Muhle R41 (2013) pass around

Hi. Just had a go with a muhle R41. Its a beast. Very aggressive. I took my time and had a very close shave. Used an astra blade and TOBS Jermyn st cream. I waited 2 days before using it and no way would i use it every day.

I used the open comb plate. Can someone please confirm if the solid bar plate is the same as a R89/ej de89 as it looks very similar.
 
The SB plate is from a R89.
But, as the top plate for a R41 is different to the R89, if you use it with the R41 it will be very aggressive.
 
Had another shave with razor today. Very close and smooth but my face is sore even with minimum pressure. Dont think this razor is for me as my skin is sensitive and cant handle it.

But thank you Shemen for my opertunity in trying it out.
 
For all those involved: make sure you're digging out those EJ DE89 top plates and trying the 2011 mod.

Got a 2013 for Christmas and have been impressed with its ability to cut through three days worth of stubble easily and without pain. THEN I did the above today and am now in shaving nirvana! The quickest BBS, no alum sting, irritation/nick-free two pass WTG shave I've ever had with a DE. AND I have a thick, coarse & dark beard! It's comparable to the Fusion Proglide in terms of performance.

Don't let anyone put you off with terms like 'aggression'. You'll get more irritation from a more mild razor that requires 3 passes and going ATG.

The blades I've found that work well in the 2013 model are Bic's (particularly) and Gillette Silver Blue/7 O'Clock Yellow's.
 
The R41 has arrived safely with me now. Sod's law I was half way through the 2nd pass using my 1912 when the Postie rang the door bell. Hopefully have my first shave with it on Sat.
 
This is my favourite DE razor and I have sensitive skin, with a thick, dense beard. Just remember guys to not go all out for slickness with your lather as by adding extra water for the slickness you will lose the cushion from your lather and that's when this razor can feel more aggressive.

I love this razor and I get a closer, irritation free shave with this than with any other DE I've tried to date.
 
Well, I've had 2 shaves with the R41 now and it's not as bad as I was expecting. The first shave removed 4 days stubble with easy, taking it easy given its reputation with absolutely minimal irritation afterwards.

Taking 2 days worth off with the 2nd shave I'd say it was marginally more uncomfortable than the 1st but nothing too bad.

It does give a lovely close shave though, I've not felt the need to go ATG with this one.
 
Tim, drop me a PM with your address as the R41 is with me at the moment.

I'm going to use it once more tomorrow then I'll give it a clean and post it Mon/Tue.

:icon_razz:
 
The R41 arrived yesterday. I'll be giving it a go on Friday morning. I did a comparison of the top plates between the R41, Merkur 25c, and Edwin Jagger. The R41 top plate has the least curvature, and when I checked the blade exposure using the closed comb base plate, it was very high. I tried it with the EJ top plate and the exposure was less because the EJ top plate has slightly more curvature. The Merkur 25c top plate has even more curvature, so the blade exposure would be even less.

Anyway, I'll have my first actual shave with the R41 this Friday and see how things go.
 
I had my first shave this morning with the R41. It felt a bit strange due to the style of open comb. I'm more used to the Merkur 25c open comb which has the more traditional design.

The shave was very mild, and probably no more closer than any other razor after 2 passes.

I did use a Wilkinson Sword Classic razor blade, one of the milder blades to try. The razor handle is really good, well balanced. The razor was not the fearsome beast I thought it would be.

However, for a mild shave - hold the razor at the normal 30 or so degrees when shaving. For a close shave - move the handle up to a shallower angle and go carefully. If the shave is too close, simply move the handle back down to around 30 degrees. The longer handled version may work better for this.

I did try doing this for this morning's shave, with a persona platinum blade, and it made no difference. But I did try a third pass, and that is where the razor does bite. This happens with most razors anyway, which is why I stick to 2 passes.

After I've passed the razor on to the next person, I'll probably revisit my Merkur 25c open comb. It may not have as glamorous a handle as the R41, and more a bog standard open comb design, but I have found it to be milder and that it cuts through stubble much more easily.
 
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