Who Likes Slant Razors? I Like Slant Razors!

TobyC said:

I mean lately, there's currently a rush to get slants and stainless steel. Slants were not on most shavers radar for decades

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I definitely agree with you on this; they've always been fringe razors until now.

I've had a Merkur and Lych slant from way before they were "hip", and now I have a vintage Fasan Doppelschrage (which I love).

I personally find that the 4 degree tilt of most slants does not contribute much to the shave. To me, they're not good slant razors - they're good razors that happen to be slanted.

Plus vintage slants just look cool.

rudyt said:

I definitely agree with you on this; they've always been fringe razors until now.

I've had a Merkur and Lych slant from way before they were "hip", and now I have a vintage Fasan Doppelschrage (which I love).

I personally find that the 4 degree tilt of most slants does not contribute much to the shave. To me, they're not good slant razors - they're good razors that happen to be slanted.

Plus vintage slants just look cool.

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rudyt said:

I personally find that the 4 degree tilt of most slants does not contribute much to the shave. To me, they're not good slant razors - they're good razors that happen to be slanted.
Plus vintage slants just look cool.

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Yup, very true.

My Cowboy is my favorite, steep and smooth.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthr...boy-quot-razor

I've never met a slant razor that I didn't LOVE.

I received a Maggard Slant yesterday. The blade gap looked threatening but I decided to give it a shot with a Feather blade. I was working on a three day growth and have a moderately heavy beard. I tried a two pass shave and was impressed with the results. I had no reason to go against the grain but decided to anyway. I got one small nick on my chin on this last pass which was my fault as I was careless when I first placed the blade on the tip of my chin. (I have been satisfied with two pass shaves recently so I was out of practice.)

I would say this is an aggressive (efficient) razor that might not be a great choice for a someone just starting to use a DE razor. I felt the Maggard Slant was just about as aggressive as my Ikon Shavecraft Tech or my Muhle R41. I found the shave to be smooth. Of course it is wise to let the weight of the razor do the work. I was using a Maggard MR6 heavy stainless handle which made it easy to apply little pressure while shaving.

nemo said:

Yep, Merkur makes one of the best, so darn smooth. I can't understand the OP and his problem he had with his vintage one, mild yet efficient is a good thing in my book.

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I found the Merkur to be on the bulky side, blocky under the nose and such. Also, the shave was too mild, it didn't seem very efficient to me.

rudyt said:

I personally find that the 4 degree tilt of most slants does not contribute much to the shave. To me, they're not good slant razors - they're good razors that happen to be slanted.

Plus vintage slants just look cool.

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I agree, I don't buy the "guillotine" theory of why slants are effective. I think other factors of a given razor's geometry have a greater effect on the shave. But I did want to revisit, re-evaluate earlier experience. And they look cool.

I picked up a Maggard slant and a PAA bakelite slant from a fellow member recently and tried out the Maggard yesterday. I have to say that I didn't get a good shave, but I don't believe that reflects on the razor. I went about centering the blade properly, went through my usual prep that works well for me with other razors, and shaved as I would with any DE razor. That was a mistake for me. I didn't nick myself, but I got a BIG raw spot on my neck that asked me to put antibacterial ointment on it. Never had to do that before because I've never cut off that much skin at once. The razor is obviously very efficient, but I'm going to have to use NO pressure whatsoever with the slants.

So here's my three slants:

From left to right, Gratiot Krect Spiral razor, the razor that inspired me to revisit "diagonal razors." I talked about that one here, the Phoenix Bakelite Fasan Doppelschrage clone and finally, the Maggard Slant.

I was really looking forward to the Maggard slant. The blade-gap on promised an interesting shave. It's a very light head, with a glossy coating. Maggard refers to this model as moderately aggressive, and I think that's fair. It doesn't have the bite of my Fatip, but it had no problem providing a smooth two-pass shave. I found a heavy, metal handle threw the balance off, but a Clix bakelite handle worked really well with it.

The Phoenix Bakelite Slant was the surprise. Loud and aggressive, almost as though the hollow handle was amplifying the sound of whiskers dropping. It took me a several shaves to get a good feel for this one, but the pay-off is fantastic. It takes a light touch, but not too light a touch. If you want a unique shaver, one that performs unlike others in your stable, I'd say this is a great candidate.

Interesting to note that while a blade lay flat against the Phoenix slant's teeth (it has nowhere near the blade-gap of the Maggard slant), it had much more blade feel.

Shows how much I know.

I had to get in on the slant bandwagon as everyone seems to rave about them. I ordered a RR 37 German. After butchering my face twice I have cleaned it to new condition and am debating what to do with it. I shave daily with several razors in my rotation and rarely even have a weeper. The slant left me feeling like I was in a horror movie. Okay maybe not that bad - but the first time I have ever had any neck irritation since going to DE shaving. I look at it every morning and debate whether I should try it again or ship it to someone that would appreciate it more than me?

Schmingie said:

I had to get in on the slant bandwagon as everyone seems to rave about them. I ordered a RR 37 German. After butchering my face twice I have cleaned it to new condition and am debating what to do with it. I shave daily with several razors in my rotation and rarely even have a weeper. The slant left me feeling like I was in a horror movie. Okay maybe not that bad - but the first time I have ever had any neck irritation since going to DE shaving. I look at it every morning and debate whether I should try it again or ship it to someone that would appreciate it more than me?

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Have you tried other blade combinations?

To try the slant concept (cost) I started with the 37C and have been very satisfied with the shave. But I'm starting to see plating issues (way to early) so I plan on moving up/on to a ATT S1. A slant really shines (for me) going ATG.

I am deciding on either the paa bakelite slant or the razorock german 37 slant. For those that have used both, which one did you like better and which one gave you a better shave?

jonwilson said:

I am deciding on either the paa bakelite slant or the razorock german 37 slant. For those that have used both, which one did you like better and which one gave you a better shave?

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I think it depends on which type of razor you prefer when making the decision. I like open combs, and an edgier shave, so I picked up the Phoenix slant.

My understanding is that the German 37 is a clone of the Merker 37c, generally considered an effective, yet forgiving razor. That might be a better pick for someone whose go-to is a Superspeed or Tech.

jonwilson said:

I am deciding on either the paa bakelite slant or the razorock german 37 slant. For those that have used both, which one did you like better and which one gave you a better shave?

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Own both. I am new to slants also. Found the PAA much more forgiving although a completely unique feel. Because it is so light I noticed great prep is required to avoid tugging when going against the grain on my relatively thick growth. For a quick 2 pass shave this is now my go to razor. It also has the ability (in my hands) to give a close shave with no irritation.

RR German 37 is more conventional feeling but for me much harder to achieve the same level of closeness and it typically involves more irritation. Not giving up on it. I am still experimenting with blades.

A side note is PAA bakelight is harder to load the blade (or at least mine is).

Also own the maggard slant. It is much more agressive than the PAA and RR. I have set it aside until I can devote a few shaves in a row to experiment with different blades.

I prefer my Merkur 37C over my quadruple-the-cost ATT I used to own. Although with me, (reasonable) price isn't an option for the finer things in life, but I do expect performance with a higher price! This is why I felt that the 37C outperformed my ATT and that's why I dumped the ATT.

Just my opinion.

My two favorite slants are the ATT S1 and the RR Wunderbar slants. The RR Prototype is up there, too. The Merkur and Hoffritz slants are goo and only a bit below my favorites.

I have a Coles, guess it's made by Merkur, and seldom use it. My Fatboy and Slim Adjustable are my favourites.

I have a few. Fine, RR 37, Ikon X3, SR-71, and the Wunderbar. They are all great shavers. However the Wunderbar slays them all. Super smooth and very efficient. Great weight and face feel. Effortless shaving with stellar results. Indestructible build quality.

I'm a huge Maggards fan and have load of their hardware. But I haven't tried the Maggards slant yet, and after the reports here, I probably will skip it all together.

BradWorld said:

I'm a huge Maggards fan and have load of their hardware. But I haven't tried the Maggards slant yet, and after the reports here, I probably will skip it all together.

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I like the Maggard slant quite a bit. I think the PAA bakelite edged it just for providing a unusual shaving experience (plus it looks great), but both provided an effective two-pass shave.

I have a modern 37c that I've used more then any other razor I own on both head and face. Most of the time I have a beard but that specific razor is the only one I've ever been able to go atg on my neck with