Not a single person is totally in love with their Parker 98R?
The Muhle R89 ( I own it. Replaced the EJ with it!). It is superior in grip and feel to the EJ ( even the lined one). Others have commented on the grip issues. It's not just me. I think others who have commented on vintage razors are not sticking to your question. I love Gillettes and own several. I also love the Muhle R89 and to answer your question about the 4 you mentioned, it is the absolute best choice. You will not be disappointed. It's like shaving with a modern work of art.
I know it costs more $$ than the EJ and has the same head. I think the difference in cost is worth it. The EJ, despite all the love, just would not work for me. I'm not messy. The handle just didn't have a good grip. I simply could not shave with the grip and control that I desire. In comparison to my Redtip, Fatboy, Aristocrat, Bull Mastiff, Krona.... well...sorry... the EJ just didn't handle as well. That issue was solved, at least for me, With the R89. Just my opinion, which cost nothing more than the time to read..
EJ DE89 all the way....it is the smoothest shaver out there, imho..No Joke....and you'd be hard pressed to find anything better for.the price, considering its the same razor as the muhle for nearly 30-40% cheaper..
Seriously, I have wire bristle for a beard, and coupled with Feather blades, this thing is astonishingly smooth and effective...rarely a nick or weeper....people say its mild as its not as "agressive" as an open comb, or slant, but then again, aggressive is overrated..there is plenty of blade exposure to be very effective, and it will cut you, so that means its getting skin, if its getting to your skin that means its more than enough for a BBS shave. You just need to know your beard and which direction it grows.Why in the world would I want to have to be careful with an overly aggresive razor, when I can literally fly over my face with this thing..
Again YMMV, and this is just my opinion, having tried a few different types of razors, I stopped, buyin n tryin and realized I can't get anymore comfort and closeness than w/ the de89....
P.S I moved on to straights, because im enjoying the challenge of honing, etc..but when I need a failsafe close, irritation free shave, I go to my ej
My exact same thoughts (well, minus the P.S. that is).
Never had any issue with the handle being slippery (mine is a barley one), and the absolute smoothest and closest shaves every time. Bought an R41 a couple of weeks ago to see if it was even better on my coarse beard but of course it wasn't. No real problems but just an overall rough shave with that one for me (it actually tugged and pulled on a first shave with a feather). So I guess that I am pretty set razor wise (maybe buy one or two reserves) for the rest of my life. Which is a good thing considering the other AD's (blades, after shave, soap, etc.). Can't comment on the Mühle R89 but if it's the EJ89 head with the R41 handle then I'd buy an EJ one since I like the added weight and looks.