Shiny! Enjoy!
DE newbie with a muhler r41
- Thread starter Jakebullet
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Shiny! Enjoy!
Love that rose gold. I put a bulldog handle on mine, and my R89 wears the rose gold handle now. I prefer the heft of the bulldog on the R41, but it's hard to beat the aesthetics of that rose gold.
I agree - the rose gold handle looks beautiful, but I like a grippier, heavier handle on the R41. I've tried a WCS 78S S/S and am using a Giesen & Forsthoff S/S handle for the time being. I think both are too long (I like heavy, short handles on open combs), so I have a Maggard MR3 on its way!
That's a hell of a daily driver, haha. My skin seems to prefer super mild razors for daily shaves (like a Gillette Slim Adjustable on 1). I save the Fatip OCs and Ikon Tech for when I have 3+ days of beard.
I experience this too.
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- Thread starter
- #65
Hah glad it’s not just me.
I tried the GSB blade today and Didn’t find it as smooth or as close as the Astra SP I’d been trying.
It may be the fault of my lather as it wasn’t brilliant today. I use maca root cream and usually have enough lather for my 3 passes plus another 3 passes which is a bit of a waste so I just used about half a fingertip ful today.
But when I’ve had a good shave I notice the lather has always been slick and smooth underneath whereas sometimes it can leave the skin a touch dryer under the blade and I generally get a bit of a rash when this happens.
Anyway I’m blaming the average shave I got with the GSB on the lather so if my face isn’t too bad in the morning I’ll try it again with a better lather.
But i got such a great 2nd and 3rd shave with the Astra that I’m tempted to buy 100 for about £9 but I’m going to wait as I still have Personna platinums, Feathers, and Super Iridiums to try before I make my mind up. Meanwhile I’m thinking of upgrading my body shop brush and maca root cream to get the best from the blades.
I tried the GSB blade today and Didn’t find it as smooth or as close as the Astra SP I’d been trying.
It may be the fault of my lather as it wasn’t brilliant today. I use maca root cream and usually have enough lather for my 3 passes plus another 3 passes which is a bit of a waste so I just used about half a fingertip ful today.
But when I’ve had a good shave I notice the lather has always been slick and smooth underneath whereas sometimes it can leave the skin a touch dryer under the blade and I generally get a bit of a rash when this happens.
Anyway I’m blaming the average shave I got with the GSB on the lather so if my face isn’t too bad in the morning I’ll try it again with a better lather.
But i got such a great 2nd and 3rd shave with the Astra that I’m tempted to buy 100 for about £9 but I’m going to wait as I still have Personna platinums, Feathers, and Super Iridiums to try before I make my mind up. Meanwhile I’m thinking of upgrading my body shop brush and maca root cream to get the best from the blades.
- Thread starter
- #66
I Bought a cheap badger brush yesterday from a nearby barber shop, he told me a cheap badger would suit me better than a good boar and advised me to try a vulfix 1040 for £25. I was a bit concerned it would be rubbish as it was cheap in terms of badger prices but it’s a big improvement on my body shop brush.
It made a great, immediate lather and was softer and much more pleasant to use and applied the lather much better onto my face as it was a bit of a paint job with my body shop brush. It gave me enough lather for 3 passes and a touch up with some to spare. I’m really happy with it and will use it for the foreseeable.
So I tried the GSB blade again and it was much better this time with a decent lather and a steeper razor angle and I got a lovely close smooth shave this morning. Coming up to 3 weeks since I started DE shaving with my Muhle and I’ve tried 7 o’clock yellows, Astra SP and GSB and found all last me for 3 great shaves then trail off (though I’ve only done 2 with the GSB so far) . I’ve also found that each blade benefits from its own slight adjustments to the razors cutting angle, and they all seem to work better on shaves 2 and 3 than they do on shave 1 though this is probably because it takes me the first shave to adjust to each one. But the Muhle seems to like and work brilliantly with all 3.
I also bought some TOBS sandalwood cream but I haven’t tried it yet as I wanted to see how my new brush would perform with my usual soap before I branched out. But it smells great, a bit ‘cleaner’ and soapier than their sandalwood after shave gel. Anyway I feel my lathering and my shaving technique are coming on a lot from my earlier shaves though they’re very far from perfect and I feel like my kit is pretty much complete now I have a razor i like, cream I like, a brush I like and aftershave balms I like, an alum block I like,even a bowl and stand I like.
I just need to try a few more blades to decide withich I will buy in bulk then it looks like I’m set for the year.
It made a great, immediate lather and was softer and much more pleasant to use and applied the lather much better onto my face as it was a bit of a paint job with my body shop brush. It gave me enough lather for 3 passes and a touch up with some to spare. I’m really happy with it and will use it for the foreseeable.
So I tried the GSB blade again and it was much better this time with a decent lather and a steeper razor angle and I got a lovely close smooth shave this morning. Coming up to 3 weeks since I started DE shaving with my Muhle and I’ve tried 7 o’clock yellows, Astra SP and GSB and found all last me for 3 great shaves then trail off (though I’ve only done 2 with the GSB so far) . I’ve also found that each blade benefits from its own slight adjustments to the razors cutting angle, and they all seem to work better on shaves 2 and 3 than they do on shave 1 though this is probably because it takes me the first shave to adjust to each one. But the Muhle seems to like and work brilliantly with all 3.
I also bought some TOBS sandalwood cream but I haven’t tried it yet as I wanted to see how my new brush would perform with my usual soap before I branched out. But it smells great, a bit ‘cleaner’ and soapier than their sandalwood after shave gel. Anyway I feel my lathering and my shaving technique are coming on a lot from my earlier shaves though they’re very far from perfect and I feel like my kit is pretty much complete now I have a razor i like, cream I like, a brush I like and aftershave balms I like, an alum block I like,even a bowl and stand I like.
I just need to try a few more blades to decide withich I will buy in bulk then it looks like I’m set for the year.
I’m still using the r41 daily and so far the GSB is my favorite. Single pass with the grain gives a good close shave. I really like it.
I loled. Entirely personal preference. My $10 Omega Pro 49 does as well as my AOS Badger brush...better even.
Glad you are getting some good result though!
- Thread starter
- #69
See, I thought that too as I’ve read often that good boar was comparable if not better than cheap badger but this guy and his team have been running a barber shop for 30 years and do 50 wet shaves a week for their customers plus have expansive stock and knowledge of the industry and every product known to man vs me with my 3 weeks of DE shaving experience and my brush from the body shop so who am I to pull him up on his knowledge of shaving brushes? Either way he gave me a brush I like which is what I was looking for so happy days.
Another good shave today though I felt the GSB struggle a little on pass 3 of shave 3 so a fresh blade tomorrow.
Do any muhle R41 users get more than 3-4 shaves from a blade?
I’ve still got Personna Platinum, Polsilver Iridium and Feathers to try though I’m saving the Feather till last as I don’t mind admitting to a little healthy fear where they’re concerned.
A Lemon and Lime TOBS sample in the bowl this morning gave me a nice refreshing shave with a great zingy scent and made my new brush smell great.
I have a beard so I don’t shave as much area as other guys. I have some tough hair though. I have been switching blades about every week.
I typically use a blade for 5 shaves regardless of whether I am using a closed or open comb razor. However, that statement needs some qualification...
With what I consider my better/sharper blades (Gillette Yellow, Black, Nacet) I receive 5 very good shaves with only a very slight drop in performance on the 5th shave when using open combs (including the R41). These same blades give me 5 very good shaves with no real drop in performance when using closed combs. I suspect I could use some of these blades for more than 5 shaves with closed combs, but I choose to limit them to 5 shaves.
With my 'second tier' blades (Personna Red, Rapira Swedish, PermaSharp, etc) I receive 5 good shaves but with a noticeable performance drop off on the 5th shave when using open combs. With the same blades, I receive 5 good shaves with only a slight performance drop on the 5th shave when using closed combs.
Well done Sir! I own a Muhle R41 myself and I love it.
- Thread starter
- #73
Tried Personna platinum today with another splat of the TOBS Lemon and Lime but as usual I struggled to get a good shave on the first use. It felt a little rough and so wasn’t as close as i like but again, the 2nd shave is usually better so see how it goes in the morning.
I’m Really enjoying using this razor and the whole process involved. I even get up a full hour early so I can take my time and go through my little rituals with no rush, it’s a great start to my day and my face feels great.
I’m learning the hard way how to handle this beast of a razor.
I’m learning about the pressure, the blades, the creams and brushes and the importance of good lathering, the alum and aftershaves etc.
The real eye opener was how much I’m learning about my own face. How best to attack the tougher areas, the angles and direction changes of the hair growth and how best to cut them, what will hurt, what won’t and when my face needs a rest day etc.
I’m learning to listen to the blade I can almost hear the hairs pinging as the razor cuts through them. Plus the things I can’t do like going atg on my top lip, or having the lather a tiny bit too dry, or reworking and obsessing over tough areas.
I never had to know any of this when I used cartridge razors so it’s been unexpected and fun to get to know my own face in this way. Even now I’m sitting here typing while feeling the grain and thinking of tomorrows cutting angles.
I’m still very careful and haven’t Yet had the eureka moment when the everything clicks and I get perfect effortless shaves but I’m definitely getting better and this gleaming, gliding, terrifying, beautiful, unforgiving punisher of fools is a brilliant teacher.
I’m Really enjoying using this razor and the whole process involved. I even get up a full hour early so I can take my time and go through my little rituals with no rush, it’s a great start to my day and my face feels great.
I’m learning the hard way how to handle this beast of a razor.
I’m learning about the pressure, the blades, the creams and brushes and the importance of good lathering, the alum and aftershaves etc.
The real eye opener was how much I’m learning about my own face. How best to attack the tougher areas, the angles and direction changes of the hair growth and how best to cut them, what will hurt, what won’t and when my face needs a rest day etc.
I’m learning to listen to the blade I can almost hear the hairs pinging as the razor cuts through them. Plus the things I can’t do like going atg on my top lip, or having the lather a tiny bit too dry, or reworking and obsessing over tough areas.
I never had to know any of this when I used cartridge razors so it’s been unexpected and fun to get to know my own face in this way. Even now I’m sitting here typing while feeling the grain and thinking of tomorrows cutting angles.
I’m still very careful and haven’t Yet had the eureka moment when the everything clicks and I get perfect effortless shaves but I’m definitely getting better and this gleaming, gliding, terrifying, beautiful, unforgiving punisher of fools is a brilliant teacher.
- Thread starter
- #74
Tried the Persona Platinum again today and it was much better, very sharp and smooth.
Is there any advice on maybe doing anything to improve the shave on the first blade?
I read somewhere that lightly cutting a cork 3 or 4 times with each side of the blade before loading it can break it in?
Or any other suggestions?
Is there any advice on maybe doing anything to improve the shave on the first blade?
I read somewhere that lightly cutting a cork 3 or 4 times with each side of the blade before loading it can break it in?
Or any other suggestions?
I used a fresh polsilver today and think I actually prefer a new blade to a used one. But I still use them normally at least 5x before switching.
- Thread starter
- #76
Tried TOBS Sandalwood shave cream today for the first time and I love the scent.
Got a nice fingertip full which lathered right up in the bowl and made enough for 3 really generous applications with loads to spare. I’ve used a couple of Lemon and Lime TOBS samples the last few days and wanted to try this sandalwood.
I can only compare it to the Bodyshop maca root as they’re the only 2 brands I’ve tried.
It produces a lovely fragrant thick full lather and did the job great but my face always feels softer and smoother after the maca root. Still Got a great shave (3rd use of Personna Platinum which is now lovely and smooth and I feel is still in good enough condition to do a 4th shave tomorrow) and I love the smell.
The razor performed beautifully, it’s just so great to use.
I thought I’d got it perfect today but It was going so smoothly that I couldn’t resist the temptation to go against the growth on my upper lip and now I’ve burned it a bit (silly boy) but I feel sure with a touch more care I could do it.
It’s now 6 hours since the shave and my face feels very smooth but a tiny bit drier than when I use the maca root although the TOBS overall experience felt better. Maybe the maca root is a little slicker, hard to gauge.
Got a nice fingertip full which lathered right up in the bowl and made enough for 3 really generous applications with loads to spare. I’ve used a couple of Lemon and Lime TOBS samples the last few days and wanted to try this sandalwood.
I can only compare it to the Bodyshop maca root as they’re the only 2 brands I’ve tried.
It produces a lovely fragrant thick full lather and did the job great but my face always feels softer and smoother after the maca root. Still Got a great shave (3rd use of Personna Platinum which is now lovely and smooth and I feel is still in good enough condition to do a 4th shave tomorrow) and I love the smell.
The razor performed beautifully, it’s just so great to use.
I thought I’d got it perfect today but It was going so smoothly that I couldn’t resist the temptation to go against the growth on my upper lip and now I’ve burned it a bit (silly boy) but I feel sure with a touch more care I could do it.
It’s now 6 hours since the shave and my face feels very smooth but a tiny bit drier than when I use the maca root although the TOBS overall experience felt better. Maybe the maca root is a little slicker, hard to gauge.
I think I’ll use chiseled face pine tar right now with mine and a polsilver blade on it’s 3rd shave.
Been reading the comments about having a slightly rough first shave with some blades. I experienced this for a few months after I first started DE shaving, with second and subsequent shaves on a blade being much smoother. I hadn't noticed this so much in recent month so I assumed what I was experiencing was more down to improving technique than anything relating to the blade - until this morning. Loaded a new Gillette Black in my R41, paired to a new Maggard MR3 heavyweight handle. I will admit that the change in handle will alter angles and might mean adjusting technique slights, but the first pass WTG was not as smooth as I've come to expect from the R41. Second (XTG) and third (ATG) passes were more normal, so I'm going to discount the MR3 as the cause. I find it intriguing that this phenomenon exists. I know it's not just the R41 because I used to get this when using a Mühle R89 and other razors. I also don't think it is specific to any blades, though some may be more obvious than others. Any theories?
Your body making minor adjustments perhaps? The extreme edge of a newer blade being quickly tamed? A heavier handle should help most things.
Who knows.
Who knows.
For me the R41 preforms it best with a Feather, I have tried all the Russian Gillette's, Astra's, Kai's, Derby Platinum, and German Wilkinson's and the Feather work the best "for me" for smoothness and efficiency.
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