Fighting windmills (Muhle R89 vs R41)

[stivek]

I'm starting this thread to collect my experience doing comparable shaves with Muhle R89 and R41 and different blades. I use only those two razors, and I don't plan buying more (so far), so for me it is interesting which blade works best in which head.
I found some similar comparisons in the forums, but for me most important is what works in my case.
Today was my first use of R41 and I will post the fight result later.

P.S. If you wonder about the thread name - Muhle in German means windmill.

Smooth shaves

 

[bartje-p]

always nice to read someone else's experiences, keep us updated

 

[Butch Waxx]

I'm starting this thread to collect my experience doing comparable shaves with Muhle R89 and R41 and different blades. I use only those two razors, and I don't plan buying more (so far), so for me it is interesting which blade works best in which head.
I found some similar comparisons in the forums, but for me most important is what works in my case.
Today was my first use of R41 and I will post the fight result later.

P.S. If you wonder about the thread name - Muhle in German means windmill.

Smooth shaves

No rhyme or reason for me using the Feather blade in both of those razors, but it worked well for my mug. Good luck sir.

 

[stivek]

Me vs. R41 ... Round 1 ... Ready ... Fight!

First ever shave with R41. I bought the head on discount just from curiosity what is this "beast" that almost everyone is afraid of.
And today I met the toothed beast in the ring...

It was armed with Muhle blade, used previously once in R89. This is the mildest blade I have, compared to Razolution and Feather, I used so far.
On the picture the handle is from Frank Shaving rosewood but for the fight it was with the original one. This one looks nice but is a bit longer and lighter to my taste.

In my corner I had:
Frank Shaving pure badger brush - still can't figure how to make good lather with it. Previously, I was using a stainless bowl which is too small for the size of the brush and the lather quickly starts overflowing. Today's lather was drying quick on me although it looked quite good in the bowl. My other brush Muhle STF 21 performs much better so far.
Linkidea Ceramic Shaving Bowl - first use, bought it for use with the FS brush, and the size is perfect. The lather builds quickly, probably due to the pattern inside. Keeps the warmth. And it looks great with my FS set in rosewood.
Proraso Green croap

For recovery after the fight:
Capt. Fawcett alum bar
Yves Rocher balm
Proraso Green lotion

My strategy for the fight was to punch first a WTG pass with short strokes, light and careful, trying to find the right angle. Then to go ATG, finishing the beast.

How it went...
I started WTG on my right side where I don't have moles, staying on the way of the blade. The first strikes were somewhat rough, until I realise this head maybe requires slightly different angle, compared to R89. Or, R89 allows you to vary more with the angle.
When I got the right angle it was a pure pleasure to see how the razor cleans everything on its way until my chin strapped beard.
Then I switched to the left side, where I have two pronounced moles around which I always have to be careful. Although the all my attention, I was able to catch one of them lightly and this immediately added some color to the shave. The referee stoped the fight and I went to my corner for some alum treatment.
When the result was satisfactory, the fight was restored and I finished the left side without any other damages.
The I switched to the neck. Here is my Achilles heel in the lower part on my right side, where I sometimes don't control the pressure precisely and this brings some rubbing.
This time everything went well from the both sides and between the upper and the lower part - on my lower part my beard grows up and WTG is in S-N direction.
The first half ended with one point advantage for R41.
Relathered the neck and went ATG. Surprisingly, it was sooo smooooth when I got the right andle.
Relathered the face and again... smooooth, even around the moles.

So, the fight is over. The result is much better than the expected, and it is my smoothest shave ever.
The post-fight measures with the alum, balm and splash recovered my skin perfectly and it feels great. I tested the approach in which I don't wash the alum from my face before applying the balm and it seems to feel better on the skin and no sights of the alum are visible.

Lessons learned:
- I have to be very careful and gentle with R41. Short strokes, right angle (very important) and no pressure at all, even with a mild blade as Muhle. I don't even think testing R41 with Feather. This will be a massacre.
- Frank Shaving pure badger looks nice but is much worse than Muhle STF. Same handle with a better hair will be perfect. Actually, the Muhle STF brush, although the smaller size and synthetic fibres, keeps the water better than the FS.
- The Linkidea bowl is great. Next time will use it with the Muhle STF.

What is next...
I'm waiting for some Derby, Dorco, Tiger, Treet blades to arrive and will test them on both R89 and R41 using more scientific approach.
Today it was more a recognisance fight. I hope the future is bright and I will get to the point where those fights with R41 are more like sparring fights between friends after which each one comes in a better shape.

Smooth shaves gents

 

[Alex Jr]

Try the R41 with Gillette platinum. It’s butter…

 

[stivek]

Try the R41 with Gillette platinum. It’s butter…

Thanks for the advise, but my principle is "don't buy anything Russian"
And I think those Gillettes are produced in Russia.

 

[thombrogan]

Wonderful journal, @stivek thank you for sharing your experiences with the R41. Looking forward to reading more of your adventures in Happy Razor Fun Time.

 

[Guido75]

I don't even think testing R41 with Feather. This will be a massacre.

Well actually, with no pressure it might just give you one of the closest shaves ever with no irritation or nicks. I tried it myself a month or so ago - maybe less, can’t remember, thinking the exact same thing, but it was a major Glide Fest if you ask me.

I'm waiting for some Derby, Dorco, Tiger, Treet blades to arrive and will test them on both R89 and R41 using more scientific approach.

Dorco Titan works very well. With Tiger Platinum my jury is still out. I think it was good, but the blade gets worn out faster.

Enjoy!

Guido

 

[Butch Waxx]

Excellent reporting on this sporting match sir. Tomorrow is another shave so we all keep learning as well. Good luck and keep us posted on how the future rounds go!

 

[stivek]

Well actually, with no pressure it might just give you one of the closest shaves ever with no irritation or nicks. I tried it myself a month or so ago - maybe less, can’t remember, thinking the exact same thing, but it was a major Glide Fest if you ask me.

I can't imagine it could be closer than the shave I had today, but I see you are using R41 regularly so I trust you. Maybe, at some point when I'm confident with R41 will give it a try with the mighty Feather.
Thanks for sharing your experience

 

[Guido75]

I can't imagine it could be closer than the shave I had today, but I see you are using R41 regularly so I trust you. Maybe, at some point when I'm confident with R41 will give it a try with the mighty Feather.
Thanks for sharing your experience

One step at a time Stivek. I was first avoiding the R41 like the plague thinking I wasn’t ready for it. Same with Feathers. Until they sort of fell in my lap when I received a generous PIF from my fellow Dutchy Jack, because the blades weren’t working for him. So YMMV as much as the next in this case.

And I have come to experience that the R41 can make pretty much any blade perform (not all, but close to all).

I enjoy reading your progress!

Guido

 

[Roman Totale XVII]

I’m a fairly recent returner to DE shaving after a few decades on the carts. Last month I bought an EJ Chatsworth with the 89 head, for no reason other than I liked the ivory handle. It shaved okay, but it felt really bland and I wasn’t ever happy with the closeness of the shave no matter what I did and I was, more often than not, reaching instead for the cheap Baili TTO I started out with.
I figured for $25 I’d order an R41 head to see if it could add some vim and vigor to things. I slapped it on for the first time this morning and wow! Total transformation, easily the best shave I’ve had in years by a country mile. This is a keeper. My only gripe is that the thread seems a little longer, so the EJ logo in the handle doesn’t line up centered anymore, but I’ll live with it.

 

[ShavingPrimate]

I prefer to think of the R41 head as being more efficient, not aggressive.

I think as you get some more shaves under your belt, you will realize that most of the R41's agressive perception is psychological.

Once you get used to this, you can shave pretty much the same as you do with the R89.

It's the same thing as when someone first shaves with a Feather. You are overly conditioned about it being super-sharp.

I shave with a Feather no differently than any of my other two dozen blades in the DE89. It doesn't cut my face to pieces!

Similarly, I use all of those same blades in the R41 and they work just fine there.

I am starting a new week with a Nacet, which I consider to be a sharp blade. I was going to start the first shave with a 34c, but I went instead with the R41 head on a DE89 handle from Amazon. I just finished and it was a smooth and close shave.

I find the blades behave the same for me, regardless of which razor I happen to be using. The shave itself is more determined by the razor. With the R41, the shave is closer.

 

[stivek]

Excellent reporting on this sporting match sir. Tomorrow is another shave so we all keep learning as well. Good luck and keep us posted on how the future rounds go!

Thanks for following, Butch. I'll try to keep the thread updated with my struggles

One step at a time Stivek. I was first avoiding the R41 like the plague thinking I wasn’t ready for it. Same with Feathers. Until they sort of fell in my lap when I received a generous PIF from my fellow Dutchy Jack, because the blades weren’t working for him. So YMMV as much as the next in this case.

And I have come to experience that the R41 can make pretty much any blade perform (not all, but close to all).

I enjoy reading your progress!

Guido

I'm taking inspiration following your posts, Guido

I’m a fairly recent returner to DE shaving after a few decades on the carts. Last month I bought an EJ Chatsworth with the 89 head, for no reason other than I liked the ivory handle. It shaved okay, but it felt really bland and I wasn’t ever happy with the closeness of the shave no matter what I did and I was, more often than not, reaching instead for the cheap Baili TTO I started out with.
I figured for $25 I’d order an R41 head to see if it could add some vim and vigor to things. I slapped it on for the first time this morning and wow! Total transformation, easily the best shave I’ve had in years by a country mile. This is a keeper. My only gripe is that the thread seems a little longer, so the EJ logo in the handle doesn’t line up centered anymore, but I’ll live with it.

I also was somewhat disappointed with the R89 performance even with a Feather blade. That's why I decided to test R41. Works perfect for my 2 shaves till now.
P.S. And there is nothing scary in R41, really

I prefer to think of the R41 head as being more efficient, not aggressive.

I think as you get some more shaves under your belt, you will realize that most of the R41's agressive perception is psychological.

Once you get used to this, you can shave pretty much the same as you do with the R89.

It's the same thing as when someone first shaves with a Feather. You are overly conditioned about it being super-sharp.

I shave with a Feather no differently than any of my other two dozen blades in the DE89. It doesn't cut my face to pieces!

Similarly, I use all of those same blades in the R41 and they work just fine there.

I am starting a new week with a Nacet, which I consider to be a sharp blade. I was going to start the first shave with a 34c, but I went instead with the R41 head on a DE89 handle from Amazon. I just finished and it was a smooth and close shave.

I find the blades behave the same for me, regardless of which razor I happen to be using. The shave itself is more determined by the razor. With the R41, the shave is closer.

Yes, this is what is my feeling of R41 too. Efficient.
But I still have to be very careful because it efficiently removes everything on its way
Regarding the blades I ordered some assorties and will test them in the next weeks.

 

[stivek]

R41 ... Round 2

Yesterday was my second round with R41. The blade was the same Muhle I used the first time and it was its third use.
For the lather I decided to test Proraso pre-shave and then Proraso Green soap. Seems like the best combination as the soap is not drying so fast and the feeling of the pre-shave on your face while you are preparing the lather is wonderful.
The brush was Muhle STF which builded the lather instantly in my Linkidea bowl. Much faster than the Frank Shaving badger I used the previous time.

2.5 passes as usual - WTG, ATG, on the lower neck XTG + ATG
The start was a bit rough until I found the right angle, and it seems the blade was a little gone, but after that it was all soo smooth.

I'll do few more shaves with the R41 before deciding whether to go for a comparison between R41 and R89 with different blades or to continue with R41 and put R89 in the box waiting for the time when I will have to do shaves in subsequent days.
The shave is so amazing with R41, so that now I can't convince myself for switching to another razor even for testing purposes. The exception will be probably the Mercur Progress which I'm waiting to arrive and which I expect to satisfy my curiosity over the adjustable razors.
Another test will be R41 with Yaqi Beast cap. A combination I read about in the forums and considering the price of Yaqi Beast head not hard to convince myself. The order from Aliexpress is waiting to be dispatched.

Smooth shaves gents

 

[stivek]

R41 ... Round 3

Round 3 with R41 and Muhle blade.
Decided to test the Tabac soap and Tabac Original cologne which I ordered recently.

The setup:

Muhle R41
Muhle blade (4th use)
Muhle STF 21 brush
Tabac soap
Linkidea bowl
Capt. Fawcett alum bar
Tabac Original eau de cologne

2.25 passes - WTG, XTG on the lower neck, then ATG everywhere and final touchups. This seems to work best for the directions my hair grows. The usual problematic area in the lower neck, where the skin is quite thin and easy to cut, becomes absolutely smooth.

These smooth shaves with R41 start to become a routine, although the blade is not in its best shape anymore.
The lather from the Tabac soap builds quickly on the patterned surface of the Linkidea bowl. The Muhle STF is perfect, as always, in the lathering and then the painting. I like the scent of the soap and the eau de cologne (and my wife liked them too ). For me it remembers of the eau de cologne my grandfather used when shaving for the holidays (don't know what kind it was but definitely not a Tabac in the communist Bulgaria during the 80s). My wife finds some Oriental notes in it.

Smooth shaved gents

 

[ShavingPrimate]

These smooth shaves with R41 start to become a routine, although the

Wait until you try some smoother blades, like the GSB or the Lab Blue.

Using the R41 with the Gillette 7 O'clock Black is soft ice cream kind of smooth!

 

[stivek]

Wait until you try some smoother blades, like the GSB or the Lab Blue.

Using the R41 with the Gillette 7 O'clock Black is soft ice cream kind of smooth!

Will definitely test it with different Personas, but the Gillettes are out due to my "Nothing from Russia, vive la " principle.

 

[ShavingPrimate]

Will definitely test it with different Personas, but the Gillettes are out due to my "Nothing from Russia, vive la " principle.

Suggest you go with the Personna Comfort Coated (A.K.A. Lab Blue), which is made in the USA.

The Gillette 7 O'clock Super Platinum (A.K.A. Black) is made in India.

 

[stivek]

Suggest you go with the Personna Comfort Coated (A.K.A. Lab Blue), which is made in the USA.

The Gillette 7 O'clock Super Platinum (A.K.A. Black) is made in India.

If they are made outside Russia, they qualify. I thought all Gillettes are made in Russia.
Thanks for the suggestion