What's new

New Head shaver with slant

Hello all! I am new here and just recieved my first DE which I elected a Merkur Slant since I am a head shaver and read that it did well for heads in another post. Looking at this thing having never held a DE the slant looks quite intimidating! Is there a special technique or anything I need to be aware of? I do not want to go in there and just start shaving. :001_huh:
I am also a goatee wearer so if there are any tips on trimming around facial hair with a DE that would help also.
Thanks for any guidance!
 
I wouldn't use the Slant on my head if I was just getting in to wet shaving. Get used to it first. It really helps to be able to see the surface you are shaving, especially with a Slant, and well, you can't see much of the surface you're shaving if you're shaving your head.

The slant is a great razor and shaves very closely; but start with a mild Gillette Tech or Feather Travel or Lux or something else first. These three are inexpensive razors and more forgiving on your head. In fact, I got a great shave with the Feather Travel tonight.

If you decide to use the Slant anyway, I recommend against going "against the grain" ("ATG") for a while.

Welcome to B&B! We're glad you have joined us.
 
I say use it and use it with caution... take your time and practice shaving the areas of the head that you can manage easily without needing a mirror like the top of the head and the sides... remember to shave WTG for at least two weeks both on your face and your head... one last thing do not apply any pressure when shaving with a DE Razor... keep us posted on your progress :biggrin:
 
Thanks for the inputs! I used the slant last night on the face and got an OK shave. I was playing with the angle trying to figure it out so I did not expect it to be BBS without making 3+ passes. I have a bumpy chin with a scar so I did get a couple small nicks there and one under my nose where I have an aggressive slope under the nostril. I was also probably going a little too fast and figure this may take some time to adjust to after flying thru it for so long with a Fusion.
I opted to use my Headblade for the head last night and will continue to do so until I have the slant angle and overall technique figured out.
I was not sure how to run the razor due to the angle of the slant blade but I just ran it would as if it were straight and that semed to be the way?
I have been searching for info on adjusting the blade as some have mentioned in other posts may be necessary on the slant but have not found instruction yet. Any help?
 
By the way I am using Merkur Super Platinum blades for now and also got some Feather Platinums which I knw can be dangerous and will save for later.
 
I may do that but for now I figured I would minimize variables. I am impatient and went ahead and shaved the nogin tonight with the slant after shaving the face. I am shaving in the shower with a shower mirror which I used for the front and top of the head. On the back I just shaved as I would with cartridge or the headblade, by touch. This does require making multiple passes all over the head until I feel it is BBS. It went fairly well since I got a tight shave and a few minor nicks. I think I figured the angle out and realize I was scraping my face before. If I let the top part of the razor that clamps the blade in place slightly touch my skin that seems to be the right angle to shave with?

One issue I am having is shaving both the front and back of my neck. This is causing serious irritation and it does not feel the same as shaving eveywhere else as the hairs are being tugged. I am guessing I need to approach it from a different angle but the hair grows in every direction on my neck, especially in the front.

Once again thanks for the input so far, this site is really cool!
 
Alright, I need some help! I am about to give up on the DE because it is killing my neck with irritation. I have tried adjusting the angle to the same as I use on my face, but am just not getting it dialed in? I almost never get razor burn or irritation with cartridges so this is really discouraging.
 
For the neck irritation, you have a couple things going against you. Number one, the slant is not very forgiving of poor technique. You might want to get a less aggressive razor to practice your technique on first, then re-visit the slant after you've nailed down consistent, irritation-free shaves.

Second, you need to try different blades. Nobody can tell you what blade will work best for you, that's something you are going to need to experiment with. I can get good shaves with the Merkurs (they're my #2 blade choice after Derbys), but many people dislike them. Feathers are very unforgiving for me right now, although the second shave with a feather for me is far nicer. I may try corking my the remaining Feathers I have from my sample pack. Try a sampler pack or two, you'll be glad you did.

EDIT: Also, change your expectations for the shave as you are learning. Go for acceptable, not BBS. BBS will come eventually this way. If you always go for BBS while you are learning, you will overshave, causing irritiation that will not allow you to learn what you are doing right.
 
On the neck irritation look at two things:
1) Still using pressure -- Looking back at when I switched from cartridge to DE, I thought, "I'm not using pressure." Now I realize that I still was applying some pressure particularly on the neck area. Watch your numbers of passes. Keep it at two at the most, at least until your technique is solid.
You also may want to avoid an ATG pass on the neck. Try just WTG and XTG.
2) Make sure you know the pattern of hair growth. I thought down was WTG and up was ATG. However, I have discovered that almost a sideways stroke is WTG or ATG on certain parts of your neck.

Take your time and you will get the neck down.
 
As an update I am looking to get rid of the slant as I think it is just too aggressive. I can face shave but my damn head is too hard..lol! Really, I have very low bodyfat and therefore my skull has no cushion causing nicks very easily. The slant did not give me any other issues excpt I never did get a BBS on the neck without irritation.
 
you could always get several more posts in and sell it to a member here on the BST (minimum of 50 is required to sell on the BST)
 
This past weekend I shaved my head with a Tech (which has a reputation for being very non-aggressive). It worked out pretty well, even on the neck. (I too have a pretty low percentage body fat, so I am sympathetic to the lack of cushioning). You can usually pick up a Tech for $10 or so. Give it a try and see what you think.
 
I shave my head also, my favorite device is the Dovo SS Head Shaver. I would apply extreme caution to the idea of trying a Slant over my scalp.
It's one of those things that demand a steady pulse from the operator.

Good Luck.
 
The Dovo looks like the same setup as my headblade. I wanted to get away from the big $ cartridges which were breaking my bank! I did love the headblade though as it made quick work of the head shave!
 
For the neck irritation, you have a couple things going against you. Number one, the slant is not very forgiving of poor technique. You might want to get a less aggressive razor to practice your technique on first, then re-visit the slant after you've nailed down consistent, irritation-free shaves.

Second, you need to try different blades. Nobody can tell you what blade will work best for you, that's something you are going to need to experiment with. I can get good shaves with the Merkurs (they're my #2 blade choice after Derbys), but many people dislike them. Feathers are very unforgiving for me right now, although the second shave with a feather for me is far nicer. I may try corking my the remaining Feathers I have from my sample pack. Try a sampler pack or two, you'll be glad you did.

EDIT: Also, change your expectations for the shave as you are learning. Go for acceptable, not BBS. BBS will come eventually this way. If you always go for BBS while you are learning, you will overshave, causing irritiation that will not allow you to learn what you are doing right.

What he said! :rolleyes:

Excellent response Colphax!
 
SlagleRock are you a Devil Dog?

No, as my dear friend Ray (thirdeye) is fond of saying I am an American Chairmen, proud member of the United States Chair Force. :lol:

I am a TSgt(E-6) in the USAF. I am the grandson of a Devil Dog though and have a great deal of respect for all of our Armed Forces.
 
Top Bottom