Itchy, Itchy Slant

So I picked up a slant when I order some feather blades from Cotton Blossom Crafts. I have saved it for about a month. I wanted to get comfortable with my HD before I went to the slant.

Well friday night was th night. I tried it. Put in a fresh Merkur blade and went to it. MY FACE WAS RAW. I do not think this is the slant's fault though (as you all are sitting there going, well duh). I made a couple of mistakes though.

1. Used a Merkur blade which to not agree with me when they are in the HD. That was a dumb move.
2. To many passes.
3. There is also a possiblity that I am a bit alergic to SCS rose AS balm (more on this later).

So I got a really close shave. That was alright. I irritated the hell out of my face though. I think that this was a combination of the Merkur blade and poor technique though.

I put on the AS balm and it did not hurt immediately but about .5 hours later I was almost in tears. It was not doing good things for me. Well I though this was just the shave. I shaved last night with the trusty HD and the same thing happened. This leads me to believe that I do not agree with the AS balm.

It really starts to feel funny (itchy, itchy, itchy) when the hairs are growing in too. My face is irritated to begin with and then the hairs coming through do not help at all!!!

Well I will try again on Friday with either a Feather or a Derby. I am not going to do that to myself again, well at least not on a workday.

I don't think many members are that keen on the Merkur blades, I'm certainly not.

While you were ordering from Cotton Blossom, you should have ordered 100 Feather blades for $25 from them. Those blades transform the Slant into a really smooth, close shave. I bought a slant from Lee's a short while ago, I've tried a few different blades in it and the Feather is the one! I can do four passes with no irritation, they're so sharp.

I have several assorted razors, HD, Slant, Future, Superspeed, Gillette adjustable and an Aristocrat. The Slant has gone to the top of the list within days and I hardly use the others any more.

Stick at it and above all NO PRESSURE with the slant. You'll find out why it's so popular.

Can't help with the aftershave though.

Gareth

Gareth. I did pick up the feather blades. I was actually ordering the blades and then saw the slant. Picked it up to make the shipping worth while.

Did you use any pre technique? (shampoo, oil, olive oil etc...) I don't think blade can do such a tremendous damage I would bet on technique. Make slow pressureless moves while dealing with slant. Try other cream and AS and let us know how did it go...

Well Matt, try again with the Feather! Gently...

Cheers and good luck
Gareth

I can get a perfectly fine shave with a Merkur blade using my slant. It is also the case that I experienced a bit of the itchiness you are describing when I first started using the slant. The solution for me was simple. When people say use no pressure other than that provided by the weight of the razor head, they mean it literally. You need a very, very light touch to get a good shave with a slant. I happen to like this, but others don't. Since I totally lightened up (allowing the blade to do all of the work), I get no itching and burning (as long as I do not do against-the-grain passes on my lower neck).

Gentleman,

What does the Slant offer over and above the HD. I am sure that this has been addressed previously somewhere on the site, but an update would be helpful. Also do you recommend the Slant over the Furter?

Jeff

I think I might trade my slant for an HD, though I already have and use my LH all the time. I used my slant the other day, but for some reason in the wintertime or maybe because I've gotten so used to my LH, that the shave just doesn't come out the same. I don't want to end up with two fairly identical razors though, that's the main reason I keep my slant.

The couple grips that I have about the slant is the way the blade feels on my skin, and it seems to have a greater tendency to leave razor burn.

Well, I am sure that it had a lot to do with technique however I think that the blade contributed as well. The merkur blades just do not agree with my face. I started out with them in my HD and it was not all that great. Then I tried the feather in the HD and it was like night and day.

I know that this has been said before but I really think that I have stuble of steel, especially on my neck. It is weird how hard it is.

Matt, if you want some simple after shave solutions locally, you could always pick up some:

-Aqua Velva (any drug store)
-Proraso asb (Target)
-Neiva or Neutrogena asb (never used them, but hear good things)
-Pinaud Clubman line (different varieties available at diff drug stores)

I'm sure there are other options, but these are the ones I use and hear most of.

galpman said:

Gentleman,

What does the Slant offer over and above the HD. I am sure that this has been addressed previously somewhere on the site, but an update would be helpful. Also do you recommend the Slant over the Furter?

Jeff

Click to expand...

The Slant attacks the hairs at a different angle leading to a much closer shave. I cannot compare it to the Futur(don't have one), but I currently own a Fatboy, Slim Adjustable, HD, and a VISION and the Slant is currently my #1 razor.


Marty