muhle r41 first shave

I just got my R41 after years of shaving with Merkurs. I tried it after 2 weeks on a 1904 Open Tooth, both loaded with Feathers. Also used the opportunity to try Cyril Salter French Vetiver.

Perhaps because the Salter does not lubricate as well as the lanolin-rich Godrej I use normally, perhaps because I was impatient and did not wait as long... but the R41 was disappointing after the 1904. The Merkur is a razor that is surprisingly easy and satisfying to use once you get used to it (my first attempt, straight off bar DEs, was a bloodbath), even if quite aggressive. I found the R41 to have a different blade angle, much wider, closer to perpendicular to the skin which can make it tug when using the position with the handle almost parallel to the face. So, you have to open up the razor more, which means paying a bit more attention to what is going on.

The shave was not particularly closer than two passes of the 1904.

After hearing so much about Muhle's great production quality, I was a bit disappointed. The Muhle sample blade is literally floating within its paper, unlike Feathers which are precisely set. The attached instructions point out that if you screw the handle in too hard, it will break. The top of the head is very light and feels a little flimsy. Half unscrewed, there is a lot of play in the screw, the handle can bend 5 degrees either way.

Nevertheless, I'm going to give Muhle the benefit of the doubt - so many experienced forum members liking it must mean there's something to the thing. I'm going to keep trying it for a couple weeks and see what happens. I think I need to get used to the different weight balance (very light headed) and find the right angle for the less flat parts of my face. And maybe go back to Godrej, although that vetiver smells great.

If you've got a really tough beard or just want a good shave with one pass, the R41 will mow it all down for you. I find that it makes my technique better too. Most of my Techs and milder razors are so forgiving that they let me develop bad habits.

Interesting!
I find it very well made (for zamak). Just snug the handle up when tightening, not using excessive force.

It may take some practice to find the right angle for you, but the nice thing is that the usable range of angles is quite wide - shallow to steep.
Still my favorite razor! Spent 6 months using is exclusively. Then used the Shavecraft Tech for 3 months and recently went back to the R41-13. I like them both quite a bit, but slightly prefer the R41...

Good luck! Remember, we all have different preferences, and it may not be the razor for you. I'd give it a week or 2 at least though...

Glad it worked so well for you.

It was the most difficult razor for me to master, and I had several goes over the space of a few weeks before I felt really comfortable with it. I enjoy shaving with it now and again, but it's not a regular in my rotation. My Fatip Piccolo is an easier and closer shave, but as with all these things, that's a highly personal opinion.

Nice review! Makes me want to order one.

Is it the 2011 or 2013 R41?

Jaidmaster said:

Interesting!
Good luck! Remember, we all have different preferences, and it may not be the razor for you. I'd give it a week or 2 at least though...

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Yes, I think that's important. Usually when there is a large body of opinion in one direction, there's something behind it.

Another thing which surprised me was the "open comb" not being, well, open. If you look at the 1904 Open Tooth, it literally has open teeth - there is a physical gap all the way from your skin to the blade. With hindsight I should probably have looked at the photos but the R41 actually has a bar with round "notches" in it which is what the "teeth" are supposed to be.

Now, this doesn't matter for daily face shaving, but I wonder how performance will be affected for longer growth (e.g. back of the neck, reshaping beard). The problem I had with bar razors is that the hair clumped up in one pass and the razor was made useless within an inch of two. The Open Tooth solved this because there was plenty of space for hair to drop off or be pushed down towards the handle. The R41 bar is much wider spaced than on my Merkur, so might not get clumped up as fast or at all. To be confirmed... in several weeks when I am more comfortable with it.

The Mühle R41 is the best bet for a one or two pass shave IMO -- extremely close. On the other hand, if I'm going for a special occasion BBS, I prefer a milder razor for the ATG blade buffing (especially upper lip). The R41, terrific razor that it is, isn't great for that sort of work -- I often use my Merkur Progress set on 4 or 5 for the first passes, then dial down to 1 for the polishing!

Dialing down is easy, even with wet soapy hands -- just twist the bottom knob all the way clockwise. Ba Da Bing!

This morning's shave was a bit better, thanks to leaving the brush to soak longer and face lathering for a further minute. Only two very minor nicks, one under the nose in a first ever for that area, and one middle of the throat which I'm guessing used to be an ingrown hair.

The shave is equivalent to the 1904 Open Tooth at this point. I've only ever shaved with very light razors, so still getting used to the heavy feel of the R41. It also has a wider head, so the side of the blade is further from the side of the head, which I guess is safer but means I need to figure out a different technique under the nose (this could be why the nick).

The heavier weight (inertia?), the larger handle, the balance of weight being further down, and the Feathers' usual sharpness means it can sometimes be difficult to "feel" the blade on the skin - even on the first pass. This is a bit of an issue for the chin especially where I relied on feeling that very slight bite to know I was cutting hair and not just spreading lather around with the top of the head or the bar. However, I guess this could be seen as a feature, a "smoother" shave.

I enjoy my r41 and posted a thread a couple days ago. Added a pic yesterday but will post it here too. I use a S.S. handle on it and get great shaves. Ive never cut myself with it and think its abillity blows my EJ89 away by a long shot. Ill use my R41 untill my ATT gets here.

It's been another week, and honestly, when you get used to it, this is a fast and easy razor. No nicks, and cuts well even with sub-par/thin lather (like the one from my Tabac travel soap). I don't regret the purchase.

HazMat Shaver said:

I enjoy my r41 and posted a thread a couple days ago. Added a pic yesterday but will post it here too. I use a S.S. handle on it and get great shaves. Ive never cut myself with it and think its abillity blows my EJ89 away by a long shot. Ill use my R41 untill my ATT gets here.
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How long did you work with your EJ89 before stepping up to the R41? Which ATT?

I really love my Muhle R41 v2013 with a iKon Bamboo Handle it's a fantastic razor for a super baby smooth 2 pass shave, and if you think about it and keep on using the R41 and you know who that cannot touch you any more

I've finally figured out when the R41 nicks. One of the variables is blade sharpness (or, I'm guessing, unevenness) and the other is wetness of the lather.

On the blade sharpness, I rarely if ever get cut for days 1-4 with a Feather. Thereafter, the probability of nicks increases with time, which is related to Feathers losing their sharpness around then.

As for wetness, I was experimenting with how much or how little water to keep in the brush before making the lather in a bowl with Cyril Salter cream. Today was the second time I tried a "dry" lather (3 solid shakes of the brush post soaking), which is more solid, creamier, with longer lasting bubbles and therefore a bit more fun to scrape off. However, it also resulted in 4 nicks. Back to "wet" lather (just one shake).

Good lord what a great razor.

Bought it yesterday, had THE best shave till now. Reminds me a non-guarded razor I used to shave with. That's how I like to shave. This razor warns you when you are going to cut and remember, veeeery light touch.

Do you believe people, that I used to cut myself with milder razors, because of the extra passes that I made to clean perfect the grain? With R41 no nicks, cuts and the most important no razor burn. Almost in any shave I had razor burn with any other razor, except Merkur 42c but this is way milder than anything else, hardly catches the stubble.

For me it is much more aggressive than my Fatip Grande and strangely I cut myself easily with Fatip, than R41, because I don't know exactly where is the blade. The first touch with R41 is the blade and then you can continue carefully to shave with no pressure at all and the razor takes no prisoners.

Respect it and it never will cut you even on the ATG pass.

YES for me it is THE best razor in the world. YMMV as always.