What are your thoughts on slants?

[Zen Shaver]

I’d recommend trying the Gillette Slide technique before purchasing a new razor. This method achieves the same effect as a slant; slicing rather can cutting. It’s a great way to increase the efficiency of standard DEs.
I’ll attach an old ad and a good vid about it.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

What is that razor with the immense base plate in the middle in the stand?

SS Stealth Slant. Discussed several times in that thread. Is it heavy? Only if a tank is heavy.

 

[Twelvefret]

PAA makes two copies of vintage Bakelite slant types for $19. I have both and recommend them. They are fun to use.

 

[BigJ]

Worth giving them a try! That is the only way to tell if you like slants. (Even though slants were not for me.)

 

[Leverspro]

Totally forgot that I have slants. An ikon and a Maggards. I'll have to dig them out and try again.

 

[Calm_Shaver]

I have never tried Slant DE razors before. Maybe I’ll try them one day to see if it’s all hype or actually a closer & smoother shave. I definitely need to work on my technique as it seems more concentration is required.

 

[tube_guy]

I’d recommend trying the Gillette Slide technique before purchasing a new razor. This method achieves the same effect as a slant; slicing rather can cutting. It’s a great way to increase the efficiency of standard DEs.
I’ll attach an old ad and a good vid about it.
View attachment 990126

I'm not sure that's actually the case. Yes, the slide technique, as well as some of the other techniques described in that video, can result in a closer shave. But, at least the way I understand it, the purpose of a slant razor isn't really to duplicate the Gillette slide. I certainly haven't used all the slant razors out there, but slant razors usually twist the blade. That stiffens up the blade and causes it to behave like a much thicker blade. Unfortunately, I think there are other tradeoffs with that twisting approach. For one, the blade angle relative to the skin is no longer constant. That means at least one portion of the blade is always at a steep angle, regardless of how the overall blade angle is adjusted.

 

[ackvil]

I like slants. I find them to be efficient and smooth. My favorite is the ATT S-1 followed by the RR Stealth and Merkur 37C.

 

[Olegausany]

I have never tried Slant DE razors before. Maybe I’ll try them one day to see if it’s all hype or actually a closer & smoother shave. I definitely need to work on my technique as it seems more concentration is required.

If you are doing this just out of curiosity and already able to get close and smooth shave with your other razors then it is not worth the hustle
If you are not completely satisfied with the shaves you are getting then it is worth trying. If you want to try I would recommend to get a Putali Slant from Amazon first, since you can return it, and if you get even more interested then I would recommend buying some used one to explore more. I have tried multiple hoping to get BBS like shave but was not successful but finally found SB razors which gives me exactly that

 

[Twelvefret]

I use no special technique. The concept is to use the same and let the slant do the work.

The Alpha Ecliptic
Bakelite Alpha Ecliptic Slant Razor - Ox Blood

Open comb
Phoenix Bakelite Open Comb Slant - 3-Piece - Son Of A Classic!

 

[Calm_Shaver]

If you are doing this just out of curiosity and already able to get close and smooth shave with your other razors then it is not worth the hustle
If you are not completely satisfied with the shaves you are getting then it is worth trying. If you want to try I would recommend to get a Putali Slant from Amazon first, since you can return it, and if you get even more interested then I would recommend buying some used one to explore more. I have tried multiple hoping to get BBS like shave but was not successful but finally found SB razors which gives me exactly that

Thank you, that’s really good advice. I may do that.

 

[Badgerstate36]

IMO, slants are just a gimmick but people love them. I went down the slant route for a while and they are good shavers.
Some like them because they claim they can get a close shave with fewer passes and that they are smoother. Im not sure that I buy into all that. I didnt find that slants really shaved any different than any other razor does for me.
Slants werent for me because I maintain a beard and it was always kind of pain to try to line up my neckline.
Theres a number of inexpensive slant options out there that if you want to try one, you shouldnt have to spend a fortune on it.

 

[blitz11]

slants are great because they often have more blade exposure - see the 37C - and the torque results in a rigid blade. References to the "guillotine effect" are nonsense though. As with any razor, the user controls the angle of the blade edge relative to the hair follicle. You can get the same result by holding a R41 at the proper angle. I would also be wary of designs like the ikon 102, which is just a half cocked SB.

 

[NCJack]

Once I paired the Merkur 37c with an Astra SP, my razor and blade acquisition disorders were cured.

I find the slant extremely easy to use, forgiving of blade angle (especially good for jawline work), smooth, close, and far from "aggressive". I have the most sensitive skin at the toughest spots to shave, take blood thinners, and almost never get nicks or weepers.

 

[johnwick]

A slant is on the “to try” list for me some day!

 

[hydro-magic]

I've tried the Merkur 39 and an Ikon slant and they're not for me. I've got a tough beard and a slant sounded like just the thing for me but in practice I found the slant didn't improve my shaves at all. To the contrary, it made sharp blades feel tuggy and didn't seem to improve the slicing effect of a blade at all. I concluded that it's a gimmick and sold them.

 

[Schnitzel52]

I’d recommend trying the Gillette Slide technique before purchasing a new razor. This method achieves the same effect as a slant; slicing rather can cutting. It’s a great way to increase the efficiency of standard DEs.
I’ll attach an old ad and a good vid about it.
View attachment 990126

What you have so ably documented is what is my daily technique and what led me to trying a slant razor. (German 37) I can heartily recommend both.
Thanks!

 

[blitz11]

What you have so ably documented is what is my daily technique and what led me to trying a slant razor. (German 37) I can heartily recommend both.
Thanks!

we need a thread dedicated to debunking these techniques and other "conventional wisdom"

 

[Zen Shaver]

What you have so ably documented is what is my daily technique and what led me to trying a slant razor. (German 37) I can heartily recommend both.
Thanks!

Absolutely, I always do the slide on my second pass.This is a technique that I’ve found especially beneficial, but I’m not anti-slant at all.
I don’t feel the need to use one myself, but I don’t have a Homer Simpson beard. If I did, I’d likely pull out all the tricks.

 

[GearNoir]

Absolutely, I always do the slide on my second pass.This is a technique that I’ve found especially beneficial, but I’m not anti-slant at all.
I don’t feel the need to use one myself, but I don’t have a Homer Simpson beard. If I did, I’d likely pull out all the tricks.

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