Stainless Steel Muhle R41

[Paul]

Yes, I think hundreds if not thousands of units are needed to make a Brass or Naval Bronze razors viable. The investment needed for a smaller scale CNC operation is significant, so I have great respect for anyone that makes anything new, especially in the UK or USA.

 

[Blackland Razors]

I read a post on another forum regarding the Rocca, where a forum member believed that the Rocca head was CNC machined from MIM blanks, I have no idea regarding the veracity of this assertion but it does make me wonder if the R41GS head is machined MIM. I have no idea, but perhaps there is a metallurgist that can confirm if machining MIM moulds is a process and if so what are the pro's and cons over CNC machining of regular SS feedstock. We know that Feather produces an MIM razor head to exacting tolerances (no suprises I suppose given the long and rich history of Japanese metallurgy) indeed no other razor I have matches the Feather for tolerances but we also know that MUHLE was unable to get the required MIM tolerances right on the Rocca until they switched to CNC machining of their heads, of what I do not know. MIM clearly requires expertise and robust QC.

If there was any machining at all, it's likely done in post to tighten up trouble areas. You wouldn't MIM a cube blank and then machine the entire thing. You'd MIM a top cap, for example, and then CNC mill select features in post. Like maybe the leading edge of the top cap is having warping issues so you'd account for that and then machine that surface down. The biggest issue in MIM is warping due to shrinkage during sintering. You have to make everything oversized to account for the shrink as you heat it, but not all areas of the part shrink at the same rate so you can't just scale it by 120% across the board and walk away. The safety bar won't shrink at the same rate as the middle of the base plate, for example, and it might shrink more in the X plane than the Y plane. So you have to account for this when you design the mold. Then post machining can help fix areas that couldn't be adjusted perfectly to eliminate remaining warping.

Not saying that Muhle did any of this because I don't know a thing about how they produce their razors. This is just generally how that works.

 

[Missoni]

If there was any machining at all, it's likely done in post to tighten up trouble areas. You wouldn't MIM a cube blank and then machine the entire thing. You'd MIM a top cap, for example, and then CNC mill select features in post. Like maybe the leading edge of the top cap is having warping issues so you'd account for that and then machine that surface down. The biggest issue in MIM is warping due to shrinkage during sintering. You have to make everything oversized to account for the shrink as you heat it, but not all areas of the part shrink at the same rate so you can't just scale it by 120% across the board and walk away. The safety bar won't shrink at the same rate as the middle of the base plate, for example, and it might shrink more in the X plane than the Y plane. So you have to account for this when you design the mold. Then post machining can help fix areas that couldn't be adjusted perfectly to eliminate remaining warping.

Not saying that Muhle did any of this because I don't know a thing about how they produce their razors. This is just generally how that works.

Thanks for the information...the process sounds quite intensive...

 

[Blackland Razors]

Thanks for the information...the process sounds quite intensive...

In general, everything is harder than you'd expect. Specifically, the more cost-competitive and larger scale you go, the more difficult it is. The reality is that CNC machining is pretty easy to get going. You just need money, a design, and competent machinists. Mass production techniques are a lot more involved and present unique engineering challenges that have to be overcome. I've come to learn this through experience and repeatedly smashing my head into a wall over the last ~17 months.

 

[J349]

Gifts&Care are selling them also.

 

[SweeneyTodd]

I've got one. However it's manufactured, it is a quality razor, and, for me, it shaves better than my 2013. Plenty of care still needed to avoid "spilling the claret".

 

[carbold]

Good to know! Any side play of the top cap?

 

[SweeneyTodd]

Good to know! Any side play of the top cap?

Not on this one. All is solid and symmetrical, and the posts are a close fit in the holes. It's a very much heavier razor than the zamak versions, and the handle is longer and thicker.

 

[tramal]

No pics?

 

[SweeneyTodd]

No pics?

Not yet.

 

[tramal]

Not yet.

No, problem. I will have it soon too

 

[SweeneyTodd]

No, problem. I will have it soon too

That's good, and I hope you like it. Problem with first use is that I now need to clean it up for photos. Should have photographed first and used second, but too eager to try it out.

 

[tramal]

That's good, and I hope you like it. Problem with first use is that I now need to clean it up for photos. Should have photographed first and used second, but too eager to try it out.

For sure.....

 

[vates]

The first shave went (un)surprisingly well. In a nutshell, action-wise it is 99% the same good old EINUNDVIERZIG (2013 version) with a strange "huge but not so heavy" handle. And the finish is much better.
It behaves pretty much the same. There are the same slight problems with blade alignment while loading (Israeli Personna on the first outing).
The faint blade chatter on the ATG passes is still there (but less pronounced). The WTG passes are a tad comfier. Maybe because the top cap covers the blade oh so slightly more.
The results are the same: nothing less but stellar.
I like it so far.

 

[lastcoyote]

Be great if they sold just the head of this SS version of the R41