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Mühle Rocca and Edwin Jagger 3ONE6

Iridian

Cool and slimy
This is a comparison between the two mentioned razors and similarities in portfolio of the two companies, their differences, and hints of ongoing cooperation between EJ and Mühle follow below.

What caused me to do this was that I always found the Edwin Jagger 3ONE6 to be somewhat underappreciated. It is despite looking quite different in terms of shaving geometry almost identical to the Rocca, except for a more classic design. I will discuss the shared geometry and the major difference I found, the safety bar, in relation to the otherwise identical geometry.

3ONE6R94-1.jpg


Both razors had a rocky release and acceptance history, but eventually shaped up nicely in the end. While the Rocca could, at least this is my impression, find some more fans and success, the 3ONE6 seems to be relatively rare, particularly in the circles of wet shaving enthusiasts.

But isn't this a fate shared with the Rocca? Both razors sit IMO uncomfortably between the chairs of the enthusiast community and the average wet shaver, who just wants to get away from cartridges. For them they are expensive for no immediately recognizable reason, particularly Mühle doesn't talk about that the Rocca is made of steel much, EJ more so.

The Rocca and Mühle got a reputation hit for having supply issues initially, plus the first batches having undocumented experimentation with the head design, how to save costs and how to reduce quality problems in mass production was still not quite ironed out upon release.

Basically, the early deviations of the head had design and quality issues that were not communicated to the wet shaving community and customers in general. The average customer only cares for his razor, if it is working or not, and doesn't notice if there are minor changes in design. But treating the more enthusiast and better connected online communities similarly just doesn't end in happiness and customer satisfaction. The rather diffuse target group and handling of the communication was always the main detractor of both razors, IMO.

3ONE6R94-2.jpg


The Rocca head went through FOUR unofficial versions, documented in detail on Badger & Blade and elsewhere, from MIM to MIM+CNC to full CNC for the head in the end. Which was according to Mühle in the end cheaper than saving money in production and having to do extra CNC finishing.

Mühle themselves never referred to the early versions by a name or version number, and it was never communicated that there were differences between the early heads. Even Mühle Support contradicted themselves at times. By NOW there are only "V4 heads" being made, but not before Mühle Support had a few years for direct buyers from all over the world requesting specifically V4 heads, while repeatedly stating that there is only one head, later switching to explaining the story sometimes in a bit more detail. Guess people just didn't let that slide. 😉

The Rocca handle is fully CNCed, for the steel version R94. It is the heaviest of the different handles of the Rocca (96g), the others have inlays, in one case birch bark (interesting, but I prefer non-wood, so I don't own and couldn't test how it holds up. According to user reports, it does so very well), the others have for instance the same pattern as on the steel handle put on them as black aluminum inlay on the now apparently not CNCed but cast interior handle, or birch bark wrapped around. These handles are lighter and more akin to the handles used for the aluminum inlay handles used for the 3ONE6. The 3ONE6 knurled handle is grippy, much more so than Mühle handles both in chrome and steel for the R41 for instance. It is a bit on the thin (~12mm) and short side, particularly compared to the R94 handle.

No version changes or availability problems are known for the head of the 3ONE6. The 3ONE6 funnily does it the other way around with MIM and CNC, at least according to EJ and some of their partners: "The head is comprised of stainless steel using the latest MIM (Metal Injection Molding) technology. The collar, knurled grip, and end cap are all CNC-machined for exceptional precision and consistency." Also see the photo for the small injection marks on the baseplate of the 3ONE6. Besides that, it is a very high-quality cast, visibly better than the quality offered by Rockwell for their plates. I would not necessarily rate the 3ONE6 head lower than the Rocca due to it being made in a MIM process. While CNC has better machining tolerances, proper QC and finishing of the piece can achieve a flawless result, too.

3ONE6R94-3.jpg


While both are very comparable in their geometry, but not in their exterior design. The Rocca is a bit more futuristic, the 3ONE6 more traditional in looks. For instance, lather channels with large slits were Mühle uses wide lather channels that are only open at the ends.
There was already a collaboration between Edwin Jagger and Mühle for the DE89/R89 head. Even beyond that, knots for EJ got sourced from Mühle, initially even the heads of EJ razors came from Merkur, later from Mühle, now they are supposedly produced locally, if a many years old support response "the manufacturing process of some of the components for the DE8 range of razors is sub-contracted to Edwin Jagger/Mühle approved manufacturers not in UK or Germany" is still true, I do not know. Shaving cream production also saw cooperation.

An at least for me as bullet stand fan annoying design element or neglected design both companies share: No bullet stands for razors! Mühle has a few single razor stands, but mostly its combined brush & razor stands, usually with the head upside down.
The Rocca is locally produced in Stützengrün, a place in Saxony with not just one ü-Umlaut but even two, the 3ONE6 in Sheffield. Which is in Yorkshire first, England second. At least this is what a local told me about it in a discord chat. Whatever that means. 😉

The materials seem slightly different: 316L for the 3ONE6, 303 steel for the Rocca. Most likely due to local availability, the difference for wet shaving is not really given. Except you are Aquaman, in this case I would favor 316L, which is also in general a somewhat better steel.

Traditionally Mühle is leaning into adding wood or resin to handles, EJ rather favors fancy shapes and chrome and color, fancy shapes like the Chatsworth handle e.g.. For Rocca and 3ONE6 the trend continues: Both feature a full stainless steel handle, CNC machined, but also handles with aluminum inlays, with EJ offering the more colorful selection, while the Rocca has birch bark and DLC or fancy pattern aluminum inlay handle versions.

By the way… there must be a wet shaving hivemind. Just a few days before I posted this, Geofatboy, some might know him from his wet shaving videos that brought many to wet shaving, did a comparison shave. No link here, as I am quite sure it counts as commercialized Youtube channel and wouldn't fly with forum rules. I hope just mentioning it doesn't cause problems.

In this comparison, the Rocca won by a few hairs and a sound check by rubbing the hand over the cheeks.
But for my comparison shave, I forced a neutral and slightly annoyed person (wife) to touch my cheeks, initially I insisted on a blindfold, but got overruled.

The result was… see below…
But before we go there, look at this nice GIF made by user Rohleder of the UK Shaving Room Forum years ago. It shows a Rocca and 3ONE6 head overlaid.

Rocca-vs-3one6.gif


He wrote quite succinctly:

"Same geometry? Check.
Same blade gap? Check.
Same blade exposure? Check.
Same (lack of) blade clamping? Check."

Both razors still shave differently. And it is because of the different shape and angle of the safety bar in my opinion. Both designs don't bother with scallops on the safety bar, a pity, as I like them.
The 3ONE6 is guiding a bit more towards the cap, the Rocca leans more into a slightly steeper shave. The Rocca head has more audible feedback, I think it is rather due to resonance owned to the larger handle.
While the 3ONE6 is head heavy, the Rocca R94 is quite balanced over the length and feels lighter, while actually being heavier with 96g vs 85g for the 3ONE6.

My first WTG pass favored the Rocca slightly. ATG the Rocca also cleaned up slightly better. But there is a trick for the 3ONE6 to shave exactly like the Rocca: Lean more into the bar, almost to the point of pressing it into your cheek. The shave will feel differently, but you will get a result equal to the Rocca. I used a Feather for both razors. EJ supplies the 3ONE6 with a 5-pack of Feathers, Mühle added a mini goat hair brush to the order directly from their website and added Mühle blades, which are rebranded Personna.

The result of the shaving test:
The somewhat unwilling test subject rubbed my cheeks and declared the shave to be equal. As tester I give the victory regarding pure shaving performance out of the box to the Rocca, though. It works out better intuitively than the 3ONE6. I also claim both razors shave better than the classic DE89/R89. Did I forget something? YMMV, of course.

In terms of design the more classic stainless steel look of the 3ONE6 and a simple plate make it easier to find a fitting alternative handle, while the Rocca handle screws into the plate rather deeply and is of a satin matte finish that is harder to match. I am also just not a fan of the lather channels without holes, even if they work out. Sometimes they really shoot the gunk out, though.
Both razors are rather brothers than competitors. They share design DNA. Their problem is rather the competition. Stainless steel was at their time a quite new and exciting material for razors, but the design of neither razor takes advantage of the material nor does it follow the trend to more clamping of the razor blade.

Highly clamped designs by Wolfman, Wolfman inspired designs by RazoRock, Blutt, Stando, Tatara, so many razor manufacturers these days have shown that tightly clamped down blades can shave even better and with less risk of injury as well.
Audible feedback gets lost in most cases, unfortunately. Both razors also don't take full advantage of the precision that MIM and CNC can offer, Henson shows how tight tolerances and exact geometry can guide the shaver almost automatically to a great result.
While the price of both 3ONE6 and Rocca fell over time, the Winning and Merica razors in the USA and the Greencult razor from Austria, Razorock and their clones from DSCosmetics and Yaqi show that in some cases arguably even better razors can be made for less money.

The problem there is that enthusiasts on wet shaving forums know these companies. But who else does?

It takes a while to get into wet shaving. Maybe Rocca and 3ONE6, both from establish manufacturers selling in many common shops like Amazon, help people getting suckered into the hobby?

For Mühle, the Rocca closes the aggressiveness gap between R89 and R41. The Rocca sits in the middle. For Edwin Jagger who never adopted the R41, the 3ONE6 was more often perceived as "that's not the stainless steel DE89 we wanted." Mühle finally gave in and made the R41 GS in stainless steel, maybe Edwin Jagger does the same for the DE89 one day. But I must say, both Rocca and 3ONE6 shave better than the DE/R89.


Verdict: While both are good razors, their major advantage is better availability everywhere all around the year, not just in batches quickly selling out. But for people coming into wet shaving, they still have a hard time to justify their higher price, without showing all advantages that can possibly come with the material. For people who are already infected with the razor collection bug, they don't offer anything particularly exciting either.
As entry level stainless steel razors they have strong competition by now. It is very interesting to see which razors get picked by wet shavers "upgrading" to more expensive steel razors after a while. The Rocca and 3ONE6 was one of my early choices and I was totally floored when I saw this GIF. I also felt quite a difference between them. It shows how little things can make quite a difference in wet shaving.
 
Excellent comparison review, thank you for taking the time and effort. I've been interested in both of these for a while but then I look at several Razorock models that capture my interest for less money and I forget about these. Except for that birchbark handle...
 

thombrogan

Lounging On The Isle Of Tugsley.
Your writing is exceptional, @Iridian With hopes of reading more, may I suggest the more tempered approach of tormenting your readers to amuse your spouse and not the other way around? We readers may miss a few belly laughs and chuckles along the way, but the author will be less likely to disappear under mysterious circumstances the day before his bride gives his coworkers a crock of homemade chili. I warn because I found the post phenomenal and wish to read more from you.

There was an acronym, though, that set me at alarm:

Did I forget something? YMMV, of course.

YMMV. Your Mühle Might Vanish? Luckily, my only Mühle is a 2013-R41 zamack head and currently locked up so I don’t switch from razor to razor too frequently, but does this mean the less crazy people reading your stellar review must keep wary eyes on their R41GS and R94/5/6 lest it disappear in trail of lather never to be seen or used again?

1645641282427.jpeg


Again, thank you for the great comparison of the 3ONE6 and Rocca.
 
Great writeup! . As you know I was thinking about buying the 3one6, mostly because I think it's a looker. Reading your post the Rocca would probably be more suited for me. But the actual conclusion should be that I am lucky and happy to have bought the Lupo.
 
Great post. I have both, and I agree they shave differently.

I prefer the Rocca by a decent margin. The grooves in the 316 safety bar feel a bit strange, and I don't like the fluted feel of the 316 handle.
 

Iridian

Cool and slimy
But the actual conclusion should be that I am lucky and happy to have bought the Lupo.
Yes, I was also thinking about you when writing this. I actually wanted to write "and usually people buy a Rockwell" but I didn't want to deviate too much. Too many people take it terribly personal and as an attack when I explain why I would rather buy this than that razor. I would rather have a 3ONE6 or Rocca than a Rockwell, but actually I would rather want to have a Game Changer or Lupo. I figured that out after I got them all to make sure. ;)
I personally prefer the Game Changer, but rate both designs extremely high. You might want to try a GC .84 OC or a S9 head from DSCosmetic (.84 clone) when you regenerated funds. Some people fall into the dreaded RAD, others don't, and some simply don't have the money. Don't ask a person in which category a person falls, one can mostly gues, haha.

I have definitely a resource problem, as I am also collecting knives, flashlights and right now have a lengthy discussion if I should preorder Elden Ring on PC or wait another day. I never got used to the Dark Souls control scheme with Mouse & Keyboard.

This said, the next razors on my list are the Alpha Bandit and the still far away Razorock multiple plate slant razor.
P.S. the Greencult razor is my surprise hit of the year so far. Puts most of my razors to shame, no kidding.
 
Rocca is also made from 316L steel and not from 303 .

Rocca R94 handle weights 55 gr (at least mine does ) being
hollow .
Furhermore ,personally I consider this handle to be one
of the best 316L handles of the market.(I bought the whole R94 razor just for the handle.Sold the head .
Can't enjoy ATG passes with "suspended blade" razors ).
It's fairly lightweight,has a beefy diameter of 14 mm ,
while being 90mm long .
Has lots of grip ,also.

Paired with the slim,lightweight and super agile ,"blade vice-clamping" RR Lupo .95 head ,they make
a combo like no other.

Just for the R94 handle alone ,
the price of the whole razor is
more than justified.
It's a piece of art !

F8511E1D-EBC3-4579-9A90-B996179D9071.jpeg
 

Iridian

Cool and slimy
Rocca R94 handle weights 55 gr (at least mine does )
Yeah, that's right, 55g. Just checked it once more. Did so a while ago already, see below. With the head it is 96g. Without blade 95g if one wants to be picky. There are some discrepancies I can't explain, like the jet black DLC one, that weighs only 80g for some reason. The one with the black inlay weighs 86 ->
Note: This is not my razor, this is from Captainthatsme from Reddit. I have the pure steel R94.

As for 303 or 316 or something else, Mühle avoids mentioning that detail, EJ not. As some websites wrote 316L (this might be where you got it from?), I wrote them a mail.

For the first mail the answer was "mattierter Edelstahl", matted stainless steel. OK, not exactly what I wanted.
Second mail was that they "asked in production" and then the answer was a straight 303. Yeah, no kidding!

Years later I wrote them another mail about the different weights given for various models of the Rocca. There was a thread about this on Reddit.
"Ich selbst habe auch nochmal nachgewogen und im Anschluss auch unseren Produktionsleiter gefragt. Dies ist alles richtig so und wird auch so bleiben, da das Mittelteil Ihres R96 aus beschichtetem Aluminium und beim R94 aus Edelstahl ist."
Google translation to English:
"I also weighed again myself and then asked our production manager. This is all right and will remain so, as the middle section of your R96 is made of coated aluminum and the R94 is made of stainless steel."

Mine was the R94, the R96 was of the guy who told me his razor is "too light" and "hollow".

You have probably noticed that I wrote about people getting on their nerves regarding V4 heads... I wrote them a mail that I want a latest production model, the fully CNC made... this is the answer I got:

"Das Internet überschlägt sich hierzu zum Teil mit Theorien, die jedoch nicht immer stimmen. So auch in diesem Fall. Ich kann Ihnen versichern, dass es bei uns nur eine Version, also die aktuelle, zu erwerben gibt."
Google translation:
"The Internet sometimes comes up with theories about this, but they are not always correct. This is also the case in this case. I can assure you that we only have one version available for purchase, the current one."


So, 303 or 316?
Maybe I should send them another mail. Last time I ordered, the R41GS, I did not ask them a question, for once. :LMS
 
Very nice write up indeed....thank you.

I have both razors and agree that they do shave a little differently. One day I think I like the 3one6 better, and other days I think I like the Rocca R94 better. They both shave very well for me and make it into my rotation every so often. I do think they are both underrated and under appreciated razors.
 
The Rocca is really, really beautiful and it looks much more special than the Jagger, in my opinion, whether you go for the birch bark or steel handles. The main drawback of the Rocca is the lack of lather channels, but I guess this was sacrificed for cosmetic reasons, and the smooth base plate certainly does look strikingly modern.
 
Nice write up. I was not up on some of the historical issues on these razors.

I seem to be getting good mileage from my 3ONE6. Most are very close, very smooth and pleasant shaves.

The 3ONE6 not terribly picky about blades.

I may try your suggestion on how to do a steep angle shave with it.

Thanks again.
 
The Rocca has an awesome handle, and the EJ has a more aggressively styled head...I havent tried either razor yet. The 316 head looks like the feather AS d2 head IMO..The Mulhe head looks like the classic DE head, with some added aggression..
 

Iridian

Cool and slimy
The Rocca has an awesome handle, and the EJ has a more aggressively styled head...I havent tried either razor yet. The 316 head looks like the feather AS d2 head IMO..The Mulhe head looks like the classic DE head, with some added aggression..
Yeah, indeed! Good observation. I wonder if Neil Jagger and whoever designed for Mühle (I am not even sure if Neil Jagger was part of the design team, just no info who designed either razor) at one point in design said "OK, you take this one, and we go with this one of the other prototypes."

Given that EJ adds Feather blades to the 3ONE6, I would deem it likely that the AS-D2 head design was indeed a source of inspiration. Unfortunately they seem to be of the same mind as Mühle on the matter of bullet stands, they don't bother producing them.
 
This is a comparison between the two mentioned razors and similarities in portfolio of the two companies, their differences, and hints of ongoing cooperation between EJ and Mühle follow below.

What caused me to do this was that I always found the Edwin Jagger 3ONE6 to be somewhat underappreciated. It is despite looking quite different in terms of shaving geometry almost identical to the Rocca, except for a more classic design. I will discuss the shared geometry and the major difference I found, the safety bar, in relation to the otherwise identical geometry.

View attachment 1414647

Both razors had a rocky release and acceptance history, but eventually shaped up nicely in the end. While the Rocca could, at least this is my impression, find some more fans and success, the 3ONE6 seems to be relatively rare, particularly in the circles of wet shaving enthusiasts.

But isn't this a fate shared with the Rocca? Both razors sit IMO uncomfortably between the chairs of the enthusiast community and the average wet shaver, who just wants to get away from cartridges. For them they are expensive for no immediately recognizable reason, particularly Mühle doesn't talk about that the Rocca is made of steel much, EJ more so.

The Rocca and Mühle got a reputation hit for having supply issues initially, plus the first batches having undocumented experimentation with the head design, how to save costs and how to reduce quality problems in mass production was still not quite ironed out upon release.

Basically, the early deviations of the head had design and quality issues that were not communicated to the wet shaving community and customers in general. The average customer only cares for his razor, if it is working or not, and doesn't notice if there are minor changes in design. But treating the more enthusiast and better connected online communities similarly just doesn't end in happiness and customer satisfaction. The rather diffuse target group and handling of the communication was always the main detractor of both razors, IMO.

View attachment 1414648

The Rocca head went through FOUR unofficial versions, documented in detail on Badger & Blade and elsewhere, from MIM to MIM+CNC to full CNC for the head in the end. Which was according to Mühle in the end cheaper than saving money in production and having to do extra CNC finishing.

Mühle themselves never referred to the early versions by a name or version number, and it was never communicated that there were differences between the early heads. Even Mühle Support contradicted themselves at times. By NOW there are only "V4 heads" being made, but not before Mühle Support had a few years for direct buyers from all over the world requesting specifically V4 heads, while repeatedly stating that there is only one head, later switching to explaining the story sometimes in a bit more detail. Guess people just didn't let that slide. 😉

The Rocca handle is fully CNCed, for the steel version R94. It is the heaviest of the different handles of the Rocca (96g), the others have inlays, in one case birch bark (interesting, but I prefer non-wood, so I don't own and couldn't test how it holds up. According to user reports, it does so very well), the others have for instance the same pattern as on the steel handle put on them as black aluminum inlay on the now apparently not CNCed but cast interior handle, or birch bark wrapped around. These handles are lighter and more akin to the handles used for the aluminum inlay handles used for the 3ONE6. The 3ONE6 knurled handle is grippy, much more so than Mühle handles both in chrome and steel for the R41 for instance. It is a bit on the thin (~12mm) and short side, particularly compared to the R94 handle.

No version changes or availability problems are known for the head of the 3ONE6. The 3ONE6 funnily does it the other way around with MIM and CNC, at least according to EJ and some of their partners: "The head is comprised of stainless steel using the latest MIM (Metal Injection Molding) technology. The collar, knurled grip, and end cap are all CNC-machined for exceptional precision and consistency." Also see the photo for the small injection marks on the baseplate of the 3ONE6. Besides that, it is a very high-quality cast, visibly better than the quality offered by Rockwell for their plates. I would not necessarily rate the 3ONE6 head lower than the Rocca due to it being made in a MIM process. While CNC has better machining tolerances, proper QC and finishing of the piece can achieve a flawless result, too.

View attachment 1414649

While both are very comparable in their geometry, but not in their exterior design. The Rocca is a bit more futuristic, the 3ONE6 more traditional in looks. For instance, lather channels with large slits were Mühle uses wide lather channels that are only open at the ends.
There was already a collaboration between Edwin Jagger and Mühle for the DE89/R89 head. Even beyond that, knots for EJ got sourced from Mühle, initially even the heads of EJ razors came from Merkur, later from Mühle, now they are supposedly produced locally, if a many years old support response "the manufacturing process of some of the components for the DE8 range of razors is sub-contracted to Edwin Jagger/Mühle approved manufacturers not in UK or Germany" is still true, I do not know. Shaving cream production also saw cooperation.

An at least for me as bullet stand fan annoying design element or neglected design both companies share: No bullet stands for razors! Mühle has a few single razor stands, but mostly its combined brush & razor stands, usually with the head upside down.
The Rocca is locally produced in Stützengrün, a place in Saxony with not just one ü-Umlaut but even two, the 3ONE6 in Sheffield. Which is in Yorkshire first, England second. At least this is what a local told me about it in a discord chat. Whatever that means. 😉

The materials seem slightly different: 316L for the 3ONE6, 303 steel for the Rocca. Most likely due to local availability, the difference for wet shaving is not really given. Except you are Aquaman, in this case I would favor 316L, which is also in general a somewhat better steel.

Traditionally Mühle is leaning into adding wood or resin to handles, EJ rather favors fancy shapes and chrome and color, fancy shapes like the Chatsworth handle e.g.. For Rocca and 3ONE6 the trend continues: Both feature a full stainless steel handle, CNC machined, but also handles with aluminum inlays, with EJ offering the more colorful selection, while the Rocca has birch bark and DLC or fancy pattern aluminum inlay handle versions.

By the way… there must be a wet shaving hivemind. Just a few days before I posted this, Geofatboy, some might know him from his wet shaving videos that brought many to wet shaving, did a comparison shave. No link here, as I am quite sure it counts as commercialized Youtube channel and wouldn't fly with forum rules. I hope just mentioning it doesn't cause problems.

In this comparison, the Rocca won by a few hairs and a sound check by rubbing the hand over the cheeks.
But for my comparison shave, I forced a neutral and slightly annoyed person (wife) to touch my cheeks, initially I insisted on a blindfold, but got overruled.

The result was… see below…
But before we go there, look at this nice GIF made by user Rohleder of the UK Shaving Room Forum years ago. It shows a Rocca and 3ONE6 head overlaid.

View attachment 1414650

He wrote quite succinctly:

"Same geometry? Check.
Same blade gap? Check.
Same blade exposure? Check.
Same (lack of) blade clamping? Check."

Both razors still shave differently. And it is because of the different shape and angle of the safety bar in my opinion. Both designs don't bother with scallops on the safety bar, a pity, as I like them.
The 3ONE6 is guiding a bit more towards the cap, the Rocca leans more into a slightly steeper shave. The Rocca head has more audible feedback, I think it is rather due to resonance owned to the larger handle.
While the 3ONE6 is head heavy, the Rocca R94 is quite balanced over the length and feels lighter, while actually being heavier with 96g vs 85g for the 3ONE6.

My first WTG pass favored the Rocca slightly. ATG the Rocca also cleaned up slightly better. But there is a trick for the 3ONE6 to shave exactly like the Rocca: Lean more into the bar, almost to the point of pressing it into your cheek. The shave will feel differently, but you will get a result equal to the Rocca. I used a Feather for both razors. EJ supplies the 3ONE6 with a 5-pack of Feathers, Mühle added a mini goat hair brush to the order directly from their website and added Mühle blades, which are rebranded Personna.

The result of the shaving test:
The somewhat unwilling test subject rubbed my cheeks and declared the shave to be equal. As tester I give the victory regarding pure shaving performance out of the box to the Rocca, though. It works out better intuitively than the 3ONE6. I also claim both razors shave better than the classic DE89/R89. Did I forget something? YMMV, of course.

In terms of design the more classic stainless steel look of the 3ONE6 and a simple plate make it easier to find a fitting alternative handle, while the Rocca handle screws into the plate rather deeply and is of a satin matte finish that is harder to match. I am also just not a fan of the lather channels without holes, even if they work out. Sometimes they really shoot the gunk out, though.
Both razors are rather brothers than competitors. They share design DNA. Their problem is rather the competition. Stainless steel was at their time a quite new and exciting material for razors, but the design of neither razor takes advantage of the material nor does it follow the trend to more clamping of the razor blade.

Highly clamped designs by Wolfman, Wolfman inspired designs by RazoRock, Blutt, Stando, Tatara, so many razor manufacturers these days have shown that tightly clamped down blades can shave even better and with less risk of injury as well.
Audible feedback gets lost in most cases, unfortunately. Both razors also don't take full advantage of the precision that MIM and CNC can offer, Henson shows how tight tolerances and exact geometry can guide the shaver almost automatically to a great result.
While the price of both 3ONE6 and Rocca fell over time, the Winning and Merica razors in the USA and the Greencult razor from Austria, Razorock and their clones from DSCosmetics and Yaqi show that in some cases arguably even better razors can be made for less money.

The problem there is that enthusiasts on wet shaving forums know these companies. But who else does?

It takes a while to get into wet shaving. Maybe Rocca and 3ONE6, both from establish manufacturers selling in many common shops like Amazon, help people getting suckered into the hobby?

For Mühle, the Rocca closes the aggressiveness gap between R89 and R41. The Rocca sits in the middle. For Edwin Jagger who never adopted the R41, the 3ONE6 was more often perceived as "that's not the stainless steel DE89 we wanted." Mühle finally gave in and made the R41 GS in stainless steel, maybe Edwin Jagger does the same for the DE89 one day. But I must say, both Rocca and 3ONE6 shave better than the DE/R89.


Verdict: While both are good razors, their major advantage is better availability everywhere all around the year, not just in batches quickly selling out. But for people coming into wet shaving, they still have a hard time to justify their higher price, without showing all advantages that can possibly come with the material. For people who are already infected with the razor collection bug, they don't offer anything particularly exciting either.
As entry level stainless steel razors they have strong competition by now. It is very interesting to see which razors get picked by wet shavers "upgrading" to more expensive steel razors after a while. The Rocca and 3ONE6 was one of my early choices and I was totally floored when I saw this GIF. I also felt quite a difference between them. It shows how little things can make quite a difference in wet shaving.
How does rocca muhle compare to RR GC 84 OC or JAWS ...?
Or with the green cult SS razor?
 

Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker

Likes a fat handle in his hand
Yep, couldn't agree more. Neither was interesting to me. I felt long term durability wasn't there, and I figured service and support were probably non existent too. And as a first timer DE shaver, my decision was clear, I chose the Feather AS-D2 DE razor.

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The Rocca is really, really beautiful and it looks much more special than the Jagger, in my opinion, whether you go for the birch bark or steel handles. The main drawback of the Rocca is the lack of lather channels, but I guess this was sacrificed for cosmetic reasons, and the smooth base plate certainly does look strikingly modern.

Easier to clean when those holes aren't there. I swipe the head under running HOT water after every pass, anyway, so not sure there is any drawback? HOT water because my facial skin is SUPER oily and the blade gunks up otherwise.
 
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