I would choose the MÜHLE R89 and never look back. You'll never regret paying for quality. I made a similar choice and bought Merkur. My only regret is not getting the gold version.
Best of luck to you.
First Razor: R89 or Fatip Gentile?
- Thread starter Sirzat
- Start date
I would choose the MÜHLE R89 and never look back. You'll never regret paying for quality. I made a similar choice and bought Merkur. My only regret is not getting the gold version.
Best of luck to you.
This answer is a bit of a YMMV. If you expect PERFECTION in lining up the blade, I would tell you that can be difficult at times. If you can live with being off a nano-inch from perfection, I would tell you that is is very regularly easy to achieve.
I own a Fatip Gentile, a Fatip Gentile Ulivo, a Fatip Grande, and a Fatip Gentile Nobile. Of those 4 razors, the first three all align the blade perfectly well. The Nobile on the other hand, I have had major problems with. The razor initially came with a head that was impossible to align (mind you I have been shaving with Fatip for 2-ish years, so not a novice) and the replacement head was just as bad. Others like Esox or Raven may own 10+ Fatips and have NEVER had one align as badly as what got from the Nobile.
I bought all my Fatips from Italian Barber or Maggards EXCEPT the Nobile. That one I purchased from Connaught and Paul bent over backwards to make things right, but after the 2nd attempt, I decided to throw in the towel. I had paid $30 and I did receive a beautiful horn handle...so I decided to bin the head from the Nobile and use the handle only. Given that I have plenty of razor heads that work perfectly fine, that made more sense than to put Paul through more pain returning razor heads and/or shipping me a 3rd one.
But don't be discouraged...the Fatips I have do shave absolutely AWESOME. My smoothest razor of them all, and incredibly efficient nonetheless. If you have multiple days worth of growth to mow down, that is seriously no issue for the fatip. It has very little blade gap, but that has never impaired my ability to get a great shave or clog the gap.
Another vote for Fatip. I have a Gentile and the OC Piccolo. I don't have alignment issues. Both are great razors. To me, the Fatips have a vintage look to them and I like that. I regularly use both on 2 days growth with no issues. I consider the Gentile to be on the more efficient side of mild but not aggressive.
Of course in true B&B fashion I would suggest buying both the Gentile and the R89. 
Yes, loading the blade with the razor upside down just plain works.
Following that theory, my Gillette NEW SC that has significantly more blade gap than my Fatip Grande, should be more efficient than my Fatip Grande.
Gillette NEW SC left, Fatip Grande right.
Blade gap and exposures.
NEW SC.
Fatip Grande.
Both have positive blade exposure. The SC has significantly more blade gap, but the Fatip is more than twice as efficient.
Gap does make a razor more effective, but in my opinion, blade exposure makes a razor far more efficient than blade gap, assuming, it's used at the proper angle.
As blade gap increases, so does the angle of skin against blade edge as your skin flows through that gap. Effectively creating a steeper shaving angle. A byproduct of that is increased pressure of the skin against the blade edge which also contributes to a more effective shave assuming pressure applied is a constant.
I dont personally like gap in a razors design and get a far smoother shave with less irritation with minimal to no gap. Using my NEW SC, 3 passes is the maximum my skin can tolerate. I've done as many as 5 full passes with my Grande and a Kai blade, all done ATG, and had no irritation whatsoever. As gap increases, for me, the faster the irritation of my skin grows.
See my R41 below for 'Muhle quality.'
The base is not perfectly flat across the bottom but it is very close. Theres a slight wave in it. The center of the comb is bowed outwards, not upwards.
Neither side is square and both sides are close enough to be called the same.
Neither of the above issues are a problem that affects the shave a great deal I dont think, but below is the problem I have with it.
Its pretty fiddly to hold like that and get a picture but the center two teeth are hard against the steel straight edge. Honestly, I got lucky taking this picture as well as I did and both sides of the base are again, close enough to be called the same.
This is my only major gripe with this razor. If the cap was bent to properly mate the base with the blade between them I dont think it would be as much an issue as it is.
Muhle has better QC than Fatip? Think again.
No cast part, no matter what that part may be, can be made as precisely as the same piece being machined. Castings will always vary. The whole point of doing machine work is to limit that variance as much as humanly and mechanically possible.
Unless Muhle has significantly tightened their QC on both molds and finished product, I think that if you examined 10 heads at random they would all vary in where the casting flaws will be, but they will be there.
$32.50
Fatip Classic Testina Gentile Chrome Finish Closed Comb DE Safety Razor | Maggard Razors Traditional Wet Shaving Products
$37
Edwin Jagger DE89BL Chrome DE Safety Razor | Maggard Razors Traditional Wet Shaving Products
$4.50 difference is pretty much in the same spectrum.
I'm not sure how age makes a difference.
The discussion is about a Muhle R89 $75.00 at Maggard's
I'm still not clear on the difference between the Muhle R89 and the EJ DE89.
Which is which and how does one tell them apart?
1
2
Seconds go to EJ, I didnt know that.
My R41 head came directly from Muhle in a Muhle box. It was not a second to my knowledge.
They might I have no idea. I only go by what I see and I only have one R41 head. Its like I said before, with cast pieces volume of production is more important than quality of construction.
Thats also why Zamak razors such as EJ and Muhle especially, have such nice thick smooth plating, to protect the Zamak.
Its not like I dont like my R41. I can have a great shave from it despite its obvious flaws, but it is by no means a match for a Fatip in any area outside of plating.
In the pictures above by the way, picture #1 is the EJ DE89 and picture #2 is the Muhle R89. The pictures came from these sites;
Muhle R89: Muhle R89 DE Safety Razor Head – Free UK Delivery – Shave Lounge
EJ DE89: Edwin Jagger DE89L Double Edge Safety Razor with Lined Handle
Outside of any plating and handle differences, they are essentially the same razor.
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AGAIN, I won't put both razors on the same level. The EJ isn't in the discussion.
A claim of an identical design can't be made without a complete dimensional layout and comparison of material certs. There would still be manufacturing and process differences between the two.
If you were offered one free razor and your choices were between the R89 and EJ. What would you take? (think)
A claim of an identical design can't be made without a complete dimensional layout and comparison of material certs. There would still be manufacturing and process differences between the two.
If you were offered one free razor and your choices were between the R89 and EJ. What would you take? (think)
Can I see the handles? lol
Honestly, all kidding aside, I'd pass and let someone else have it. I'll stick to my low cost, solid Brass, machined Fatip and my even more lower cost MMOC.
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
What are you basing this on?
Same design, two different manufacturing locations. The difference so far as I know, and reason for the increased cost, is that while Jagger is a one piece cap, the Muhle has a brass insert for the thread.
Given the choice, I'll take the Jagger. Mine has lasted five years and is still in use. A replacement cap, when I do eventually need one, costs £7.50 and they throw a free pack of blades in too.
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
As to the original question, I haven't tried the Gentile, just the Grande, which I used for less than a week before deciding it wasn't for me. As mentioned in the previous post, I've had my Jagger, which is the same head design as the Muhle, for five years, and it's my primary razor.
