R41 Shaving Advice

[christhach]

Hey all, I'm beginning to see the light with my EJ R41 (2011 - the agressive version). After mauling my face the first time round, the second and third gos have been much, much better due to using a very shallow blade angle, no pressure and a loose grip. In particular, I'm noticing how close the razor shaves. It's amazing! My cheeks have never been this smooth!

The problem I am having is under the noes and around the mouth and above the chin. It's very hard for me to get a shallow blade angle in all those nooks and crannies. As a result, the shave is not very comfortable and I do get some cuts in these areas.

Any advice?

[Vickers]

Go XTG from both directions (E-W, W-E) under the nose.

[wimbouman]

Some skin stretching is what I do, and that works fine.
IN fact, I find the R41 the best under the nose shaver - it takes some practice though!

[Bshell]

Some skin stretching is what I do, and that works fine.
IN fact, I find the R41 the best under the nose shaver - it takes some practice though!

I've had quite a few nicks trying to get under the nose. Still learning with this razor.

[noahpictures]

This routine should help with any razor.

[Absolute Mustard]

Light buffing is the only thing that works for me

[¢orey]

I find that the R41 gives really close shaves but I have to go s-l-o-w. I take extra time in the same areas you mentioned and it helps a lot.

[Blondie]

Hey all, I'm beginning to see the light with my EJ R41 (2011 - the agressive version). After mauling my face the first time round, the second and third gos have been much, much better due to using a very shallow blade angle, no pressure and a loose grip. In particular, I'm noticing how close the razor shaves. It's amazing! My cheeks have never been this smooth!

The problem I am having is under the noes and around the mouth and above the chin. It's very hard for me to get a shallow blade angle in all those nooks and crannies. As a result, the shave is not very comfortable and I do get some cuts in these areas.

Any advice?

Stop torturing yourself and sell it.

[christhach]

Excellent advice here guys, much appreciated! I'm going to give it a whirl based on your collectively suggestions, which are all very much in line with one another.

And to Phil: your pragmatic approach and humor are also appreciated! But, I must tell you, the closeness of the shave the R41 has given my face and jaw is like nothing else I've experienced. It makes the inital torture worth the quest for perfection!!!!!

[jbradley]

Grow a mustache.

[mctmatt]

I let the Muhle 102 (Same R41 Razor Head) do the heavy work, but when it comes to my upper lip area I just reach over and use my Gillette Tech and my problem is solved.

[fcdiscus]

I let the Muhle 102 (Same R41 Razor Head) do the heavy work, but when it comes to my upper lip area I just reach over and use my Gillette Tech and my problem is solved.

Good advice! I use a Feather Popular or Weishi with Feather blades for problem areas when I use a very aggressive razor.

[phillylion]

For right under the nose, where I can't use a shallow angle, I use a very steep angle, and using NO PRESSURE, it works fine. For the rest of the mustache area, I use my normal very shallow angle. For the under the lower lip chin area, I also have a lot of problems and am still experimenting. I normally tighten my lower lip over the teeth, which tightens and flattens out the whole area, then ever so lightly use my very shallow angle. On my last attempt, using a Derby, experiencing a tugging in that area, I went east/west on my lower lip and that seemed to work really well. I have to point out that the one time I used a Feather in the R41, I didn't have any tugging in that area and had no problems whatsoever.

[dpmtherrien]

The r41 takes some serious practice to get things down. The best thing I've found for using this razor on any part of my face is to use NO PRESSURE at all. The razor is so aggressive that I've just got to let it float over my face. Once you get it down the shaves will be fantastic.

[D.W.B.]

Go XTG from both directions (E-W, W-E) under the nose.

This is what works me in that area as well. As as already been said, go slowly and no pressure.