference in quality is very visible on the underside of these pieces, which look just as nicely chromed and polished on the top. The underside of the merkur looks like it was not meant to be seen. I did notice that it was a bit harder to start threading the handle into the head, but I'm guessing that will pass as it goes through some assembly/dis-assembly cycles and removes any burrs or excess chrome plating on the threaded parts. I attribute it to the fact that the entire piece is so precisely machined, there is just no room to assemble it in any way but perfectly. Once you've started threading there is no resistance. Also, the handle seats much more securely against the backside of the razor head. With the merkur, if I didn't apply extra force to tighten it down, it would start unscrewing during use. Not so with the EJ DE89L - it has a wide, perfectly flat mating area that effortlessly locks the handle in place - once again the razor benefits from superior precision and design. But most importantly - this thing is beautiful. As someone who really appreciates a nice looking piece of machined metal, this razor exceeded all my expectations for beauty and elegance. It looks better than in the photos.

my 89L will be the last I buy until I go straights- too many soaps need to be bought

Brawndo said:

I did notice that it was a bit harder to start threading the handle into the head, but I'm guessing that will pass as it goes through some assembly/dis-assembly cycles and removes any burrs or excess chrome plating on the threaded parts.

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I experienced this with my Mühle R89, but as you suspected, it disappeared after being used and cleaned a few times.

BladeDE40 said:

The fit and finish on the EJ is impeccable and it's such a smooth shaver. The head is pretty similar to the Merkur, it might actually be a bit larger as the base plate on the EJ is a little thicker. One thing to consider though is that you're not going to get a DE under your nose like you were able to get a cart...some nose manuvering with your free hand will be necessary...three piece razors actually have the least bulky heads compared to a TTO.

I would spend the few extra dollars and treat yourself to a really nice piece like the EJ DE89.

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+1

Razors with Muhle heads are to me so much smoother and easy to use.