First R41 shave today

**Whilliam** · 10-21-2011, 08:26 AM

Good morning, guys!

Just bought an R41 from The Superior Shave (whose legendary reputation is well deserved) and whacked the whiskers this morning with it.

I'm 64, so I learned to shave DE with a Gillette back in the "Look sharp, feel sharp, sharp" days when their ad mascot was a parrot. I also used a Hoffritz (by Merkur) slant razor for many years until the damn thing broke.

Resumed DE shaving about a month ago with a Lord L6, which is a damn fine razor, save for its ability to handle the "swirlies" on my chin and neck. Sooooo, I figured it was time for the heavy metal. Truthfully, I never did care for the slant, so I thought I'd give this thing a try.

VERY interesting shave. Just like old times--but closer. I got a couple of quick nicks until I just allowed the razor to find its best angle. From there on, it was skating. Careful skating, but skating nonetheless.

I normally shave against the grain on first pass; the R41 was beautiful at this. And, yes, the blade does "sing." It was the damndest thing. "Whingg!"

Coming down is where I have to be careful, but there wasn't much to come down on.

Then I went at my chin and neck. I pull my skin taut when I shave, which sometimes encourages pressing the razor a bit too hard. I could definitely feel the edge here (Derby stainless), so, again, I just sort of let the razor find its own way. The "swirlies" are mostly gone; with a little practice, I am sure they will be all gone in a few more mornings.

Again, save for a minor nick on my cheek early on, I drew no more blood for the day.

The diciest spot to shave was directly beneath my lower lip. I wear a Van Dyke, so there's only about a quarter-of-an-inch to shave, which is not really enough room to permit the razor to set up naturally. This took lots of concentration.

Traditionally, I've never really lathered up, but just wet my face and just rubbed in plain ole Noxzema. My dad was a practiced cheapskate (who could get a month out of a Marlin Blue Blade, and probably used the first Wilkinson Sword blade he ever bought until the day he died) and insisted Noxzema was all you needed.

It worked fine for the Lord, but with the R41, I can see a mug and a brush in my future. LOL.

Bottom line for me: The R41 is a superb razor, but very much like a fine firearm. You don't tell a good rifle how to shoot. It tells you. Same with the R41. You don't tell the R41 how to shave. It tells you.

Pay attention and you will enjoy a wonderful shave accompanied by the music of the blades. Try to muscle it around and you are off to styptic city.

JMHO, of course!

**Comfortably_Numb** · 10-21-2011, 08:31 AM

Great Post.

**alex2363** · 10-21-2011, 08:45 AM

Nice analyzes, great post.

**obaid** · 10-21-2011, 09:12 AM

nice!!!just ordered one yesterday....waiting eagerly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

**nteeman** · 10-21-2011, 09:35 AM

Well said, Whilliam, well said!

**Viseguy** · 10-21-2011, 08:58 PM

Originally Posted by Whilliam

... a wonderful shave accompanied by the music of the blades. ...

Sums it up beautifully. Rest assured that your R41 shaves will be bloodless before long.

**cb91710** · 10-21-2011, 09:09 PM

Now move to something other than the Derby. That blade was a bloodbath for me, but worked okay in my 38C.

**noahpictures** · 10-21-2011, 09:11 PM

Welcome to B&B and congrats on the R41. It's the best performing razor (DE/SE/Injector/Straight) I've ever used. You might want to pay a visit to the BST forum (buy/sell/trade).

**KM-instructor** · 10-21-2011, 09:49 PM

Welcome to B&B.

**LeGaulois** · 10-22-2011, 11:46 AM

Waiting eagerly also !

**ackvil** · 10-22-2011, 12:24 PM

Welcome and a great post.

**Codfish** · 10-22-2011, 05:06 PM

Very informative post. It sounds like you may be relatively new here, but have a bit of experience with wet shaving. What are you using as a setup with the '41? You're brave to try ATG on the first pass. Braver than me, anyway.

**Sledgehammer39** · 10-22-2011, 05:07 PM

Welcome Aboard, you got a great razor!

**beisler** · 10-22-2011, 05:11 PM

Glad your here and that you enjoy the R41--great post

**CyiDev** · 10-22-2011, 05:53 PM

Glad you get along great with the R41, I still struggle to make it not give me weepers. It's one of those razors that you can not put it down until you master it. If it does not stay in my rotation it is going to remain a permanent touch-up razor.

**KM-instructor** · 10-22-2011, 06:28 PM

Originally Posted by CyiDev

I still struggle to make it not give me weepers.

Lighten your touch, barely let the actual metal of the razor touch your skin, basically float it over your lather, + sharp blade, ya never know you might master it faster than you think.

**CyiDev** · 10-22-2011, 06:33 PM

Originally Posted by KM-instructor

Lighten your touch, barely let the actual metal of the razor touch your skin, basically float it over your lather, + sharp blade, ya never know you might master it faster than you think.

I will try that tomorrow and see how it works out. I absolutely love how smooth it gets my neck. Tomorrow will be the last shave with it for a week (maybe). My straight comes on Monday so I am going to give that a week of use. I may have to lean on the Aristocrat or my R41 for touch-ups during the week though.

**cb91710** · 10-22-2011, 07:06 PM

Originally Posted by KM-instructor

Lighten your touch, barely let the actual metal of the razor touch your skin, basically float it over your lather, + sharp blade, ya never know you might master it faster than you think.

Shave #2 on my 2nd Astra.
It really "clicked"
Cheeks? I'm not even feeling the blade and constantly playing with the angle trying to "feel" it and going back to a "normal" angle.
It doesn't help that I'm deaf in one ear so I only get audio feedback from one side, but wow... tonight even though I could hear it, I couldn't feel it.

My chin is another story, but it's always been a problem even with the TrakAtraMachFusWingnut-400 carts. That's one reason that I've had a VanDyke for about 15 out of the last 20 years... so it's a rough spot, combined with a relative lack of experience in shaving it.
But it's coming along nicely.