R41/SLOC review: Topcaps matter!

[thombrogan]

@courierdog,

Tried your wtwtwtwtwtwtwtwtg method last night. Used a FaTip Grande (not the R41, but still a heavy hitter and then some).

Best wtg-only shave I've had. The alum block only lit up my left jawline and my Adam's apple versus whole stubble line. Apple area because hair pattern is very tricky there and jaw because I must've overdid it. Still, very neat! Window of blasphemy shattered. Thanks!

 

[courierdog]

@courierdog,

Tried your wtwtwtwtwtwtwtwtg method last night. Used a FaTip Grande (not the R41, but still a heavy hitter and then some).

Best wtg-only shave I've had. The alum block only lit up my left jawline and my Adam's apple versus whole stubble line. Apple area because hair pattern is very tricky there and jaw because I must've overdid it. Still, very neat! Window of blasphemy shattered. Thanks!

This morning I used a Rocky Mountain Barber, Sandlewood pre shave oil as well as my normal scuttle full of lather. This improved the performance as well as made everything much more smooth.
Even my troublesome neck area received a smoother and closer shave.
Please note as this is a week day (Work) there is only time for a single pass.
The shaving technique i use is similar to what some call buffing.
I use very very light pressure "just" sufficient I can just sense the blade coming in contact with the whiskers.
The comb of the Muhle R41 barely can be felt on the face.
The Lather is as hot as I can maintain in the Moss Scuttle
The Razor is maintained as warm as the hot water in my cup can maintain the razor.
Note the hotter the razor head can be maintained the lighter I can hold the razor head against my face.
Before you ask, I do not use cold water, field training in the reserves (ancient past ha ha) was all the cold water I want to deal with.
Thanks for Listening

 

[courierdog]

I just ordered the new RazoRock SLOC 2.0 Full Milled DE Safety Razor, so I await the new version to First see how it compares to the 1st version which I have.
Second, use the SLOC version 2 Top Cap, if possible, on the Muhle R41 base plate have another go at a shave.
Here is hoping all goes well.

As a followup, the RR SLOC 2.0 uses a slot style head as opposed to the three post as in version One.
I will have to find a different and improved SLOC Top Cap to continue my quest.
As a Second Note I have ordered a GSC 41+ razor and here is hoping this improved base plate will deliver some improvement to a daily shave.

 

[xiletero]

I just ordered the new RazoRock SLOC 2.0 Full Milled DE Safety Razor, so I await the new version to First see how it compares to the 1st version which I have.
Second, use the SLOC version 2 Top Cap, if possible, on the Muhle R41 base plate have another go at a shave.
Here is hoping all goes well.

As a followup, the RR SLOC 2.0 uses a slot style head as opposed to the three post as in version One.
I will have to find a different and improved SLOC Top Cap to continue my quest.
As a Second Note I have ordered a GSC 41+ razor and here is hoping this improved base plate will deliver some improvement to a daily shave.

Sloc 2.0 topcoats are different will not fit Muhle. Only if lucky: Gamechanger or Jaws

 

[courierdog]

Using the Muhle R41 baseplate with an SLOC Top Cap is my first venture into modifying any razor combination.
Had it not been for this Badger & Blade article I would never even had considered anything like had been mentioned in this thread.

 

[wombadom]

All right. I know R41 has many fans ... deservedly so; it occupies a place on the far-end of the shave scale. Over there with alligators, pirhanas, barracudas ...

I have dozens of razors, new and old, and R41 is one of the meanest-shaving to me.

Aggressive, yes, but I LIKE that. I shave with Thin-cap OLDS, Single-Ring and many other mean shavers.

I never could get a comfortable shave with the thing. Tuggy, to me. With blade chatter, perhaps inherent in the design. (Mine is the newer version). So.

Recently I decided to challenge my beliefs, a good thing to do periodically. (Hate Tabac? Try it again six months later. Veg reminds you of a funeral home bathroom? Revisit the Veg after attending a wake, etc.) Anyways.

I gave R41 a try last week and it did exactly what I remember: a tuggy, painful shave.

But I got an idea ...

A member here gets good shaves with R41 using the Yintal "bronze" razor's topcap. I have that cheapie razor, so gave it a try.

While a good-looking combination, it also was noisy - a sign of chatter/vibration - and, hm, it didn't work well for me.

I had a few other "heads-only purchases" lined up, and gave the Razorock Self-Lubricating Open Comb (SLOC) head a try.

It fit with a greater coverage across the top, and seemed to clamp well - a prerequisite for any combo working well.

Now. I'm not an engineer (though there are plenty here) and in general, don't want to mess with combinations of topcap and baseplate. It's 50-50 you'll make something worse and a lot of times, they don't fit. But what the hey; take no chances have no fun.

It shaved SO WELL. Quiet, and another efficiency tiger. More importantly, it was the first comfortable shave I've ever gotten with the R41 baseplate.

I think it's clamping well; someone with the math skills or ability to reckon on this is welcome to weigh in.

I have no opinion on the combination's looks. (Dang, need a better side-photo). Can only say, the SLOC topcap is making the R41 baseplate work very well - for me. Shaved with it all week, to be sure!

Thoughts?


AA

Thanks. I like the R41 V2. I have the RazoRock SLOC but haven't used it yet. (I keep new razors in reserve and try one every once in a while). I also have the PAA DOC that I know I like. I might try it.

Sent from my SM-A102U using Tapatalk

 

[Triggs]

I just bought an R41, and was going to give it a try today,,, now you have me nervous

 

[courierdog]

I

Using the Muhle R41 baseplate with an SLOC Top Cap is my first venture into modifying any razor combination.
Had it not been for this Badger & Blade article I would never even had considered anything like had been mentioned in this thread.

Using the Muhle R41 baseplate with an SLOC Top Cap is my first venture into modifying any razor combination.
Had it not been for this Badger & Blade article I would never even had considered anything like had been mentioned in this thread.

I received the Shaverboy Tribute 41+ today. Looks great and it promises to be a little more mild than the Muhle R41
I intend to pair it with the YAQI SLOC Top Cap and try it out tomorrow morning.
I will Keep you posted.

 

[courierdog]

Follow up on the GSCI Tribute 41+ Baseplate and the DCL YAQI (SLOC) Top Cap
Using Proraso Pre-Shave
Using Proraso Red Shave Cream
Gillette Platinium Blade
I found the GSCI Tribute 41+ Baseplate and the DCL YAQI (SLOC) Top Cap combination was very easy to find the sweet spot blade angle. The Shave was very comfortable and the result was very smooth.
There is no scratchiness of the comb like the Muhle R41 as the GSCI Tribute 41+ has a solid bar upon which the comb is placed, this makes the "face feel" very soft indeed.

 

[Clouds]

Anyone tried the D89 top cap? I read it's different to the R41.....

It makes the 2013 version more aggressive and efficient.
It does the opposite to the 2011 version.

 

[xiletero]

Just because I mentioned #44; the Sloc 2.0 top cap does NOT fit any other razor!

 

[courierdog]

I have been shaving with the GSC 41+ / DLC YAQI Top Cap for the past nine days and I must admit this combination has been consistently providing a smooth comfortable shave.
The bottom plate of the 41+ has a slim solid bar just below the Open Comb.
This combination allows the smooth face feel while providing sufficient lubrication to flow through the comb onto the the whiskers allowing for a well lubricated beard and into the SLOC top cap resulting in a smooth and close shave while minimizing the risk of any after shave irritation.
The Aggressive nature of the Muhle R41 is very much tamed in the GSC 41+ iteration by the use of the solid bar supported Open Comb. Now add the SLOC Top Cap and both the R41 and the 41+ provide a great shave for a Wet Shaver.
I would suggest a pre-shave and a well lathered soap or cream.

 

[Sami_]

Ive tried this sloc top cap with the r41 base plate today and had an incredible smooth and efficient shave i was really pleasantly surprised

 

[tenreasy]

Used the original R41 head/baseplate today. Pre-shave with Musgo Glyce soap. Installed a feather (2). Shave was very good. WTG & XTG only. The prior two shaves with the R41 were terrible with much tugging. I am thinking you need a really sharp blade. I do have a YAQI Top Cap on order so we'll see how that works.

 

[Ad Astra]

Bump for recent interest.


AA

 

[thombrogan]

Tried mixing cap of Yaqi Mellon with 2013-R41 baseplate. Way too wobbly (unlike mixing R41 cap with Mellon baseplate). No super exposed, under-rigid, awesomeness for me for now.

 

[tenreasy]

Anyone have positive results with a different R41 baseplate? I ordered a Yaqi head twice from AliExpress but never recieved them from China. Got a refund from the YaqiStore - very unreliable. I have put my R41 away...

 

[xiletero]

I have used the Razorock version, bet it's the same?
The main issue I had was increased blade vibration and went back to the R41.
I have read in this forum that the R89 top cap holds the blade tighter...and I am not sure I have tried it.

 

[gvw755]

After seeing some activity in this thread, I tried fitting the Yaqi Mellon cap to my clone R41. As mentioned previously, it did not seat well mostly because the Mellon screw post had a squared part near the top where it attached to the cap. I then tried using the WCS triangle shaped cap designed by CG. that fit perfectly and I shaved with it tonight. It definitely tamed the clone R41, which in it's regular configuration, was more untamed shaver than the original R41.

That predefined angle on the cap really helped.

 

[Wolf Larsen]

I saw some threads a while ago on people pairing the R41 2013 baseplate with various OC top caps (SLOC, Yaqi Mellon, Yaqi Beast, DOC, etc). It took me a while, but I finally ordered a Yaqi Beast, which arrived last week. I used it once and it wasn't quite as efficient as I'd like. I then paired the OC top cap with my R41 and was pleasantly surprised. It worked great. I agree it gets rid of the touch of tugginess that I had with the R41, and I think it might be a bit more efficient that way as well. I went back to the normal R41 top cap yesterday just for comparison, and I think the R41 base + OC cap is definitely better.

As an experienced and longtime R41 enthusiast, I was bummed when my R41 top cap broke. I was looking for a compatible stainless replacement; spoiler alert, I didn't find any. My search brought me here. While not stainless, I picked up the Yaqi Beast head for ~$10 to give it a go. I concur with your assessment ... Pleasantly surprised how this top cap, paired with the R41 base plate, changed the shave. Just as efficient if not more so, while at the same time taming the legendary properties of the R41. The aesthetics of this combo married to a Weber Bulldog handle begs a lot of questions as you raise it to your face for the first time, but it works exceedingly well. Thanks for posting ... It helped me out.
Fist bumps, Wolf