Weekly Razor Review

No question now. This is definitely a case of mass hysteria vs, objective reality. Hang in there Errol!. :rolleyes:
To give @Errol some well earned credit he was spot on regarding both the Charcoal Goods Level 2 Brass & Smart Helix Apollo. (y)
 
I have to also agree to respectfully disagree with @Errol analysis on this one, and agree with @Razor Burn

It certainly is smooth and you really don't need much concentration to get an amazing shave but what amazes me how this razor is considered 'mild' and I come from the land of JAWS, R41, T95 and WR2 1.25 My growth is very strong and have tough whiskers, for me, not only does the Rocca shave as close as these (maybe not the R41), but the hair feels like it takes longer to grow back and more uniform.

Not only is it as close but much more comfortable with no burn, irritation or weepers which the others can give if I don't pay attention. Can even shave within 12 hrs again (for BBS) and there is no way I can do this with anything else I own. In my Den, this razor is so good it has dethroned everything I own and have tried, where I purchased all three (R94, 95 & 96) and some heavy hitters I own will be up for sale at some point.

I understand YMMV but I really cant understand how this razor can give such varying opinions.. anyway, just my 2 cents and respect all opinions. I guess you got to try it to know for sure :)
That was particularly interesting given your previous preference for JAWS, R41 etc.
 
That was particularly interesting given your previous preference for JAWS, R41 etc.

I still have the R41 and the JAWS.. The R41 is straight out a monster in the blade feel department and demands respect each time its used otherwise I pay, but because concentration is always high I dont make many mistakes, if any

The JAWS is very efficient and I find when all things align eg excellent lather, a good smooth blade (polsiver), bit of concentrating with riding the cap I get an amazing and smooth shave.. Pretty much the same goes with the WR2 and to a lesser extent the Timeless.

The Rocca on the other hand is a razor that I barely need to pay any attention to when shaving and the range of cutting angle is quite wide. It is an ultra smooth razor (only my DE89 is as smooth or smoother) and also quite efficient, I would say around the efficiency of the Timeless 95 / Karve D plate or maybe a tad above. So combining all these three points the Rocca gives me super smooth BBS, no irritation and allows me to shave the next day with no issue whatsoever.. i have also shaved a couple of times within 12 hrs with no issue.

I still enjoy shaving with the other more aggressive razors and shaving daily is possible, but it will come to a point after 4 or 5 days where I need to take a break (1-2 days) for my skin a rest to recover. This is not an issue with the Rocca and can shave 7 days a week without a problem.

Plus, in my opinion, the R95 is the most beautiful razor I have ever seen and has a totally different feel in the hand to anything else experienced to date. Is having all three a waste? that's up to the individual but for me, I get the exact same excellent shave while the feelin my hand gives the impression of having three different razors.. so for me its totally worth it :) This is why the Rocca is King of the Den for me!!!
 
I think the depth of Muhle's designs often show. They build a complete razor where the handle, weight and balance point have clearly been thought through, which I do not find say with Razorock. I agree with the above in that the Rocca shaves through a wide range of angles and remains smooth and efficient, the polar opposite to say an ASD2. This makes it an easy, relaxing razor to use with a minimum learning curve...
 
I think the depth of Muhle's designs often show. They build a complete razor where the handle, weight and balance point have clearly been thought through, which I do not find say with Razorock. I agree with the above in that the Rocca shaves through a wide range of angles and remains smooth and efficient, the polar opposite to say an ASD2. This makes it an easy, relaxing razor to use with a minimum learning curve...
Agreed, but one thing they didn't think through is the lack of "ventilation" below the blade for rinsing out gunk. @Errol doesn't seem to have an issue with it, but I suspect he's not shaving both head and face. I find that channel below the blade insufficient for such use, and I sometimes have to take the whole thing apart mid-shave to clear it. Not a show-stopper, but definitely an annoyance.
 
Agreed, but one thing they didn't think through is the lack of "ventilation" below the blade for rinsing out gunk. @Errol doesn't seem to have an issue with it, but I suspect he's not shaving both head and face. I find that channel below the blade insufficient for such use, and I sometimes have to take the whole thing apart mid-shave to clear it. Not a show-stopper, but definitely an annoyance.

I am a daily head and face shaver and have to say I have not had a problem with any DE razor clogging and I have a few! but, and it is a big but, it maybe that it just suits my style of shaving and not yours, I tend to rinse a razor fairly often as a matter of habit.
 
I’m not a head shave but don’t understand how that would make any difference to clogging? I have never had an issue with clogging on any razor including the rocca..

Is is possibly due to lather being to dry/thick?
I find that the only time my Rocca clogs is when the soap isn't slick/yoghurt like.
 
I’m not a head shave but don’t understand how that would make any difference to clogging? I have never had an issue with clogging on any razor including the rocca..

Is is possibly due to lather being to dry/thick?
I'm thinking it's because I take long strokes over my noggin, so gunk collects in fewer strokes. Nothing wrong with the lather, I reckon I've got it dialled in pretty well. Anyway, I'm not suggesting it's the end of the world, but there's a reason why most other razors have some sort of hole below the blade.
 
I find that the only time my Rocca clogs is when the soap isn't slick/yoghurt like.
If you use shaving cream which can be thicker and dense may clog more often, IF, you use shaving soap which can be a bit less thick and less dense than the shaving cream.

That's why I don't use shaving cream very often.
 
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That's why I never use shaving cream at all as I have three army footlockers full of the best premium artisan, slickest, amazing post shave and scents to die for soaps ever and upset because I'm still awaiting on two shipments from the states of yet to be released shaving soaps.
FIFY

Now where's my gif @SpeedyPC you know I love you too:LOL:
 
FIFY

Now where's my gif @SpeedyPC you know I love you too:LOL:
giphy.gif
 
Muhle Rocca R96 – V1 (Germany)



It was not on the radar to be using my recently acquired Rocca R96 – V1 so soon. However, the less than flattering result I achieved with the R94 – V4 prompted me to trot this razor out after being advised that it can be a bit aggressive. This razor is the first version Rocca and sports a metal injected stainless steel head. Circular flow marks are visible on the underside of the top cap and the top side of the plate. Similar to the later version there is no lather channels in the plate and dispersal of lather is taken care of by a shallow channel under the blade. The handle post is hollow and the thread engagement to the handle is sloppy. Visually, most features of the V1 and V4 heads are very similar. A black coating has been applied to the working section of the handle and it is both visually appealing and pleasant to use. My scales indicate that the R96 is some 14g lighter than the R94; some of this weight reduction may be in the plate but the handle is where the majority of the weight loss has occurred.

With a blade fitted there were no visible alignment issues, a fault that plagued some examples of the V1 Rocca. During the shave the 14g weight loss between the V4 and the V1 was not noticeable and I don’t think contributed in any way to the performance of this razor. There was certainly an increase in efficiency though, up to around that of the Karve CB Level #C and an increase in blade feel. While the shave was maybe not as smooth as with the V4, it was still good and more importantly, close. The shave delivered by this version is far better than what I was able to achieve with the V4 Rocca and up to a level that I could use regularly if I had to.

Blades Used – Gillette 7 O’Clock Green and Personna Prep (now that’s a nice blade)
Material –
Stainless Steel
Blade Tab – Slightly exposed
Weight – 79g
Head Width – 41.3mm
Handle Length – 95.75mm
Handle Diameter – 14mm
Availability – Out of Production
Final Word – Not Bad
 
Muhle Rocca R96 – V1 (Germany)



It was not on the radar to be using my recently acquired Rocca R96 – V1 so soon. However, the less than flattering result I achieved with the R94 – V4 prompted me to trot this razor out after being advised that it can be a bit aggressive. This razor is the first version Rocca and sports a metal injected stainless steel head. Circular flow marks are visible on the underside of the top cap and the top side of the plate. Similar to the later version there is no lather channels in the plate and dispersal of lather is taken care of by a shallow channel under the blade. The handle post is hollow and the thread engagement to the handle is sloppy. Visually, most features of the V1 and V4 heads are very similar. A black coating has been applied to the working section of the handle and it is both visually appealing and pleasant to use. My scales indicate that the R96 is some 14g lighter than the R94; some of this weight reduction may be in the plate but the handle is where the majority of the weight loss has occurred.

With a blade fitted there were no visible alignment issues, a fault that plagued some examples of the V1 Rocca. During the shave the 14g weight loss between the V4 and the V1 was not noticeable and I don’t think contributed in any way to the performance of this razor. There was certainly an increase in efficiency though, up to around that of the Karve CB Level #C and an increase in blade feel. While the shave was maybe not as smooth as with the V4, it was still good and more importantly, close. The shave delivered by this version is far better than what I was able to achieve with the V4 Rocca and up to a level that I could use regularly if I had to.

Blades Used – Gillette 7 O’Clock Green and Personna Prep (now that’s a nice blade)
Material –
Stainless Steel
Blade Tab – Slightly exposed
Weight – 79g
Head Width – 41.3mm
Handle Length – 95.75mm
Handle Diameter – 14mm
Availability – Out of Production
Final Word – Not Bad

You clearly need to try a V3 then :)

Perfection!
 
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