Muhle R41 (ZAMAK head) changed
- Thread starter ivan_101
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- #42
"Neutered" seem about right to me. I think I prefer the 2013. But the new head is indeed usable with very sharp blades.
Agreed; ideally, IMO Mühle could have developed the 2013+ "revision" of the R41 design and simply used a new name ("R42"?) to avoid confusion. The first new version could be the R42, and subsequent revisions could be the R42A, R42B, etc. There are trade-offs, of course; multiple names are clearer for the hobbyist/collector but more confusing for the general public.
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- #45
Muhle don't care about hobbyists looking at the blade exposure or gaps, or measuring them. They are not interested in announcing geometry changes. But it was pretty much the same with Gillette. They did it with almost all of their models. Old Type, New, New Deluxe, Techs and Super- Speeds. Some years will have more exposure or less exposure, some more gap or less gap. When they switched to the Black handle Super-Speed they didn't announce "This one has more exposure than the previous Super-Speed."
I believe the tendency of making the R41 2011 milder in 2013 and then the 2013 even milder (shall we call it R41 - 2019?) is just a bow to the overall trend of making razors milder (because they will sell more razors this way). Merkur made that with the 37C a few years ago too. Parker changed all of their 3 piece solid bar razors from the huge gap to a smaller one a few years ago, same with Pearl (both 3 piece designs - safety bar and OC, as well as the T121 - two piece). The only company that seems to have gone in the opposite direction are WEISHI. Their TTOs were very mild 10-12 years ago. In the recent years they will release some mild and some more aggressive batches. Add to that the fact that they even released a 3-piece design that is very aggressive.
This maybe why my new R41 shaves so smoothly from my older zamak and GS models that I sold. I never really got along with the R41 as the shave was always rough and tuggy for my liking.
Decided to give one another go and was pleasantly surprised by the nice shave I received. Now it makes more sense. This is a brand new zamac model with the rose gold handle. I like this razor better.
Decided to give one another go and was pleasantly surprised by the nice shave I received. Now it makes more sense. This is a brand new zamac model with the rose gold handle. I like this razor better.
Might be why mine seems very tame, and actually easier to obtain a totally weeper free shave from than my Timeless 95 OC. Bought mine last year as a replacement head, and it's light-years smoother feeling than the Chinese clone head I bought a couple years ago for under $5.00. - I actually apply a little pressure with the R41 to get a really close shave, but don't even think about it with the clone, which requires a much lighter touch.
I can measure it with a digit caliper, but not sure I have feelers for the blade gap, although I surely have the newer, less aggressive head. Wonder if they actually changed the mold, or perhaps the molds have worn over time, and they gradually started making a slightly larger head as they wore? - I recall Fatip had to refresh their molds due to alignment issues, with the 'slop' between the alignment pins and baseplate enlarged.
I can measure it with a digit caliper, but not sure I have feelers for the blade gap, although I surely have the newer, less aggressive head. Wonder if they actually changed the mold, or perhaps the molds have worn over time, and they gradually started making a slightly larger head as they wore? - I recall Fatip had to refresh their molds due to alignment issues, with the 'slop' between the alignment pins and baseplate enlarged.
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- #48
Please read carefully the information in the first post. We don't discuss gaps here. The difference is only in the width of the cap and bottom plate. Where to measure exactly is described in the first post.
This is a great situation. I bought a head only (used) of the R41. Because I liked the shave so much, I bought a spare head only recently and the GS. Now I'm finding out that I potentially have 3 different razors, two of which I may not care for. This is fantastic. How about a V1, V2, etc. Oh well.
I bought an R41 GS secondhand from another fine B&B member, so I'm not sure which "revision" of the head I have. I got it in September of 2022, but I'm not sure how long the other gent had it before I bought it (or if he was the original owner). Whatever the case, it's a great and very efficient razor for me.
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- #51
Today I received a brand new R41GS. Surprise, surprise! It has the old 2013 bigger exposure. Will shave and post a separate detailed thread about it.
Well, I will buy the new style to try it out as the old r41 potato peeler was to scary for me to try.
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- #53
Using a wider blade (Kai or Gillette 365) will not compensate as the difference in exposure between the 2013 and the latest ZAMAK head is much bigger than the differences between the wider blades and the regular width ones.
Try adding some plates from the Yaqi Trifecta:
Yaqi Trifecta Stainless Razor Head Questions
I have a few questions for those that own one. Can you use more than one shim at a time? How about all three? Also compatibility to use the shims in other razors? I was thinking in the Yaqi Knight Helmet for instance, but any compatibility matches would be good to know.
www.badgerandblade.com
I love my R41, have the older model, purchased it 2012 and the newer model, purchased it 2018. They both shave superbly, i can't feel the difference between the two with the blade on my skin. However, i must commend you on your investigation and findings...you really are on another level
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