Muhle R41 (ZAMAK head) changed
- Thread starter ivan_101
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- #22
I think it is just a new mould.
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- #23
Just a quick update. Today I received another R41 head from an Italian store.
It has the latest measurements with wider cap and plate leading to less exposure. If you want to try an R41 that is still relatively aggressive go ahead and buy one. In 5-6 years they will make a new mold that will be as mild as an open comb Merkur.
It has the latest measurements with wider cap and plate leading to less exposure. If you want to try an R41 that is still relatively aggressive go ahead and buy one. In 5-6 years they will make a new mold that will be as mild as an open comb Merkur.
Lol isn’t that the truthJust a quick update. Today I received another R41 head from an Italian store.
It has the latest measurements with wider cap and plate leading to less exposure. If you want to try an R41 that is still relatively aggressive go ahead and buy one. In 5-6 years they will make a new mold that will be as mild as an open comb Merkur.
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- #25
Decided to make a comparison photo showing blade exposure.
2013 on the left. The latest head on the right. Probably changed in 2019.
The blade is visibly more forward relative to the teeth on the 2013 - more exposure.
Tried the newest head with some mild blades. Doesn't work for my tough whiskers. No problem when pairing them with the 2013.
2013 on the left. The latest head on the right. Probably changed in 2019.
The blade is visibly more forward relative to the teeth on the 2013 - more exposure.
Tried the newest head with some mild blades. Doesn't work for my tough whiskers. No problem when pairing them with the 2013.
I wonder which one I have, I bought it around that time. what are the markings on them?
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- #27
I don't think markings are the right way to differentiate. The 2013 doesn't have any markings. The latest one has a "5". Please read post number 1 to understand how to conduct a measurement of the top cap and bottom plate. This is the precise method. If your R41 was bought in early 2020 or later, most probably it is the latest milder head.
I just measured mine. The top cap has "5" on it. Both measured in the middle: cap: 20.2mm baseplate: 25.1mm
the measurements suggest I have got the old (2013) version, but the number does not match. I measured both 3 times, the same numbers each time. Oh and I bought it in may 2020 from the big river's german site.
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- #29
I bought my first one with less exposure in May 2020. Could be yours was still the old stock.
not sure how precise tolerances can be expected from a zamak head. (I suppose 0.1mm would be too high, I'd expect something like 0.05-0.01mm? but this is just a wild guess)
I got an r41 twist 5-6 months ago and its the best shaver I have out of all of mine so far I really like it . I recently got a gamechanger jaws .84 also and i like it so far as well
I don’t remember when I typed that, but it seems like they must have done something right because I keep reading more reports like yours recently. Not that I need another razor…
I bought the new R41 brass head and pair it with a Weber SS long handle. It's a great shaver!
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- #34
Muhle makes brass R41 heads ?
I hallucinate this is the DS Z0 - that came out in brass recently.
I work with machined parts all the time and drawings and we often times specify 5 mil tolerance. This would be ~.13 mm. Remember this is machined parts and not molded. Maybe you can get down to 3 mil sometimes, but personally I think the differences seen are due to tolerances. I also think that they have several molds and even mold to mold there will be differences. They wear out and they make new ones.
Could they have made modification to the design. Sure absolutely, and they probably did for some reason.
When I ordered it from Amazon, it said plated brass.
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- #38
Don't believe what they write on Amazon. If you bought the head only, it is ZAMAK. If you buy a regular R41, it is ZAMAK head with a brass handle. If you buy R41GS it is all stainless steel.
ivan_101 is correct: The standard R41 head is made of cast metal and chrome plated. This isn't necessarily bad; cast metal heads can last a good long time as long as the plating remains intact. Probably not as durable as brass, but if the plating is good, the cast metal head should be quite durable. (And Mühle plating seems very good in my experience.)
My own experience with Muhle plating hasn't been very good. Small sample size, but my original 2011 R41 started having serious plating problems on the top cap and screw within about 8 years. That said, I also wasn't doing my best to store it properly - I was using Muhle's razor stand which stores the razor head down, so the moisture just collected in the top cap. Lesson learned as far as storage goes on my part, but I was still disappointed in the short life span and the fact that I was using their stand. Really I was more disappointed I couldn't replace it with the same head design was the crux of the issue which is I suppose what started this thread with their lack of transparency and clearly identifying different head geometries.
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