Hadn’t used the slant in a couple of years. Been trying other stuff. Pulled out the slant tonight, and the neck was a bit rough. Blade felt tuggy. It was a vintage French spoiler, so admittedly the worst of the best. The shave for a two pass is great on the face. Closer than I remember. But the neck was rough. Interesting contrast. I had forgotten how good the slant is, but it still commands respect.
I never got along with the German style slants. Maybe I ought to buy one again just to remind myself why I don't like them. I get along fine with my French slant.
Your comment about the blade feeling tuggy exactly mirrors my experience with the Merkur slants. People say a slant imparts some kind of slicing action but if that were true, why would it make a sharp blade feel tuggy? Seems like that's not at all what slants do to me. But that's just my opinion. All I really know is they don't work as well as a conventional DE for me.
@Cutthroat_trout How'd you mean switch? on the same day/same shave/different passes? replicating what an adjustable would do? or rotating between them between different days? Thanks (Newbie deciding if a slant is worth a test drive)
While the slant gives good shaves, the slanted head itself, in my opinion is a gimmick, a solution for a problem that doesn't exist. I had a slant and got rid of it (still wonder why, wish I hadn't, just because) I employ the "Gillette Slide". Instead of plowing straight through with a swipe of the razor, I swipe in a diagonal path, thus mimicking what the slant does on a straight through pass. As I said, it's a good razor that will give a good shave, I just think its gimmicky. But that's me.
As @swarden43 says, a slant is a bit on the gimmicky side of things. @twhite and I experimented with helical slants, taking regular Gillette Old Types and Techs, and we slanted them, using a custom made jig to do so. The results were pretty impressive, and the razors looked and functioned as though they had been made that way from the factory. I'd estimate that altogether we made about 20-30 of them. It made the old type more efficient, yet milder. It made the Tech more aggressive, but still a mild razor. In both cases, the audible feedback increased, probably due to the added stiffness imparted to the blade by the double helical slant. I believe they are slightly less "slanty" than most slant razors. How well the razor performs is largely dependent on how well the razor was designed in the first place. The German (Merkur) vintage Hoffritz slant I briefly owned was very harsh and 'bitey.' The modern Italian Barber Wunderbar slant was fairly mild, but due to the design and finish had a tendency to glue itself to your facial skin while shaving. The best current production slant I've tried has been the inexpensive open comb Fatip slant, and I recommend getting a solid brass Fatip slant if you have an interest in slant razors. They come in both open comb and bar guard varieties. To sum up. Yes, slants have a different shave feel than other razors. No, it does not make them better shavers. A razor is only as good as it's underlying design, and if that design sucks, the razor will suck, regardless of whether it is slanted or not. I caution you against immediately buying a bakelite/plastic slant. Yes they are inexpensive, and yes they can shave well. Due to the lightness of the razor, you do need to use some pressure, and that can make for an unpleasant shave if you get that pressure wrong. On the other hand, mastering the weight of a plastic razor will improve your shaving technique overall, so they are worth trying out at some point.
@swarden43 Thanks Steve, appreciate the candour and the fatherly advice, trying to save me a buck is appreciated. I am equally cynical of gimmicky marketeering (is that a word), but as a consumer I am tempted and curious. Being new to this hobby, I have two choices (1) switch off all devices, phones, PCs, TVs, tables etc, crawl back into my cave and stick with what I have. But, I can't not visit this forum, right? (2) Carry On Regardless and try different stuff. Oh well. (Bangs head: it is one way to learn.) I am introducing Gillette Slipping and Sliding as I go along, sometimes intentionally, other times not! So far so good. I guess when I get to your guys black belt level, I will go back to basics, but sometimes a guy's just gotta be sucked in, if only to say "I should have listened" @PLANofMAN Again, Ryan, thanks heaps, you are a wealth of information. I will take your advice and see if I can find an Fatip slant down under here somewhere, or look around on line, open or closed comb. I see one advertised in NZ which offers both options in piccolo version but out of stock atm.
As much as I like them, I agree, slants aren't particularly special. I've got the Ikon slant that is solely a tilted, angled head, no blade twist. I just use it like any other razor. Herm
ATT (Above the Tie) recently came out with an X1 slant, designed exactly that way, but it takes Artist Club blades. It seems to be a popular and well liked razor.
After owning 6 slants, I thought I would revisit my first. The Merkur 39C. Used it for head and face with some mint Cremo. What an easy and smooth shave. I guess I could have saved the $500.00.
I don’t personally believe it’s hokey. Used mine today with 3 days growth and a fresh Gillette Platinum. BBS and smooth. I’ll keep believing.. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Glad you like it. May it provide you with many more "BBS and smooth" shaves. But... Have you ever achieved "BBS and smooth" with a non-slant razor? If so, it shows to go ya the slant isn't really necessary. I'm not sayin', just sayin'.
It is easier and makes a cleaner cut when I slice (vs. push) the knife through hard cheese and salami for my Dagwood sandwiches. (You fellers may question my shaving knowledge, but one look at me will instantly tell you I know much about sandwiches.) I figure it is the same for my beard hair - slice cuts are easier and cleaner. I had a Merkur 37C for awhile. It worked well and looked cool. I passed it on, but I'll probably grab another slant sometime. There are different ways to slice cut hair. If the razor's design or a certain technique helps someone achieve it more consistently, I'm all for it. Pass the mustard, please.
Totally agree. That's why I employ the Gillette slide. As you said, be it razor design or the technique employed, if you're enjoying your shaves your way, that's all that counts. Spicy brown, or yellow?
Yes..I certainly have! Never claimed a slant was “necessary” but for some, it offers a smooth, clean, close shave. Just sayin’…. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Hi guys. It's my opinion, and only my opinion, that if a person can get a good shave with say a super speed, they won't see any difference between a slant or non-slant blade holder. Now if a person gets a better shave with a more aggressive (read efficient) type of blade holder, like a MMOC, the difference may be evident. I attribute that to hair thickness and quantity. The only spiral or twisted slant ones I own only use DE blades. I have a German linear or tilted DE slant that does, OK, but nothing like the the twisted ones. I do like the slant blade holders because they seem to stiffen the blade a touch more than a linear ones do. It makes for a better shave, for me anyway. I have most of the ones that have been noted here. Using a feather blade in all of them, I can say, to me, there is a difference, between slant and linear types of blade holders. Oh and.... Plain old yellow mustard please, with a dill pickle on the side. tp
