Cobra Classic vs. Muhle R41 Toothcomb

Let's talk about single and double edged razors and the blades that they use.
John N.
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Post by John N. »

Just to add my 2 cents, I picked up a Cobra some time back and it quickly became my favorite razor (well... maybe tied with the Futur as the top dog(s)). As mentioned above, the shaves are extraordinarily smooth, the blades seem to last forever, and the razor is both quite attractive and unique. It is an aggressive razor, maybe like a Futur set on 3 or 3 1/2 . The only downside, and it is a small one, is that it can be a bit of a fiddle to change the blades.
It has been said here that the Cobra can cause some "skin thinning" if used daily. When I first got it I used it exclusively for a few weeks and never had a problem...though I must say I generally shave every 1.5 days. The only reason the Cobra is not the only razor I ever use is that I enjoy variety a lot. I usually keep 4 razors in my daily rotation and use the one that strikes my fancy on any given day. Other razors come & go, but the Cobra and the Futur are the only permanent members of my "Final Four".
J.
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desertbadger
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Post by desertbadger »

John N. wrote:It has been said here that the Cobra can cause some "skin thinning" if used daily.
Yeah I remember that. It all started with some bold indviduals that took the Feather blades for the Cobra, cut them to fit a Schick Injector, and reported they would get "weepers" while shaving.
To me it would be the same as putting a 426 Hemi in a Honda Civic and wonder why the drive drain blew up.

Regards,
David
Regards,
David
itsmedave
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Post by itsmedave »

Mine should be here tomorrow. I tried to last two days without shaving but got a rear quarters chewing at work for not being clean shaven this morning so I had to shave this evening.
itsmedave
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Post by itsmedave »

Got it in the mail and shaved with it this evening. I don't care for the blade loading much but I'd imagine it will be old hat within a few blades. As for the shave, it's much smoother than the R41 but I did get a heck of a nick on my Adam's Apple. It looks great and feels great in your hand as well. I'll have to have a few more shaves with it, but I did enjoy the first one
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celestino
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Post by celestino »

Do not hesitate to get one unless the new increased price dissuades you.
It is the best DE/SE razor that i have tried. No comparison to the R41 2011. It is much smoother and effective, in my opinion. i had the R41, but it was too aggressive in a harsh way. The angle seems to be overly expressed and too sharp. To each their own, but the Cobra is a much better design as the razor lets the super sharp Feather SE blades do the work as opposed to the drastically sharp angle of the R41. i guess you will have to try it and it will EASILY sell if you do not like it and i would gladly take it off your hands if you decide to sell it, but i doubt that will happen after a week with it. Go gently and see what happens.
Good luck.
itsmedave
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Post by itsmedave »

I'll echo the thoughts of the person that said dont' use this one two days in a row. I'd been alternating injector/Cobra and figured I'd use the Cobra two days in a row. It was a mistake and my face paid for it. Two good nicks on my upper lip and a bit of irritation for the first time in a while.
brothers
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Post by brothers »

Thanks for the update Dave. I'm interested in your experiences. Just for my own perspective, I've been wondering if you have used straight razors in the past or currently, and could compare the Cobra to the SR experience? If not, maybe there are others among us who can make such a comparison.
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
brothers
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Post by brothers »

celestino wrote:Do not hesitate to get one unless the new increased price dissuades you.
It is the best DE/SE razor that i have tried. No comparison to the R41 2011. It is much smoother and effective, in my opinion. i had the R41, but it was too aggressive in a harsh way. The angle seems to be overly expressed and too sharp. To each their own, but the Cobra is a much better design as the razor lets the super sharp Feather SE blades do the work as opposed to the drastically sharp angle of the R41. i guess you will have to try it and it will EASILY sell if you do not like it and i would gladly take it off your hands if you decide to sell it, but i doubt that will happen after a week with it. Go gently and see what happens.
Good luck.
Thanks for sharing your insight Celestino, and welcome to SMF, by the way! The fact that you find the Cobra to be quite different than the Muhle 2011 R41 Toothcomb is very interesting to me, as I'm one of those who thought I could take an aggressive razor and tame it, until I virtually skinned my face over a period of three or four consecutive shaves with the Muhle, got rid of it and never looked back. On the other hand, over the past three years of regular straight razor use (not exclusively, but in tandem with DE razors), I've got a small group of excellent straight razors that provide me with first class shaves each and every time.

My current mission, with this thread, is to explore vicariously other guys' experiences before I invest in my own Cobra, to join the ranks of my favorite safety and straight razors, primarily, and also, to just open up this wonderful discussion of the Cobra Classic.
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
itsmedave
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Post by itsmedave »

brothers wrote:Thanks for the update Dave. I'm interested in your experiences. Just for my own perspective, I've been wondering if you have used straight razors in the past or currently, and could compare the Cobra to the SR experience? If not, maybe there are others among us who can make such a comparison.
I did try straight shaving for a little over a month and after two good sized scars on my chin and upper lip, I gave it up. This one shaves more like a beefed up injector to me from the look all the way down to the blade (feather blades are similar to injector blades at least to me). I've used one blade for 8 shaves thus far and it seems to be holding up. I blame my mishaps last night not on the razor but I was using a new soap and feel that I didn't have quite the cushion I usually enjoy in either Cella, RR, or TOBS Jermyn Street. I will say this in comparison to the R41, my beard returns much more quckly with the Cobra making shaving a daily task for me. With the R41, I can shave every two days easily. It's a great razor
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fallingwickets
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Post by fallingwickets »

making shaving a daily task for me.
there have been many threads posted here over the years where the debate was sometimes fierce regarding the outcome of a shave using a feather product, specifically feather blades.

For me, my beard feels a lot coarser after a 'feather' shave than it does after a beloved merkur shave

clive
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slantman
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Post by slantman »

Classic Shaving just jacked the price on a Cobra Classic from $145 to $165
Since they are the only ones making this type of razor I guess they can get away with it.
itsmedave
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Post by itsmedave »

fallingwickets wrote:
making shaving a daily task for me.
there have been many threads posted here over the years where the debate was sometimes fierce regarding the outcome of a shave using a feather product, specifically feather blades.

For me, my beard feels a lot coarser after a 'feather' shave than it does after a beloved merkur shave

clive
I have some Kai Mild Blades on order so we'll see if that works better.
brothers
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Post by brothers »

slantman wrote:Classic Shaving just jacked the price on a Cobra Classic from $145 to $165
Since they are the only ones making this type of razor I guess they can get away with it.
Hopefully they've sold several simply as a result of this very thread. Congrats to those who bought before the price went up. I'm a genius, I wait for the price to go up before I make my strategic purchase. No, I haven't bought one yet, I think I'll keep waiting, then the Cobra will be more expensive, AND sold out at the same time. Now you get to see the master in action. Watch and learn.
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
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gil3591
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Post by gil3591 »

brothers wrote:
slantman wrote:Classic Shaving just jacked the price on a Cobra Classic from $145 to $165
Since they are the only ones making this type of razor I guess they can get away with it.
Hopefully they've sold several simply as a result of this very thread. Congrats to those who bought before the price went up. I'm a genius, I wait for the price to go up before I make my strategic purchase. No, I haven't bought one yet, I think I'll keep waiting, then the Cobra will be more expensive, AND sold out at the same time. Now you get to see the master in action. Watch and learn.
i was on the femce with a cobra and now that the price has increased i can safely say i no longer want one! thanks classic shaving =; =;
Gil
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slantman
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Post by slantman »

itsmedave wrote:
fallingwickets wrote:
making shaving a daily task for me.
there have been many threads posted here over the years where the debate was sometimes fierce regarding the outcome of a shave using a feather product, specifically feather blades.

For me, my beard feels a lot coarser after a 'feather' shave than it does after a beloved merkur shave

clive
I have some Kai Mild Blades on order so we'll see if that works better.
The Kai Captain Mild are very good. I have only used one blade so far but got 10 great shaves out of it.
itsmedave
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Post by itsmedave »

slantman wrote: The Kai Captain Mild are very good. I have only used one blade so far but got 10 great shaves out of it.
Right now I have 27 Feathers for it and 40 Kais on the way. Hopefully, I'm set for a while.
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celestino
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Post by celestino »

In my opinion, the Cobra is the smoothest, closest, and quickest shaver out there, period. The R41 provides a close shave, but at a cost. If you are rushing or not focused for a minute, it will leave you face badly burned as the angle of the blade is too steep and unnatural, for me.
The Cobra, with its sharp Feather blades, is more intuitive in finding the proper angle without the burn. i have not found anything that compares to it. Tried the R41 for a week, but just too unforgiving!
Good luck and you really need to try both to adequately compare.
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IanM
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Post by IanM »

Hi Chaps,

I don't get in here much, these days, but I thought, having owned and used both of these razors, that I'd chip in.

First of all, I have found the results from shaving with both razors as pretty similar. Using the same number of passes and the same soap/brush/AS, my face feels much the same.

However, a great deal more care and concentration is required with the R41, and I also think that blade choice is critical. Whilst I have found that the flatter the blade is to the skin suits me better, I have also found that a forgiving blade is required. I've tried Swedes, Astra and Shark Super Chrome, and the Shark, although probably the least sharp, is the most friendly. There is still some slight pulling going on, but the result is good.

The Cobra still demands respect, but things are easier and smoother. You can feel and hear the R41 working, but the Cobra goes about it's business more quietly and smoothly.

So, you get a very similar result from quite different shaves.

Ian
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Nitrox
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Post by Nitrox »

slantman wrote:Classic Shaving just jacked the price on a Cobra Classic from $145 to $165
Since they are the only ones making this type of razor I guess they can get away with it.
The more we talk about it, the more the price goes up.
This razor intrigued me as well but for that price? I also have bad experiences with Feather blades including the DE ones and the Japanese Feather straight ones.
Bruno

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shave every day and you'll always look keen."
itsmedave
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Post by itsmedave »

I think Classic Shaving should cut me and Brothers and most everyone else in this thread a little discount. Perhaps shoot us a coupon code COBRA15 for 15% off in the store. Then I could get that M&F Blonde I've been eyeing for a while.
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