Good service from Muhle UK-ordered yesterday, delivered this morning in time for a late session at the washbasin.
The razor comes in a decent, sleeve-type Muhle logo cardboard box which, along with the razor, contains a card for Muhle's London shop in Soho, a Muhle blade and an instruction booklet, which is quite comprehensive and recommends a 30 degree angle (the same as the Dart, I think). The package also contained the 10th edition of Muhle's magazine, which is handsome, profusely-illustrated coloured production in English and German.
It's a very good-looking razor, polished to within an inch of its life, and it fits together perfectly, with no blade alignment problems. At a listed 113g, it's a lot heavier than the zamak versions. The handle is a nominal 100mm (actually about 99mm) long with a main diameter of 15mm, compared to the 2013 at 87mm x 12mm (approximately). In the "mighty" stakes, it's now more in the league of my hefty Timeless razors.
Soap of choice was Signature Manucium, which I ladled on as thick as I could get it. Yesterday's razor was my Pils, so I was already tuned-in to careful angle-finding, and got round, without bloodshed, in one pass and a touch-up or two. That's one smooth shaver, and I think (based on folk memory, as I haven't used it recently) better all around than my 2013.
Some redness of the chops, and a slight sting from the Floid Mentolado Vigoroso were as expected, but otherwise no other effects.
This is a very good razor (yet another), but like its zamak brothers, it needs very careful attention. In the words of the ad, "a featherlight touch gives a perfect shave". Given the extra weight of the stainless model, even more care is needed in lathering and achieving the right angle. I try not to use razors that can bite me so easily when I'm rushing, and this is one that needs time taken, to shave at a leisurely pace. Unless one has a Desperate Dan profusion of beard, it isn't a razor I'd use to shave with daily. However, in pandemic times when daily shaving isn't always required, it's ideal for whipping off a couple of days' growth.
It's what is known as an "heirloom" razor, and I can't see it wearing out in a hurry. I paid an extra £1.50 for DPD delivery, which arrived bang on the start of the one hour time slot emailed to me, which makes the all-up cost to be £116.50. That's not cheap, and somewhat dearer than some stainless North American razors in the £80-£100 range, but I think that I've got my money's worth.
