Considering an ATT Slant

[Nezil]

I've recently recovered from a mild spate of SBAD, and I'm now considering shifting focus to razors.

Since getting in to wet shaving after Christmas last year, I've made the following purchases, with my thoughts on them:

• Razor
  • Edwin Jagger DE89L - My go to razor, that I'm considering upgrading
• Shave Creams
  • AOS Sandalwood Shave Cream - Gives me a burning sensation for more than 6 hours post shave; no longer used
  • Proraso Green - Good, refreshing scent / feel, but not particularly slick
  • Truefitt & Hill 1805 - Amazing scent, great cushion, but not very moisturising and not as slick as my go to soap
  • Nancy Boy Signature - Interesting scent, strange consistency, I haven't been getting on well with this, but should give it another try
• Shaving Soaps
  • D.R. Harris Arlington - My go to soap; light fragrance, very slick
  • Captain's Choice Bay Rum - Only a sample, and only tried once; seems good, but not as slick as D.R. Harris
• Shaving Brushes - Post Recent SBAD
  • Vintage Blades Finest Badger 22mm - Good, but I prefer the feel of the Colonel
  • Simpson Colonel X2L - My go to brush
  • Plisson Synthetic with Burgundy handle - Pretty looking brush, mostly used for travelling because it dries fast
  • Parker Pure Badger
• After Shave Splashes
  • Lucky Tiger After Shave and Face Tonic - No Alcohol Burn, very light citrus fragrance
  • Thayers Original Witch Hazel - Not much of a fragrance, feels good, with a slight alcohol burn
  • Captain's Choice aftershave sample set - I'm currently loving these!
• After Shave Balms
  • Nivea Sensitive - very moisturising, but stays on the face all day; not sticky or slimy, but you can tell it's there
  • AOS Sandalwood After Shave Balm - Burns for more than 6 hours; no longer used
  • Nancy Boy Signature - Intense burning and face turns red; no longer used
• Others
  • Brush and razor stand
  • Captain's Choice Lather Bowl - Very impressive indeed; lather just doesn't overflow
  • Noxzema Classic - Used in the shower as a cleanser, not specifically pre-shave
  • Musgo Real Lime Glyce Oil - Love the scent, seems to soften my beard slightly pre-shave
• Colognes
  • My wife desperately wants me to buy a bottle of Truefitt & Hill 1805, but it's pretty expensive

In terms of blades, I've tried quite a few, and am currently using Polsilver Super Iridium exclusively.

Having only tried one razor, you can see why I'm thinking of branching out in this corner of the shaving cabinet. Initially I was thinking of trying an adjustable, but the fairly recent announcement of the ATT slants caught my eye.

I find that shaving my face and jaw line is very easy indeed, and I can get a BBS shave here almost every time with either a 2 or 3 pass shave (3 passes will irritate less because it's more progressive), but my neck is problematic...

The hair on my neck appears to grow at 45 degrees from my chin down to the sides, but even if I assume that to be the case, I'm left with other quite fine hairs that grow upwards from my chest to my jaw line. Getting BBS here is problematic and frequently results in irritation; something that I've been trying for several months to address.

I find that I'm able to reduce irritation on my neck by using a combination of 'J-Hooks', 'Gillette Slides' and 'Buffing', rather than simply shaving in short straight strokes as I do on my face.

This morning, in view of the fact that I'm considering a slant, I tried twisting the razor slightly, but still moved in straight stokes if that makes sense. This could be seen as a variation on the 'Gillette Slide', or a simulation of a slant blade. In any case, the result was really good... almost no irritation on my neck at all, and the blade (on its second use) seemed to glide through the hair where it would normally start to slightly tug.

Based on this, would you say that I'm a prime candidate for a slant?

Would the ATT be a good slant to go for, and if so, S1 or S2 head (I've not used open comb before, but am not scared to try)?

Any other slant suggestions?

Regarding open comb... I tend to shave every other day, so beard growth isn't that long, although I would say that it's fairly thick and dense. I've never had a clogging problem with my DE89L.

Thanks for your help and suggestions.

 

[gus1942]

I feel everyone should try a slant. I actually prefer the 37c/39c over my ATT S2 and the Ikon. Polsilver SI or Red Personnas are good blade choices.

Gus

 

[JaredB]

All I can say, is that I love my S2 Kronos. I have gushed (probably too much so) about it on other threads, but the truth is, it is absolutely my favorite razor ever. At night, I take the blade out and sleep with it next to my face on my pillow. I walk into my bathroom at least twenty five times a day (more on weekends) just to look at it in it's stand. I rigged up a light sconce to shine on it nights when I am gone. Chuck Norris had to PIF his because it out awesomed him, and was ruining his rep.

Seriously though, the S heads are beautifully crafted, and just a joy to use. In fact, I'm going to go use mine now.

 

[KellyScott]

I have an Atlas handle both the S1 and S2 plates and love them both. I really don't think you can go wrong with either, but personally, I found the S2 was a bit much for me to use every day, while the S1 provides a smooth, close, comfortable shave even using it 5-6 days a week. I pull out the S2 head when I have a few day's growth to deal with, and it does that amazingly well.

i wouldn't part with either one, and since getting them have had no interest in acquiring other razors, as i think these are perfect for me.

i'd strongly recommend giving one a try. With Stan's return policy, if it doesn't suit you, it can be easily returned, but I really don't think there is much risk of that.

 

[Chaucer]

Haven't tried any ATT, but the Shavecraft 102 is magic for me.

 

[VedderLG]

Another resounding vote in support of the S1. Fantastic!

 

[williabe]

I feel everyone should try a slant. I actually prefer the 37c/39c over my ATT S2 and the Ikon. Polsilver SI or Red Personnas are good blade choices.

Gus

I own a 39C, A Wolfman WR1-OC. I owned an ATT S2 slant (for just under two weeks) but sold it. The 39C is a capable slant razor, but the S2 shaved closer - but with more irritation. The WR1-OC was better than both.

At the cost of a 39C vs ATT, its a no brainer: get a 39C and a couple more soaps. Just my opinion....

Good luck with your choice.

 

[hrfdez]

I have the S Combo with a Colossus handle. Can't go wrong

 

[Nezil]

OK, thanks very much for all of the comments.

@williabe, that's good advice, but I'm trying to resist the temptation to fall into RAD, and was hoping that the ATT slant might solve that for me. I'm pretty sure that if I went for a 39C now, I'd be wondering how much better, if at all, the ATT slant was. The 39C is inexpensive enough that I might spring for it later, or keep an eye out for one used. The WR1-OC looks fantastic, but isn't a slant head; is it really that good?

 

[rodmonster]

OK, thanks very much for all of the comments. I'm trying to resist the temptation to fall into RAD, and was hoping that the ATT slant might solve that for me.

The ATT S2 is a wonderful razor. The perfect combination of aggression/efficiency and smoothness On My Face Anyway (OMFA). RAD is not a bad thing. The fun of this hobby is in the search for the perfect shave, the subtle tweak of the technique to try to make things just a tad better. What would you do if one day you had the most perfect shave in the world, use the same stuff every single day for the rest of your life?? I know what I would do. I would give everything away and start again.

By the way, don't listen to Williabe. He is from Canada.

cheers

 

[shawnsel]

I have a Merkur 37C slant, but it always seemed harsh to me. I tried for about 2 months, but I never did really get the hang of it.

I haven't tried a Wolfman, but by reputation they sound to be on par with ATT and by my thinking both are the best available.

The one edge that ATT currently has is their range of aggressiveness levels. Between the M1, M2, R1, R2, S1, S2, H1, and H2 ... I really suspect that 90% of shavers could find an ideal-fit razor. And with Stan's swapping policy, you should be able to find one.

I myself went from an EJ89 to getting an ATT Atlas 5 piece set (M1, R1, and H1). The open comb and slant models weren't being produced yet ... and at the time the CNC machined stainless steel razor options were either ATT, or another company that stopped producing them (I can't recall the name).

The thing that really surprised me is that while I very much liked the M1 head, and I didn't like the R1 head (too harsh) ... at a steep angle (handle more parallel to the skin, pivoting on the baseplate until the blade hovers right above the skin) the H1 just rocks for me. Based on prior experience with six other razors ... I would never have guessed that I would prefer an aggressive razor head, but I do, and I'm really glad that I got the 5 piece set because of that.

This said, with Stan's policy for swapping components (within 30 days I think?) ... it should be possible for an experienced shaver to find their best fit without without purchasing more than one head.


If you're pretty sure you like a moderately aggressive razor though ... Wolfman's reputation is top-notch, and for $150 USD (if my memory is correct?) ... it's a very good deal.


Regardless, let us know what you pick and how you like it.


Cheers,
Shawn

 

[dfoulk]

Going from the EJ DE89 to an ATT razor is a huge improvement. Once I made the change my shaves improved substantially. Instead of fighting to try and get a close shave it was now easy and much more enjoyable. Stan has a great money back guarantee so you can basically try the ATT razor and if you don't care for it or want to try another just return it. It might cost you six bucks for shipping but that's about it. I'd definitely try it as I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. You won't go wrong with the SB or OC version. I prefer an open comb razor myself.

You've got some really nice stuff so far so great start there. The Nancy Boy stuff is great but off the beaten path so I was wondering how you found that one until I saw your location. I picked up some when I was in San Francisco for a convention and need to pick up some more up when I head back this year in October. Too bad about the Signature After Shave gel not working out for you. I really like that one.

 

[MacedonianHero]

I feel everyone should try a slant. I actually prefer the 37c/39c over my ATT S2 and the Ikon. Polsilver SI or Red Personnas are good blade choices.

Gus

Just goes to show you YMMV...my S1 is head above shoulders better for me than my 39C. That said, I still think the iKon Slant is the best slant razor I own.

 

[shawnsel]

That said, I still think the iKon Slant is the best slant razor I own.

Didn't you just revise your opinion on that?
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...the-Tie-Above-the-Crowd?p=7340128#post7340128

I feel strange having caught this ... I'm not stalking, honest!

 

[MacedonianHero]

I did change my opinion. More shaves under my belt led me to this conclusion.

 

[Nezil]

Ahhh.... So I've decided I will buy one, but now am stuck trying to choose between the S1 and S2!

I'm literally at the point of putting an S1 in the basket and then removing, changing to an S2, removing, changing back to the S1 and so on...

Please help me to decide, and though I appreciate the sentiment of responding with 'You can't really go wrong', it doesn't help with my indecision.

I realise that Stan has a great return policy, so I'm tempted to go S2 and see how I get on. I can always swap it out for S1 if I struggle, but just don't see what would be the benefit of doing that.

The blade gap is identical between the S1 and S2, and my understanding is that OC is supposed to be better for longer beard growth, or for moving lather out of the way preventing clogging... I don't have issues with either of these things, but also have never heard the negatives to OC vs SB!

 

[01HDFXD]

Since your neck, in particular and like mine, seems to require multiple strokes in various directions, I would recommend the S2. The open comb design leaves more lather on your face, which eases the next stroke. I have the S2 and love it. I am experimenting between the Colossus and Maggard MR8 handles to decide which I prefer, but either way, I find the S2 seems to respond well to large, heavy handles. Caveat: I am partial to open comb razors and, since discovering them, have retired all of my safety bar razors (except for injectors).

 

[hrfdez]

Get the combo

 

[Nezil]

Since your neck, in particular and like mine, seems to require multiple strokes in various directions, I would recommend the S2. The open comb design leaves more lather on your face, which eases the next stroke. I have the S2 and love it. I am experimenting between the Colossus and Maggard MR8 handles to decide which I prefer, but either way, I find the S2 seems to respond well to large, heavy handles. Caveat: I am partial to open comb razors and, since discovering them, have retired all of my safety bar razors (except for injectors).

It's settled then... I'll go for the S2 and see how I get on; I've got to give OC a try at some point anyway. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Zeppelinkarte]

Another resounding vote in support of the S1. Fantastic!

Yes, and I have a ton of slants. The S1 is fantastic, near the head of the class and is available. But so are the two Ikons which are good. Choice, choices!!!!