Muhle R41 - First Drive

[gdawg55]

Hi Everyone! I’ve been wet shaving for close to a month now, and my first DE choice was Mühle R41 Grande (went for aggressiveness and extra weight on the handle right out of the gate). First shave – no cuts, one or two spots of razor burn, and an incredibly close and satisfying shave. My beard growth is not that fast, plus I’m using the Bluebeards Revenge shaving product range (which some claim contains this magic ingredient Decelerine that slows down hair growth), so I only have to shave every 3-4 days. The efficiency on the R41 Grande is second to none. I’m so satisfied I’ve switched over to wet shaving - the experience is very enjoyable and I keep looking forward to the next shave.

Wow....starting with the R41.....brave. Sounds like you're getting great results though....nice.

 

[gdawg55]

I have the R41GS and the chrome platted head and prefer the GS. It feels smoother to me with less tugging. I believe the head clamps the blade a little better on the GS which may be the difference. The GS rocks on 2-3 days growth. Not really sure why I purchased the GS, but glad I did. I never really used my older head, but use the GS regularly if I go a couple days between shaves.

 

[Rivers23]

It took me a long time to figure out my R41 and it is really my primary razor now. It took me months to realize this razor shouldn't be held at 30 degrees. Since the blade is not bent as much as in, for example, the KCG/R89, if you use it at 30 degrees it will pull on the hair instead of cutting it. Ever since I started raising the handle while shaving so the blade slides along the skin, I have had nothing but great, close, weeper-less, irritation-less shaves.

 

[toreaman]

I have the R41GS and the chrome platted head and prefer the GS. It feels smoother to me with less tugging. I believe the head clamps the blade a little better on the GS which may be the difference. The GS rocks on 2-3 days growth. Not really sure why I purchased the GS, but glad I did. I never really used my older head, but use the GS regularly if I go a couple days between shaves.

Where I live (Almaty, Kazakhstan), we don’t have the GS version readily available but I keep thinking of getting one down the road. Sounds like you have had the R41 in chrome-plated finish – does the stainless steel design make enough difference to make the switch, in your opinion?

 

[gdawg55]

Where I live (Almaty, Kazakhstan), we don’t have the GS version readily available but I keep thinking of getting one down the road. Sounds like you have had the R41 in chrome-plated finish – does the stainless steel design make enough difference to make the switch, in your opinion?

Depends I guess on how you like the chrome plated razor. If you like it and find it comfortable, then I would say stick with it. If you find it rough like I do, then you may find the GS smoother. I believe the GS head has been redesigned slightly to clamp the blade more securely (which I believe helps). There's always the argument for stainless vs chrome plated as well. I prefer stainless when possible.

Is there a huge difference between the two....no. Is there enough to tell the difference....yes at least there is for me.

Now on a another note, I will say I have other razors I prefer to the GS. I only use the GS on multiple days growth which doesn't happen very often as I tend to shave every day. The GS is too much razor for me for daily shaves.

 

[toreaman]

Makes sense. Yeah, I’m happy with the chrome-plated R41 so I’ll stick to that for now. Thanks for the detailed answer, appreciated.

 

[Korg]

It took me a long time to figure out my R41 and it is really my primary razor now. It took me months to realize this razor shouldn't be held at 30 degrees. Since the blade is not bent as much as in, for example, the KCG/R89, if you use it at 30 degrees it will pull on the hair instead of cutting it. Ever since I started raising the handle while shaving so the blade slides along the skin, I have had nothing but great, close, weeper-less, irritation-less shaves.

Yeah I’m still trying to figure out the angle myself. I’ve had some good passes and some not so good passes now that I’ve used this razor more.

There’s definitely an angle subtlety Im missing.

 

[toreaman]

Yeah I’m still trying to figure out the angle myself. I’ve had some good passes and some not so good passes now that I’ve used this razor more.

There’s definitely an angle subtlety Im missing.

Not sure if this may be something you already know but in the off-case you don't:

Try putting the razor so that the handle is almost perpendicular to the surface of your face, i.e. so that the razor blade is almost parallel to the skin surface. Obviously, in such a position, moving the razor up and down won't cut any hair.

Now here's the catch: try slowly tilting the angle while moving the razor over the beard growth area you want to shave - while applying little to no pressure (it's R41, as you remember) - until you feel you've got the right amount of traction.

For different areas of the face, you will probably have different angles - but the technique above still applies.

Hope that helps.

 

[MaukaMan]

I ended up getting the GS and for me the razor definitely lived up to it's scary reputation. I paired it with a feather and got 4 good cuts. I let it sit for over a week before my face healed and I tried again. Second shave wasn't what I was looking for either. Technique was much more cautious, different angle, and it just grabbed and pulled. Did not feel smooth at all. No cuts thankfully but not a good shave. Had to finish it up with the GC .84. Hopefully 3rd try is the charm? I'm going to slow it way down and try and find a better angle.

 

[faroll2]

I ended up getting the GS and for me the razor definitely lived up to it's scary reputation. I paired it with a feather and got 4 good cuts. I let it sit for over a week before my face healed and I tried again. Second shave wasn't what I was looking for either. Technique was much more cautious, different angle, and it just grabbed and pulled. Did not feel smooth at all. No cuts thankfully but not a good shave. Had to finish it up with the GC .84. Hopefully 3rd try is the charm? I'm going to slow it way down and try and find a better angle.

You probably haven't found a blade that pairs well with it yet. I recently got an R41 as well. Tried it out with an Astra SP at first, felt the shave was too rough and aggressive. Halfway through the shave and I switched out the blade using a Gillette-Wilkinson Sword from India, the roughness was gone and the shave felt just as smooth as my GC .84 but way more efficient. I did play around with the angle a bit, but when you pair it with the right blade it doesn't matter so much in my experience.

 

[MaukaMan]

You probably haven't found a blade that pairs well with it yet. I recently got an R41 as well. Tried it out with an Astra SP at first, felt the shave was too rough and aggressive. Halfway through the shave and I switched out the blade using a Gillette-Wilkinson Sword from India, the roughness was gone and the shave felt just as smooth as my GC .84 but way more efficient. I did play around with the angle a bit, but when you pair it with the right blade it doesn't matter so much in my experience.

I want to like the razor. I'll have to try those blades and see if that does it

 

[JPO]

the blade flexes as you're taking passes. Blade chatter gives you a rough shave and if there is chatter and skin catching happening at the same time you're going to get cut. The R41 is a chattery razor and it will cut you if you make a mistake.

I have the R41 twist and the GS version. Some the blade chatter issues have been improved in the GS model. The blade is clamped further out, giving a more rigid blade support and a little smoother shave. The difference is small, but noticeable. If you are a shallow angle shaver the difference might not be much, but if load the blade more by shaving with a steep angle, you will definitely feel the difference.

 

[NorthernSoul]

I want to like the razor. I'll have to try those blades and see if that does it

I really like the R41 now. The first time I tried it, though, I was not a fan. Put the razor aside a few months, and come back to it, now it works great for me. Very close shaves with fewer passes and no irritation. How to explain this?

I'd suggest several things...

- the R41 shaves well with a steep angle. Not steep enough to scrape, but steeper than average. You are more prone to get cut with a shallow angle.

- even though it is fairly aggressive, it can work well with a very sharp blade. There'll be less sensation of pulling, instead the whiskers will just get wiped away. Blades such as Feather, Perma-Sharp Super, 7 O'clock Black can work well in the R41.

- it seems to shave better if you shave every other day. The shave goes better with longer whiskers. Why, I am not sure.

- minimal, and I mean minimal, pressure. Use a heavier weight handle and let the weight of the razor do most of the work. You don't need a lot of pressure to get a close shave with this razor.

- stretch the skin. Don't allow the skin to bunch up in front of the blade.

- expect the blades to last fewer shaves than average.

- if the R41 doesn't work for you now, just put it aside for awhile and come back to it later to try again.

 

[Trollky]

I ended up getting the GS and for me the razor definitely lived up to it's scary reputation. I paired it with a feather and got 4 good cuts. I let it sit for over a week before my face healed and I tried again. Second shave wasn't what I was looking for either. Technique was much more cautious, different angle, and it just grabbed and pulled. Did not feel smooth at all. No cuts thankfully but not a good shave. Had to finish it up with the GC .84. Hopefully 3rd try is the charm? I'm going to slow it way down and try and find a better angle.

As a huge fan of the zamak R41 (I have 3) I was really looking forward to the GS. However, it just feels rough and plucky

 

[faroll2]

I want to like the razor. I'll have to try those blades and see if that does it

If those don't work there's always something else. Good thing we have a lot of choices with blades.

 

[MaukaMan]

I really like the R41 now. The first time I tried it, though, I was not a fan. Put the razor aside a few months, and come back to it, now it works great for me. Very close shaves with fewer passes and no irritation. How to explain this?

I'd suggest several things...

- the R41 shaves well with a steep angle. Not steep enough to scrape, but steeper than average. You are more prone to get cut with a shallow angle.

- even though it is fairly aggressive, it can work well with a very sharp blade. There'll be less sensation of pulling, instead the whiskers will just get wiped away. Blades such as Feather, Perma-Sharp Super, 7 O'clock Black can work well in the R41.

- it seems to shave better if you shave every other day. The shave goes better with longer whiskers. Why, I am not sure.

- minimal, and I mean minimal, pressure. Use a heavier weight handle and let the weight of the razor do most of the work. You don't need a lot of pressure to get a close shave with this razor.

- stretch the skin. Don't allow the skin to bunch up in front of the blade.

- expect the blades to last fewer shaves than average.

- if the R41 doesn't work for you now, just put it aside for awhile and come back to it later to try again.

I am going to have to try new blades I think. I spent some time and got a great lather tonight, brand new feather yellow and still I couldn't get good results. No cuts but it was rough. "Plucky" was a great descriptor by the poster above me. It wanted to grab more than anything else and seemed to jump instead of glide. Tried multiple attack angles but no luck. After one WTG pass I had to switch to my GC .84. I'm going to have to set it down for a while I think and come back to it with new blades..

 

[Korg]

Not sure if this may be something you already know but in the off-case you don't:

Try putting the razor so that the handle is almost perpendicular to the surface of your face, i.e. so that the razor blade is almost parallel to the skin surface. Obviously, in such a position, moving the razor up and down won't cut any hair.

Now here's the catch: try slowly tilting the angle while moving the razor over the beard growth area you want to shave - while applying little to no pressure (it's R41, as you remember) - until you feel you've got the right amount of traction.

For different areas of the face, you will probably have different angles - but the technique above still applies.

Hope that helps.

I’ve actually been doing this. Seems to help. I just need more time with it too.