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Steep versus shallow angle Throwdown!

Gentlemen:

In the DE razor subforum, we have had many "throwdowns" comparing one razor to another. We have had a lot of fun with this. In these, we shave one half of our face with one razor and the other half with another, and then compare results. Results are compiled and a winner is declared.

What I am proposing here is a shaving TECHNIQUE throwdown. All other variables will be carefully controlled, because you'll be using the SAME RAZOR for each side of the face, just shaving with a different technique. (Obviously you'll also have the same lather and the same blade.)

So, here's what will be required:
1) Participants must be EXPERIENCED DE shavers. I'd prefer if you had a minimum of 6 months of daily shaving or 12 months of every other day shaving to participate. More experience is even better. Why? Because it will take a lot of finesse to make sure you adhere to the steep angle on one side and the shallow on the other.

2) You must have a razor that is aggressive enough to allow a wide range of shaving angles; Feather AS-D2, Techs, etc., will not work. Adjustables like the Fatboy or Slim are OK if set at 7 or higher. Other razors must be not only "aggressive" but preferably have a bit of a blade gap (in other words, for example, an Old Type would be suboptimal because the blade sits right on the baseplate).

3) You must be willing to put in at least 4 shaves, two in which you used shallow on the right side of the face, and two in which you used shallow on the left side.

4) You must be willing to post your results in this thread, comparing and describing how the shave felt (comfort DURING the shave), how close the shave was, how difficult or easy it was, how much irritation or weepers you got (or sting from alum or aftershave), and whether there was a difference from side to side by the evening (as an extra gauge of closeness).

I think if you have to read what shallow and steep angles mean you are likely not experienced enough to be helpful in this experiment, but just to make sure we are all on the same page: a shallow angle is when you mostly ride the top cap (the handle of the razor is AWAY from your face); a steep angle is when you are holding the handle down toward the floor, and cutting the stubble with the blade angled away from the skin (perhaps riding the baseplate more).

If you're in, please post in this thread, and let us know what razor you are going to use.

If you have questions, please ask them in this thread. And, as always, HAVE FUN! May the best technique win.
 
I may be in. I will do a practice round with my slim set to 8 tomorrow before committing.

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This will be interesting for me. I prefer razors that let me get a shallow angle.

My first shave with a slim was bad because it has a steeper angle relative to the handle than say an old type. You can hold it different but the higher top and blade angle make it more of a scraper than cutter.

So, it will be interesting to see who prefers scraping to cutting. [emoji12]


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its shown here allready Wake up , read about the ones who have 100 shaves on one blade , most of you all have 3-4 shaves on one blade , a shallow angle cuts the beard , a steep angel scrapes the beard , a person who dont know that will still be in the dark , a slant cuts better than a regular razor , Wake up ,
 
I am now going somewhere between these 2 and using short strokes (switching between both sides of the DE Razor/Blade):

upload_2017-5-16_17-59-6-png.789488
upload_2017-5-16_17-57-52-png.789487
 
its shown here allready Wake up , read about the ones who have 100 shaves on one blade , most of you all have 3-4 shaves on one blade , a shallow angle cuts the beard , a steep angel scrapes the beard , a person who dont know that will still be in the dark , a slant cuts better than a regular razor , Wake up ,

I'm trying to understand what is SO different about a slant. How does a slant change the blade angle to yield a better/more-efficient shave?
 
well think it how you use a knife , its no different , se how a japanse sword cuts , ps all about the angle .i can use so called dead blades from a gillete Tech type , and Place them in a slant and they cut good ,
 
Why are we talking about the merits of slant vs non-slant in a thread clearly about a completely different topic?
 
I was exclusively a shallow angle shaver for 40 years, and have been mainly a steep angle shaver (on razors that support it) for the past 2 or 3 years, so I'm in.

For the record, I much prefer steep angle shaving, and can still easily get 60-80 shaves on a single blade shaving steep.

I haven't decided for sure what razor I'll use, most likely one of Muhle R41, iKon Tech, or the Rapira Platinum Lux.
 
this is noncence rudyt , scraping the beard just dulling the razors quiker
Hahaha - I was getting 60-80 shaves on a blade using a shallow angle and an now getting 60-80 shaves at a steep angle. @1Cal has just passed 115 shaves on a blade shaving steep. You have your reality, we have ours.
 
as i said one scratch the beard the other one cuts it , no brainer
The reason I wanted to put it to a throwdown (a semi-scientific test) is that there are a fair number of shavers on this board who have expressed a preference for steep angle shaving over the past couple of years. Rudy is not the only one; not by a long shot. MClark (I think this is right; the guy that started the Devette thread) is a HUGE advocate of steep angle shaving. A lot of guys with R41s think they work better when a steep angle is used.

So, why don't we let it play out and see what happens?
 
I'm generally in favour of the shallow angle, because it's been more efficient in cutting hair for me, except for my neck, where my hair curls right above the skin and keeps very close to it, so straightening it with the head's comb sort of makes them fall on blades themselves.

It's been a while since I have compared the two, though, so I'm in.

I have two suggestions, in case people would have these heads or a similar design:
The Virginia Shaving Merkur head closed comb (it's a loose clone, though... the blade gap is pretty large and exposure is non-negligible - Aliexpress.com : Buy Double Edge Shaving Safety Razor Head from Reliable razor head suppliers on Virginia Shaving Proudct Store )
Maggard V3A head style - loads of possible angles with that one (can be found cheaply on Aliexpress and eBay, too, e. g. the ZY brand uses them a lot).

I'll be using the Virginia Shaving head for this experiment.

@kingfisher: is it OK to post results and thoughts after every shave, or does it have to be a summary?
 
let the show begin , i will enjoy this ,but if the blade is bended it might seem that the shaving angle is steeper that what it is , some People here use the 41 With a feather and maybe get 5-6 shaves before it thughs ,
 
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