- Thread starter
- #101
A warm welcome to all new ROCCAsolid brotherhood members ;-)
ROCCAsolid, brotherhood for lovers of the Mühle Rocca
- Thread starter bartje-p
- Start date
Thanks. I was worried about the black coating as a couple of people elsewhere mentioned had issues with theirs (2020 and 2021). No idea if Mühle have stepped up their QC or I got lucky or if they were terribly unlucky, but I am overjoyed that the fit and finish on my R96 is flawless. It was a risk because I cannot send it back to them in case of issues.
I flip-flopped between R96 and R94 but finally decided on the R96 as I liked it better in terms of aesthetics. I am also glad that the handle and the overall razor does not feel light nor does the black (dlc?) section feel like cheap plastic. It feels very substantial and reassuring to hold. I am used to an even heavier razor (Pearl L-55) and this feels perfectly weighted to me. As always, ymmv and glad to be here
Thank you very much for the warm welcome! I'm delighted to be part of this great brotherhood and to spread the good news about the Rocca, even if this may be limited to use as a travel razor for the time being.
Pre-Shave: Kiehl‘s Age Defender Exfoliating Cleanser / YBN Glycerin
Razor: Mühle Rocca R95
Blade: Gillette Silver Blue (1)
Brush: Mühle Purist Silvertip Badger Ebonite
Bowl: DSC scuttle
Soap: B&M - Seville (sample)
Alum: Osma
A/S: 4711
EdP: Boss - The Scent Intense
The Rocca keeps on surprising and delivering. BBS today, and I don’t use that abbreviation lightly. In fact, I only proclaimed BBS about 2-3 times since I started DE shaving. I never chase it and if it happens I’m over the moon.
But the Rocca provided a BBS shave now twice in a row and that is truly a testament to its design perfection. I’m not sure that there is another CC DE razor out there which is that good (and in that price range).
Hardware
Razor — Mühle Rocca R96
Blade — GWS (Indian) (1)
Brush — Yaqi Black Marble 24mm Plissoft
Bowl — Pearl Plastic Shaving Bowl
Software
Soap — Trigodon Wild Seas
Postshave — Anherb After Shave Conditioner
Process
Hair — 4 day stubble
Prep — Warm shower
Lather — Bowl lathering
Passes — 2 (WTG, XTG + buffing)
Verdict
Rating — 8/10
Result — DFS
Dear Brothers & Sisters of ROCCAsolid
This was my first ever shave with the Rocca R96.Re the shave:
I went with no expectation. I thought I would have to adapt my technique for a few shaves until I start getting good results with the Rocca, but that was not the case whatsoever. With just 2 passes I was able to get the closest and most irritation-free shave I've ever had in my life!
The first pass felt glorious. I was able to feel the blade but it did not feel harsh. I was also able to play with a few different angles. The audible feedback is loud and crisp. I was never in doubt whether I was removing stubble or not. I was even able to follow the contour of my neck (rather than purely go WTG) on the first pass and I did not get any nicks. With the L-55, I had to go WTG on the first pass on the neck no matter how careful I was. With the Rocca, I might be able to get a far more efficient shave with going over the same area fewer times and this is despite the L-55 being a more aggressive razor.
The second pass was uneventful but in a good way. This is usually the pass where I would usually get nicks but not a single one with the Rocca. I could have kept pushing more passes but I held back and stopped until I started to feel a bit or razor burn during this overzealous buffing phase.
The post-shave was pleasant with the Anherb Sandalwood Lotion. I also did not feel any irritation after the shave (neither immediately nor a few hours later). Almost 12 hours later and my cheeks were still glassy/marbly smooth. This isn't something I've ever had happen before. So this shave was something special!
Re the razor
The razor itself is crafted to perfection. The fit & finish is flawless and gives a feeling of holding something premium. It also helps that, to me, this is by far the best looking razor! From the handle, the weight and balance, the grip to the base-plate and cap, everything looks and feels modern and refined! I don't know if smoothness can be attributed to a razor, but it certainly felt way smoother than the experience I was having with the Pearl L-55 OC.
I still would not call this a mild razor, but perhaps a medium razor being deceptively mild would be my description. If I rate the L-55 an 8/10 on the aggression scale, I would rate the Rocca a 6. Despite my high praises for the Rocca, if I ever decide to shave daily, I will have to re-evaluate if Rocca would still suit me for that. For mowing through 3-4 day stubble (which I consider the sweet spot for perfect shaves), the Rocca did a damn good job. While I don't have much experience with a lot of razors like many of the fine folks here, the Rocca will always hold a special place for unlocking the gates to amazing, irritantion-free shaves!
Peace x3
A no nick, irritation-free, DFS shave that kept me grinning all day!
Blown away by the Rocca, and it's giving me the confidence to do a full ATG pass some day.
Peace x3
Owners of the Rocca - do you use nylon washers between the handle and the base plate?
I do yes and I tend to use washers with every razor I have with very few exceptions - two I can think of simply because the design won’t allow it. But with the Rocca definitely yes.
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
Pre-Shave: Hot shower
Razor: Mühle Rocca R95
Blade: Gillette Silver Blue (2 and done)
Brush: Mühle Purist Silvertip Badger Ebonite
Bowl: DSC scuttle
Cream: Speick Shaving Cream
Alum: none
Aftercare: Thayer's Witch Hazel Unscented / Lily of the desert - 99% Aloe Vera Gelly
A/S: Old Spice Classic
EdP: Armani Privé - Thé Yulong
Again the Rocca pulled a surprise shave. I have adjusted technique a bit to minimize the irritation I've been having: 2- pass WTG only, no pressure at all, slightly longer strokes and no additional passes over shaved areas. I was expecting a subpar shave. But no, this was an exceptional good shave, no DFS but a very good CCS. I'm astounded what a great razor the Rocca is.
I also changed the software a bit around with Speick shaving cream and Thayer's Witch Hazel and Aloe Vera Gel as post shave. I have to say though that my burn is still present and given that the products used should all be countering razor burn quite effectively my guess now is that my skin is just over- exfoliated from using an exfoliating cleanser pre-shave, the brushes and of course from shaving itself. I will take a break from shaving until next week Monday to let my skin recover and rebuild a proper barrier.
Cool
Is the washer purely to prevent scratches to the base-plate or does it have some other use? Because even without the washer, the fit is already snug and precise.The main purpose is indeed preventing scratches and the other is to help a snug fit if necessary. Another one would be to assist in preventing water from leaking into the handle (but that’s only partially so I believe).Cool
Guido
- Thread starter
- #112
No washers used here, with none of my razors.
Date
2024-04-12
Hardware
Razor — Mühle Rocca R96
Blade — The Gentleman (1)
Brush — Yaqi Black Marble 24mm Plissoft
Bowl — Pearl Plastic shaving bowl
Software
Soap — Trigodon Wild Seas
Aftershave — Anherb Sandalwood
Process
Hair — 4 day stubble
Prep — Warm shower
Lather — Bowl lathering
Passes — 2 (WTG, XTG + buffing)
Post — Rinse with cold water from fridge, aftershave
Verdict
Result — DFS-
Rating — 7.9/10
Notes
First time trying the Gentleman blade with the Rocca. While it was an excellent overall shave, I feel I have better results using the GWS (Indian). The Gentleman isn't bad but it seemed I require far more buffing than while using the GWS. I did get one nick while over-buffing but that was entirely my fault for being too greedy. I will give it a few more shaves before concluding but nonetheless another fantastic shave with the perpetual-star-of-the-shave - the Mühle Rocca. I can't get over how good this razor performs and how much easier it is to use AND gives better results than the Pearl L-55.
For now, I have decided not to use the nylon washer with the Rocca. I already lost one from my previous shave and it is one more hassle in an already elaborate process. Also, I am usually very mindful to not over-tighten the handle with the plate.
Rocca-on
brothers!Peace x3
Friday, April 19, 2024
Pre-Shave: Warm water splash / YBN Glycerin
Razor: Mühle Rocca R95
Blade: Gillette Silver Blue (2/5) (3)
Brush: Mühle Purist Silvertip Badger Ebonite
Bowl: DSC scuttle
Soap: Mühle Sandalwood
Alum: none
A/S: Old Spice - Classic
Aftercare: Thayers Witch Hazel Unscented / Lily of the desert - 99% Aloe Vera Gelly
EdT: Chanel - Bleu de Chanel
Great performance of the Rocca with simply a 1.5 WTG pass shave today and an easy DFS+ How can it be that efficient? I really don't have a ton of experience with different razors, but I can hardly imagine any better modern razor in this price category, say up to USD 100. Maybe an adjustable? There's something about this razor which makes it that outstanding and yet it is easy to use. There'll always be a place for the Rocca in my shaving den.
Date
2024-04-22
Hardware
Razor — Mühle Rocca R96
Blade — Mühle Blade (1)
Brush — Yaqi Black Marble Plissoft 24mm
Bowl — Pearl shaving bowl
Software
Soap — Trigodon Wild Seas
Aftershave — Anherb Sandalwood
Process
Hair — 11 day stubble
Prep — Cold shower
Lather — Bowl lathering
Passes — 3 (WTG, XTG, XTG + buffing)
Post — Rinse with cold water from fridge, aftershave
Notes
First shave with the included Mühle blade. Among the blades I've used, this is by far the smoothest. What a fantastically close shave with 3 passes! Some overzealous buffing pushing closer to BBS which caused two small nicks on my neck, happened at the end trying ATG for the first time.
I feel blessed for being able to get the Rocca this early in my DE shaving journey. Overall, this was my closest, almost BBS level shave.
Peace x3
