ATT M1 or R1?

Hi Im new around here I've been shaving with a DE razor for around 3 years now and I'm loving it! I've had a EJ89 for the past 3 years and the connection between the base plate and the top head is starting to rust thus I'm looking to buy a stainless steel DE razor (thats my excuse for buying one anyway haha).

I've narrowed my choice down to the Above The Tie Kronos M1 or R1 - however does anyone know which one would provide the most similar shave to the EJ89?

Maybe you want to try a different experience !

Sorry, I really have nothing constructive to add about the razors in question, just wanted to get your thoughts going!

Lol well I live in the UK so my only real options for a stainless steel de razor is feather or above the tie. Other companies have stainless steel handles but the heads are normally made of pot metal or something else which would rust

I haven't used either the EJ89 or the M1, but my (semi-educated) guess is the M1 will be closest to the EJ. I have an AOS-branded Muhle that I think has the same head as an EJ89. And I now shave daily with a Kronos R1. The R1 is more aggressive than my Muhle, which is what I was looking for. So I would think the milder M1 would be closer to my Muhle or your EJ.

I have all or have had all of the above. Most similar would be the M1. Although, I would recommend the R1, for variation and quality of shave. With that sait, the R2 is my favorite of the ATT offerings. Grab both the R1 you can always trade for the M1 as Stan at ATT has a great exchange policy. Bottom line, the are top notch razors that live up to their reputation.

Thanks for the input guys. I was thinking of going for the R1 over the M1 so glad got confirmation. Just need to wait till the end of the month for my bills to clear been saving up for this one!

Good choice. Have fun.

I have the 7-piece set but not the EJ89 I do have a Mercur 34c and the M1 is closer to the 34c than the R1. I would assume the 89 is similar to the 34c. Hope this is helpful.

My first razor was an Edwin Jagger DE89. I now shave with an ATT S1 but prior to selecting this razor I used both the R1 and the M1 and I found both to be considerably more aggressive than the Edwin Jagger. Once I tried the S1 I fell in love and I have been using it daily since February.

That's interesting. Maybe the experience depends on shaving technique skin type etc. Out of curiosity what's the blade gap on the de89?

R1 is a little more aggressive, but not overly so.

Consider the S1 also. Although it has the same amount of blade extended, the S1 actually works smoother for me than the R1.

I'm not too fond of slant razors. My bro had a merkur slant which I tried once and it wasn't comfortable for me at all

shahvikram123 said:

Hi Im new around here I've been shaving with a DE razor for around 3 years now and I'm loving it! I've had a EJ89 for the past 3 years and the connection between the base plate and the top head is starting to rust thus I'm looking to buy a stainless steel DE razor (thats my excuse for buying one anyway haha).

I've narrowed my choice down to the Above The Tie Kronos M1 or R1 - however does anyone know which one would provide the most similar shave to the EJ89?

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ATT offers a trial period for all it's razors.

I couldn't decide which one I wanted either so I bought both and returned the one that that didn't shave like I wanted it to ON MY FACE!

Now that sounds like a lot of money but if you have good credit you can "borrow for free" the money you need just by making sure you get the razor that's going back shipped back before the deadline!!!

Grandpa Pipes said:

ATT offers a trial period for all it's razors.

I couldn't decide which one I wanted either so I bought both and returned the one that that didn't shave like I wanted it to ON MY FACE!

Now that sounds like a lot of money but if you have good credit you can "borrow for free" the money you need just by making sure you get the razor that's going back shipped back before the deadline!!!

Click to expand...

I don't mean to pick on you specifically, but I see comments like this all the time. I don't think Stan ever intended for his guarantee to mean that people should buy razors they have no intention of keeping just so they can try them all and return everything but one kit, but it is turning into this. It's like people who will let a waitress schlepp them coffee for two hours, then leave them a quarter 'cause the check was only a buck. The intention was to give people a second chance if they bought something they weren't happy with. You return that head, and he has to go through the trouble of cleaning/sanitizing and then selling at a reduced cost. It's taking advantage of a seller who has what is maybe the best unconditional guarantee of any razor maker on Earth.

Obviously, he is still doing well enough on this endeavor that he hasn't pulled the plug, but if we (as shavers) keep this up, oh what the Hell, [faceplant]

Bombs away.

JaredB said:

I don't mean to pick on you specifically, but I see comments like this all the time. I don't think Stan ever intended for his guarantee to mean that people should buy razors they have no intention of keeping just so they can try them all and return everything but one kit, but it is turning into this. It's like people who will let a waitress schlepp them coffee for two hours, then leave them a quarter 'cause the check was only a buck. The intention was to give people a second chance if they bought something they weren't happy with. You return that head, and he has to go through the trouble of cleaning/sanitizing and then selling at a reduced cost. It's taking advantage of a seller who has what is maybe the best unconditional guarantee of any razor maker on Earth.

Obviously, he is still doing well enough on this endeavor that he hasn't pulled the plug, but if we (as shavers) keep this up, oh what the Hell, [faceplant]

Bombs away.

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It's called mass marketing and is a hallmark of a successful business. Free press is way better than no press at all.........

I don't have any experience with the M1 or R1, but I have the M2, R2, H2 and S2 (open comb versions). In my opinion the EJ89 is close enough to the R1/R2 that you shouldn't notice a big difference.

And FWIW I agree with JaredB, I've kept all of my baseplates rather than return them to Stan. Ofc depending on the particular situation they all get used anyway.

That's fine, but if you really think any of these artisan producers are benefitting from "mass marketing", I would posit that we are really a pretty niche group. Every one of these returns cost him $25 on the resale, plus time, cleaning and (depending) postage. When I bought all 3 of my ATT razors, (complete singles) there wasn't a return razor to be found. Now they are constantly there, in numbers. I chalk it up (and I guess, could be wrong) that it is because of multiple buys with no intention of keeping half of the order, rather than the "I tried an M2 and wish it was a bit more aggressive, can I mail it back and try an R2?" Frequent posts on multiple forums would tend to maybe back this up.

Stan is also an awesome guy who wears big boy pants, so who am I to speak for him?

Believe me though, if you think Stan doesn't pay big vendor fees to post here, feel free to PM a mod and ask what it costs him. This isn't free press, and ATT is the sideline of an enthusiast, not a partner of Sam Walton.



I won't start a flame war with you, do whatever you feel is right. I just know I don't treat my local Mom n Pop hardware guy the way I see things trending, I'm not going to do it to a vendor I am glad is around for us.

I found the m1 to be very mild, and the r1 to be more in line with a daily driver for my experiences. The ATT razors feel less aggressive than they are.

In terms of the return policy, I support the "as intended" method vs. over-buying & returning. That's just shady customer behavior.

I seriously doubt Stan is getting rich off this business. At best, it's a nice little profitable business (let's not think about the at worst scenario). I just ordered a razor directly from him just because I want to see for myself if it lives up to all the stellar reviews. And, I want to support small reputable businesses. Personally, I have no intention or returning it (barring a manufacturing defect) if I'm not happy with the aggressiveness - I'll just sell it or revisit it down the road. But, the fact that he stands so unconditionally behind his product speaks volumes.

My recommendation is to think long and hard about exactly what you want. Then, buy accordingly. If you would like to simply experiment with different levels of aggressiveness, then buy a few vintages and play with them. It's a cheap way to experiment. That's what I've done and I have a pretty clear picture of what I like now. And, I ordered accordingly.

Back on topic: I recently tried the EJ89 for the first time from the B&B Australian pass around box and it gives lovely smooth shaves.

I have currently a big ATT set on loan from a very kind member and would say, that the M1 is very close to the EJ89 - very hard to tell the difference in performance.

For me the R1 (which I have had now for a couple of years) is definitely a big step up. It is still not overly aggressive, but there is a definite step up from the EJ89 and M1.

If you are absolutely happy with your shaves I actually would recommend the M1. Once you grow up, you realise, that you don't have to prove to anyone, that you can shave with a piece of rock, but actually want a pleasant shave experience every day