Merkur Slant Bar

Overall a wonderful razor. I'm sitting here with BBS shave thanks to this puppy. I traded a 34c to a gentleman who didn't like the slant design, so no money was exchanged. I loaded a Gillette Platinum Plus in the same manor I load a Futur or Progress, by putting the cap up-side-down and placing the blade on that, then lowering the head over that and tightening it down. Perfectly aligned, the shave was smooth, I used really the same technique I usually use, although I think the cutting angle was a bit steeper than normal. Very happy with this razor.

This has been my go to razor for 2 years now. The fit and finish is superb and may even be worth more than what I purchased it for. I get BBS with hardly any effort and minor clean up in my trouble areas (jawline and jugular). I have read a lot that this is a very aggressive razor, but this is simply not true. It does a wonderful job of removing facial hair and I've never been burned or cut too deeply. Its looks more menacing than it really is. The only thing I can see wrong with it is that when you load a blade with the post pointing down in the barrel and not up into the barrel, I have to mess with blade alignment. To solve it I pointed the loaded post up into the barrel and tighten the razor while its upside down. Its a great razor and you should get one if you've never tried one. Shave on!

Regardless of the fact that I rated the Slant as a 9, I LOVE this razor. It is a two piece design, fairly lightweight, well balanced razor.
When I first bought the 37C it was as my second razor, I tried it twice, got razor burn twice, decided the hype I had heard about it when I first got on B&B was true and set it back in my medicine cabinet not to be used again for almost 2 years.
In that time, I tried vintage Gillettes, Ikon, Gem the Merkur 15c, all to varying degrees of satisfaction... Then one day I noticed my slant sitting at the back of the medicine cabinet again and decided I should give it another shot.
This time it was a different experience, It didn't take me long on the first pass to find the right angle and ended up with one of the smoothest shaves I had ever had and for one it seemed I didn't have to do any touchup.
The head, like on the HD is just the right size so it is easy to do tight work around the more difficult spots of your face. I find that actually the flat spots in the head make the angle much easier to find and hold than on many others.
The handle is short, grippy and maneuverable.
The slant bar helps to simulate a "Gillette slide" which I have come to require I use for any standard bar shave.
So yeah, it really isn't great for a beginner, but once you build confidence and technique, it becomes clear that Merkur accomplished something special with this design.
My only complaint is that like with all Merkur razors I have used, the tolerances are loose and so I have to work to get the blade perfectly straight and symmetrical on the head and if I don't do this right sometimes I even have to try a second time.
I do not find that this razor shaves well without the blade being perfectly straight and symmetrical.
It isn't the end of the world, but it makes me wish that Merkur would produce a high end line built with a bit more precision.
I have started moving on into higher end razors in search of better build quality but if I had to choose just one razor for the rest of my life I would choose the 37C Slant Bar.
In spite of the few faults it has, this is my desert island razor no doubt!

It has a nice grip and will not slip from your wet fingers, but it also feels really cheap and doesn't look like it took a machine more than a second (maybe two) to press out. Combined with the sub-par chrome job on the one I received... well it didn't exactly exude quality.

But... it's balanced wonderfully. The head is designed in such a way as to force you to use it properly and learn to use it you must. With a little concerted effort, practice, or force of will you will get a wonderfully smooth shave out of it.

It can bite. It doesn't slip. It's relatively easy to control. Not the prettiest razor I've ever seen but it definitely gets the job done.

With the handsome look of the gold plating I should have waited for one to become available before picking up the chrome one.

I got my Slant in chrome from amazon. Was curious to try it and see if it could better the shave that I get from my EJDE89, which is pretty good and consistent BBS/DFS daily now.

I had tried a new Muhle R41 but despite sticking with it for a few weeks I was unable to get comfortable with that razor, so was a little nervous to try out the Slant. I loaded it with a new Feather blade, and having had a good beard prep (shower, hot towel) used my favorite soap (Tabac). Beard was 2 days old so I had high hopes for the Slant. WTG was no problem, but when I lathered for the second pass (XTG) I noticed some weepers. No issues with the XTG and then the ATG passes, other than some weepers. No nicks though.

I was consciously keeping a light hand as I have never been able to get the 37HD to work for me but seemed to get the angle right so maybe next time I will try a different blade. Shave was BBS. My chin area that normally requires several passes was smooth after the XTG!!! No cuts or nicks and my face did not sting during the after shave prep, as it would do so with the R41. I actually found that the Slant was easier to use than the 37HD, which needs a different angle to use!!!

Build quality is the standard Merkur: utilitarian. Chroming average, could have been better. The packaging was the new and improved version (no like the box above) but still a far cry from the EJ offerings.

So in a nutshell, a great product. I will be more careful with the pressure and perhaps use a shallower angle tomorrow so maybe I wont get the weepers again. Wish I had not waited so long to get it, and I wish that they were still making it in gold plate!!!


July 2012

I use the slant as my daily razor for my first two passes, followed by the EJ. Perfect BBS shaves. Have found that the Russian Yellows work best for me...Feathers are in the EJ.

I love this razor. I began wet shaving about 2 months ago (I used a DE as a young man in the 70s & 80s) and I actually started with the Slant loaded with a feather!!! I was actually blessed with ignorance..I didn't know this was supposed to be dangerous. I just used good technique (thank you Mantic) and after a couple of shaves I began to smooth out my technique. I like an aggressive razor/mild blade setup, so eventually I settled on gillete 7 oclock greens. Rad set in so I got a Mergress and a Feather. The Slant blows them both away. The Feather actually cured my Rad, as it was a total piece of junk. The Slant is my everyday shaver and probably will stay that way.

I decided to get one of these despite the fact that I haven't been using a DE razor that long. I'm glad I did. With Derby blades this razor gave a close, irritation free shave.

I have an interesting history with this razor. I actually bought a Gold 37G for myself at the age of 19, in 1981, at a Hoffritz store in a local shopping mall. I was completely unaware that I was buying "Satan's Razor", and honestly, it never did inspire the sort of fear for my safety that others have inferred. I used this razor for approximately ten years, through my twenties, until the plating was peeling off it. At that point, Hoffritz had closed their retail locations, so I didn't even know how to replace it. hence, I fell into plastic multi-blade razor purgatory, where I have resided for the past several decades.
I discovered this site this past week, and just purchased my replacement 37 on the B/S/T boards today. I can't wait until it arrives!! I will certainly update my review once I get it.
My only complaint about this razor is that it didn't last forever, although when I bought it, the quality and plating looked so impressive, I thought that it would. I was so attached to it, I was shaving with it long after it was safe, with the rusted carcass under the plating that was peeling off coming in contact with my face
Hey, I lived to tell you about it.
I will update you all soon on my experience with my new one.

This razor has no forgiveness.. The slant offers no remorse for the one who wields this razor without proficiency.

However, the guy who uses it safely and with great technique?? Exceptionally close shaves with minimal passes. There is AMPLE auditory feedback with this razor, quickly letting you know when you have the angle locked in cause you will hear the hairs in your beard pop. With proper lather and no pressure, you will have good results.

But heed this warning... If you slather on some lousy foam on your face and use pressure, you will have irritation, and you will fail. If you use a feather blade, it could actually end you.

Overall, a very impressive offering from merkur.

Bought the slant at the beginning of the month from the gentleman's shop in Hungerford as I was driving back from up country (thanks Robert, really nice shop and good advice too).

Glad I made the purchase now, let me explain why...

The price was reasonable, approx £30.00 inc vat.

Quality was typical merkur, never had an issue with their razors althugh I do appreciate some members may have had.

User friendly, some people say that this razor can be merciless, up to a point I can agree with that but as long as your technique is good, it works wonders.

Grip is the knurling on the handle and generally feels excellent.

Unscrew, take out the old blade and put the new one on the headpiece before screwing back on. Elementary.

Its actually not as agressive as people make out but due to the blades angle really cuts very well.

Can't adjust due to it not being adjustable.

Balance is superb, simple as that.

Everytime I use this razor and with correct technique and decent prep then it can't be beat, got bbs this morning with trumpers lime shaving cream and soap.

If your a newbie, go for an hd or ej89dl, otherwise go for this, you will not be disappointed

Wow! This is an amazing razor. This razor was much easier to use than most of the reviews indicate above. Maybe it's difficulty was over-hyped, but I had no problems with it. With that said, this razor is not for the noob hand. Definitely give yourself several months to a year before jumping to this particular slant bar. This razor is heavy and requires that the user be comfortable in his abilities with DE razor. You really need to have zero pressure when using this blade. Anything more than that, and this razor will do to your skin layers, what it's supposed to do to your beard.

I love the way it removes my beard. I can feel it slicing the hairs with little effort and it feels really nice. There is no pull or tag at all with this razor.

Let the review begin!

Price: Not the most expensive razor out there, but it's a bit pricey compared to a similar weighted model: the HD. The razor is totally worth its price. I paid $55 with shipping and this razor will last you a life time, and probably longer.

Quality: Merkur is synonymous with quality. With proper care (which is minimal), this razor should last several life times. This razor feels very substantial in the hand.

User Friendly: It depends who uses it. This razor is not for the noob. However this razor is not as difficult as most people are making it out to be. I find it cuts through my hairs way easier than my straight bar DE. You can literally feel it slicing through the hairs. One tip while using this: NO PRESSURE. It's plenty heavy and doesn't need any more pressure to it. Just be careful, and give this razor the same respect you give to other DEs, and you'll be just fine.

Grip: It does what it's supposed to. There is no slip to this at all. Grip feels solid in the hand. I do wish they gave it the barber pole design spiraling down the handle. I really like the barber pole design like the British Aristocrat. The grip and handle fit comfortably in the hand.

Ease of Blade Replacement: My razor is a two-piece razor. It's pretty easy. Not much to say here. Nothing complicated about the process. Just use the same care when ever you handle a sharp blade.

Aggressiveness: Not sure what this means. This razor cuts through hairs without effort. It will mow down anything in it's path. The razor can be more or less aggressive depending on your technique. Remember, no pressure, and you'll be fine.

Adjustability: N/A

Balance: This feels very balanced in the hand. Great overall feel.

I highly recommend everyone try this razor at some point in their shaving career. This has become my regular razor and I don't when, or if, I'll go back to straight bar DEs any time soon.

It took me a while to figure out how to work with my 37c - in fact, there was a period when I was considering selling it - but it's now become one of my favorite shavers. Blade placement requires a little more work than my other razors, but that suits me fine since it gives my lather additional time to soften my beard. Now it gives me great two-pass shaves - usually resulting in DFS bordering on BBS. It's especially kind to me when loaded with an Astra SP.

One excellent shaver and used like any other razor. Mine happens to have a very good finish and perfect blade alignment.

Currently my favorite razor. Great shaver. I don't feel it deserves the "Satan's Razor" moniker. Care must be taken to align the blade so there is even blade gap. Quality of chrome is not as good as the EJ89B.

I love this shaver. Nice size and balance, looks good, and the slant is brilliant. Couple of issues I have are that you have to make sure the blade is in there evenly on both sides. Just the tiniest bit off could be bad. Changing the blades on Merkur is not hard but you must obviously be careful. Also, different blades produce exaggerated differences with the slant. Feathers will seem sharper. Reds which I have never had love for work great with this but astras for the moment have been my go to. Sharks tore my face off.

Once you get a few shaves under your belt inthink you'll find that this razor will produce a shave that'll have you praying to the shaving gods.

My trusted Futur has served well as my only razor these past three and a half years. I've rejoiced at the closeness of BBS shaves, the absence of razor burn and experienced the vast difference that changing the blade can make in the daily ritual. Yet, being mortal, I wanted more. I wanted closer with fewer passes and less work. I wanted. I had to have The Slant!


Purchased from Royal Shave, it arrived on the Monday following the Friday I ordered it. I also decided to try Gillette Bleue Extra blades. I expected them to have a sharpness right up there next to Feathers. I was not disappointed. The Bleues seem just as sharp but they're not as rough on my skin as Feathers.

On first use I was immediately able to discern a few guiding principals for using the Slant.

The Slant is NOT a Futur!
The Slant is NOT for rookie shavers!
The Slant is NOT to be taken for granted!

The sharp parts cut anything! Respect THIS razor!

First shave was remarkable in that the Slant dispatched my beard with almost no effort. I had to work so as NOT to press the blade into my face.

The next morning I removed much of the top layer of skin covering my neck, reminding me what razor burn is all about! Did I mention, the Slant will cut through anything!?

By the third day I'd developed the necessary appreciation and was rewarded with a much, much nicer finish. Respect this razor and it returns the favor with remarkable and smooth shaves!

The Slant is much, much lighter weight than the Futur. It feels too light to be doing any cutting - fight the urge to add pressure - it's aggressive bar/blade cap works and doesn't need any help. The Slant is also a quiet razor. The Futur makes all sorts of cutting noise feedback as ritual whisker reduction progresses.

I've tried Hydrolast, Vulfix, Dr. Harris [Arlington], CADE, Tabac and MWS. All good shaves. My go-to remains the Hydrolast.

Blade Replacement on The Slant requires unscrewing, inserting, aligning and screwing at which I'm not yet adept. The Futur is easier. Just pop off the blade cover, replace the blade and pop the cover back in place!

Price - decent

Quality - blade has to be aliened by hand and then tightened in

User Friendly - yes just pay attention to what you are doing

Grip - good

Ease of Blade Replacement - tolerance needs to be tighter so that when the blade is racheted down the blade is aligned

Aggressiveness - very

Adjust ability - NA

Balance - good

My favorite Merkur razor. I love this razor so much that I sold my 37C and bought a gold one (37G). This razor is for people with coarse, barbed wire beards. It does an excellent job on the neck area which is a tough area to shave with minimum number of passes. I still do three pass shaves but my shaves are more comfortable and take less time with this razor.
The balance of this razor is perfect (HD handle). I haven't tried shaving with a Feather blade yet but I will in the near future. It is a bit tricky to load a blade properly but once you get that down then it is smooth shaving. Did I mention I love this razor?

The stuff of legends.
Personally, I can't say I found the Slant nearly as hard as some would make out to master. Nice and smooth shaves, especially with a Feather blade.

The balance is superb, very comfortable.

Only drawbacks for me would be the ease of blade replacement, it's needlessly fiddly.
But the biggest problem, i have with the slant is the handle. By far the worst handle of any razor I own.
If it so much as touches water it becomes a liability, far too slippery when wet, and that's a odd considering the handle itself is so rough, you'd expect a lot of grip.
In fact, i can't use the slant for more than 2 shaves in a row as it starts to take the skin off my thumb and forefinger, it acts like sandpaper. Very uncomfortable.

So a mixed bag. ideally someone like Cooncatbob will start selling these slant heads on a Bullmastiff handle, that would be perfect, until then, I'll be a slant user only a few times a week.

I've been using this razor over the past few weeks and am getting some fine shaves with it. It forces you to be carefull which is a good thing. If you watch your angle and apply no pressure you'll have no problem using this razor. As far as aggressiveness goes I think this is subjective, to me the most aggressive razor is the 11c open comb, two passes is all I ever have to do with it, but this gives me closer shaves with less passes than my 38c. All in all a fine razor everyone should try.