Dying to try a slant... any ideas for me?

[Ptroiani]

Well, I have been reading some posts about the slant razor. I am intrigued as to how one would work for me, but don't want to pull the trigger on a premium one until I know.

Any ideas on a decent 'starter slant' to get me in the mood? I currently use a Yuma as my daily shaver and a GEM Feather Weight as my evening shaver. I have a very heavy beard and I need to shave twice per day.

Information would be greatly appreciated!


Regards,


Paul

[xraygun]

I'd suggest you purchase a Merkur 37C and try it. If you don't like it, you can sell it on the BST for very close to what you paid. Buying a cheap knockoff (mind you, I can't think of one) to see how something works doesn't make much sense. If you wanted to try a Sabatier Chef's knife, a Chinese knockoff wouldn't tell you anything about what they are like.

[jamesspo]

Well, first I'd ask the question of what problem you're trying to solve. At least in the case of the Merkur slant, it's not really very aggressive, so don't expect it to get you any closer of a shave, unless your current razors are too mild for you (I've never shaved with the two you mention, so can't give you a direct comparison). The Merkur slant is about the same as the 34C in blade exposure. It's great at mow down of heavy growth with the slanted blade, however, and a great all around razor. For me, it just doesn't cut down on the amount of passes needed overall to get close. It's a butter smooth shave though, and with any blade. That's a key advantage...virtual insensitivity to blade choice.. pretty much any blade will give you a tug free shave. As result, I think it is less prone to irritating, for a given level of closeness.

[Krona Kruiser]

You'll love the slant. You use it the same way as any other DE (it's twice as heavy as the Yuma). The cutting effect is like a scythe. You can tell the difference after a couple of passes. It's pretty efficient. IMO, it does the work quicker than a standard DE.

[morganjg]

I have a Fasan bakelite? (plastic, probably a travel) slant that I would be willing to send your way for a bit to give it a whirl. I just cleaned it up recently and have yet to try it, as my straight razor endeavors and soft beard have kept me from getting too adventurous. Feel free to shoot me a PM.

[Icebear]

.... The Merkur slant is about the same as the 34C in blade exposure.....

??? Sorry but when did you last had a look at a Merkur slant head 37c or 39c (same head, long handle) next to their standard CC head i.e. 34 type? The blade gap on the right side is huge, on the left side it's comparable. That's the purpose of the slant bar. Additionally the blade is much more curved once the head is completely fixed.

General remark : you have to pay some attention to the blade positioning, as it is not automatically fixed by pins, there is some movement possible.

[Shant]

Honestly, buy it. I was in the same boat as you and I didn't know. I got 1 off BST for 35 bucks... honestly, great investment and I use it as my daily. You won't be disappointed! Try it!

[jamesspo]

Yes it has very large gap. That's not the same thing as exposure. When I use the term exposure I mean how far the blade "sticks out" past a line tangent to cap and guard. This is what makes a razor feel more aggressive, and allow it to come into closer contact with your skin. You can have very high blade gaps, without high exposure. See this thread for an explanation of the common use of these terms:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/162987-Photo-Analysis-of-Razor-Designs



??? Sorry but when did you last had a look at a Merkur slant head 37c or 39c (same head, long handle) next to their standard CC head i.e. 34 type? The blade gap on the right side is huge, on the left side it's comparable. That's the purpose of the slant bar. Additionally the blade is much more curved once the head is completely fixed.

General remark : you have to pay some attention to the blade positioning, as it is not automatically fixed by pins, there is some movement possible.

[7mary3]

I picked up a 37C two weeks ago. I had been using either my Tech or my EJDE89L exclusively and wanted to branch out. Two passes for DFS and zero irritation. I was having to make an extra XTG pass with either of my other two razors for the same result and risking irritation because of the third pass. The Slant is now my daily shaver and I'm loving it. I'm not getting rid of my tech (travel use) and I'm not putting my DE89L on the B/S/T yet, but they definitely aren't getting the field time that they had been.

In short I love this razor, and I will be very surprised if you don't as well. Just go for it.

[dieselfuel79]

This was just what I was looking for as far as information. I find my EJ89 to be milder than my HD. I like them both but think the slant may be the answer to what I am looking for. Guess I'll find out however.



I picked up a 37C two weeks ago. I had been using either my Tech or my EJDE89L exclusively and wanted to branch out. Two passes for DFS and zero irritation. I was having to make an extra XTG pass with either of my other two razors for the same result and risking irritation because of the third pass. The Slant is now my daily shaver and I'm loving it. I'm not getting rid of my tech (travel use) and I'm not putting my DE89L on the B/S/T yet, but they definitely aren't getting the field time that they had been.

In short I love this razor, and I will be very surprised if you don't as well. Just go for it.