The R41 GS is a razor that requires you listen and do what it says. The shaving sensation is exactly how one would imagine a razor-sharp blade scraping across your face. Unlike many razors where the safety bar smooths out the blade feel, the R41 takes the gloves off. The trick is to follow its cues.
In practice, this means if the razor starts to feel like it's scraping too deeply, stop and switch to another spot. If the blade starts to feel too sharp, apply less pressure. If at some point you sense a move could be risky, go slowly. All of this sounds obvious, but if the shaver is impatient, tired or on auto-pilot, they may get an unwelcome surprise. The R41 GS is a razor which requires mindfulness and practice.
The R41 GS is the stainless steel version of the Grande and was released in 2021 on the 10th anniversary of the redesigned 2011 R41. My understanding is that the head is CNC-milled, while the handle might be cast (unconfirmed). The razor weighs 113g and is 106mm long, not too heavy, and perfect for a large hand. Neither the blade gap or exposure are disclosed, but the gap appears narrow while the exposure is positive and feels high.
The head design is iconic and has likely influenced numerous modern razors which followed including the much beloved Lambda Athena. The R41’s blade clamping is excellent due to its very wide clamp width, which is the straight line distance between clamping points when looking at the side of the head. The average DE blade has a width of 22mm and the R41’s clamp width is 20mm, leaving only 1mm of overhang on either side, with a blade reveal which is likely equivalent at 1mm as the top-cap doesn’t extend beyond the clamp points. Interestingly, the Athena also has a clamp width of 20mm.
R41 (left), Athena (right)
Another iconic feature of the R41 is its deeply scalloped safety bar, with scallops which are so large that the razor is often classified as “open comb” despite not being completely open. Here, the Athena takes another cue with a unique scalloping which looks reminiscent of the R41 but leads to two internal lather channels and is not as deeply carved, making for a much smoother feel.
R41 (left), Athena (right)
As the Athena also has a clamp width of 20mm with the top cap ending at the clamp points, the reveal is similar to the R41 at around 1mm on each side.
R41 (top), Athena (bottom)
But as can be seen from the photo above, although the reveals are similar the Athena’s base plate extends out beyond the top cap, while the R41’s base plate is narrower and more scalloped, which likely accounts for its stronger blade feel and higher efficiency.
The R41 GS is extremely efficient, and when paired with a Wizamet delivers an Efficiency Rating of BBS+/BBS. Despite its superlative efficiency, for which I ascribed the maximum score of 10, its composite score came in at only 27 due to lower scores for other attributes. For Comfort, I scored the razor a 4 because at times it can feel like the blade is scraping the skin, leaving it raw. For Ease-of-use I scored it a 5 because it requires practice and experience to master, and also requires the shaver to remain extremely mindful. Consistency was high at 8.
In sum, the R41 GS is a well-crafted and aesthetically beautiful razor with extremely strong blade-clamping and class-leading efficiency. Although with time and practice I’m sure it could be mastered, and for some could even become a daily driver, it’s a razor which requires attention and patience at the onset. Personally, I find it’s deep blade feel and high efficiency extremely enjoyable and gratifying and intend to make it a part of my rotation.
In practice, this means if the razor starts to feel like it's scraping too deeply, stop and switch to another spot. If the blade starts to feel too sharp, apply less pressure. If at some point you sense a move could be risky, go slowly. All of this sounds obvious, but if the shaver is impatient, tired or on auto-pilot, they may get an unwelcome surprise. The R41 GS is a razor which requires mindfulness and practice.
The R41 GS is the stainless steel version of the Grande and was released in 2021 on the 10th anniversary of the redesigned 2011 R41. My understanding is that the head is CNC-milled, while the handle might be cast (unconfirmed). The razor weighs 113g and is 106mm long, not too heavy, and perfect for a large hand. Neither the blade gap or exposure are disclosed, but the gap appears narrow while the exposure is positive and feels high.
The head design is iconic and has likely influenced numerous modern razors which followed including the much beloved Lambda Athena. The R41’s blade clamping is excellent due to its very wide clamp width, which is the straight line distance between clamping points when looking at the side of the head. The average DE blade has a width of 22mm and the R41’s clamp width is 20mm, leaving only 1mm of overhang on either side, with a blade reveal which is likely equivalent at 1mm as the top-cap doesn’t extend beyond the clamp points. Interestingly, the Athena also has a clamp width of 20mm.
R41 (left), Athena (right)
Another iconic feature of the R41 is its deeply scalloped safety bar, with scallops which are so large that the razor is often classified as “open comb” despite not being completely open. Here, the Athena takes another cue with a unique scalloping which looks reminiscent of the R41 but leads to two internal lather channels and is not as deeply carved, making for a much smoother feel.
R41 (left), Athena (right)
As the Athena also has a clamp width of 20mm with the top cap ending at the clamp points, the reveal is similar to the R41 at around 1mm on each side.
R41 (top), Athena (bottom)
But as can be seen from the photo above, although the reveals are similar the Athena’s base plate extends out beyond the top cap, while the R41’s base plate is narrower and more scalloped, which likely accounts for its stronger blade feel and higher efficiency.
The R41 GS is extremely efficient, and when paired with a Wizamet delivers an Efficiency Rating of BBS+/BBS. Despite its superlative efficiency, for which I ascribed the maximum score of 10, its composite score came in at only 27 due to lower scores for other attributes. For Comfort, I scored the razor a 4 because at times it can feel like the blade is scraping the skin, leaving it raw. For Ease-of-use I scored it a 5 because it requires practice and experience to master, and also requires the shaver to remain extremely mindful. Consistency was high at 8.
In sum, the R41 GS is a well-crafted and aesthetically beautiful razor with extremely strong blade-clamping and class-leading efficiency. Although with time and practice I’m sure it could be mastered, and for some could even become a daily driver, it’s a razor which requires attention and patience at the onset. Personally, I find it’s deep blade feel and high efficiency extremely enjoyable and gratifying and intend to make it a part of my rotation.
Last edited: