I know what I said in The State of the Shave of the Day post at the end of the year, as I listed out the razors I was thinking I’d be getting in 2026. And none of them were a Mühle.
I’ll be honest here, this one really wasn’t on my radar at all. I mean, I’ve seen it in a bunch of posts, and Mühle is a popular German shaving brand, so I see many of their products. But I’d never considered buying one for myself until about a week before I bought it.
Why? First, it’s rated as an excellent mild to medium-mild razor that’s solidly built and works well. Second, it looks classy, especially the black-handled version I picked up.
And third, I got a special offer in the Shop app for $20 off a $45+ order from Mühle, and I had a Visa e-gift card I could use, and I noticed the razor was only $48, so I figured this was a sign.
It feels like a solid, well-made razor, which tends to the mild end of the spectrum.
It’s specs seem to bear that out, with a blade gap of only 0.45 mm, which puts it between plates 2 and 3 of the Rockwell 6C. But one thing I find intriguing is that it’s got a negative blade exposure, meaning that the blade shouldn’t really contact the skin because it’s behind the shaving plane (a line that runs from the edge of the top cap across the comb). So there should be no blade feel, and very little irritation. But that could also mean there could be a struggle to get a close shave.
For comparison, the Henson Mild has a blade gap of 0.68 mm and 0.033 mm of blade exposure. So theoretically, the Mühle could be milder than the Henson, but I keep seeing reviews saying it’s a medium-mild razor. Guess I’ll find out if measurements like this are just meaningless or what.
Let’s hit the history of the company and the razor first, and then get into the review. According to the company’s website, it was founded in 1945 right after WWII in a laundry room, and made shaving brushes. The company was located within what would become East Germany (or the GDR), and in 1972, its family ownership was forced to sell to the East German state. The owner was able to buy back the company in 1990 after the Berlin wall fell, and has grown ever since. They just celebrated their 80th anniversary last year (and did make an 80th anniversary version of this razor in stainless steel).
The razor itself is relatively new, dating to somewhere around 2008 or so, from what I’ve found. There have been rumors that was developed with or designed with Edwin Jagger, and there are similarities with some of those products, but it appears to have at least initially been produced by Fatip, an Italian razor manufacturers.
At any rate, it’s a modern classic, clearly a favorite of a lot of people, and I’m excited to give it a go.
So after its first week of shaves, how did it do?
First, it’s noticeably very mild, which I don’t mind in the least. It’s at least as mild as the Henson AL13+ mild, but it’s got weight to it–not as much as the Rockwell 6C or King C Gillette, though. And the handle is shorter than the Henson. But the mildness is similar, and the razor handles well.
Having never used a razor with negative blade exposure, it’s noticeable, but not a bad thing. There was some minor blade feel, but every shave in this first week was comfortable and had almost no irritation.
Second, the Mühle has the same comb/plate style as the KCG, which I do not like. The corners are very square and very pointy, which on my neck leads to poking and sometimes scraping. It’s something I can overcome by just being more aware and careful with it, but if I get sloppy, those corners can just scratch things up a bit. How hard is it to just knock down a corner?
Third, I really like the weight. The Mühle is almost half the weight of the Rockwell 6C, and nearly twice the weight of the Hensons. This feels like a sweet spot that makes it easy to handle while also being easy to keep in contact with the skin.
Finally, this is obviously a carefully and thoughtfully engineered razor that just works well. The head glides smoothly. The handle has enough texture to make shaves feel safe and easy. And really, it just looks pretty.
I’m thrilled with the Mühle R89, especially for its price point, and it should be considered by anyone wanting a great, mild razor. I’m already thinking about its next pairings, and I’m excited to get to those.