Muhle RE89... What's next?

[Tonikallinn]

I've been using the R89 mostly since i started shaving. I fell for the Vikings Blade reviews on Amazon and bought the Emperor Meiji, and even on setting 1 it seems to be too aggressive, and that's when i finally get the baseplate level. Also bought their synthetic brush, and oh boy does it irritate my skin...

What would you guys say the next step is? I really enjoy the R89, but there are some trouble spots where i have to go over multiple times to get a close shave, sometimes leading to irritation before i get the hair.

I've been looking at the Merkur 41C (also called the 1906 i believe). Not much more aggressive, but apparently the open comb helps with efficiency. I'd like something as smooth and efficient as possible

Im open to almost anything, as i would most likely have to order and have shipped to my country anyways. VERY little variety here of soaps and safety razors

 

[Jens]

I've been using the R89 mostly since i started shaving. I fell for the Vikings Blade reviews on Amazon and bought the Emperor Meiji, and even on setting 1 it seems to be too aggressive, and that's when i finally get the baseplate level. Also bought their synthetic brush, and oh boy does it irritate my skin...

What would you guys say the next step is? I really enjoy the R89, but there are some trouble spots where i have to go over multiple times to get a close shave, sometimes leading to irritation before i get the hair.

I've been looking at the Merkur 41C (also called the 1906 i believe). Not much more aggressive, but apparently the open comb helps with efficiency. I'd like something as smooth and efficient as possible

Im open to almost anything, as i would most likely have to order and have shipped to my country anyways. VERY little variety here of soaps and safety razors

I would suggest a couple of options (each in their own right, or in combination):

__ Keep your Muhle R89, but try different blades. Most likely "sharp and smooth" blades will make a difference. You could try Wilkinson Sword (widely available), and Gillette Rubie (and/or other Russian made Gilettes). Try different ones.

__ You say that your synthetic brush irritates your skin. So obviously, and perhaps most importantly, get a different brush!! I would suggest going with a "natural" brush, boar, badger or horse. Boar is cheapest, and you can get excellent boar brushes (I personally have several expensive badgers, but boar brushes remain my go-to). I would recommend a smaller boar with so-called "natural bristle" (as opposed to colored or bleeched boar bristle) -- like the Omega 10066, or Omega 10081. Both retail for less than 10 €. knot size in the area of 22 - 24 mm, loft about double that +/- 5 mm (= 52-56 mm, or if you like more "back bone" smaller loft ca 46 mm like the Omega 10029 "baby Pro"). Or, for that price range, perhaps you can afford a couple, and see what you like best.

__ of course a different razor is also an option. I have not been impressed with the Merkur 41 myself, so gave mine away (not very efficient; but its a "pretty" razor, A+ for good looks!). Instead, if you want a "smooth and efficient" razor in the same price range, I would suggest you consider the Merkur 37C (slant). Slant razors have a way of "smoothing" a blade, and adding efficiency. The 37C is widely acclaimed as an excellent, smooth and efficient razor (and, its pretty!).

 

[sternej]

I went from the R89 to getting a Rockwell 2C. When using the 3 plate the blade exposure is ever so slightly more than the R89, but still very mild. The extra weight makes it a bit more agressive. It was a great next step for me. Very agressive razors probably require a technique that I have yet to master. I'm still really tnentative when I shave especcialy sides below the mouth and the dreaded chin area.

 

[Tonikallinn]

I would suggest a couple of options (each in their own right, or in combination):

__ Keep your Muhle R89, but try different blades. Most likely "sharp and smooth" blades will make a difference. You could try Wilkinson Sword (widely available), and Gillette Rubie (and/or other Russian made Gilettes). Try different ones.

__ You say that your synthetic brush irritates your skin. So obviously, and perhaps most importantly, get a different brush!! I would suggest going with a "natural" brush, boar, badger or horse. Boar is cheapest, and you can get excellent boar brushes (I personally have several expensive badgers, but boar brushes remain my go-to). I would recommend a smaller boar with so-called "natural bristle" -- like the Omega 10066, or Omega 10081 (both retail for less than 10 €), knot size in the area of 22 - 24 mm, loft about double that +/- 5 mm (= 52-56 mm, or if you like more "back bone" smaller loft, like the Omega 10029).

__ of course a different razor is also an option. I have not been impressed with the Merkur 41, so gave mine away (not very efficient; but its a "pretty" razor, A+ for good looks!). Instead, if you want a "smooth and efficient" razor in the same price range, I would suggest you consider the Merkur 37C (slant). Slant razors have a way of "smoothing" a blade. The 37C is a widely acclaimed as an excellent, smooth and efficient razor (and, its pretty!).

Ah, sorry for not explaining the brush situation fully. My first brush was a silvertip badger from Muhle. It sometimes irritated my skin, hard do use (gauging water and soap, since it holds a lot of both) and it felt kind of ''floppy'' so i wanted to try a synthetic. Sadly i ordered a very bad brush. I've recently received a Yaqi 24mm Tuxedo. It is FANTASTIC. I could splay it full force if i wanted to and not feel any irritation. Even though it has decent backbone, it is just INCREDIBLY soft. Very happy with it

Blades that i have found available here in Iceland: Shark SS, Kai SS, Feather New Hi SS, Merkur SP, Muhle SS (first blades i got, kept tugging my thicker beard hairs) and Astra Greens (which i use now, mostly happy, get some bad blades, bought a 100 pack)

The reason i've been hesitant in trying more blades, is that shipping costs are too high IMO. I would like to take a chance of buying a sample pack, but if i ended up liking the Astra ones the most, i would feel like i would have lost a lot of money, and overall it's a lot of shipping cost for a cheap item. Im talking up to 30-40 bucks shipping in some cases +20% taxes on total cost, items ordered and shipping.

But overall the Astras work really well for me, minimal tugging, if any. And it removes my beard very efficiently. So im not sure if new blades would help in removing hairs in my trouble spots

The 37C is available in my country. But i think im gonna have to pass on slanted razors. I'm not gonna self diagnose myself with OCD, but i just know the look would annoy me. But man, im sad the 41C isn't efficient, i saw somewhere the open comb really helped with efficiency.

I do highly appreciate the detailed answer!

 

[Tonikallinn]

I went from the R89 to getting a Rockwell 2C. When using the 3 plate the blade exposure is ever so slightly more than the R89, but still very mild. The extra weight makes it a bit more agressive. It was a great next step for me. Very agressive razors probably require a technique that I have yet to master. I'm still really tnentative when I shave especcialy sides below the mouth and the dreaded chin area.

I've been also looking towards the Rockwell 2C/6C (worried if the 3 plate wouldn't be enough of a step up)

That Gunmetal color is also fantastic...

The sides below the mouth are exactly my trouble spots. I usually do two passes. WTG then ATG and a touch up pass if needed. I need to go over that area 4-5 times in my touch up pass. But my chin seems to be no problem.

 

[Jens]

As for the Merkur 41 C, get your own experience with it. As you know the saying goes 'Your Milage May Vary" (YMMV). Your experience may be different from mine. That being said, many open combs are more prone to blade "flex/chatter" as I understand it, which invites for irritation. In contrast, the twisting / torquing of the blade in a slant makes the blade more rigid, and hence enables a more comfortable shave. At least in theory..!
Anyway, just my 2 cents.

As for blades, if you don't already know it, take a look at this site, where shipping is very affordable, and selection is huge:
www.razorbladesclub.com

 

[Tonikallinn]

As for the Merkur 41 C, get your own experience with it. As you know the saying goes 'Your Milage May Vary" (YMMV). Your experience may be different from mine. That being said, many open combs are more prone to blade "flex/chatter" as I understand it, which invites for irritation. In contrast, the twisting / torquing of the blade in a slant makes the blade more rigid, and hence enables a more comfortable shave. At least in theory..!
Anyway, just my 2 cents.

As for blades, if you don't already know it, take a look at this site, where shipping is very affordable, and selection is huge:
www.razorbladesclub.com

Holy, that is cheap!

I've got Bic Chrome Plat, Derby Premium, Gilette Nacet and Wilkinson Sword (German) in the cart already.

Any you recommend? I've seen compliments on the Personna Red, but im not seeing that they have it

 

[DesertIguana]

Have you figured out cause of skin problems.

Have you only used One Soap?

Are you letting weight of Razor do the work, or are you applying pressure?

Have you tried changing to New Shape blade for each shave?

Last question is are you young guy with Tough Thick Beard, and Sensetive Skin?

 

[Chandu]

I've rather gone full circle. Went from the DE89 which is Edwin Jagger's version of Muhle R89. They developed the razor jointly so no matter which companies you buy, you get the same shave.

I went with more aggressive and I'm not back to my DE89 and Henson+. So if you want a different razor I'd say a Henson+ but I think you probably should spend some time with different blades first. Try some of the Gillette and Personna varieties and get 1 pack of Kai. They are very slightly wider so they will make your DE89 slightly more efficient.

 

[Jens]

Holy, that is cheap!

I've got Bic Chrome Plat, Derby Premium, Gilette Nacet and Wilkinson Sword (German) in the cart already.

Any you recommend? I've seen compliments on the Personna Red, but im not seeing that they have it

Glad you found it, it's a great place to shop for razor blades.

Razor blades is very much a matter of individual likes, but since you ask for my recommendations, here are a few:

As for Personna, Do try some. My clear preference is the "Med Prep". This blade is probably my overall top pick for a really shap blade. It is also my choice over Feather Hi stainless, which many people love, and consider the sharpest available blade. Many people consider the Personna "lab blue" identical to the "med prep", and prefer the lab blue because it's cheaper. In my experience, the med prep is clearly sharper, and worth the extra money. I would also clearly prefer the Med Prep over the "red" personna.

You already have BIC Chrome Plat in your shopping basket, that's a nice sharp-end blade too, get some of those too.

A milder-end blade I really enjoy is Lord, either "Platinum" or "super chrome". This is not so sharp, but very smooth and "forgiving", meaning that you don't knick yourself so easily, and can work on touch ups without worrying too much about razor burn.

My favourite Gillette blade is the "Rubie", but its out of stock at razorbladesclub. In place of it, you could perhaps try one of the Gillettes "7 o'clock" blades. I don't know these by experience myself, but many people like them. You already have the "Nacet" in your basket, many people love these blades too. Nacets are supposed to be nearly as sharp as the Rubies (I have not tried Nacets myself). Very popular GIllette blades too are the "SIlver Blue" and the "Platinum". I am not particularly wild about these two blades myself, they are OK if you ask me, but not more than OK, and in their price range I would prefer other blades.

Final blade I will recommend to you for now, given what you have described, is some Treet blades. For sharper end, consider the Treet "7 days Platinum", and the "Platinum". For a smoother end blade, the Treet "Durasharp" gets good reviews.

But as said, preferences is a very individual thing, and part of the joy is trying new blades (to my mind), but this will get you started.

Weclome to the "Club" ... let us know how you enjoy your new blades!

 

[Jens]

I've rather gone full circle. Went from the DE89 which is Edwin Jagger's version of Muhle R89. They developed the razor jointly so no matter which companies you buy, you get the same shave.

I went with more aggressive and I'm not back to my DE89 and Henson+. So if you want a different razor I'd say a Henson+ but I think you probably should spend some time with different blades first. Try some of the Gillette and Personna varieties and get 1 pack of Kai. They are very slightly wider so they will make your DE89 slightly more efficient.

I have two Hensons myself (+ and +++), I think they are very beautiful razors, but the Henson is a rather special razor, I would not recommend it for where the OP (@Tonikalinn) is at now.

The + (mild) could be considered a suitable transition razor to DE shaving for people coming from a cartridge razor background (is probably designed as such), because it behaves like a cartridge razor, in that it "locks' the razor at a particular angle on your face, and forces you to shave at that angle. As such, it is a very mild and safe shaver.
But in my opinion, this is not desirable when you are new to DE shaving and trying to learn the skills of DE shaving (e.g. variable angle and no pressure), and unlearn cartridge behavior. It forces such people to continue to rely on their "cartridge skills", which is exactly what you want to AVOID when you have finally transitioned to DE shaving.

 

[flash75]

I think your basic problem is that in your problematic areas you didn't map the direction of beard growth properly or you miss the correct angle. I would work on this. An aggressive razor cures the symptoms.

If you want another razor I would recommend the Rockwell 6s which is smooth and efficient on higher plates without being extremely aggressive. It's my daily driver at setting R3. The R89 is something like R4.

 

[Tonikallinn]

Have you figured out cause of skin problems.

Have you only used One Soap?

Are you letting weight of Razor do the work, or are you applying pressure?

Have you tried changing to New Shape blade for each shave?

Last question is are you young guy with Tough Thick Beard, and Sensetive Skin?

Young guy with a semi-sensitive skin, but no tough thick beard. The skin problems i mentioned, was the brush, and then the spots i have trouble shaving. I have to go over them multiple times

And iv'e tried 2 kinds of soap companies (two soaps from Proraso) and i try shaving my trouble spots like any other part of my face. Except i need multiple passes, sometimes leading to irritation.

And my Astra blades last a safe 3 shaves

 

[Iridian]

Try a R41 for a change. You might want to figure out if you are into mild, medium or rather aggressive razors and if you like open combs or not.

 

[Jens]

trouble spots where i have to go over multiple times to get a close shave, sometimes leading to irritation

Many of us have "trouble spots" like that. The trick can be to just leave them, and then deal with them in a "clean up" or "touch up" pass.
You can try to do some searching on that, there are various special techniques and tricks for touch ups and fixing spots like that.
I have some on my neck and around my jaw-line. I usually deal with this after I have finished using soap, cold rinse and alum block. I then "buff" those areas on dry skin, just with a dry, and / or slightly wetted (cold) razor. No soap, but stretching and relaxing the skin to get what stubble remains. Very efficient for me, and the key to avoiding irritation is efficiency, where you avoid going over the same spots too many times.

 

[Tonikallinn]

Try a R41 for a change. You might want to figure out if you are into mild, medium or rather aggressive razors and if you like open combs or not.

I've heard that even the newest version of the R41 (Mildest, i believe) Is still a HUGE leap in aggressiveness. But oh, do i want to try it. Looks nice, too...

I decided to try DE shaving, because cartridge razors messed my skin up, and electric razors didnt leave me with satisfying smoothness.

Now my wallet is screaming

 

[Iridian]

@Tonikallinn finding the right razor takes some experimentation. Also your technique evolves. Initially everyone seems convinced they have sensitive skin and need a very mild razor. Then you want to perfect the lather, the shave, the Aftershave... the only thing I am not really collecting is brushes as I hate cleaning them. I still have half a dozen, but several dozens of razors. At one point it might become a collection.

Others look for their one perfect grail razor. I rather believe in variety as the spice of life.

The R41 is an aggressive, but fair razor that will teach you good shaving habits. I went straight from R89 to R41 and still prefer it too the R89 to this day. This said, RazoRock's Game Changers and Lupos are also interesting. And it you browse this forum you will sooner or later consider a Blackbird. I have rather a soft spot for Timeless, particularly their Slim head and the Ti Crown handle. And a huge collection of stainless steel razors from AliExpress.

I might have to give vintage razors a try, but they are not as cheap and readily available outside the USA.

 

[Tonikallinn]

Many of us have "trouble spots" like that. The trick can be to just leave them, and then deal with them in a "clean up" or "touch up" pass.
You can try to do some searching on that, there are various special techniques and tricks for touch ups and fixing spots like that.
I have some on my neck and around my jaw-line. I usually deal with this after I have finished using soap, cold rinse and alum block. I then "buff" those areas on dry skin, just with a dry, and / or slightly wetted (cold) razor. No soap, but stretching and relaxing the skin to get what stubble remains. Very efficient for me, and the key to avoiding irritation is efficiency, where you avoid going over the same spots too many times.

Im sorry for not explaining it better. I try to write stuff in depth to explain well, but i always seem to leave out information

Those multiple passes i talk about include touch up pass. After my two passes, i squeeze the soap into my hand, and spread it on my face, and add small bits of water to my fingertips as needed (very easy to tell if the soap needs more water this way, helping a lot with getting it very slick for touch up pass). Somehow i just seem to have to go over those spots multiple times, even against the grain! I switch between XTG and AGT. I might try doing it dry, i shave and rinse with cold water which already helps a lot with getting a close shave IMO. Also, if i shave with warm/hot water, my skin becomes very red and irritated... Shaving with warm water and lather feels very nice, though

 

[Tonikallinn]

@Tonikallinn finding the right razor takes some experimentation. Also your technique evolves. Initially everyone seems convinced they have sensitive skin and need a very mild razor. Then you want to perfect the lather, the shave, the Aftershave... the only thing I am not really collecting is brushes as I hate cleaning them. I still have half a dozen, but several dozens of razors. At one point it might become a collection.

Others look for their one perfect grail razor. I rather believe in variety as the spice of life.

The R41 is an aggressive, but fair razor that will teach you good shaving habits. I went straight from R89 to R41 and still prefer it too the R89 to this day. This said, RazoRock's Game Changers and Lupos are also interesting. And it you browse this forum you will sooner or later consider a Blackbird. I have rather a soft spot for Timeless, particularly their Slim head and the Ti Crown handle. And a huge collection of stainless steel razors from AliExpress.

I might have to give vintage razors a try, but they are not as cheap and readily available outside the USA.

The maintenance is one of the reasons i wanted to stop using a Silvertip Badger brush....

But yeah, i might try the R41. It is available in my country, i guess i'd have to research if the smaller or bigger version (i'd like to try the twist) would work better for me

And oh my, that Blackbird in titanium looks very nice...

 

[Tonikallinn]

Glad you found it, it's a great place to shop for razor blades.

Razor blades is very much a matter of individual likes, but since you ask for my recommendations, here are a few:

As for Personna, Do try some. My clear preference is the "Med Prep". This blade is probably my overall top pick for a really shap blade. It is also my choice over Feather Hi stainless, which many people love, and consider the sharpest available blade. Many people consider the Personna "lab blue" identical to the "med prep", and prefer the lab blue because it's cheaper. In my experience, the med prep is clearly sharper, and worth the extra money. I would also clearly prefer the Med Prep over the "red" personna.

You already have BIC Chrome Plat in your shopping basket, that's a nice sharp-end blade too, get some of those too.

A milder-end blade I really enjoy is Lord, either "Platinum" or "super chrome". This is not so sharp, but very smooth and "forgiving", meaning that you don't knick yourself so easily, and can work on touch ups without worrying too much about razor burn.

My favourite Gillette blade is the "Rubie", but its out of stock at razorbladesclub. In place of it, you could perhaps try one of the Gillettes "7 o'clock" blades. I don't know these by experience myself, but many people like them. You already have the "Nacet" in your basket, many people love these blades too. Nacets are supposed to be nearly as sharp as the Rubies (I have not tried Nacets myself). Very popular GIllette blades too are the "SIlver Blue" and the "Platinum". I am not particularly wild about these two blades myself, they are OK if you ask me, but not more than OK, and in their price range I would prefer other blades.

Final blade I will recommend to you for now, given what you have described, is some Treet blades. For sharper end, consider the Treet "7 days Platinum", and the "Platinum". For a smoother end blade, the Treet "Durasharp" gets good reviews.

But as said, preferences is a very individual thing, and part of the joy is trying new blades (to my mind), but this will get you started.

Weclome to the "Club" ... let us know how you enjoy your new blades!

And i think i will be going with these.... two blades of each sounds good to me