Bladerunner7
Member
The Muhle R41 is loved, disliked, praised and thrashed by many. There have been tons of videos, blogs and discussions on it's aggression and ability to bite. So I had to document my experience with it for those who have used it and those who are still on the fence with it. I purchased a Muhle R41 head a year back and for 12 months I often looked at the Razor head still in it's packaging and it looked back at me. Read horror stories by Bloggers and saw many of my fav Wet Shaving YouTubers regard it with fear and using it akin to be a journey into the unknown. Yesterday after two weeks of picking up a slight irritation following each shave with my fav Razors due to extra buffing, I picked up the Muhle R41 head and replaced the Yaqi slant head on my Yaqi Chrome handle so I could give it a go. Used Ach Britto Lavanda for the Shaving Cream and a Feather Blade. The result was a stunning two pass BBS, It was one of the best shaves in my entire wet shaving life. My skin never felt better or cleaner and there were no touch ups, no nicks, no weepers and no skin irritation. 24 hours later I'm still sitting smug with how good that felt. I recollect Errol's review and I felt the same, it was smooth, super efficient and I was in control through the whole shave. I realized that I've been shaving with a DE razor for three years now since I first switched to a King C Gillette (That one is history by the way). Much as I love the many artisan razors and admire their look and performance, I was shocked that one of the best razors is a humble Zamak offering which is in my top three now. My regret in all of this, why didn't I pick up the R41 sooner. Looking back I realized a few things I learned along the way from other shavers which could help those on the fence.
1. Errol, by now everyone knows that I'm a mega fan of the Review Guru. Somehow, many of the Razors he loves and the ones he dislikes are exactly the same as me, probably my shaving style might be a bit like his. Having said that I haven't used even 5 percent of the number of razors he has but figured if Errol loved it, I would too. I used a sharper blade based on his review and put the Razor head on a Yaqi Chrome handle (Errol used a nice Windrose trident handle) that was comfortable to hold. I guess his review had me confident of coming away with a god shave without all the other warnings I have read about the R41 being ready to bite. Mind over Matter there Lads.
2. Tips from my good friend Lee from Malaysia who runs Charmwise with his wife, an online retail store that is a gift for Wet Shavers in South East Asia. When I need to save on the shipping cost from Italian Barber or other stores in the US and Canada, Lee is muh man. Lee had a video on YouTube where he tamed the R41 with a watery lather (very important) and light strokes, his advice on keeping it light now automatically dictates how I shave. In a message once, he said "your shave depends on the slickness of the lather, choice of blade and your technique, the Razor is just a tool in your hands." Ever grateful for those words.
3. geofatboy, totally love him. Was in awe watching him use the R41 like a toy once but picked up the right angle from his video. Over time I figured that he is a straight razor user so handling an aggressive DE razor was no challenge for him whatsoever.
What's your experience with the Muhle R41 and which is the most efficient Razor in your den? I would love to know.
1. Errol, by now everyone knows that I'm a mega fan of the Review Guru. Somehow, many of the Razors he loves and the ones he dislikes are exactly the same as me, probably my shaving style might be a bit like his. Having said that I haven't used even 5 percent of the number of razors he has but figured if Errol loved it, I would too. I used a sharper blade based on his review and put the Razor head on a Yaqi Chrome handle (Errol used a nice Windrose trident handle) that was comfortable to hold. I guess his review had me confident of coming away with a god shave without all the other warnings I have read about the R41 being ready to bite. Mind over Matter there Lads.
2. Tips from my good friend Lee from Malaysia who runs Charmwise with his wife, an online retail store that is a gift for Wet Shavers in South East Asia. When I need to save on the shipping cost from Italian Barber or other stores in the US and Canada, Lee is muh man. Lee had a video on YouTube where he tamed the R41 with a watery lather (very important) and light strokes, his advice on keeping it light now automatically dictates how I shave. In a message once, he said "your shave depends on the slickness of the lather, choice of blade and your technique, the Razor is just a tool in your hands." Ever grateful for those words.
3. geofatboy, totally love him. Was in awe watching him use the R41 like a toy once but picked up the right angle from his video. Over time I figured that he is a straight razor user so handling an aggressive DE razor was no challenge for him whatsoever.
What's your experience with the Muhle R41 and which is the most efficient Razor in your den? I would love to know.
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OK it's not mild but it's not a scratch my Asylum Rx, that's the one that had blood running in my bathroom, until I learned to use it.
