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newbie delurk

Hey all I feel somewhat compelled to post here as you guys have pretty much changed a huge part of my life (with a bit of future trepidation).

Perhaps to provide some context, I was pretty much a costco fusion 5 in bulk kind of guy (it works, you can sleep through it) and perhaps a year ago my wife (who has better taste than me) traded in a lot of our facial products for kiehls which for the most part are awesome except for their "brushless" shaving cream (which there are plenty of discussions on this forum about so I won't belabor it).

The problem with the kiehl's (which I'd been using for about a year) is it really just gums up the carts the sink, you name it (in fact we realized it really was gumming up the plumbing near the drain enough to have to call a plumber).

Not knowing quite what I was getting into my initial thought (before I even realized this site existed) was perhaps if I use a brush it'll prevent the glorified sticky pieces going down the drain ..One google (brushes that aren't horrible) later I've discovered your site. At which point I realized brushing a brushless cream isn't going to fix the problem.


Now that said I ended up ordering a (what I realize after) is the muhle r41/ brush pair on amazon and while initially ordering shaving cream from AoS (which seems to have gone a bit awol) I ended up (also from this site) just ordering a sample shave pack from truefitt and hill from their website which pretty much showed up at my doorstop 2 days later (and faster than amazon).

While I was waiting on the blades I tried one of the samples and the regular fusion 5 and I was joking with my wife after, I am not sure what I just did and what I just put on my face and what exactly happened but I was not even sure such shaving creams were even possible and/or even legal :) (Even the feeling afterwards... crazy!)

Anyway after reading a bit further (experiment for tomorrow) I must admit I have a lot of trepidation now about this muhle r41 razor given how you guys talk about it.. (the blades came in today from amazon, (i ended up buying the feather which after reading a bit more may have been a bit dumb as well)... but on the off chance I die just wanted to let you know it was a day of bliss, and mostly all of your faults :)

Avi
 
Welcome aboard!

You jumped in the deep end: R41 plus a Feather!! Too much for me, although some like that combination.

My standard suggestion is to start with one of the EJ89 series or a Merkur 34C, two fine razors in the mild/moderate range that works best for me! I also suggest you consider a blade sampler pack or two!

Whatever you decide, the main point is to recognize that there are tons of great options!! :clap::clap:
 
Thank you,

I got so anxious about it (and as you allude to the same issue everyone talks about with that combo), I found (also discovered from here) the connaughts UK shaving site, and ended up buying the r89 head only (just to keep the clutter down a bit).

As you suggest I think that should initially provide some backup in case my face ends up losing mass. Initially I was thinking of just trying the r41 Muhle/feather combo for a few weeks (which is probably still a smart idea) but to your point it doesn't hurt to have a backup plan!

You know that said - even without going safety yet - these shaving creams really are something just obviously completely different and better. I am still dumbfounded they aren't more popular than they are over the classic gels in a can.

Avi
 
Welcome to B&B. Glad you bought a backup razor! The R.41 can be a challenge even for experienced shavers.
 
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Chef455

Head Cheese Head Chef
Welcome! You are in for a treat! Things are about to get better. Glad you latched on to an r89 prior to the 41...
 
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Thank you all. Perhaps to clarify while I did order the r89 head, my guess is it is not coming in for another week or two.

so ... thought I’d have a first safety shave with the only tool I have ( googling a few YouTube videos first )

While i didnt decapitate myself ( 3 surface scrapes though ), I definitely see why it’s not really a recommended first razor. I showered before and used samples I had ( pre shave and the truefitt almond shaving cream)

While I had no issues with shaving the cheeks, for the life of me I could not figure out how to really shave my Adam’s apple ( which is straight forward with fusion 5 : e.g. press hard and around ) or other bendy areas ( under nose and under neck )

Further, while the after shave balm ( the ultimate comfort sample ) was nice, the truefitt sample of cologne made it obvious I was scraping even my cheeks ( though I did not think so while shaving ).

As an aside, my wife quite liked the ”freshmen” cologne sample but we agreed that freshman (“freshmen, smell the desperation”) has got to be the worst name for a cologne ever .. that said I am sure Brit freshmen are much cooler than us Americans counterparts :)

Avi
 
Day two .. Forgot the pre shave oil. Thought I’d discovered the more acute angle trick that has been talked about here ( day 1 I copied geofatboy’s video with the handle perpendicular to the ground ). Congratulated myself for being quite clever until I rinsed off and realized I created a wince inducing blood bath. Definitely looking forward to the r89 coming in and/or paying closer attention to geofatboy’s technique. That said not really enjoying day two for obvious reasons but will stick with this rabbit hole.
 

thombrogan

Lounging On The Isle Of Tugsley.
Though there are folks that use the Mühle R41 shallow, going steep is very popular. For some reason, steep with an R41 lets the job get done with very little pressure. It can never be no pressure, but less is better.

Here is a thread from your fellow R41 enthusiasts. It may have the tidbits of smooth-yet-unbloodied-face shaving you seek.

Also, send your R89 head back and get FaTip Grande, FaTip Gentilé, or Baili BT131 as your change of pace razor. There’s a guy here named @TechClone who unleashed a more satisfying Beast of shaving goodness with a similar Baili razor.

Happy shaves!
 
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Thank you Thom., I have been obsessing with those threads trying to figure this out, post looking a bit like a rodent attacked my face.

With scabs on my face that made me look a bit like a teenager I ended up skipping today (never a good look in our modern Zoom meeting environment :)). I think I do need to heal until tomorrow. Going steep felt a bit "scratchy" on day 1 (but there are a few variables here (perhaps I am not lathering properly, perhaps I am still pushing too hard ), I'll keep going steep until I get a handle on it. Am trying to avoid buying too many things (at this point I could have bought a lifetime supply of fusion blades ) but the challenge of it has got me wanting to see this through. (That said its clear I am pretty horrible at this)
 

thombrogan

Lounging On The Isle Of Tugsley.
You’re on the right track if your instinct is to work on the issues themselves instead of ‘add to cart,’ Avi. I may have made the mistake of getting 1/8-way decent with the R41 (lasting BBS with minor-to-moderate razor burn) and then bought toys as one might.

Here’s some tips from @courierdog I found useful. He’s specifically describing using the Yaqi Melon cap with the R41 baseplate, but it works with the regular R41 and other razors:

After reading this entire post regarding the combing of the Muhle R41 Baseplate and the RazoRock SLOC Top Cap. I became very interested.
First I already obtained the PAA DOC razor and enjoyed my shaves with it, except the Open Comb like all other Open Combs has a tendency to scratch my skin.
I obtained the RazoRock SLOC and it does indeed provide a better shave however while it scratches my skin less than other Open Comb razors it still has the feeling of scratching.
Then I read about the combination of the Muhle R41 Bottom Plate with the RazoRock SLOC Top Cap.
I obtained the Muhle R41 razor.
I shaved with the Muhle R41 razor as reported elsewhere it provides a very harsh shave on my face.
I again read about combining the Muhle R41 Bottom Plate with the RazoRock SLOC Top Cap, with fear and trepidation I configured the components and prepared for a brutal shave, that did not happen.
I was pleasantly surprised with the resulting shave.
First, This combination provides the individual with an auditory feedback second to none. I suggest to those who try this combination to use the auditory feedback to the fullest to achieve a great shave.
Second, utilize as light a pressure as you can maintain. Let the weight of the razor and the audible feedback guide your shave.
Third, with this combination I use very short strokes, WTG, going over the same area until the blade sound ceases. NOTE this is contrary to every Safety Razor instruction, I have ever read. Also note I use a very wet yet thick lather. This razor does hold a good deal of wet lather in the head of the razor.
To this date this shave is the closest I have ever received using a Safety Razor.
The Muhle R41 baseplate does not scratch or even itch my skin.
The Auditory feed back provided by the blade exposure is very useful in controlling the comfort and smoothness of the shave.
For those concerned about the reputation of the Muhle R41 beast will be surprised as the RazoRock SLOC Top Cap puts a leash on the beast which you can now control by your ears (auditory feedback) and hand (light touch) to aid in the light touch I suggest keeping the razor in a cup of very hot water when non on the skin.
A hot razor is not comfortable on the face so you will tend to hold it with the slightest pressure on the face.
Thanks For Listening
 
Thank you Thom. While I have not swapped anything out here I did do exactly this as per the suggestion:

"Third, with this combination I use very short strokes, WTG, going over the same area until the blade sound ceases. NOTE this is contrary to every Safety Razor instruction, I have ever read."

on my 3rd try (I noticed GeoFatBoy's video was doing a variation of this (short strokes) and this had caught my attention because this is certainly unlike say how I use a fusion 5) and invariably with light strokes you can absolutely do get auditory feedback in a visceral way. Absolutely no bleeds this time but a bit of redness and irritation so am going to again tomorrow with an even lighter touch. The backup plan is the r89 head which was cheap enough to buy as had been suggested by most folks as a newbie razor.

Thank you for all your help and suggestions.

Regards
Avi
 

thombrogan

Lounging On The Isle Of Tugsley.
Very glad it’s working. It worked for me, too. I’m on an all against-the-grain all-the-time kick right now and haven’t been able to get more than a few non-irritating shaves, so not recommending that one.
 
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Esox

I didnt know
Staff member
Welcome to the forum!

Anyway after reading a bit further (experiment for tomorrow) I must admit I have a lot of trepidation now about this muhle r41 razor given how you guys talk about it.. (the blades came in today from amazon, (i ended up buying the feather which after reading a bit more may have been a bit dumb as well)... but on the off chance I die just wanted to let you know it was a day of bliss, and mostly all of your faults

I only use Feather blades in my R41.

I'll second the Fatip Grande razor as a choice. I'm quite sure you'll find it smoother and easier to use than an R41. Feather incidentally, is also one of my top blades in it.

For blades, have a look at Try A Blade. You can buy as many or as few of any kind you'd like. The more different kinds you try, the better your chances of finding the blades that work the best for you.
 
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Too bad you’re having a rough start with the R41. It is a great razor and really nothing to fear, just requires a little more focus. Some of us take to the DE razor no pressure and finding the optimal angle pretty natural and others don’t. The same rings true about building a good lather. Once your blade combo pack arrives and you have a feel for what is mild, give the R41 another shot. Also, since you’re new to the DE razors your skin will take some time to adjust as well, stick with just one pass for a good few weeks before pressing on to additional passes. This will also help with the R41. One of my favorite attributes of the R41 is that is is basically the best Chavez I can get with one pass, rarely a need for a cleanup pass, making it one of the least irritating razors.

Good luck and enjoy your journey.
 
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