Earlier this week I posted a request for suggestions for a razor more suitable for my beard type than the DE89L I was using. Having a thick heavy beard I was finding that while the 89 was smooth and comfortable to shave with it wasn't very efficient at removing my beard and I was hardly using it at all in favor my my TracII which, while not as elegant as a DE was getting the results I was looking for. The 89 was my only DE razor in my den and I had been feeling a longing to find a DE that would produce the results I was after. In midst of the comment thread LittleLebowski offered to loan me his Pre-2011 Muhle R-41 thinking that this might just be the kind of razor I need. I was hesitant to take him up as Open Combs and I have not had a good relationship in the past. After a little thought I decided to take him up on his offer. The Pre-2011 R-41 sent to me on loan by LittleLebowski arrived in the mail yesterday. He also included a 5 pack of Voskhod's for me to try. We had dinner at a friend's house so I had to wait until almost midnight before we got home so I could admire it. It really is a beautiful razor. I've always loved the way open comb razors looked but had never had any success in using them. My attempts to tame both the Old Type and the New were abysmal failures. The R-41 is a different sort of animal. I began my shave this morning not being sure what to expect given my previous experience with open comb razors. I was very pleased as I began my first pass. I didn't feel that this razor was the wild beast those old Gillette OC's are. I won't say it's a mild razor but I won't say it's aggressive either. I would categorize this as an efficient razor. It is definitely more aggressive than the EJ DE89 which was my previous razor. In comparison with some other razors I've tried like the Merkur 34C and the 38C this razor is much more forgiving. I found the very prominent feel of the blade on your face that the Merkur's give to be un-pleasant while at the same time not being very efficient at removing my beard. I also found those razors somewhat un-forgiving. I could not use a Feather at all in either of those razors without lots of nicks and weepers. I could use Feathers very easily in my 89 and Super Speeds which I've owned previously. The R-41 feels to me like it's somewhere in between the DE89 and the 34C in aggressiveness but it removes my beard better than either of those did. After three passes plus some touch up under my chin I have a very smooth, close shave. It's effective without being harsh. Lately I've been favoring my Merkur MII handle with the Wilkinson Sword TracII replacement cartridge. The results are just what I like in a shave. I can get a smooth, close shave in just two passes( WTG, XTG) plus a little blade buffing on one area under my chin on the left side where the hairs lie flat. It took three passes (WTG, XTG, XTG) with the R-41 loaded with a Voskhod to achieve the same results but unlike the DE89 I was actually able to achieve the same results. For some reason blade buffing with the DE89 felt a bit like I was scraping my chin but with the R-41 it was smooth as butter. I also really like the slimmer head profile of the R-41. My mustache grows right up to my nostrils and it's always been a bit fiddly trying to knock down the whiskers in those tight spots under my nose. The head profile on the R-41 let me get to those very easily. The handle is also very nice. It's lighter than the EJ handle and I think the razor has a better balance. (As a side note the threading on the EJ handle always fit the post of the head cap a little loosely until the razor was tightened up. The R-41 threads feel very precise with no wobble at all while tightening up the head.) So far I really like the R-41 but this was only my first go with it. I figure it will likely take about a week or so to really find the sweet spot for this razor and then I'll be able to make a better assessment. I also want to try it with my Astra's and I may have to order some Feathers so I can try those in it as well. I've also got a Slim coming from the Great White North that I traded my DE 89 for that I would like to compare it to. Stay tuned for updates as I continue my R-41 adventure. As I learn this razor I hope my efficiency with it will improve as well. Thanks again to LittleLebowski for his very generous loan. I think I'm really going to enjoy the time I'll have with this razor.
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/ sorry about that. Excellent Review 
I'm finding the Slim much more intuitive and it so far is providing the results I'm looking for with less effort. After three passes I still had some roughness on the end of my chin. This has been a trouble spot that the R-41 has struggled with consistently since receiving it. Usually I dab a little lather on there and continue to work the R41 over it until the stubble is gone. This morning I elected to put the Slim to work on it and it knocked down the remaining stubble with no effort at all. 
