I love the aggro side of my Yuma but reckon it’s tempered by the very light weight and the option to use the lesser side for parts of the shave.
Muhle R41 GS Review – Follow the Leader
- Thread starter Teutonblade
- Start date
I have it set up with a Mellon cap... and the Mellon base plate with the R1 cap... I'm planning to use them both the shave after this one.... This one of my remaining unused razors.... I've used the SS Mellon... the new Zamak head was purchased just for this test. I'm not expecting much, but I do know, I'll approach the shave carefully.
@Teutonblade Blade lovely review as always. I am an R41 Fan and have all three versions. Had the GS but traded it for a better Razor. Just to answer a few questions -
1. The 2011 R41 - More Blade reveal, narrower top cap and slightly menacing teeth. This is my Fav version for efficiency. Nothing tops it except maybe the Stirling Hyper Aggressive, the latter is a ton smoother though. This version is my fav R41. and a one and a half pass BBS shaver.
The DS Cosmetic V1 is fairly close to the 2011 R41 but slightly less intimidating. According to DS the design falls in between the 2011 and the 2013. Unobtanium and @Iridian , you are one of the lucky few to possess this.
2. The 2013 R41 - The sweet spot and a perfect Balance of efficiency and smoothness. Less blade reveal, more rounded teeth and broader top cap. Muhle got it bang on with this version. Not a razor for newbies though. My second fav version and a BBS in two passes.
The DS ZO V2 is closer to the 2013 version but a little rougher. It can be bitey if your technique isn't adjusted to it. This version ceased to exist from 2022 end. Unobtanium now.
3. The 2019 R41 - Muhle decided to turn the Beast into a civilized and domesticated pet. This made it more attractive to newbies who would shy away from it. Very smooth and fairly efficient, this is a far cry from what the R41 once was. Anything bought after 2019 is a shy little beast and those who fear this razor are just buying into the horror stories of the older versions. It is almost like a placebo. My least favorite version and I can understand @Teutonblade's review of it.
The DS ZO V3, further tweaked to stay on course with the latest R41 version. While all we shave gurus debate the ZO V1 and V2, a company representative confirmed that anything bought from 2023 onward was smoother and milder than the earlier two versions. Treat this like the 2019 R41 and you're asking for trouble. The Current ZO design falls in between the 2013 R41 and the 2019 R41.
4. The Muhle R41 GS - Beautiful Head, shines like a star but corrupted by it's ultra crappy and slippery handle. It comes as no surprise that every single R41 I own has a different handle (I gave away the original handles). Rather than judge the version, take it straight from Muhle that the GS is nothing but a 2019 version of the R41. Keep in mind the fact that this was made in 2021 to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the 2011 R41. Does Muhle go back in time to their old design for an Anniversary release? No, and that's from a Muhle Company representative. They stick with the newest version of the razor regardless of the metal. Still an awesome razor spoiled by its handle.
I've heard that the R41 was further tweaked a bit in the last two years to reduce its aggression yet maintain it's efficiency.
4. The DS Cosmetic ZO Ti - Expensive but a joy to use. Its nimble quality and weight blows every R41 or ZO version out of the water and into the hills. This is one super efficient razor that doesn't have any tendency to bite. While I love the 2011 R41, the ZO Ti sits in my top five razors of all time.
1. The 2011 R41 - More Blade reveal, narrower top cap and slightly menacing teeth. This is my Fav version for efficiency. Nothing tops it except maybe the Stirling Hyper Aggressive, the latter is a ton smoother though. This version is my fav R41. and a one and a half pass BBS shaver.
The DS Cosmetic V1 is fairly close to the 2011 R41 but slightly less intimidating. According to DS the design falls in between the 2011 and the 2013. Unobtanium and @Iridian , you are one of the lucky few to possess this.
2. The 2013 R41 - The sweet spot and a perfect Balance of efficiency and smoothness. Less blade reveal, more rounded teeth and broader top cap. Muhle got it bang on with this version. Not a razor for newbies though. My second fav version and a BBS in two passes.
The DS ZO V2 is closer to the 2013 version but a little rougher. It can be bitey if your technique isn't adjusted to it. This version ceased to exist from 2022 end. Unobtanium now.
3. The 2019 R41 - Muhle decided to turn the Beast into a civilized and domesticated pet. This made it more attractive to newbies who would shy away from it. Very smooth and fairly efficient, this is a far cry from what the R41 once was. Anything bought after 2019 is a shy little beast and those who fear this razor are just buying into the horror stories of the older versions. It is almost like a placebo. My least favorite version and I can understand @Teutonblade's review of it.
The DS ZO V3, further tweaked to stay on course with the latest R41 version. While all we shave gurus debate the ZO V1 and V2, a company representative confirmed that anything bought from 2023 onward was smoother and milder than the earlier two versions. Treat this like the 2019 R41 and you're asking for trouble. The Current ZO design falls in between the 2013 R41 and the 2019 R41.
4. The Muhle R41 GS - Beautiful Head, shines like a star but corrupted by it's ultra crappy and slippery handle. It comes as no surprise that every single R41 I own has a different handle (I gave away the original handles). Rather than judge the version, take it straight from Muhle that the GS is nothing but a 2019 version of the R41. Keep in mind the fact that this was made in 2021 to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the 2011 R41. Does Muhle go back in time to their old design for an Anniversary release? No, and that's from a Muhle Company representative. They stick with the newest version of the razor regardless of the metal. Still an awesome razor spoiled by its handle.
I've heard that the R41 was further tweaked a bit in the last two years to reduce its aggression yet maintain it's efficiency.
4. The DS Cosmetic ZO Ti - Expensive but a joy to use. Its nimble quality and weight blows every R41 or ZO version out of the water and into the hills. This is one super efficient razor that doesn't have any tendency to bite. While I love the 2011 R41, the ZO Ti sits in my top five razors of all time.
The R41GS is neither the 2019 nor the 2013. It has a tad more exposure than the 2019, but less than the 2013. I can clearly feel the 3 degrees of closeness of shave (and aggressiveness) from those 3 razors.
Well to be fair, was just quoting what a company representative said about the GS. There is no different design for it as such.
Due to it being Stainless Steel, yeah I did find that it shaves better than the Zamak 2019. I felt that was more due to the weight component and metal difference.
Then again, every shaver's experience will differ. All said and done, still an awesome.razor.
Due to it being Stainless Steel, yeah I did find that it shaves better than the Zamak 2019. I felt that was more due to the weight component and metal difference.
Then again, every shaver's experience will differ. All said and done, still an awesome.razor.
Mould wear would probably account for the difference with the zamak ones vs the always-the-same GS. This was discussed years ago, not my original idea.
I am probably going to get the Z0 Ti thanks to your recommendation, it's on sale right now. I really like my GS though...
Yes it is, fairly smooth and efficient.
For those who are curious, you can buy the Zamek head version from Amazon for $25. As I understand, it is slightly less efficient than the GS but it gives me a super close shave without irritation.
MÜHLE Traditional Replacement Safety Razor Head (Closed Comb)
Turn your mild mannered King C. Gillette into a lean mean shaving machine.
It's a way of sticking your toes in the water without going for the full Monte.
I am shaving with this head currently. It is not the monster from days past. But, it is efficient. I would not want a more efficient razor.
It shaves close, but I can use it with any blade I have. It is reasonable enough that I can use it daily.
You'll love it mate. Just keep on mind that it's in between the 2013 and 2019 version. To be fair, it offers a different shave experience from the GS and that's great .
Are you using the R89 cap with the KCG baseplate? Interesting. Or am I misinterpreting things here?
Thanks,
Guido
You keep trusting them company representatives.
What I said is based on what my eyes see, what my calipers measure and how I feel the razors during shaving and the closeness of shave with the same blade.
More info regarding the measurements (mine) in these threads.
Muhle R41 (ZAMAK head) changed
Some of you know I like to find the small differences in razors. Like you buy a 1968 Tech, and then you buy a 1962 that looks the same and it has a bigger gap. I have been postponing this post, as I needed to receive a package with a 3rd R41 head of the new stock to have rock solid data. Mind...
www.badgerandblade.com
R41GS and the latest R41 (ZAMAK) Are Not the Same
4 months ago I bought a R41GS. The main reason was my curiosity. Is it as the latest milder ZAMAK R41 from post-2019 or is it like the older 2013 more aggressive version? Well, the current (milder) ZAMAK and the GS are not the same. Below are the dimensions of one of my latest version ZAMAK R41...
www.badgerandblade.com
No, I use the standard K.C.G. cap and baseplate as a pair.
When I substitute the R41 head, I retain that cap and the baseplate. I am just using the same K.C.G. handle.
As a note, I have a Anazon version of the EJ DE89 razor. My understanding is that the head is the same as the regular DE89, but the handle is different.
When Gillette came out with the Heritage razor before the K.C.G., they sourced the head from Muhle, which was the R89. I have the Heritage. When they switched to the K.C.G., the essentially duplicated the R89 head in China.
Now, I have shaved with all of these "X89" style heads and find them essentially the same design, though they might vary slightly visually. Whatever differences they may actually have are so slight, it doesn't matter.
I find the R91 head a couple of notches above these other heads, efficiency wise.
I would place my stainless steel Rocca R94 right between them, efficiently speaking.
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