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First Impressions: The New Muhle Toothcomb R41

Codfish

Codfish

dalecooper51 said:
I agree with sharper is better. I was able to pull 3 shaves from a feather. I didnt have very enjoyable shaves with Gillette 7 O'clock Russian Greens, 7 O'clock Indian Blacks or Voskhod. Feather was the only blade I cared for that I have tried so far. Not sure which I should try next. The thing I don't like is this is my only razor that is particular with blade choice. All of the blades I tried work great in my other razors.
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A Perma-Sharp gave me the best results yet. It is second to Festher in sharpness and for me, it is much smoother. So far, it's the best I've tried. Given the short-life problem I've been having, only time will tell if this is the blade I'll be using regularly.

Codfish
 
SirWhiskers

SirWhiskers

After 2 shaves with a Feather blade in the current R41 I have concluded the Feather is too much for this razor. I normally like Feather blades in all the other razors I use, but there are some razors they are not suitable for, at least for me. The Gillette NEW open comb long teeth is another example, while I like the razor and could get good results with blades such Astra SP, Iridium, Shark SC I could not escape without weepers when using a Feather blade. The Feather blade works best for me in the Feather AS razor, but it also works in the previous model R41 (Merkur head), 11c HD, R89, Tech, Slant.
 
Johnsebesta

Johnsebesta

hi, tech question.... when you use a slant does it matter what direction the slant is pointed in? is there a right and left handed razor?
thanks, john
 
SirWhiskers

SirWhiskers

Today I tried something a bit different: the top cap from the R89 head on the new R41 bade plate. I used the same Feather blade on its 3rd shave. The R89 top cap is curved a bit more and holds the blade right on the teeth. It makes the razor less aggressive but it still has a significant bite, in particular with the Feather blade. It's still aggressive enough and gives a very close shave in 1 pass WTG.

I also have a previous model R41 head (Merkur head). I'll try the top cap from that one too, though from just looking at how it holds the blade it looks very similar to the R89 top cap.

Putting the current R41 top cap on the R89 base plate or the Merkur open comb base plate results in some scary looking gap. So I think it's the top cap of the current R41 that gives the razor its aggressive characteristic, it exposes the edge of the blade a bit more and holds the blade flatter, it doesn't curve it like the other caps do.
 
eldonanda

eldonanda

First shave today with this baby. Ordered from theenglishshaving company. Very impressed with the new R41. A pay-attention and wake up kind of shaver. Started the shave with consciously good prep, a new Iridium blade, P160 Morbido. I put a heavy rubber band around the handle to insure a good grip. The R41 handle will be replaced with a BRW XL for more weight and better grip. The handle that comes with the razor is high quality but is too short for my liking and I find this design a bit hard to hang onto. But it'll work in a pinch with a rubber band.

From the start I recognized that this razor made me focus on shaving with the blade edge from the very first stroke. No running this razor haphazardly around one's face, resting on the guard. Have to pay attention to what you are up to. The blade does sing a bit, lies flat, but is firmly held so no sense of blade instability. The whole setup doesn't look as intimidating as some of the posts claim, to my eye anyway. ZERO pressure is the mantra here (almost hovering, perhaps), stretching your skin where applicable is helpful, confident strokes are a must. I found that sort of an easy gliding entry into the stroke worked well. Played with angles a bit, but nothing stood out. No problems in tight areas, although the pass over and under the chin has a different feel, for sure. 4-passes today in all directions to try it out , no weepers or irritation, and a sort of "wow" extremely close and smooth shave that even the wife commented on. Closer than my 39C slant for sure. Closer than my Super Adjustable set on 9. Haven't tried a Futur set high, so can't compare there. People have commented this razor is better on 3 day growths, but I see no issue using on a daily basis if so inclined. YMMV.

So IMHO nothing to be intimidated about. "Respected" might be a better word. Just pay attention to the basics and no pressure and take your time. I don't think the shave took appreciably longer than any other. This razor is probably not for the unpracticed except for the go-for-it crowd, but for sure it's a good razor to make one focus on (and improve) their technique. If these impressions hold up over a few dozen shaves, this razor (with an upgraded handle) could make me sell a few of my existing razors. If you do slants, this is no sweat, just a little more focus on the blade with a lighter touch.
 
KM-instructor

KM-instructor

ras120 said:
Can you post a picture? I didn't see anything there that looked like the new R41 head.
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proxy.php
 
marcel

marcel

Is there a general consensus as to who likes this razor and who doesn't, based on other razors prefered?
I like open combs and one of my favourite razors is a NEW deluxe and a NEW. I also like my slant a lot and I am wondering if the new r41 would be something for me. Then again, I also like my EJ89...
 
wimbouman

wimbouman

No general consensus IMHO.
There's a group of people that like that open comb, SE type of shaving a lot, there's some people that got rid of it after experimenting quite fast and there's a couple of tuners.

I have both the NEW and I also like open comb razors.
Cannot comment on the slant, as I don't have one and never tried it.

Why not try one? My educated guess based on your set up is that you may like the R41 very much.
And it is not too expensive to get one from the Muhle site, and easy to sell also on the BST.
Worth trying, I'd say.
 
Huxley

Huxley

If you like aggressive razors then grab it, otherwise id swing it a miss.

I have a gem ocmm, slant, new and the new muhle r41.

The muhle is by far the most direct of them all.
 
dalecooper51

dalecooper51

Huxley said:
If you like aggressive razors then grab it, otherwise id swing it a miss.

I have a gem ocmm, slant, new and the new muhle r41.

The muhle is by far the most direct of them all.
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I agree.

I love my Old Type, OC MicroMatic, and enjoy the new Muhle.

It isn't the smoothest shave, but using a Feather, I am a happy camper.
 
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