Muhle R41 - Experience from a newbie on an agressive razor

[macintoshBR]

Great recommendations! I read a lot abuot the Fatip, but some people says the quality control they have is not so good. Any views on this?
About the Ikon, any insights on the main differences vs the R41?

those who complain about Fatip’s quality control are the same that made you buy the R89 instead of the R41 to begin with.

you said you are in Europe. A Fatip Piccolo will cost you 18€ shipped. Give it a try

 

[GMUK]

Bugger. I thought I'd killed my desire for the blackbird.

I see you also like the Gamechanger .84, German 37 and SLOC. I've got all those too although my slant is the Merkur version and they're all good razors but they don't come anywhere near the Blackbird. Sorry I'll stop now...

 

[Quaznoid]

Don’t sell your head. You might need it

 

[Invicta]

Actually not much an upgrade from the shave, but to maybe buy a stainless steel option for the future. The R41 has a beautiful finish, but there are so many other models out there. I guess I have been bitten on the shaving thing....

Have a look at the Edwin Jagger 3ONE6 which has a lot of blade gap but neutral blade exposure.
If you want to try an open comb then the Fatip is also worthy of consideration with your choice of handles {Piccolo or Grande}

 

[McBlade]

Now, any suggestion from fellow shavers on what would be an upgrade to the R41?

A traditional straight razor. Or a shavette.

I wouldn't recommend shavettes which use DE blades though. DE blades are too sharp in a shavette. You can shave with them but you'll constantly be thinking about not cutting yourself instead of relaxing and thinking about cutting hair.

Instead, get something cheap which takes Feather AC-style blades and try the milder option like Kai Titan Mild or Schick Proline.

 

[bigbrucefan]

I see you also like the Gamechanger .84, German 37 and SLOC. I've got all those too although my slant is the Merkur version and they're all good razors but they don't come anywhere near the Blackbird. Sorry I'll stop now...

Thanks a lot!!!!!!!!!!

 

[nicobie]

I felt exactly the same about my r41 so I tried others that were supposed to be more 'efficient'.

The icon tech was just a bit too much. As was the 3D printed cap that turns a 2013 r41 into a 2011 r41. Both gave outstanding close shaves.

I did like the yaqi DOC slant. Super good shave but I had to be carefull. It's still in my rotation.

The fatip OC slant was a little smoother than the r41 but didn't shave as close as the r41 and I hated the short handle with oddball threads that doesn't swap well with standard handles. Also still in my rotation.

Just got the Yaqi knight helmet ($8 on aliexpress). With only 2 shaves so far, I think it might be the best for me. It seems to shave a bit closer than the r41 but is still just as smooth as the fatip DOC slant.

If you are interested in the Icon tech head & cap or the r41 head w/printed cap, drop me a line. ($20 shipped for both)

 

[Eben Stone]

the R41 is AMAZING!

^^ yep!

I regret on not having started already with a more effective DE.

^^ I feel the same.

any suggestion from fellow shavers on what would be an upgrade to the R41?

My suggestion is to not try to upgrade it. It seems to be working great for you. If you're insistent about it, I would keep the R41 so you can use it for comparison with the new "upgrade".

If it ain't broke don't fix it.

 

[mf6532]

Ikon bulldog 85mm

 

[Cannon Cocker]

any comments on the Fatip Lo storto? (slantt + open comb). I read fantastic things about it, and for the price seems much better.

The Blackbird and ATTS2 are amazing ones apparently, but the price to import to EU is too high

The FOCS is really a fantastic razor. The quality is not up with the higher end razors, but at about a 1/10 of what the higher end razors cost, it is really remarkable.

In reading your initial post it sounded like you wanted to up grade efficiency and blade feel of your R41. The FOCS will give you a lot of efficiency, but little to non of the blade feel. It is a very smooth shaving razor.

 

[ukobke]

My father was shaving without a razor guard. That's how he taught me to shave 45 years ago. I am used to "aggressive" razors.

Concerning your "upgrade".

If you want something more aggressive go for an iKon Tech or a Yaqi "Beast". Yaqi is something like razor.

If you want something balanced, very efficient AND smooth go for a FOCS.

If you want to make love with a razor, then go for a Blackland Blackbird.

 

[RazorTom]

The first razor I bought was R41. This was the only razor I used for my first half year of DE shaving. Later, because so many bragged about R89 I also bought a such one, but I did not like it all and it ended up being sold almost unused. I certainly found R41 to be better than R89, and I ended up with a love/hate relationship with R41. I once sold my R41, then regretted it and bought a new one again. While I was trying up to 30 different razors, it was for 5 years the stable razor in my herd that I compared everything against. That until spring 2017 when I found a razor I truly love. And it happens to be a super mild razor, far milder than R89. I still get the same close shaves.

What's the razor the that beat out he R41 and do you still use it?

 

[NorthernSoul]

What's the razor the that beat out he R41 and do you still use it?

I don't think he's on the forum these days.

 

[Chandu]

For something very effective, but a bit easier to relax with, how about the Fatip Open Comb Slant (Lo Storto Originale), shown on the left?

I found the Lo Storto to be barely more than a Gentile in efficiency. Their OC is a step more. Sadly non of the Fatip really work that well on my neck.

 

[ShavingPrimate]

I was initially taken back by the horror stories surrounding the R41. Would probably never spent the money to buy one.

Then, I became aware that you can just buy the standard R41 head on Amazon for $25. I went for it.

For the first couple of shaves, I admit to being gun-shy, just due to its reputation.

Once I saw that I wasn't going to spread my face, I calmed down and shaved with it like it was one of the '89 style razors I have.

My response was, "you have got to be kidding me!" Though it does have a generous blade feel, it was nowhere near as aggressive as it was made out to be. (Though I get that the original one was).

Zero nicks or cuts, no razor burn and an extremely close shave. There is a small adjustment necessary due to its blade feel. This is a good thing, because you 100% are aware of how you are shaving. Otherwise, it is not significantly any more difficult to navigate with than any of my other razors.

MÜHLE Traditional Replacement Safety Razor Head (Open Comb)​

The good news is that it is still only $25 on Amazon. Fits any standard Gillette type handle, like the K.C G. So for a very reasonable entry fee, you can form your own opinion!

 

[Never Picked]

If you want more aggressive, a fake Futur won't break the bank.

 

[Tony1961]

Hello fellow gents,

After spending many hours reading on how getting into the wet shaving world, I decided to follow the recommendation of many here in the forum and go with a R89 Grande to start the journey.

I bought all sorts of blades to try on it, and although it was good, I was still feeling some irritation, which I believe was from having to pass the blade a bit too many times (and also from lacking experience with it, most probably).

But after seeing so many comments about the R41 and its aggressiveness, I felt I had to give it a go, even though it meant to potentially cut myself (at least that is the terror people say about this razor).

Now, 1 month later, I felt OBLIGED to write this to help other people that were in my situation: the R41 is AMAZING!

It is so much more effective on the first and second pass that hardly needs a third one. Also, I found no issues at all with manipulating it, and it does require the same caution as the R89, but with a bigger feel of the blade (using a feather by the way). I regret on not having started already with a more effective DE.

Hope this helps somebody that was in the doubt on buying a more aggressive razor and is afraid to try.

Now, any suggestion from fellow shavers on what would be an upgrade to the R41?

Yes, totally agree with your comment that the R41 is Amazing. Over the past 25 years I have tried a lot of razors be it double edge, adjustable and straight, however, out of all these razors the R41 is my preferred choice, in actual fact I've been using it exclusively for the past 6 years and sometimes on a weekend when i have the time i will use a straight.

For me, there is no better razor out there than a R41. Yes, initially it took me a while to settle on the right combination through trial and error when it comes to choosing the right blade and the right soap for my shaves, but once you discover the right combination for yourself it's almost impossible to use another razor after that. To upgrade from an R41? mmmmmm i don't think it's possible, especially if you like a two-pass shave and feeling the blade on your skin like a straight razor

 

[realdog4]

For an upgrade, I recommend you look into the razorock Lupo .95 open comb.

I used the R41 daily for 1.5-2 years. Once I tried the Lupo, I switched over almost immediately.

As usual. YMMV

 

[Butch Waxx]

For an upgrade, I recommend you look into the razorock Lupo .95 open comb.

I used the R41 daily for 1.5-2 years. Once I tried the Lupo, I switched over almost immediately.

As usual. YMMV

Not a bad recommendation at all!

 

[Happy Jack]

The current R41 is not that aggressive, imho. An nice upgrade, in terms of more aggression and a closer shave would be the 2011 model R41. As these are really hard to get these days you can achieve the same effect with a Gillette Old type cap on a current model R41 baseplate. I find the older thin cap Old Type to be slightly better than the thicker one for this, and this combination has given me some of my best shaves ever. An iKon B1 Standard also gives a very close shave. Neither is as aggressive as the iKon Tek, which I think is slightly OTT for most people (me included).