Muhle R41 (2013) compared to Tradere OC (1st and 2nd Gen) and Joris

[gclyn]

Hi all, this will not be the most detailed of posts. Just some information for those who may be considering purchasing these razors and there aggressiveness/smoothness. The opinions are mine and the results will vary as skin types vary.

Let's get started. I recently acquired a Muhle R41 (2013). I've always wanted to try one, but the horror stories of the 2011 version made me apprehensive. With the new R41 reviews stating that it was much "tamer" than the previous version, I decided to get one. Let me say, the Muhle is a lovely crafted razor, very well made and gorgeous to look at. Here are my hardware and software used with my impression:

Blades: Polsilver, Derby, and Personna Precision
Pre-Shave: Prorasso white pre-shave
Soap: DR Harris Arlington
Post-Shave: Baxter of California after-shave balm
Brush: Parker pure badger

1. Blade choice: I found that the Personna Precision and Polsilver were the smoothest versus the Derby. The Derby blade performed the least comfortable shave with the Muhle R41. I found that the Personna worked best with my Joris and the Tradere treated all equally well.

2. Aggressiveness: The R41 was the most aggressive razor I have used with the Joris second, Tradere OC (1st gen) third and the least aggressive of the 4 is the Tradere OC (2nd gen). For those of you who would want a number between 1-10, 10 being most aggressive:

R41 (2013) = 10, Joris = 7.5, Tradere OC (1st gen) = 7, Tradere OC (2nd Gen) = 6.5 or 6

The Muhle is far ahead in aggressivness by my feel.

2. Closeness: Hands down the R41, with only 2 passes, gave me BBS shave, and was the closest shave I have ever gotten to date by any razor. The rest are a close second and about equal, maybe giving the Joris a mild edge over the Tradere. BBS achieved with 3 passes and some touch ups.

3. Smoothness/Comfort: The Joris and Tradere OC (2nd gen) gave me the most comfortable with the least to no irritation of the 4; the Tradere OC (1st gen) was third; and the R41 (2013) was the most harsh and gave me the most irritation by a far margin.

The R41 (2013), although a beautiful razor, was still too harsh and aggressive for my face. I love how close this razor shaves though, the closest I've used, but the irritation and harshness from the shaves, for me, out weighs the closeness. I think I'll have to put his razor up on B/S/T forum soon. I've only shavd with it twice, but I don't really look forward to shaving with it because of it's aggressiveness.

I have a 2010 Muhle R41 on the way, hopefully it "feels" like my Joris, because I really love the look of the R41. Maybe the next gen R41 will be milder.

Hope this helps.

 

[rgraham]

Don't sell the R41. Just keep coming back to it every once in a while, and you will find it to be all that you hope it to be. Close and comfortable are not mutually exclusive with the R41 once you get your technique down.

 

[shave/brush]

I have a R41 2013. I also own a Joris and had a Cobra. The Joris & the Cobra are both very aggressive but at least they are smooth. With the R41 I can never get a smooth shave from it. I feel this is because the blade is held in the razor too flat with no curvature to it. Almost every other razor you look at the blade has a curvature to it. That's the way it was designed years ago for a reason. It produces a smoother shave. IMO the razor is just a bad design.
Why put up with the irritation and pulling when there are so many other razors that you can get a close comfortable shave with. That little extra closeness if just not worth the price you have to pay in comfort.

 

[chamm]

Don't sell the R41. Just keep coming back to it every once in a while, and you will find it to be all that you hope it to be. Close and comfortable are not mutually exclusive with the R41 once you get your technique down.

QFT.

I love my R41s, and indeed they do grow on you. I use one of them nearly every day. I have both the 2011 and 2013, and I can get a close, comfortable, irritation-free shave with either. You absolutely MUST focus and concentrate when using it, though. I can shave with a Gillette Tech - three quarters asleep, without a mirror, in the back of a moving bus, during a mild earthquake - and I probably won't cut myself. The R41, on the other hand, can and will bite if you lose focus even for a second. If I'm tired, in a hurry, or my kids are running around screaming, I'll probably choose another razor. I would agree that if the 2013 is a 10, then the 2011 is an 11. But sometimes you just really need it to go up to 11.

 

[shave/brush]

QFT.
I would agree that if the 2013 is a 10, then the 2011 is an 11. But sometimes you just really need it to go up to 11.

Why would you need to go up to an 11? I can't imagine why anyone would need a shave that close.

 

[chamm]

Why would you need to go up to an 11?

You know, sometimes, when you need that extra push over the cliff, you know what you do? Eleven. Exactly. One sharper.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrVCjnRdB_k

 

[shave/brush]

One other thing about the R41 compared to other DE razors in general, even people that love the razor admit that blades don't last as long in the R41. Right there it tells you something is not right.

 

[chamm]

One other thing about the R41 compared to other DE razors in general, even people that love the razor admit that blades don't last as long in the R41. Right there it tells you something is not right.

Tires don't last as long on a Ferrari as they do on a Honda Accord. That doesn't mean the Ferrari isn't right. ;-)

 

[shave/brush]

Tires don't last as long on a Ferrari as they do on a Honda Accord. That doesn't mean the Ferrari isn't right. ;-)

The R41 doesn't shave any closer than a Joris but the blades last much longer with a Joris. If there is any difference it is very slight.
Hardly like a Ferrari compared to a Honda.

 

[chamm]

The R41 doesn't shave any closer than a Joris but the blades last much longer with a Joris. If there is any difference it is very slight.
Hardly like a Ferrari compared to a Honda.

Whoa there... I've got both. (well, I've got a FaTip, but I understand they're produced from the same die as Joris.) I can say without any doubt I can get closer with both my 2011 and 2013 R41s in fewer passes, fewer nicks and less irritation than with my FaTip. (By quite a wide margin.) That's not to say the FaTip isn't aggressive; it is indeed extremely aggressive. But I find the R41 much more controlled. More predictable. Also, I've never noticed the blades lasting any different than any of my other razors. I've done a lot of experimentation with different blades, different razors. I'm not saying it's not true, because with my beard, just about any blade is done after two shaves, whether I use a Tech, NEW, Fat Boy, or any of the other two dozen razors I've used.

I don't want to fan the flames of a holy war here. You're free to dislike the R41, and I believe it probably is truly terrible for you. But that doesn't mean it's poorly designed. I'm very glad that the engineers at Mühle decided to push the envelope a little bit, because, for me, sometimes I need to go up to eleven.

 

[Terp61]

I've got a 2013 R41. It came with plating issues so I called Muhle. They sent me a replacement head. So I had a perfectly good R41 and one slightly defective head. I decided to order a Tradere handle for the extra head I had. I like the R41 with the Tradere handle better than the rose gold Muhle I originally ordered.

 

[chamm]

I've got a 2013 R41. It came with plating issues so I called Muhle. They sent me a replacement head. So I had a perfectly good R41 and one slightly defective head. I decided to order a Tradere handle for the extra head I had. I like the R41 with the Tradere handle better than the rose gold Muhle I originally ordered.

Oh yeah, I'll be the first to admit that the stock handle of the R41 is junk. I've got two of them, and see no action at all. I screw mine into an Ikon SS Bulldog II or a Weber Bulldog. Sometimes I like that extra 5mm of the II, but either pairs fantastically with the R41 head.