Got a Hoffritz slant on Friday and put it to work on Saturday. It gave a very close shave, but some irritation on the front of my neck. I hear slants can take some practice - especially for a newbie like me who is still practicing in general! I probably should have waited to get a slant, but I found a good deal on it, and once it arrived, how can you just let a razor like that sit there?? I did read some threads later that talked about making sure the blade is seated correctly. I don't know now whether it was or not (and I take out the blade between shaves). I will pay attention to that next time.
The Slants deliver a pretty aggressive shave Make sure you follow your prep routine, maybe try a pre-shave balm or oil on your neck area. I love my Merkur Slant and there was a bit of a learning curve to it. I could only razorbate of owning a Hoffritz ...Enjoy
Good idea about the oil. I'll do that next. I just put some initial lather on and left it while I fully worked the lather. Got my Hoffritz for $25. I posted a WTB on another forum and a member replied. It doesn't have a case, but I didn't want one. If I buy a razor, I want to display and use it.
Slants are awesome! I just ordered a sledgehammer slant from Phil at Bullgoose. I test drove one a few months back and have Jones'd for it ever since. Damn fine razors that deliver terribly long lasting shaves. Keep at it and you'll get to the comfort that you bought it for. New to this or not, it can be figured out with little bloodletting, just stick to the basics and you'll be golden.
I've never used the regular handled version so I can't compare, but the sledge makes you feel like you could not only get a super good shave but defend yourself while doing so. Perhaps break torque on some lug nuts. Hit homers for your company softball team. Drive a railroad spike. Rivet a bridge. :happy102 I imagine the regular handle works well also but the sledge sure gives you a feeling of gravitational awareness.
A couple reasons. One, I don't use the same razor 3-5 times in a row (however many times I use the blade). Also I wipe it off before putting it away. I'm not worried about it rusting, but I want to remove any possible soap residue. I usually hand strop the blade before using it again the next time for the same reason. I don't think hand stropping sharpens the blade. Any benefit seems to come from removing any residue that can affect the shave.
I love slants-I find they are particularly good at mowing down a few days growth. The fundamentals of the shave is identical to any DE, but no pressure is more important. I occasionally remove the blade between shaves and have always understood that blade positioning is an issue, but never really found it to be one myself-it seems to fall into proper position. I have 4 slants- a modern HD Merkur, a Vintage Merkur, a Vintage Pomco, and a Vintage Mulcutto. The Merkur's and Pomco are almost identical in shaving performance and feel. The Mulcutto is a unique and wonderful razor. One day I'll have a Sledge Hammer-I love my 38c.
I picked up a Merkur slant a couple weeks ago. I like and dislike it. I like the close shave, but boy is it aggressive. For a still new learner I think I will shelve it for a bit and try later. I like it, but need more time for now. http://manandhisrazor.wordpress.com/
I have a vintage Hoffritz Slant that I adore.. It isn't all that aggressive to my face. The word around our forums is that pairing the Slant with a Feather is the way to go and I have to say.. I shave a week with that combo and it was pure perfection each and every day. My favorite combo is the Slant on an iKon Classic long handle. It is also great on a BRW Ultra Lite.. But this go-round I had the Slant head mated to a BRW Bull Mastiff Deluxe.
That is one thing I want to do is get some custom handles. Probably starts with BRW's. I'm thinking a Mastif XL.
Get a Merkur 37C slant and you won't need to buy a bull mastiff handle. I use a 37G and love it. It's my current go-to razor. I waited until I had been DE shaving for about 6 months before buying it. I don't use any pressure with it. It doesn't tug or pull. It slices cleanly through the hairs. It doesn't clog easily. It gives you a BBS shave with very little effort. Once you get used to using it, you won't want to shave with anything else. I'd say it's about as aggressive as an old Gillette red tip Super Speed, which used to be too aggressive for me but I now like a lot. I want a 37G. Does Ikon make a slant, or is Merkur the only currently made offering?
Merkur slant and a feather blade.. Wow. Great shave, no tugging or pulling whatsoever. The personna worked well, but the feather was incredible. It makes the first pass feel like the second pass.
That's exactly why I love my slant. Before I bought it, I thought it would be too much for my face. It's actually easier on my face, due to the lack of tugging. Just wait till you lop off 4 days of stubble with it. It's absolutely amazing. I want a good open comb slant. I wonder if Merkur makes one of those. If EJ or Muhle would offer a slant or an open comb slant, I'd be all over it. I think all DEs should be slants. I find it easier to shave with a slant. I can do 1 pass WTG and 1 XTG and I'm BBS. I've been using Derby, Shark, Personna, Bic (love those Bic blades), German Wilkinsons, and some vintage stainless steel blades I got off the forum from which I received the banhammer . The vintage blades are great, about like the Bics for me. Haven't tried Feather in the slant yet, but Kai works well in it. I think I'll pop a Feather in it when the Bic gets dull. Nothing against BRW, but the 37C has the Bull Mastiff style handle from the factory. I may get a Bull Mastiff handle for my EJ DE87 and Gillette Old open comb. It's a handle style I like a lot. I like longer handles like the EJ and the Gillette Slim have, but haven't noticed any difference in grip or shave quality. In some ways, I find the short, thick handle more natural feeling for my ham hands.:happy102 Open comb, slant EJ or Merkur with a BRW Bull Mastiff handle would be my DE holy grail. It would be the ULTIMATE RAD KILLER for me. YMMV, of course. Just practice with that slant until you get the hang of it, and I promise you, it will become as natural to you as breathing. You're gonna love the way it shaves. Dog is not man's best friend. Merkur slant is man's best friend. I can use dollar store shave gel with my slant and get a quick 1 or 2 pass shave that is better than I ever got with a FUsion, and quicker, too. That's my go to shave for when I'm in a hurry. One pass with the slant will get you good to go for going to work. 2 or 3 passes will get you so smooth it'll make a baby's bum jealous. Like laser hair removal without the expense. like waxing without the pain and bleeding. I can shave with it at night and be BBS until about lunchtime the next day. I can shave with it in the morning and be BBS until after quitting time. Did I mention that it's also great for shaving your head?
