Do you think that as the blade is quite flat, that you need a steeper blade angle?
Yes.
Do you think that as the blade is quite flat, that you need a steeper blade angle?
Are you referring to the 2011 Muhle R41? I use about a 5 degree angle at most. Put the razor under your sideburn with zero angle (head of razor parallel to the floor) and see if you can feel the blade against your skin; if you can then you don't need to adjust the angle.
+1. I use a very shallow angle as well when I use the tooth comb. You should do whatever works best for you since everyone is different.
Ah, I think I finally get what everyone says when they refer to shallow or steep angle, and I suppose I had it backwards. I thought steep meant blade almost parallel to face ~5-10 degrees or so, now I see everyone refers to this as "shallow".
Ah, I think I finally get what everyone says when they refer to shallow or steep angle, and I suppose I had it backwards. I thought steep meant blade almost parallel to face ~5-10 degrees or so, now I see everyone refers to this as "shallow".
For the record, the new Mühle needs to used with a steeper angle.
I think there's more than one way to skin a cat. At 0 degrees, the blade is not touching the face or barely touches the face. One has to increase the angle until it does. For some people, this happens at 5 degrees and for others it happens at 15 degrees. It's been a while since I shaved with the R41 but from what I remember, I used a shallow angle or even a slightly negative angle.
Instead of starting at 0 degrees, you can start at 90 degrees, have the top plate of the razor pressed against your skin and have the handle sticking straight out from your face. At this steep angle, the blade again should not be touching your skin. Then, you can slowly decrease the angle until it does.
Let me know if I'm talking out of my arse here. I don't have my R41 so I'm unable to test this myself or take pictures.
I can't even shave with a guard bar razor anymore after using nothing but an open comb for the past year.I shaved again with the R41 tonight (too soon) and switched to my #15 on the second pass. I had to look at my #15 because it felt like I was shaving with an unloaded razor!
Shallow is what I go for. Too steep irritates.
So you shave with the blade edge pointed directly at your skin?
We're all saying the same thing, but the degree of the angle is being determined from different starting points. My starting point is by holding the razor with the guard bar at a 90° angle to my face and then raising it upward (steeper) to the proper position to shave. Everybody else seems to have a starting point of having the top of the razor against their faces and then lowering the razor downward (shallower) to the proper position for shaving.
I thought my pictures would make this a little clearer since there is confusion on what is meant by "steeper" and "shallower" because we're not all measuring the angle from the same starting point. Or maybe I'm the only one who is an oddball.