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R41 Razor

Lately I’ve been thinking about getting a Muhle R41 razor. I’ve read that it’s favored by many gents here. I want something more aggressive than my usual set up. What’s this razor like? Who here uses and likes it? Please give me info on it.
 
The R41 is nicknamed ‘The Beast.’ It is very blade forward and highly efficient. Focused shavers will be rewarded with jaw-dropping BBS shaves. Unfocused shavers could lose an earlobe. Good technique is encouraged!

+1! The R41 is definitely at the ‘aggressive’ end of the spectrum!

It is a fine shaver if your technique is spot on! (In other words BE CAREFUL!)
 

never-stop-learning

Demoted To Moderator
Staff member
The R41 is nicknamed ‘The Beast.’ It is very blade forward and highly efficient. Focused shavers will be rewarded with jaw-dropping BBS shaves. Unfocused shavers could lose an earlobe. Good technique is encouraged!
+1! The R41 is definitely at the ‘aggressive’ end of the spectrum!

It is a fine shaver if your technique is spot on! (In other words BE CAREFUL!)

+1 and +1 to these spot on comments. 👍
 

thombrogan

Lounging On The Isle Of Tugsley.
If you've mastered the R41 and find that you still want more there is only the straight razor path left.

You need that “mastered” part down first, too. You can’t toddle over to your better half - face covered with burns and scrapes - and say “I want to use a straight razor. I hear they’re better on the skin” and get the encouragement you expected.
 

thombrogan

Lounging On The Isle Of Tugsley.
That would explain why she not only wasn’t happy about my plan, but also didn’t say “Let me get you some good luck margaritas and your allergy medicine first. Oh, and stropping is for cowards”
 
That would explain why she not only wasn’t happy about my plan, but also didn’t say “Let me get you some good luck margaritas and your allergy medicine first. Oh, and stropping is for cowards”
😂
I tell you what, skip the R41, and make your wife even more unhappy, by going straight to a straight. You'll find me among the other inventory at the straight razor sub forum if you want some suggestions on how to burn your hard earned money faster than you thought was possible.

20200806_170958.jpg
 

never-stop-learning

Demoted To Moderator
Staff member
You need that “mastered” part down first, too. You can’t toddle over to your better half - face covered with burns and scrapes - and say “I want to use a straight razor. I hear they’re better on the skin” and get the encouragement you expected.
It depends upon how happy your marriage is. There's a thin line between love and hate:wink2:
That would explain why she not only wasn’t happy about my plan, but also didn’t say “Let me get you some good luck margaritas and your allergy medicine first. Oh, and stropping is for cowards”

Thank you both for a wonderful Sunday morning laugh. 🤣
 

thombrogan

Lounging On The Isle Of Tugsley.
if you want some suggestions on how to burn your hard earned money faster than you thought was possible.

Stunning collection. You wouldn’t mind sending a neophyte the two French points and that Spanish point with the intricate carving on its handle, would you?

This one’s my grandpa’s razor. He passed before I was old enough to shave.1599407396975.jpeg
 
What’s this razor like? It's efficient! A good amount of blade exposure and great for every other day shaving, at leats for me. Don't fear it if you know what it means no pressure.
Who here uses and likes it? Me and many others. It's the razor that fulfills my need for a BBS every time without irritation. This razor paired with Nacet, BIC Chrome Platinum or Perma-Sharp blades gives me great shaves!
 
Stunning collection. You wouldn’t mind sending a neophyte the two French points and that Spanish point with the intricate carving on its handle, would you?

This one’s my grandpa’s razor. He passed before I was old enough to shave.View attachment 1151044
Send that very nice razor away for a bit of polishing and honing and you'll have a very fine razor to cut (or do I mean shave?) yourself with. There are several members here that could help you. Me I'm unfortunately in a place too far away to be of help.
I truly wish that those fine razors were my whole collection, alas the last decade indeed has been very cutting edge to me.
 

Iridian

Cool and slimy
Hi there! I shaved for YEARS with the R41, as the R89 (basically the same as the Edwin Jagger DE89) was not thorough enough for me.

The R41 cut me badly, but it also educated me how to handle a razor. With a lot of respect and experience. Bottom line, after handling the R41 I had no razor so far that wasn't a mild breeze in comparison.

The R41 can shave very thoroughly, closer and better than most other razors. You will rarely need a correction pass for spots after a pass with and one against the grain. But it can also easily open wounds, slice pimples and cause skin irritation.

I still love it. Don't use it with a Feather - use a Gillette Silver Blue or Voshkod, or a Mühle/Personna (presumably Mühle uses rebranded Personnas), the Feather is driving the R41 over the edge, it's aggressive enough. But it is also efficient and clean. That's why I love it and use it as benchmark.

My current favorite is the Mühle Rocca R94. It is capable of an extremely close shave as well, but it is much more forgiving. And it is made from steel and won't do something like that_ My R41 cap broke from the threads after ... 2 or 3 years. I guess it was due to a drop and water entering below the chrome.

As for the R41 being not for beginners: Well, I started with the R89 and felt it doesn't shave as close as a Gillette Fusion ProGlide. No matter what I did.

I tried the R41 and as I said, I needed a while. But seems learning through direct pain and cut feedback is a very good way for learning how to shave properly. It worked for me, the otherwise great shaving results motivated me to overcome my very visible shaving errors. :thumbsup:

Give it 2-3 shaves. By then you should know if you are rather into milder razors or if it doesn't compute for you. I would recommend a GSB, Voshkod or Personna/Mühle as blade. Not so much the Astra and absolutely not a Feather. YMMV.
 
Wow..... I don’t mind a challenging razor. I think I’m gonna get one of them. Even if I rarely use it!
Don’t listen to the hype! I used an R41 for some time before learning the straight. I loved it so much I got another head and put it on my travel razor. It’s a great razor and works like a charm if you’ve got the right blade in it. It’s blade sensitive.

It wasn’t until learning the straight that my lobes saw blood. The 41 is a great razor, but now that I’m back to using DEs for a while, I’ve discovered I prefer a Karve shave. As close, but smoother.

Going to try slants next.
 

thombrogan

Lounging On The Isle Of Tugsley.
Send that very nice razor away for a bit of polishing and honing and you'll have a very fine razor to cut (or do I mean shave?) yourself with.

It’s not too dull. Honed it on films and a loaded strop and finished it on a plain strop. It’s not braggable, but it might work.

Me I'm unfortunately in a place too far away to be of help.

We’re in the same hemisphere. Not too far. Just maybe not in bicycle-riding rang.

I truly wish that those fine razors were my whole collection, alas the last decade indeed has been very cutting edge to me.

Don‘t know if you mean you now have more or less, but I’m hoping you enjoy the ones you have.

This is not a razor, it is a Murder weapon!

It is. Loaded a Dorco ST-300 in mine and hope it will spare me as it murders stubble on the next shave.
 
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