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Muhle R41 Shaving Angle Question (New Arrival)

Hey guys (and gals)...I am fairly new to DE wet shaving (2-3 months) and I just took delivery of a new Muhle R41. I ordered the head from Maggard and paired it with an iKon Bulldog SS handle. The razor is gorgeous!

For reference, my daily driver is either a DE89, Merkur 34C or a Rockwell 6S R4 plate (and because I tend to jump into new hobbies with both feet, I also have a Timeless en route).

The R41 is my most aggressive razor (by a long shot) and as I was admiring it today, I noticed that the razor head bends the blade into a much shallower curve than any of my other razors (see the second picture). How will I have to adjust my technique to conquer this new beast? Will I need to make the handle angle steeper to adjust for the fact that the blade edge will be much more perpendicular to my face than with my other razors? Any insight from R41 experts is greatly appreciated...thanks!

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Nice set-up! That blade angle is what helps it be so efficient. Does it mean you need to change the head angle in relation to face compared to other razors? I really don’t know? That’s all together too much thinking for me. Slap that thing against your face and have at it, it’ll tell you what you need to know.

That said, I’m no expert! I’m just a dude with a couple of R41s because one wasn’t enough lol.
 
I normally use mine at a steeper angle than most of my other razors. I have also found it helpful to slow down. It gives a fantastic shave when I get it right.
 
I've never shaved with a Muhle R-41, but my intuition would be to raise the handle a bit, as the head is somewhat flat. On a razor with a pronounced rounded head such as a Merkur 45 Bakelite I would lower the handle.

OTOH it is possible to tame an insanely aggressive razor by slightly lowering the handle.

For general shaving it's recommended to have the blade positioned similar to the angle of a straight razor, or a SE razor, maybe 5 to 10 degrees off the face?

This kind of question will generate answers that will be all over the map. And probably all the answers are correct. Perhaps the best answer is to experiment with an opened mind.
 
Will I need to make the handle angle steeper to adjust for the fact that the blade edge will be much more perpendicular to my face than with my other razors?

I made my angle shallower to adjust to the R41 head. But that is me. You will get answers from both camps.
 
Thanks for all the great feedback so far. It sounds like a classic YMMV situation. I will have to put the razor through it’s paces and report back with my findings.

Next question...what are some of the best blade pairings with the R41? I always have Astra SP and Nacets on hand because I find they are very versatile and always give great performance. Any others I should try?
 
I will be taking my R41 on its maiden voyage tomorrow morning...just wanted to post one more pic of the underside of the base plate and of the iKon Bulldog 80mm handle. I am very impressed by this handle and it is a great value for the $$.

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I will be taking my R41 on its maiden voyage tomorrow morning...just wanted to post one more pic of the underside of the base plate and of the iKon Bulldog 80mm handle. I am very impressed by this handle and it is a great value for the $$.

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Very nice!
 
I have an R41 and love it! Actually, it was my second DE after the EJ89. So I use a slightly steeper angle with it as compared to many other razors in rotation. Take your time and work the angle that is comfortable for you. Honestly, it is the only razor in rotation for me that absolutely COMMANDS your attention. Be awake...LOL but no worries if your not, it WILL wake you up half way through your first stroke...Beautiful handle by the way must take a look at that one. Enjoy the morning shave!
 

Esox

I didnt know
Staff member
Any insight from R41 experts is greatly appreciated...thanks!

Many use them steep and very steep. I tried that and cant with mine. The blade flexes and tugs too much.

In the picture below, the green line is the neutral design angle, the red line my angle of use.

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Just slightly shallower than the neutral design angle. Used at that angle it works pretty well, but its more passes than I generally like for the same level of BBS I get from my other razors.
 
in classic YMMV, unlike many others I have found the best way to get an irritaiton free, nick free shave with my R41 by placing the guard against my face with the handle pointed parallel to the skin. Slowly rotating the handle from skin parallel to perpendicular from my skin surface, and stopping as soon as I can feel the blade. I try to maintain that angle throughout the shave. Of course when I go XTG and ATG the handle still starts parallel. FWIW I can only reduce tugging, especially around my chin by using Feather blades. And lastly, NO PRESSURE. Good luck
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
R41. Steep. Very steep or design angle.

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Not shallow. Not cap riding.

Also use a light touch. It's a nice razor and not aggressive. You're likely to like it a lot.

The gold handle is even prettier than the chrome handle, but both shave well.


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It's a razor that impresses the ladies, too.

Happy shaves,

Jim
 
I used my R41 yesterday with my Maggard MR-11 handle. I decided to watch my angle since I never really have thought about it before. I used a steep angle (handle parallel to my face) on my first (N > S) and third (S > N) passes and a shallow angle (handle closer to perpendicular) on my second (W > E) pass. This was my first 3-pass shave with this razor and the results were remarkable.
 
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