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Muhle R95 Rocca Review - First Use

I haven't seen much hate. Maybe some ho-hum but I don't think the Rocca line is terribly controversial. I bought it mostly for looks and the only one I would have bought in the line is the one I did. That it turned to be a pretty nice razor is a bonus! I paid $80 for the razor a little bit more for the brush buying them from Ireland instead of here in the states. The shipping cost was about what the sales tax would have been on a purchase stateside.

It's not about the hate, but I rarely see anyone saying things like - ''oh wow, this is the best razor i've ever used''. That doesn't mean that the razor is bad or anything, but I have my doubts that it would ''blow me away'', which is what I'm after. I've reached a point where I only buy razors that are matching my shaving style and preferences and are liked by likewise individuals. ''Good enough'' modern razors are no longer good enough for me and unfortunately, I've started to skip most budget razors for that reason, since they tend to be just that - ''good enough''.
 

luvmysuper

My elbows leak
Staff member
I did not mean to offend anyone with my review. It seems I struck a nerve with (at least) one member here. This was just MY take on a new-to-me razor head, and I've learned my lesson; I'll never write a review (on B&B) again.

I shaved with the Rocca again tonight. I rinsed with hot tap water instead of filling the sink, and I'm sure I used more water than my old way. The blade did not clog up on me like last time, but I still needed to disassemble it at the end to get all the scum out. Again, I don't need to do this with my other 6 razors, so if the only main design difference is the lack of clean-out holes, then this is a design flaw (at least to me). I'm happy if it works for you.

The shave was quite good. My skin is smooth and I have no complaints with the finished product. This just isn't the razor for me.
You've every right to post your opinion on it.
It's absurd to think that a razor has to be rinsed a certain way.
No. You're NOT doing it wrong. You're doing it differently.
If the only way you can rinse the razor is by jetting water at the head, then IMHO the design is crap.
There's a reason razors have been made for over a century with rinsing slots.
 
I did not mean to offend anyone with my review. It seems I struck a nerve with (at least) one member here. This was just MY take on a new-to-me razor head, and I've learned my lesson; I'll never write a review (on B&B) again.
From my point of view, I don't think anyone was offended, just offering suggestions on the clogging. I've been told I was rinsing incorrectly too (which I find amusing, but it is what it is...). Some peoples' communication styles don't translate well to written posts.

For one, I liked your review and hope this thread doesn't discourage you from writing more.
 
It's not about the hate, but I rarely see anyone saying things like - ''oh wow, this is the best razor i've ever used''. That doesn't mean that the razor is bad or anything, but I have my doubts that it would ''blow me away'', which is what I'm after. I've reached a point where I only buy razors that are matching my shaving style and preferences and are liked by likewise individuals. ''Good enough'' modern razors are no longer good enough for me and unfortunately, I've started to skip most budget razors for that reason, since they tend to be just that - ''good enough''.
Yeah, I get that. This is a good razor that's beautifully designed and made. It "blows me away" from the looks department, not the shave. Don't get me wrong, for me, the shave is very good but then so are most razors. I'm not in the world of multi-hundred dollar razors and I bore easily so I'm always using a different razor daily and I have 16-17 in rotation these days. That said, I like looking at and handling this one the most!
 
To continue the discussion with the rinsing design, another razor I have without lather holes is the Lambda Athena. Of the 40-plus razors I've had, it is literally the fastest rinsing razor I've ever used. It amazes me how it rinses in a split second under the faucet with water shooting out a couple of inches from both ends of the razor head. I know @Mr. Shavington has mentioned it before.

As I mentioned previously in this thread I have no problems rinsing the Rocca although it does not compare to my rinse king the Athena.

So I was curious if they were basically the same design and put them side by side to compare. The base plates look similar but in some ways, they appear to be quite different. Here are some pictures.

1.jpg

2.jpg

3.jpg
 
To continue the discussion with the rinsing design, another razor I have without lather holes is the Lambda Athena. Of the 40-plus razors I've had, it is literally the fastest rinsing razor I've ever used. It amazes me how it rinses in a split second under the faucet with water shooting out a couple of inches from both ends of the razor head. I know @Mr. Shavington has mentioned it before.

As I mentioned previously in this thread I have no problems rinsing the Rocca although it does not compare to my rinse king the Athena.

So I was curious if they were basically the same design and put them side by side to compare. The base plates look similar but in some ways, they appear to be quite different. Here are some pictures.

View attachment 1550060
View attachment 1550063
View attachment 1550065
Have you tried rinsing the Rocca from the front and seeing whether it channels water from the sides effectively? I haven’t used mine for a while but I do seem to recall that it can clog - at least if your lather is dryish.

The way the Athena rinses really is awesome, isn’t it? It really shoots the water out from the sides. Very satisfying and fun, and, as you say, it is extremely effective.
 
Have you tried rinsing the Rocca from the front and seeing whether it channels water from the sides effectively? I haven’t used mine for a while but I do seem to recall that it can clog - at least if your lather is dryish.

The way the Athena rinses really is awesome, isn’t it? It really shoots the water out from the sides. Very satisfying and fun, and, as you say, it is extremely effective.
Does that mean you rinse the Athena under running water vs. a filled sink basin? Pretty big difference in design between these two razors. I love that guy's story and have been tempted but have held off so far. ;)
 
Does that mean you rinse the Athena under running water vs. a filled sink basin? Pretty big difference in design between these two razors. I love that guy's story and have been tempted but have held off so far. ;)
Normally I swish my razors in the sink to rinse them but if you have the Lambda you just gotta rinse it under the tap otherwise you’re missing the cool way it fires streams of water out of the side channels. It will of course rinse just the same immersed in water but you’d miss all the fun.
 
Does that mean you rinse the Athena under running water vs. a filled sink basin? Pretty big difference in design between these two razors. I love that guy's story and have been tempted but have held off so far. ;)
Maybe worth re-posting here some thoughts / observations I have about the Lambda Athena head design, which I think is really unique and innovative. The safety bar has slots in it which feed through to water channels that have two egress holes on each side of the head. But I think, as a whole system, this creates a unique shaving feel and not just a more effective rinsing system. It seems to have a number of benefits. Anyway, these were my thoughts that I posted in the Lambda Athena thread….

I find it hard to classify the blade feel of this razor. When my stubble is long I perceive significant blade feel (still smooth, but it feels like a blade-forward razor). On the second pass, with short stubble, I perceive mild blade feel. On the third pass, very little blade feel indeed. And going over smooth areas there is no blade feel at all.

In fact the razor has zero blade exposure, according to Theodoros, so what I perceive as blade feel may actually be something else. It may be something to do with the way the slots in the safety bar interact with my hair and skin. I don’t know. There’s something different about the design of this razor that I don’t fully understand yet. In the end it feels good on my face and it is as efficient as a good mid-high aggression razor, and mild on my skin - so it all works great.

Somehow this slotted safety bar system with the side channels seems to be a new and possibly superior razor head design. It has multiple advantages, from my perspective:
1. Rinsing the razor is much more effective than conventional razors, and you really can’t clog this razor
2. The side channels for water/lather evacuation prevent your hand or the handle getting wet and slippery. And the way the water shoots from the sides is incredibly satisfying and fun
3. The slots in the safety bar seem to make it shave more like an open comb razor, but because the comb is not fully open the razor feels smoother than an open comb
4. And possibly there is this phenomenon that I don’t yet understand, which seems to make the blade feel diminish with each pass - just as you would wish it to if you could adjust the blade exposure during the shave
5. The slotted safety bar also provides clamping points to clamp the blade very close to the edge all along the blade, which prevents chatter or blade flexing
 
Maybe worth re-posting here some thoughts / observations I have about the Lambda Athena head design, which I think is really unique and innovative. The safety bar has slots in it which feed through to water channels that have two egress holes on each side of the head. But I think, as a whole system, this creates a unique shaving feel and not just a more effective rinsing system. It seems to have a number of benefits. Anyway, these were my thoughts that I posted in the Lambda Athena thread….

I find it hard to classify the blade feel of this razor. When my stubble is long I perceive significant blade feel (still smooth, but it feels like a blade-forward razor). On the second pass, with short stubble, I perceive mild blade feel. On the third pass, very little blade feel indeed. And going over smooth areas there is no blade feel at all.

In fact the razor has zero blade exposure, according to Theodoros, so what I perceive as blade feel may actually be something else. It may be something to do with the way the slots in the safety bar interact with my hair and skin. I don’t know. There’s something different about the design of this razor that I don’t fully understand yet. In the end it feels good on my face and it is as efficient as a good mid-high aggression razor, and mild on my skin - so it all works great.

Somehow this slotted safety bar system with the side channels seems to be a new and possibly superior razor head design. It has multiple advantages, from my perspective:
1. Rinsing the razor is much more effective than conventional razors, and you really can’t clog this razor
2. The side channels for water/lather evacuation prevent your hand or the handle getting wet and slippery. And the way the water shoots from the sides is incredibly satisfying and fun
3. The slots in the safety bar seem to make it shave more like an open comb razor, but because the comb is not fully open the razor feels smoother than an open comb
4. And possibly there is this phenomenon that I don’t yet understand, which seems to make the blade feel diminish with each pass - just as you would wish it to if you could adjust the blade exposure during the shave
5. The slotted safety bar also provides clamping points to clamp the blade very close to the edge all along the blade, which prevents chatter or blade flexing
You're not really helping you know...;) If you were to use this razor as I would, shaving every day, how would you think of its efficiency and aggression? The other design he says is more aggressive. I'm a vintage Gillette, AS-D2, Masamune kinda guy.
 
You're not really helping you know...;) If you were to use this razor as I would, shaving every day, how would you think of its efficiency and aggression? The other design he says is more aggressive. I'm a vintage Gillette, AS-D2, Masamune kinda guy.
No, the Athena is not aggressive. It has zero blade exposure and it is a mild shaver, but pretty efficient compared to most mild shavers. It’s definitely good as a daily shaver. I haven’t used my AS-D2 for a while but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Athena actually feels similarly gentle, though it is a good deal more efficient and has a much wider range of effective angles. I would call it mild and medium-efficiency.

But let me clarify this because of the unusual design and how it affects the shave feel. You will see some people say that the Athena has high blade feel. It doesn’t - it cannot because it has zero blade exposure. It does create this illusion, though, when it is cutting through longer stubble - you can feel something. But it doesn’t harm your skin like a razor with true blade feel would. It’s hard to explain but if you ever do get one I would love to hear your thoughts about this.

Lambda’s other razor, the open comb Ares is more aggressive. Nobody has the new v2 version yet, as it is just shipping to the first customers now. The original was described as more aggressive even than the R41, and I believe they mean the old R41 before it was tamed. The new v2 version is supposed to be milder but equally effective. Either way, the Ares is probably not a daily shaver - maybe not even for Greek stubble.
 
No, the Athena is not aggressive. It has zero blade exposure and it is a mild shaver, but pretty efficient compared to most mild shavers. It’s definitely good as a daily shaver. I haven’t used my AS-D2 for a while but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Athena actually feels similarly gentle, though it is a good deal more efficient and has a much wider range of effective angles. I would call it mild and medium-efficiency.

But let me clarify this because of the unusual design and how it affects the shave feel. You will see some people say that the Athena has high blade feel. It doesn’t - it cannot because it has zero blade exposure. It does create this illusion, though, when it is cutting through longer stubble - you can feel something. But it doesn’t harm your skin like a razor with true blade feel would. It’s hard to explain but if you ever do get one I would love to hear your thoughts about this.

Lambda’s other razor, the open comb Ares is more aggressive. Nobody has the new v2 version yet, as it is just shipping to the first customers now. The original was described as more aggressive even than the R41, and I believe they mean the old R41 before it was tamed. The new v2 version is supposed to be milder but equally effective. Either way, the Ares is probably not a daily shaver - maybe not even for Greek stubble.
Thanks for your thoughts on this razor, appreciated. Sorry to drift off topic.
 
That's the reason why I (in general) don't like the ''so called'' DE89 head style design that we see slightly upgraded in many modern razors and while some have made an improvement over the blade support, I think others have made it much worse. As soon as I see such big gaps without any proper blade support, I just know that this razor isn't for me. The design on the Lambda seems way better and I'm not talking about the way that it looks or the elaborate lather holes.

The head profile is much slimmer, which is always a good thing and who would want a bulky head? Also, the shaving angle seems more intuitive. It's always funny how a single person can create something amazing, while a whole company with God knows how many engineers and other work stuff had to remake this razor 4 times and it's still not that great.

If I had a lot of resources and people at disposal to test all my design ideas and what not, I'm sure in just an year or two of experimenting with different desings, angles, blade exposures and gaps, I would create something amazing. Not because I'm smarter than anyone else, but I just know what I like the most and will do my best to make it possible and hopefully others will like it too. I have a feeling that most razors are just not created by the right people and/or they didn't spend that much time testing them and as soon as they got something that ''kinda'' works, they just said - well boys, we did it, that's it, our grand razor.


3.jpg
 
Yeah, I get that. This is a good razor that's beautifully designed and made. It "blows me away" from the looks department, not the shave. Don't get me wrong, for me, the shave is very good but then so are most razors. I'm not in the world of multi-hundred dollar razors and I bore easily so I'm always using a different razor daily and I have 16-17 in rotation these days. That said, I like looking at and handling this one the most!

There's nothing wrong with loving or liking a razor that others don't. I've been in the same situation myself a couple of times. That's the whole point - to find what works for you and not to worry about if others think that your choice or technique is poor. There will always be people who like to pat themselves on the back implying that they are better than anyone else for whatever reason. I've had this talk with some forum members and they no longer wish to even tag me in the comments and are avoiding me like a plague :D.
 
I did not mean to offend anyone with my review. It seems I struck a nerve with (at least) one member here. This was just MY take on a new-to-me razor head, and I've learned my lesson; I'll never write a review (on B&B) again.

I shaved with the Rocca again tonight. I rinsed with hot tap water instead of filling the sink, and I'm sure I used more water than my old way. The blade did not clog up on me like last time, but I still needed to disassemble it at the end to get all the scum out. Again, I don't need to do this with my other 6 razors, so if the only main design difference is the lack of clean-out holes, then this is a design flaw (at least to me). I'm happy if it works for you.

The shave was quite good. My skin is smooth and I have no complaints with the finished product. This just isn't the razor for me.
Please do write reviews. The review plus te responses were very helpful to me.
The only lesson to be learned is that not every member has a silk tongue. B & B reflects the fact that each of us communicates in a different way. I would surely not take it personal, since I'm sure it's not.
You might get one thing out of this, though: if you don't want to take the Rocca apart during your shaves: try using the other method suggested. That might solve the clogging issue. This advice may not have been offered in soft tone, it sure seems sound advice to me.
So cheer up and enjoy 👍🏼
 
That's the reason why I (in general) don't like the ''so called'' DE89 head style design that we see slightly upgraded in many modern razors and while some have made an improvement over the blade support, I think others have made it much worse. As soon as I see such big gaps without any proper blade support, I just know that this razor isn't for me. The design on the Lambda seems way better and I'm not talking about the way that it looks or the elaborate lather holes.

The head profile is much slimmer, which is always a good thing and who would want a bulky head? Also, the shaving angle seems more intuitive. It's always funny how a single person can create something amazing, while a whole company with God knows how many engineers and other work stuff had to remake this razor 4 times and it's still not that great.

If I had a lot of resources and people at disposal to test all my design ideas and what not, I'm sure in just an year or two of experimenting with different desings, angles, blade exposures and gaps, I would create something amazing. Not because I'm smarter than anyone else, but I just know what I like the most and will do my best to make it possible and hopefully others will like it too. I have a feeling that most razors are just not created by the right people and/or they didn't spend that much time testing them and as soon as they got something that ''kinda'' works, they just said - well boys, we did it, that's it, our grand razor.


View attachment 1550164
Which razors (old and new) do fit your preferred design?
 
Which razors (old and new) do fit your preferred design?

Anything that has a slim and also very rigged head design, preferably with a very steep angle, polished or plated (no matt finishes or unpolished and non plated bare brass, bronze or copper) and smooth bar plate or open comb teeth. I also have other minor requirements, but if a razors fits these, then the chances of me liking the razor are pretty good.

Razors that kinda fits into those requirements are:

NEW LC/RFB/NEW FB - I'm putting them as one razor, since there isn't a huge difference between them
New Improved
#160 Goodwill
Razorock Game Changer .84p
Razorock Lupo DC (with both .95 sb and .72 oc) - it's not a bad razor, but the bar isn't very comfortable and I don't use that razor very often
Barbaros TR2 and TR3
Blackland Blackbird - it fits the requirements to some degree, but not entirely
Gibbs #15 - same as the Blackbird
 

Esox

I didnt know
Staff member
The blade did not clog up on me like last time, but I still needed to disassemble it at the end to get all the scum out.

When I read this my mind went immediately to one razor I have that does the same thing on every shave, my GEM MMOC. Before every shave I flip the blade, no idea if it helps or not but it seems wise in my mind haha. Every time I do flip the blade, theres a bit of dried soap and even whiskers on the underside of the blade. In the case of the MMOC, I think its because of the blade being forced into the blade tabs when its closed, and I close it tightly. That doesnt happen with my GEM Bullet Tip but the Bullet Tip has far less blade exposure and a safety bar instead of being OC.

Each razor is an individual. Some we get along with better than others. The important part of that I found was to try different designs until you find the one that suits you and your shaving style the best. That can be a long road but there likely is a pot of gold waiting for you at the end. There sure was for me.

Doing reviews I personally found was a good way to compare thoughts and insights. Especially when reading them again and comparing those thoughts to a different product while weighing other members thoughts on the same item. It was a good way for me to grasp the differences between certain things, even very subtle ones. My reviews lead me to my Journal page where I would keep all my thoughts and reread and compare constantly while working out and understanding what those differences were through several razors, soaps, blades and brushes.


I've reached a point where I only buy razors that are matching my shaving style

It took me a while to come to that same understanding. I can shave with an R41 and a fresh Feather just fine but it was never the shave I wanted to perform. The R41 with a Feather shaves just as close as my Grande and a Feather but the shave is so vastly different and it doesnt suit me or how I want to shave. My Grande does. Once I understood that, things became much easier because I had learned where to focus.

As I said, it can be a long road but at the end the payoff is real.
 
When I read this my mind went immediately to one razor I have that does the same thing on every shave, my GEM MMOC. Before every shave I flip the blade, no idea if it helps or not but it seems wise in my mind haha. Every time I do flip the blade, theres a bit of dried soap and even whiskers on the underside of the blade. In the case of the MMOC, I think its because of the blade being forced into the blade tabs when its closed, and I close it tightly. That doesnt happen with my GEM Bullet Tip but the Bullet Tip has far less blade exposure and a safety bar instead of being OC.

Each razor is an individual. Some we get along with better than others. The important part of that I found was to try different designs until you find the one that suits you and your shaving style the best. That can be a long road but there likely is a pot of gold waiting for you at the end. There sure was for me.

Doing reviews I personally found was a good way to compare thoughts and insights. Especially when reading them again and comparing those thoughts to a different product while weighing other members thoughts on the same item. It was a good way for me to grasp the differences between certain things, even very subtle ones. My reviews lead me to my Journal page where I would keep all my thoughts and reread and compare constantly while working out and understanding what those differences were through several razors, soaps, blades and brushes.




It took me a while to come to that same understanding. I can shave with an R41 and a fresh Feather just fine but it was never the shave I wanted to perform. The R41 with a Feather shaves just as close as my Grande and a Feather but the shave is so vastly different and it doesnt suit me or how I want to shave. My Grande does. Once I understood that, things became much easier because I had learned where to focus.

As I said, it can be a long road but at the end the payoff is real.


I really liked the end result after I was done shaving with my R41. I still think that the R41 is one if not the most efficient DE razor I've owned. I've never had any issues like cuts, nicks or irritation, but the shave itself was more like scraping and it was very unpleasant.

With some other razors like the Rockwell 6S for instance it was the other way around - I really enjoyed how the razor shaves, but the end result wasn't even good enough. I still had a lot of stubble left behind and in some areas like my chin and neck it was nearly impossible to remove them regardless of the angle, pressure and blade I use and also, the thick and bulky head design as well as the the crude finish of the razor weren't my favorite either.
 
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