New muhle r41

Well i did warn you all that it's seriously aggressive, and now you know.

Antdad - A shark sc and new was my previous best combo, something tells me you would get along well with it, provided you use zero pressure.
 
I had a Muhle R41 delivered yesterday, after my shave. Actually, it was almost after my lunch, but that's our postal service around here!

In my 3-and-a-bit years of DE shaving, I have owned and used a few razors classed as aggressive. Futur (if you turn the wick up), 39C Slant, Cobra Classic and a Gillette Old type.

In a fight, the R41 could take on all of the above razors at the same time and win.

I chose a blade and soap that are very familiar to me, and used the R41 this morning.

I have never shaved with anything as aggressive as this thing. I had to go really slowly, and concentrate 150 percent. It was more scary than the Cobra, and, if I'm being honest, bordering on the unpleasant. I did WTG, XTG, and then an ATG on my neck. I got a small weeper and a scratch on my chin, but nothing that the cold rinse didn't deal with.

The shave was not smooth at all, as there was quite a bit of tugging, but that could be me failing to hit the right angle, or even a mismatch with the blade.

Having said all this, on my face, with no ATG I was completely BBS, although slightly sore!

I think that I may leave it until next weekend before I try it again, as I dread to think what this razor could do if you were in a hurry before work.

Ian
 
man i am with ian...i use a slant more or less daily and it kisses my face...2 passes and done

mine arrived yesterday and was eagerly awaiting today..

soaked my ugly mug and got some tobs outta the tub and lathered as i would with me slant

r41 loaded with a gillette blue (never again) and proceeded to give myself a strange encounter definitely not smooth...more like a rasp a blacksmith uses on a horses hoof but he will be able to use it better....ive been doin this shaving malarky for years but may have to grow a beard after this

took the blade out and now replaced with a gillette super thin from vietnam....try again in a couple of days...and i thought the merkur 11c was bad....silly me

finished with a weeper where ya nose meets ya top lip...very smooth shave if slightly tingly

*****PROCEED WITH CAUTION***

PS if anyone finds a silky smooth blade for these....please post to avoid any more trauma
 
I was going to try one of these but Paul and shaving.ie were both out of stock when I looked on Wednesday. I think I'll give this bad boy a miss.
 
n1vlo said:
man i am with ian...i use a slant more or less daily and it kisses my face...2 passes and done

mine arrived yesterday and was eagerly awaiting today..

soaked my ugly mug and got some tobs outta the tub and lathered as i would with me slant

r41 loaded with a gillette blue (never again) and proceeded to give myself a strange encounter definitely not smooth...more like a rasp a blacksmith uses on a horses hoof but he will be able to use it better....ive been doin this shaving malarky for years but may have to grow a beard after this

took the blade out and now replaced with a gillette super thin from vietnam....try again in a couple of days...and i thought the merkur 11c was bad....silly me

finished with a weeper where ya nose meets ya top lip...very smooth shave if slightly tingly

*****PROCEED WITH CAUTION***

PS if anyone finds a silky smooth blade for these....please post to avoid any more trauma
Click to expand...



Try an Astra Superior Platinum.....They don't work for me in my Merkurs....38C and Futur....But for some reason best known to themselves they're absolute magic in the R41...Well for me at any rate......Silky smooth..no irritation ....nothing......so smooth were they I thought they hadn't taken the whiskers off....But they give me the closest shave I've ever had in 50 years of shaving with steel......And I now use the R41 every day.....I might even dare a feather again now I've got the angle right.

You do need to get the angle right though and concentrate 100% through out the shave...use whisper light pressure to no pressure at all...I know this seems strange,but it works......My first two shaves with the r41 were horrible...(using my favourite feather blade)...I couldn't even think about trying again for 3 or 4 days..very traumatic....like being done over with very rough sandpaper............But I must have got the angle and pressure just right and suddenly OH WHAT A WONDERFUL RAZOR........

I started the shave with the razor head on my face,the handle almost at right angles to my cheek....then lowered the handle so the blade was almost parallel to my face before beginning the downward stroke......try that ....see if that helps.....

I think for myself we rather tend to use the predetermined shaving angle we use with cartridge razors...and this is far too acute for the Muhle R41....
If we use the cartridge razor angle it becomes more of a painful scrape than a clean smooth slicing action..........Well thats my thought anyway.......
 
I think that, owing to the angle that the blade exits the cap, it's difficult to get the angle right straight off the bat. I think it may be a case of re-learning, but I will try an Astra.

Ian
 
People have said that if you substitute for the cap off the old R41 (and maybe the DE87/89) it clamps the blade down a bit more, taming the beast somewhat.

I won't be trying this new one, I think it will be far too aggressive for me.
 
Not sure I wanted to read all this! I have one coming to me in the mail right now. I was every happy with the R41 'old head'. But i had to have the new one too!! I guess it like the old saying ' a man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for.'
 
Like a fool, I DID use the razor before work, this morning. I paid extra special super attention to the blade angle and things were a bit better.

I think I'll try an Astra blade in it tomorrow, but if there is no improvement, it's quite likely to be offloaded.

Ian
 
2 fools then.....i used it with another gillette....bit better than the first...but needs to improve or there will be a few on the trade place
 
I've now tried the Muhle r41 with a few different blades...Bearing in mind that I haven't had this razor very long either,only about a month.....

Feathers... I tried for first two shaves...(but I hadn't got the hang of the razor then)...the shaves' were very rough.

Astra superior Platinum...Superb super smooth ..super close shave..these blades don't usually work for me in Merkurs..but this time I'd got the angle and pressure sorted for this third shave...MAGICAL SHAVE..

Shark platinum............These just didn't work at all in the R41..too rough and a tuggy shave...

Derby super whatevers....finished the shave..but it was rough going and I got nicked in several places..that very rarely happens with me.....with any blade...

Personna red.............Thought I'd try one of these this morning..not as smooth as an Astra....but the shave was almost as close...It's a useable blade..but Not my favourite for this razor....

When you get the blade the angle and the pressure right for this razor...you will know straight away..The only analogy I can give you is .......its like someone switching the light on.....you really won't want to use anything else...

My skin is quite sensitive by the way.....but my beard is very tough steel wire....

For these blade trials..I've used the same combination of badger brush...Palmolive stick soap (grated into a spare bowl for ease of use)...the lather was whipped for about 1 minute in a separate stainless steel bowl 'til it forms "points" like whipped cream...( I personally think that Palmolive has the edge and a bit of extra slickness over most other soaps).......
I brushed the cream onto a wetted face and used WTG...rinse and re-soap...XTG..rinse and re-soap...ATG.....
Must admit the top lip area is tricky with this razor for an against the grain pass....but it's doable.....just..

These trials were just for my own personal satisfaction...I had to keep things consistent to be able to make some sort of logical assessment....as I was still searching for the ideal blade/ razor combination.....For me the ASTRAS are it for this razor..Can't see it getting any better than this... its near perfection for me....though I will try a Gillette Yellow tomorrow and maybe have another go with a feather just to satisfy my own curiosity.....

Can I just say...Shave using VERY SLOW short strokes to keep the blade angle right...Don't rush..(think very sharp cut throat razor).......under the jaw /neck area and chin are the trickiest bits...But then you all know that already..

Pay particular attention to the blade to face angle...very important with this razor..The blade needs to be almost parallel to the face...it needs a very shallow angle compared to any other razors.....any steeper and it will chew you up and spit you out.

Don't press on...(you'll find yourself pressing on)....but its really not necessary...you'll only make your face sore...just use the weight of the razor.......Think.." I'll shave as if I'm just trying to take the soap off without touching my skin"...so light a touch it needs.......REALLY

Hope this helps a bit........Persevere guys....it really is worth it....this is one fabulous razor....If I could only keep one razor......this Muhle R41 would be the one.
 
wow....some nice words of encouragement.....im going back with me slant for a few days but next blade to try is an astra...

thnx for the info
 
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