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The 1/4 Turn

I've had occasion to use the quarter turn method on a mild three-piece razor I recently picked up. For anyone who hasn't tried it, it's as easy as it sounds - loosen the razor handle approximately 1/4 of a turn, enough to increase the blade gap without making everything all loosey-goosey. This will give you a wider range of functional angles to shave with. It's a bit like opening up an adjustable.

Anyone else try this?

I used to do the quarter turn a lot when I used a Tech. A popular alternative is to cut down an old blade to place as a shim, but I like this better; it's simpler.

It does require occasional attention to the razor to ensure it doesn't loosen too much and turn into a deli slicer. :w00t:

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Francesco, I'm glad you posted this. Although the instructions to do this came with Gillette razors many years ago, I don't think it's widely known today. I frequently do this with my Techs. Thanks for the reminder.
 
Yes, I always used this method for the previous Muhle R41. Could never get a decent shave with the handle fully tight. Care was needed as it was so easy to loosen further, causing the head to swivel whilst in use. I didn't use it that much, finding the closed combs more aggressive in their "natural" set up.
 
Yes, I always used this method for the previous Muhle R41. Could never get a decent shave with the handle fully tight. Care was needed as it was so easy to loosen further, causing the head to swivel whilst in use. I didn't use it that much, finding the closed combs more aggressive in their "natural" set up.

Looking back, I'm surprised at the folks calling this one more aggressive than the R89/DE89. To me, it needs the quarter turn just to get to the same level.


Francesco, I'm glad you posted this. Although the instructions to do this came with Gillette razors many years ago, I don't think it's widely known today. I frequently do this with my Techs. Thanks for the reminder.

I think the Mühle instructions say so as well, let me see if I can dig it up...

Für Geübte: Durch leichte Lockerung des Griffes (ca. 1/2 Umdrehung) vergrößert sich der Winkel der Klinge. Konturen lassen sich so besonders sauber schneiden.

For practised shavers: by slightly loosening the handle (approx. 1/2 a revolution) the angle of the blade is increased. This enables you to shave very cleanly in contours.

Got to hand it to ze Germans. :thumbup1:
 
I think if I had to, I would use a shim or washer with a tight thread. I guess i prefer the correct tool for the job.
As far as DE's go, I have DE89, British NEW and an Aristocrat Jnr.....smooth, medium and agressive. The thought of shaving with a loose thread is maybe a little scary to me.
 
Seems scary as heck to me but then again I'm new to all this.
My new adjustable at between 5 and 9 scares me enough.
You guys got guts.
 
Interesting. I'm not about to try it 'til my technique becomes 2nd nature, but while this post is still active... I thought I'd ask. I thought that tightening the cap put a curve in the blade that stiffened it?? Did you notice any difference in that regard?
 
Interesting. I'm not about to try it 'til my technique becomes 2nd nature, but while this post is still active... I thought I'd ask. I thought that tightening the cap put a curve in the blade that stiffened it?? Did you notice any difference in that regard?

Thanks for bringing that up. The blade has a lot less curve to it. I shaved this evening with the razor loosened to varying degrees (between a half and a quarter turn) and the half turn really made me feel the blade, if that makes sense. More vibrations, more noise, more flex. I used a light touch so it didn't bite me, but it was kind of a weird feeling. The new R41 lovers would be able to tell you all about it, as that beast doesn't curve the blade at all.
 
While Andreas Müller (General Manager of MÜHLE) and I were emailing each other during my interview with him, I asked him about the relatively flat curvature of the blade compared to other razors, which a number of B&B members had commented on. I asked if this helped account for the effective and aggressive nature of the R41.

His reply: “It definitely does. The tension of the blade does effect the performance of the razor considerably. The R41 is designed for advanced DE users who know how to handle such a tool. It´s for wet shavers who appreciate a very direct and straight shave. It´s definitely not a DE for beginners, and it was never meant to be such.”

That also explains the 1/4 and 1/2 turn effect.
 
Maybe it is just the picture, but I am trying to figure out how you could even shave with the before picture. It looks like the blade edge is touching the guard.
 
Yeah, Jason, it has a very small natural gap. I'm fine with mild-ish razors normally (Mühle R89 has been a go-to for some time), but this one was really too mild tightened up.

The head geometry is more or less the same as the Merkur 11C, if I'm not mistaken. There are some great closeup photos of the blade gap in this thread. If your skin did not flex in response to slight pressure, the razor probably would not cut at all.
 
Yeah, Jason, it has a very small natural gap. I'm fine with mild-ish razors normally (Mühle R89 has been a go-to for some time), but this one was really too mild tightened up.

The head geometry is more or less the same as the Merkur 11C, if I'm not mistaken. There are some great closeup photos of the blade gap in this thread. If your skin did not flex in response to slight pressure, the razor probably would not cut at all.


I like the (very easy) solution though. I really like my EJ head (same as the Muhle) as well.
 
I will be trying this tomorrow with my '54 Tech which I've never been able to get a good shave with. If this works, I will give you 100 of my internets.
 
I wonder how a small strip of electrical tape on both sides of the base plate near the razor's edge would do. It would be less than putting another blade shim under the existing blade, and if you needed to, 2 layers could be put on top of each other for an even greater change in blade geometry, and yet allow you to keep the threads reasonably tight so you wouldn't have to worry about the razor "opening up" more and causing unexpected nicks/cuts.
 
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