Bakelite Slant Questions

[mjclark]

Just used a bakelite slant for the first time thanks to a great trade with Blubriz
Wow! It's superb and the first razor to have given me irritation-free true BBS on the difficult neck area.
The big head requires careful manouvering under the nose but no more so than with a 1912 and I'm a big fan of bakelite razors.
I come from a line of instrument makers and thelight but certain touch that bakelite razors require suits my shaving style perfectly.
So I love this bakelite slant and have three questions:
1) Given what a great result this razor has just given, is it worth bothering to get a Merkur 37c/39c and what advantages, if any, do they offer?

2) Are slants choosy about blades? Do they need a particularly smooth or sharp blade to perform well? I used a Supermax Blue Diamond, and that ticks all the boxes!

3) Do carbon steel blades perform better in a slant, since carbon steel works best when slicing?

Ha ha - this bakelite slant has opened my eyes to a whole new world of shaving

 

[johnmrson]

In my experience, slants do better with a very sharp blade like a Feather.

 

[InfernoOrangeSS]

In my experience, slants do better with a very sharp blade like a Feather.

I have only used Gillette 7 O'Clock Blacks and my shaves have been amazing. You may be right about the sharper blade being the best for a slant.

 

[The Accountant]

FWIW I get a smoother shave with a Feather as opposed to an Astra SP in my Ikon Slant.

 

[mhensley]

Just to add to the anecdotal evidence, I also get the best results by using a Feather in my Ikon Slat. I tried about a dozen different blades in my Merkur, and nothing worked as well for me as the Feather.

I've also learned, after buying a lot of expensive creams, that I prefer everything about creams (scent, texture, ease-of-use, etc.) EXCEPT how well they work when actually shaving. Switched back to soap -- currently Proraso red, with a MWF waiting in the wings.

 

[santamariasteve]

May I slip in a contrarian view? I don't think the sharpness of the blade or the brand of the blade necessarily impacts how well a slant razor shaves. The superior technology of the slant design milks out of the blade (any blade) its maximum performance. YMMV is alive and well.

In my experience, a slant armed with a pedestrian CVS blade will shave as well as when it has a Feather blade. The slant design is God's gift of grace to wayward shavers.

 

[mjclark]

May I slip in a contrarian view? I don't think the sharpness of the blade or the brand of the blade necessarily impacts how well a slant razor shaves. The superior technology of the slant design milks out of the blade (any blade) its maximum performance. YMMV is alive and well.

In my experience, a slant armed with a pedestrian CVS blade will shave as well as when it has a Feather blade. The slant design is God's gift of grace to wayward shavers.

Actually this was what I was wondering - my FaTip behaves in a similar way. It brings out the very best in any blades, and blades which don't work well for me in other razors perform brilliantly in it.

 

[pyronut]

Love the Feather blade in my slants.

 

[chiefum]

I love mine....I also love experimenting with different handles.

 

[alex2363]

In my experience, slants do better with a very sharp blade like a Feather.

John, Nice to see you posting...i still have the Toggle you sold me 3 years ago.