As I recall the zamak R41 head is relatively forgiving of shave angles, until it isn't-- I had a lot of issues with it tugging, skipping, or biting right at the edge of my goatee on the corner of my chin, on a few of the toughest whiskers. I can see how the upper lip would be equally challenging. The steel version seems to clamp a little better, enough that I haven't had that problem with it.
Quest for less technology
- Thread starter blethenstrom
- Start date
I've only tried the steel version and find it...tame.
Quite. I think all of them are still riding the coattails of the original 2011 version. It's plenty efficient and close for my needs, not overly aggressive, and consistent across the blades I like to use. It doesn't really excel in any category except closeness, for me, but it's well into "good enough" in the rest.
I like the R41GS I purchased this year and it's in my rotation. That said, it's not offering me any features or benefits I don't already get from other razors. It's just that I feel that a decent modern razor collection should have an R41 in it.
Not really. Not every blade forward razor has similar clamping as the R41. The danger of any is adding pressure in places we shouldn’t. Or when our hands make this sudden twist movements.
I don’t find the R41 to be overly blade forward (I think Matt @Darth Scandalous is right that it’s the past reputation rather than the current one that’s giving it that nickname). But the design of the baseplate working together with the cap results in a more perpendicular angle of the blade. There appears to be hardly any flex. The Razorine Flatboy is like that and I find that one more aggressive than the R41. The Tek also easily wins in the aggression department.
@Darth Scandalous said it, not me. True story
- Thread starter
- #5,427
Morning Shave - 04/03/25
Shave Number: 503
Passes: 3
Razor: Muhle R41
Blade: Tatara Platinum (White) (4)
Soap: MdC Agrumes
Brush: RazoRock Plissoft RR400
Aftershave: Clubman Lustray Blue Spice
Shave Comfort: 9/10 (Tightness)
Shave Quality: 9.5/10 (DFS++)
Shave Rating: 9.25/10
Another close shave by the R41, but I did end up with some post shave skin tenderness. This blade is definitely on the the way out. We will see if I need to toss this one. I will go for another shave with it and see. Plenty good shave otherwise.
This mornings shave felt a bit rougher than yesterday's. I also ended up with post shave skin tenderness. I think the blade is dulling and we will see if I will be able to finish out the week with it. Still I ended up with a very respectable shave. I have no complaints regarding the closeness.
You all have a wonderful day!
Shave Number: 503
Passes: 3
Razor: Muhle R41
Blade: Tatara Platinum (White) (4)
Soap: MdC Agrumes
Brush: RazoRock Plissoft RR400
Aftershave: Clubman Lustray Blue Spice
Shave Comfort: 9/10 (Tightness)
Shave Quality: 9.5/10 (DFS++)
Shave Rating: 9.25/10
Another close shave by the R41, but I did end up with some post shave skin tenderness. This blade is definitely on the the way out. We will see if I need to toss this one. I will go for another shave with it and see. Plenty good shave otherwise.
This mornings shave felt a bit rougher than yesterday's. I also ended up with post shave skin tenderness. I think the blade is dulling and we will see if I will be able to finish out the week with it. Still I ended up with a very respectable shave. I have no complaints regarding the closeness.
You all have a wonderful day!
I like that you are moving up the razor ladder Boris! Trying out new ones, more aggressive or effective ones even.
Just be careful!
Just be careful!
- Thread starter
- #5,429
Oh I'm being very very careful. Especially this year. It is probably good I'm on restraint this year.I like that you are moving up the razor ladder Boris! Trying out new ones, more aggressive or effective ones even.
Just be careful!
Happy Friday, my friend! 
- Thread starter
- #5,431
That's like posting an oxymoron. Happy Friday and the-blade-that-shall-not-be-named does not really go together.
Happy Friday my friend!
- Thread starter
- #5,432
Morning Shave - 04/04/25
Shave Number: 504
Passes: 3
Razor: Muhle R41
Blade: Tatara Platinum (White) (5)
Soap: MdC Agrumes
Brush: RazoRock Plissoft RR400
Aftershave: Clubman Special Reserve
Shave Comfort: 10/10 (Smooth)
Shave Quality: 9/10 (DFS+)
Shave Rating: 9.5/10
Solid shave this morning. It might not have been the closest shave that I have had, but it was a comfortable one and I will take that any day. Looks like I will barely squeak using this blade for a whole week in the R41. It is declining...
I was extra careful this morning not to stir up any additional irritation from my shave yesterday. I did not want to build any accumulating irritation. I was able to do so and not have any irritation, but the shave was not quite the level of closeness as yesterday's, but plenty good still. This combination of blade and razor is certainly not one of my favorites. The R41 seems to like the sharper blades which counteracts the upper lip ATG issues that I have with it.
Tomorrow Saturday I will be heading to RARSfest here in Raleigh. This is the yearly ham fest. No they do not serve honey ham nor country ham there even though that would be really good. It is a amateur radio event. They will have lots of vendors, classes, demos and a huge flea market section. It is certainly an event filled with a bunch of nerds and geeks and I will feel just at home.
I have actually rented a flea market table there to sell some of my friend's ham radio equipment. It is just a few pieces and hopefully I can more them fairly quickly and for a decent price. I need to make a few signs tonight and think about what my prices will be for the items. I have a good idea, but I need to settle on it. I am sure I will get haggled a bit so I need to haggle room in them as well. It will be fun and there are a few other ham operators there that I know so I get to see them as well. If you are in the area please stop by and say hello. My call sign is KO4QLT.
You all have a blessed and wonderful Friday!
Shave Number: 504
Passes: 3
Razor: Muhle R41
Blade: Tatara Platinum (White) (5)
Soap: MdC Agrumes
Brush: RazoRock Plissoft RR400
Aftershave: Clubman Special Reserve
Shave Comfort: 10/10 (Smooth)
Shave Quality: 9/10 (DFS+)
Shave Rating: 9.5/10
Solid shave this morning. It might not have been the closest shave that I have had, but it was a comfortable one and I will take that any day. Looks like I will barely squeak using this blade for a whole week in the R41. It is declining...
I was extra careful this morning not to stir up any additional irritation from my shave yesterday. I did not want to build any accumulating irritation. I was able to do so and not have any irritation, but the shave was not quite the level of closeness as yesterday's, but plenty good still. This combination of blade and razor is certainly not one of my favorites. The R41 seems to like the sharper blades which counteracts the upper lip ATG issues that I have with it.
Tomorrow Saturday I will be heading to RARSfest here in Raleigh. This is the yearly ham fest. No they do not serve honey ham nor country ham there even though that would be really good. It is a amateur radio event. They will have lots of vendors, classes, demos and a huge flea market section. It is certainly an event filled with a bunch of nerds and geeks and I will feel just at home.
I have actually rented a flea market table there to sell some of my friend's ham radio equipment. It is just a few pieces and hopefully I can more them fairly quickly and for a decent price. I need to make a few signs tonight and think about what my prices will be for the items. I have a good idea, but I need to settle on it. I am sure I will get haggled a bit so I need to haggle room in them as well. It will be fun and there are a few other ham operators there that I know so I get to see them as well. If you are in the area please stop by and say hello. My call sign is KO4QLT.
You all have a blessed and wonderful Friday!
Me too...diet with more exercise, don't spend as much and use some lighter after shaves...BadaBOOM!
I've missed the bada-booms, Don
- Thread starter
- #5,435
Morning Shave - 04/05/25
Shave Number: 505
Passes: 3
Razor: Muhle R41
Blade: Tatara Platinum (White) (6)
Soap: MdC Agrumes
Brush: RazoRock Plissoft RR400
Aftershave: Brut After Shave
Shave Comfort: 10/10 (Smooth)
Shave Quality: 9.5/10 (DFS++)
Shave Rating: 9.75/10
Even though the blade was on the way out I got an excellent shave. Nice, close and comfortable. Probably the most comfortable shave of the week with this combination.
Morning Shave - 04/06/25
Shave Number: 506
Passes: 3
Razor: DSCosmetics DS-S9
Blade: Tatara Platinum (White) (1)
Soap: MdC Agrumes
Brush: RazoRock Plissoft RR400
Aftershave: Bootlegger's Green Freeze
Shave Comfort: 10/10 (Smooth)
Shave Quality: 9.5/10 (DFS++)
Shave Rating: 9.75/10
Wow what a smooth shave that was! first outing with this new razor and it was a stellar shave. Very very close to a BBS. Super intuitive razor to use. Just the right efficiency for me. I think this is going to become a top performer for sure.
Morning Shave - 04/07/25
Shave Number: 507
Passes: 3
Razor: DSCosmetics DS-S9
Blade: Tatara Platinum (White) (2)
Soap: MdC Agrumes
Brush: RazoRock Plissoft RR400
Aftershave: Clubman VIBR
Shave Comfort: 10/10 (Smooth)
Shave Quality: 9.5/10 (DFS++)
Shave Rating: 9.75/10
This shave was just as good and smooth as yesterday's shave. Easy to use and very pleasant. Not quite as close to BBS today but still very very respectable.
Good morning everyone! I hope that you had a wonderful and restful weekend. Happy Monday! It is a fine day and it is going to be a good one. I certainly had a great weekend. Saturday I attended the RARSfest here in Raleigh, NC which is a show for amateur radio operators. I had a few items that I needed to sell for a friend of mine that has gotten out of the hobby and I was able fairly easily to sell all the items so I was really happy about that.
However, the best part of RARSfest is to meet all the people that you have talked to over the radio and has never met in person. It is a really good time. Even better this year I even met one of our own B&B folks who happen to be a ham operator and live in the area around here. Of course I had to give him some shave soaps. Believe me I have plenty. It was the first B&B member that I have met face to face. @KQY61 was volunteering for the event so we just chatted for a little bit. It was great to meet you Stan and thank you for meeting with me.
Saturday morning before the show I finished up my Tatara blade for the week and I have to say that it was probably the best shave of the week with the R41 and the Tatara. I still had the same issue on my upper lip with it being rough and all, but I plugged through it and I ended up with a very nice shave. Overall the Tatara is not suited for the R41. It can certainly be used, but that razor seems to like sharper blades due to it's lack of blade support. I am actually a bit relieved that the week is over and onto the next chapter.
Sunday morning was new razor time in the form of the dsCosmetics DS-S9 with the Destroyer handle! (I have to be careful what I am saying here since @KQY61 and @Guido75 are the grandmasters of GRUYERE) Nope I did not buy this razor this year. It was probably the last razor I bought before the start of 2025. How I have been able to hold out this long before even trying it out is a mystery to me. Anyways the razor is a nice CNC'd stainless steel one. The handle is quite heavy on this one, but the head seems pretty limber. It took me a bit to get the balance down of it. So how does it shave.....
Well this razor was a pleasure to use from first stroke. I rode the cap most of the time, but the was a very smooth an easy and intuitive razor to use. What a difference from the R41 razor! The blade I loaded was a fresh Tatara and it felt so much sharper in this razor as compared to the R41. We will see how the blade holds up during the week. I ended up on Saturday with a very very close to BBS shave. I was even debating with myself to call it that, but I decided against it. I did find a tiny section with very short stubble left. Very nice first impression.
This morning I used the same setup as Sunday morning and the razor and blade performed just as well. Not quite as close maybe, but super nice shave still without any form of irritation. I am seriously considering bringing this razor with me to Sweden instead.
Talking about Sweden. I will be heading out Wednesday evening for my trip so my shaving journal and posts will probably be a bit more sporadic during this period. I will try to post something, but it will be more limited. The hardest thing about going home is not going to the flea markets and finding a bunch of cheap straights and if I find a Matador, Swing or even worse a Aeterna razor, GRUYERE is in serious jeopardy.
You all have a wonderful and blessed Monday!
Shave Number: 505
Passes: 3
Razor: Muhle R41
Blade: Tatara Platinum (White) (6)
Soap: MdC Agrumes
Brush: RazoRock Plissoft RR400
Aftershave: Brut After Shave
Shave Comfort: 10/10 (Smooth)
Shave Quality: 9.5/10 (DFS++)
Shave Rating: 9.75/10
Even though the blade was on the way out I got an excellent shave. Nice, close and comfortable. Probably the most comfortable shave of the week with this combination.
Morning Shave - 04/06/25
Shave Number: 506
Passes: 3
Razor: DSCosmetics DS-S9
Blade: Tatara Platinum (White) (1)
Soap: MdC Agrumes
Brush: RazoRock Plissoft RR400
Aftershave: Bootlegger's Green Freeze
Shave Comfort: 10/10 (Smooth)
Shave Quality: 9.5/10 (DFS++)
Shave Rating: 9.75/10
Wow what a smooth shave that was! first outing with this new razor and it was a stellar shave. Very very close to a BBS. Super intuitive razor to use. Just the right efficiency for me. I think this is going to become a top performer for sure.
Morning Shave - 04/07/25
Shave Number: 507
Passes: 3
Razor: DSCosmetics DS-S9
Blade: Tatara Platinum (White) (2)
Soap: MdC Agrumes
Brush: RazoRock Plissoft RR400
Aftershave: Clubman VIBR
Shave Comfort: 10/10 (Smooth)
Shave Quality: 9.5/10 (DFS++)
Shave Rating: 9.75/10
This shave was just as good and smooth as yesterday's shave. Easy to use and very pleasant. Not quite as close to BBS today but still very very respectable.
Good morning everyone! I hope that you had a wonderful and restful weekend. Happy Monday! It is a fine day and it is going to be a good one. I certainly had a great weekend. Saturday I attended the RARSfest here in Raleigh, NC which is a show for amateur radio operators. I had a few items that I needed to sell for a friend of mine that has gotten out of the hobby and I was able fairly easily to sell all the items so I was really happy about that.
However, the best part of RARSfest is to meet all the people that you have talked to over the radio and has never met in person. It is a really good time. Even better this year I even met one of our own B&B folks who happen to be a ham operator and live in the area around here. Of course I had to give him some shave soaps. Believe me I have plenty. It was the first B&B member that I have met face to face. @KQY61 was volunteering for the event so we just chatted for a little bit. It was great to meet you Stan and thank you for meeting with me.
Saturday morning before the show I finished up my Tatara blade for the week and I have to say that it was probably the best shave of the week with the R41 and the Tatara. I still had the same issue on my upper lip with it being rough and all, but I plugged through it and I ended up with a very nice shave. Overall the Tatara is not suited for the R41. It can certainly be used, but that razor seems to like sharper blades due to it's lack of blade support. I am actually a bit relieved that the week is over and onto the next chapter.
Sunday morning was new razor time in the form of the dsCosmetics DS-S9 with the Destroyer handle! (I have to be careful what I am saying here since @KQY61 and @Guido75 are the grandmasters of GRUYERE) Nope I did not buy this razor this year. It was probably the last razor I bought before the start of 2025. How I have been able to hold out this long before even trying it out is a mystery to me. Anyways the razor is a nice CNC'd stainless steel one. The handle is quite heavy on this one, but the head seems pretty limber. It took me a bit to get the balance down of it. So how does it shave.....
Well this razor was a pleasure to use from first stroke. I rode the cap most of the time, but the was a very smooth an easy and intuitive razor to use. What a difference from the R41 razor! The blade I loaded was a fresh Tatara and it felt so much sharper in this razor as compared to the R41. We will see how the blade holds up during the week. I ended up on Saturday with a very very close to BBS shave. I was even debating with myself to call it that, but I decided against it. I did find a tiny section with very short stubble left. Very nice first impression.
This morning I used the same setup as Sunday morning and the razor and blade performed just as well. Not quite as close maybe, but super nice shave still without any form of irritation. I am seriously considering bringing this razor with me to Sweden instead.
Talking about Sweden. I will be heading out Wednesday evening for my trip so my shaving journal and posts will probably be a bit more sporadic during this period. I will try to post something, but it will be more limited. The hardest thing about going home is not going to the flea markets and finding a bunch of cheap straights and if I find a Matador, Swing or even worse a Aeterna razor, GRUYERE is in serious jeopardy.
You all have a wonderful and blessed Monday!
- Thread starter
- #5,437
It is a great one. Tones down the Osage Rub a bit and adds a bit extra from the skin bracer.
- Thread starter
- #5,439
He sure did! I have not tried any of the other bootleggers yet. I see that some of the ingredients can be challenging to find anymore.
Yes, that's true. I'm glad Green Freeze, El Dorado and Arctic Lime Blast are still accessible.
I'm well stocked on Master Bay Rum and have plenty of Bootlegger's Original Bay Rum stashed away. Lime Bay Rum as well. I'm still sad Master went under.
