gvw755
0
When I first started shaving with a DE razor about eight years ago (previous to that I was using a Weck hair shaper) I bought a R41 head to try out. Like most young and inexperienced ones, I thought that I was a hot shot and wanted to get something really aggressive and a face eater. Folks kept on saying that the R41 was one of those, and so I got one in 2013. I later found out that Muhle had changed their head design around 2013 probably because they were killing too many customers with the original 2011 version. Anyway, when I first shaved with my R41, I remember being disappointed because the razor was quite comfortable and gave a very efficient shave (no blood, scars, missing ear or nose parts).
Through the years I also remember folks saying that someone should make a stainless steel version of the R41. Earlier this year, a Chinese company cloned the R41 in stainless steel and it was fraught with qc issues and was not that great of a shaver. This is not to be confused with another Chinese company that cloned the R41 in zamak, which turned out to be a pretty good shave. Okay, so finally Muhle listened and to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the R41, they came out with a stainless steel version. Of course, like all of the other impressionable wet shavers, I had to get one.
The stainless steel R41 cost significantly more than the Muhle Rocca, their other stainless steel offering and looks identical to their R41 Grande. For myself, after owning a couple of R41, I eventually settled on the version of the R41 with the fake tortoise shell handle and so cannot compare it with a real Grande for this review.
In comparing the regular R41 with the stainless steel version, it appears that Muhle did not change anything in the process, which includes the relatively slippery grip of the Grande handle. Between the two side by side pics, the only noticeable difference is that the original version had a number on the bottom side of the cap. The stainless steel version was well polished and it closely resembled the chrome plating of the original.
I did a shave comparison the past tow nights and found that the shave on both were almost identical. The stainless steel version did feel slightly smoother, but that could be because of the additional weight of the handle or my mind wanting to justify the high cost. Both razors were very comfortable and efficient, which was my impression eight years ago, and still is today.
The price of the stainless steel R41 is about the price of a R41 Grande with three spare heads. If it actually shaved noticeably better than the original R41, I would say that it might be worth the cost, but I really could not tell much of a difference. I really wished they came out with something to distinguish it from the regular R41, like maybe a different handle (I like the birch bark handle of the Rocca), or maybe the windmill etched on the cap with a 10 superimposed on top of it. However to get something that looks exactly like the Grande but costing significantly more, I got o recommend passing on this one.
Through the years I also remember folks saying that someone should make a stainless steel version of the R41. Earlier this year, a Chinese company cloned the R41 in stainless steel and it was fraught with qc issues and was not that great of a shaver. This is not to be confused with another Chinese company that cloned the R41 in zamak, which turned out to be a pretty good shave. Okay, so finally Muhle listened and to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the R41, they came out with a stainless steel version. Of course, like all of the other impressionable wet shavers, I had to get one.
The stainless steel R41 cost significantly more than the Muhle Rocca, their other stainless steel offering and looks identical to their R41 Grande. For myself, after owning a couple of R41, I eventually settled on the version of the R41 with the fake tortoise shell handle and so cannot compare it with a real Grande for this review.
In comparing the regular R41 with the stainless steel version, it appears that Muhle did not change anything in the process, which includes the relatively slippery grip of the Grande handle. Between the two side by side pics, the only noticeable difference is that the original version had a number on the bottom side of the cap. The stainless steel version was well polished and it closely resembled the chrome plating of the original.
I did a shave comparison the past tow nights and found that the shave on both were almost identical. The stainless steel version did feel slightly smoother, but that could be because of the additional weight of the handle or my mind wanting to justify the high cost. Both razors were very comfortable and efficient, which was my impression eight years ago, and still is today.
The price of the stainless steel R41 is about the price of a R41 Grande with three spare heads. If it actually shaved noticeably better than the original R41, I would say that it might be worth the cost, but I really could not tell much of a difference. I really wished they came out with something to distinguish it from the regular R41, like maybe a different handle (I like the birch bark handle of the Rocca), or maybe the windmill etched on the cap with a 10 superimposed on top of it. However to get something that looks exactly like the Grande but costing significantly more, I got o recommend passing on this one.
