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Parker 91R vs Edwin Jagger vs Mühle

Since there has been some talk about these closed comb razors recently, I thought I'd post a comparison while I had all three in my hand. The Parker has a silver handle, the Edwin Jagger Chatsworth a cream handle and the Mühle a wood handle.

Superficially, the head of all three razors look the same.


Of course, the handles are vastly different and are the easiest part to customize so I won't discuss them here.

On closer examination, the heads of the EJ and Mühle are practically identical. The Parker looks slightly different, mainly in the gaininess of the finish. Also, the notches in the safety bar of the Parker are a little sharper and in a NE direction whereas the other two have nicely rounded notches in a NW direction (if viewed from the top).

The easiest way to differentiate is that the Parker has a "P" embossed on it, the EJ has a "1" and the Mühle has a "2". Another way is by looking at how the pins from the top plate engage in the bottom plate. The Parker has rounded pins and you can see quite a gap when viewing the assembled razor from the bottom of the head. The other two have more squared pins and sit almost flush in their holes.


It is clear that the plating on the EJ and Mühle is thicker and the general finish of these razors are better but given that these razors sell for 4x the price of the Parker, they are certainly not 4x better! I have not shaved with the Parker but have read this it is quite aggressive. I have shaved with the EJ and find is a very nice with about the same aggressiveness as a Futur on it's lowest setting.
 
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VR6ofpain

That Mühle is a beauty. I like the ceramic handle version the make.
 
Very nice comparison. I really wonder what the deal is when reps respond that these are independent and original designs; obviously it would be pretty hard to reinvent the wheel, but these modern straight bars all seem to have the same lineage.

You know what I think would look very nice, a straight bar with the sharp and crisp lines found in the slants, sort of a toothed straight bar.

To contribute a little, here are a couple of pics from a travel Merkur I own (with a custom handle) which I understand is representative of the whole Merkur straight bar selection. Someone has compared it to the Parker and like Siv mentions, the Parker comes out as more aggressive.







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I find that the best way to compare the way that different heads shave is to use them on identical handles or the same handle.
That way you take the variance in handle weigh and balance out of the equation.
 
Lou, thanks for the pics - the head looks very similar just with some 'cut-outs' on the edges. I believe that the original EJ razor used a Merkur head and that only recently it was replaced with the one that I have.

You're right, the manufacturers could have been a bit more imaginative when making a new head. I'm sure they just went with something that works as we're a very small market for them and they put more effort into making their Mach 3 handles...
 
Apparently Edwin Jagger has a partnership with Muhle and is using the Muhle head on all of their new razors...I was a bit surprised when my new Lined Chatsworth came with a Muhle head instead of a Merkur head. Also, the Chatsworth head I have has a number "2" on the bottom of the handle.

FWIW, the Muhle and the Merkur heads shave VERY similarly. The head geometry and the blade exposure is nearly identical, from what I can tell (without high precision measuring instruments). Shaving quality is very much the same...I wouldn't say the Muhle head is more aggressive. The nicer plating makes it feel a little 'smoother' on the face, if that makes any sense. I'm very accustomed to the surgical-precision I get from my HD, so it's taken a little while to get used to the more rounded-feeling Muhle head. Although I get less feedback from my Chatsworth, I attribute that to the solid, heavy metal handle and not to the Muhle head.

I am growing to like the Muhle head more each time I use it...although I was initially disappointed that it wasn't a Merkur head, I really like the clean lines of the Muhle head, and it shaves wonderfully. Aesthetically, I find it a bit more elegant than the Merkur heads. Thanks for the nice comparison, Siv!
 
I have a Parker 91-R that I use quite a bit. It seems to be comparable to my Gillette adjustable set on 5. It gives a nice shave,especially with Israeli Crystal blades.
 
I found your razor comparison very helpful. Thanks. I have always used disposables so forgive me if the following question seems dumb but I have no idea how adjustable DE's work and am now shopping for an Edwin Jagger. Your answer will be very helpful. YOu make the statement that the Edwin Jagger razor is about equivilent to shaving with the Futur on its lowest setting. The Futur is adjustable I know so when it is set to its lowest setting, would that be its least aggressive? Or would that be its most aggressive setting? Thanks.
 
Thanks, Eric. That is very helpful. I have sensitive skin so the EJ would be perfect for me. With the great recomendations for it I'm reading along this thread (yours and others) I am definitely going to get the Edwin Jagger.
 
Hey Siv: Great post. I was considering a Parker, an EJ and or a Muhle . . the very three razors you compared. Excellent photos, and very helpul comments. Based your post and the comments in this thread, I'm definitely going with the ivory handled EJ.
 
The Mühle is going back for replacement for two reasons:
- I ordered it with a bog oak handle (to math the brush) and they sent me and olive handle.
- I'm getting the head switched to the open comb made by Merkur (I don't need two razors with the same head). Mühle assure me that the finish is as good as on the closed comb head.
 
Call me superficial, but the E.J. Razor looks positively the sexiest of the bunch!!! I would'nt mind spending 10 or 15 bux more on that.
 
The Mühle is going back for replacement for two reasons:
- I ordered it with a bog oak handle (to math the brush) and they sent me and olive handle.
- I'm getting the head switched to the open comb made by Merkur (I don't need two razors with the same head). Mühle assure me that the finish is as good as on the closed comb head.


Siv, do post some pictures when you get that open comb.
 
The Mühle is going back for replacement for two reasons:
- I ordered it with a bog oak handle (to math the brush) and they sent me and olive handle.
- I'm getting the head switched to the open comb made by Merkur (I don't need two razors with the same head). Mühle assure me that the finish is as good as on the closed comb head.

Siv: I echo the sentiments of Hurican and would like to see a photo of your new Muhle open comb. When you get your new open comb let us know your thoughts on the difference in the shave between your Straight comb and Open comb.
 
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