Mühle (R89) vs. Merkur (1904) Closed Bar?

[Broccoli Man]

I was wondering if you guys could shed some light on the differences between the closed bar heads found on EJ/Mühle razors and those made by Merkur. I've been using a 1904 lately and while it's generally a fantastic shaver, I do find it to be a bit on the aggressive side for my ridiculously sensitive skin. Would something like the R89 offer a milder shave?

I'm also curious about the differences in fit and finish. I've read a lot about Mühle's superior QC standards relative to Merkur. Is this primarily an aesthetic difference (e.g. thickness and regularity of the plating), or does it noticeably affect the function as well? Namely, I'm wondering about whether the guide pins on the Mühle seat the blade without the need to double-check the blade exposure symmetry every time. I can't say it's been a major annoyance with the 1904, but I do sometimes find that repositioning the blade does help to improve the quality of the shave. Would this also be necessary with a Mühle?

I'm almost tempted to buy one for looks alone, but I can't really justify dropping $60 unless it offers some functional advantage over my Merkur. So please give me your honest opinion (but try to be as convincing as possible!)

 

[Predict]

The r89 is definately more mild than the Merkur head. Having owned both I can tell you that the quality and finish I'd far better on the muhle as well. I never have to reposition the blade in my r89. Every Merkur I've owned (3) have been a bit of a pain in this regard, always having to reseat the blade.

 

[glassmtn99]

I have both the Merkur 1904 Safety bar and the EJ 89x. I never have to check the blade alignment with either of these razors. The fit and finish on the EJ is superior to the Merkur 1904, although I think the 1904 is one of the better Merkur razors for fit and finish. The balance on the EJ is oriented more towards the head, and the handle is longer. I think the EJ provides a smoother shave, and is slightly less aggressive than the Merkur. Both are fine razors. The EJ is a thing of beauty, and a very smooth shaver.

eric.

 

[Broccoli Man]

I'm really glad to hear it's a milder option than the Merkur. I don't know what it is about my skin type, but so far, the Feather is the only razor I've found that doesn't send my follicles into full-scale civil unrest. And not having to seat the blade is the icing on the cake. On behalf of my burgeoning RAD, thanks for being so convincing!

 

[Broccoli Man]

The balance on the EJ is oriented more towards the head, and the handle is longer.

I was wondering about the balance as well. I actually like the shorter handle of the 1904, as I think it helped me avoid some bad habits when I was starting out. But hopefully my technique has progressed to the point that I wield a longer handle without coming out of it looking like I lost a fight to a bad-tempered potato peeler. I seem to recall some Mühle owners remarking that the R89 was lighter than they had expected. Did you find this to be the case with the EJ, as well, or does it have some decent heft to it?

 

[Gordy2]

The R89 was the second razor I purchased but on the long black handle, a Murkur straight bar was the first. I used the R89 pretty exclusively but eventually got a BRW long handle for it. The added weight did increase the aggressiveness of the fairly mild razor, which by that time I wanted. As for blade alignment, the Merkur Sledgehammer Slant has a bit of a blade alignment problem but like my other Merkur is an excellent razor. I generally check for blade alignment each and every shave, part of my pre-flight, I think it's a good practice no matter what razor.

 

[glassmtn99]

I was wondering about the balance as well. I actually like the shorter handle of the 1904, as I think it helped me avoid some bad habits when I was starting out. But hopefully my technique has progressed to the point that I wield a longer handle without coming out of it looking like I lost a fight to a bad-tempered potato peeler. I seem to recall some Mühle owners remarking that the R89 was lighter than they had expected. Did you find this to be the case with the EJ, as well, or does it have some decent heft to it?

The EJ handle is hollow compared to the solid Merkur 1904 handle. The 1904 seems to be heavier, but that may be just an artifact of the solid handle. The overall weight of the 1904 is 62 grams. The weight of the Muhle is 65 grams (the Muhle's handle is hollow as well). The EJ 89x weighs 76 grams. Edwin Jagger's internet store (http://www.theenglishshavingcompany.com/cgi-bin/pnDbDetail.cgi/display::news::::::237::user) currently is offering free world wide shipping so you can pick up the EJ Barley razor for about 26.5 euros, delivered. A very good deal.

 

[bpire2002]

I can't speak for the merkur 1904 but I can for the merkur 23c. The merkur 23c was my first DE razor and I like it but decided I wanted to purchase the muhle r89 so I did. After shaving with both here's my take.

The Muhle is finely crafted, great shine and good feel. The shave is smooth but is not as aggressive as my merkur 23c IMHO. I don't think it's even close.

The merkur 23c long handle was recommended highly on amazon and that's why I purchased it. In terms of look, feel and shine, the muhle walks away. The razor itself seems to be made very well and also provides a good shave but like I said earlier is more aggressive.

Both razors are great, but I enjoy my muhle more and was worth the extra 30 dollars.