Mühle Vivo 4-Piece Plumwood Shaving Set - Pure Badger & Safety Razor
There are shaving sets, and then there are shaving sets worth keeping for a decade. The Mühle Vivo falls firmly into the latter category. Made in the Ore Mountains of Germany at the Mühle manufactory - a family business now in its third generation - this four-piece set brings together everything needed for a proper wet shave, without a single unnecessary element.
What's in the Set
The set includes a pure badger shaving brush with a medium-sized head (21 mm diameter), a closed-comb safety razor, a chrome-plated metal soap dish, and a chrome-plated metal stand designed to hold both the razor and brush upright between uses. Four pieces, each doing exactly what it should.
The Handle: Plumwood
The handles of both the razor and brush are turned from indigenous plum tree wood — a material chosen for good reason rather than aesthetics alone. Plumwood is naturally hard and dense, with a resistance to wear that synthetic alternatives rarely match. Its surface carries a reddish warmth that deepens with the grain, and an oil finish brings out that colour while giving it a quiet, understated sheen.
No lacquer, no artificial gloss. Each handle will be slightly different from the next, because the wood itself varies. The base of each handle is finished with a curved chrome collar, which also locks into the stand's purpose-built insert for a secure, balanced hold.
The Shaving Brush: Pure Badger
Pure badger is the entry point into genuine badger-hair shaving brushes, and a well-made one performs with considerably more character than any synthetic alternative. The hair is darker in colour - ranging from brownish-grey to near-black - and is notably stronger than silvertip or fine badger grades, while remaining flexible enough to load and lather soap effectively.
The medium brush head at 21 mm is a practical size: large enough to build a proper lather but easy to control on the face. The knot is machine-set to Mühle's manufacturing standards, and the hair softens further with use over time.
The Safety Razor: Closed Comb
The Vivo safety razor uses a closed-comb head, which means the guard bar is solid rather than toothed. This geometry positions the blade at a slightly steeper angle and provides a more forgiving shave - less blade exposure, more margin for error. It works with any standard double-edge razor blade, so there's no proprietary system to be locked into. For those accustomed to cartridge razors, this is the most approachable style of safety razor to transition to. For experienced wet shavers, it delivers a clean, consistent result without drama.
The Stand and Soap Dish
Both accessories are chrome-plated metal. The stand holds the razor and brush head-down when not in use, which allows the brush to dry properly and extends its lifespan considerably.
The soap dish is a simple, well-proportioned piece - sized to hold a standard shaving soap puck and easy to clean.
Chrome-plating at this level is durable and will not tarnish with normal bathroom use, provided it's wiped down occasionally.
The VIVO Series
The Vivo series takes the classic bulbous silhouette of a traditional shaving brush handle and updates it with contemporary materials and manufacturing precision. It's not a reinvention - it's a refinement. The proportions are familiar; the execution is current. Mühle makes the Vivo in both high-grade resin and plumwood, and the plumwood version carries a warmth and individuality that resin simply cannot replicate.
A Note on Wet Shaving
If you're new to safety razors, a closed-comb head like this one is the right place to start. Use short strokes, let the weight of the razor do the work, and don't apply pressure. With a badger brush and a decent shaving soap, the lather you'll build is meaningfully better than foam from a can - it retains moisture against the skin throughout the shave, which makes a practical difference to comfort and skin condition afterwards.
Set Contents
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$420.00
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