I have the only Merkur 38C/ Slant Head Razor in the world

[JimmyHAD]

I am posting this to express my deep admiration and gratitude to Anne Rothstein and Merkur and to show you Slant head lovers out there my new Merkur 38C/ Slant. This dream came true today when I got home from work and checked the mail.
Back at the end of May I inquired to Merkur and asked if a Slant with a 38C handle might be forthcoming. I was told by Anne that unfortunately there were no plans for such an item.

I looked at my Slant and my 38C and I could see that the heads could be interchanged. Having heard that Merkur's customer service is second to none I then asked Ms. Rothstein if Merkur would sell the parts to me unassembled. I told her that I am handy with tools and that I was sure that I could accomplish the task. She graciously complied with my request for a 38C/ Slant 'do it yourself kit' and after about 30 minutes and a slight case of butterflies in the stomach it was done and I will be shaving in the morning with a Merkur Slant with a 38C handle !

 

[Zippersmith]

Awesome!
I also emailed them and was told something similar.
PLEASE let us know how it shaves....

 

[JimmyHAD]

Awesome!
I also emailed them and was told something similar.
PLEASE let us know how it shaves....

I will shave with it before I go to work later today and post the results. I will also do a more complete review when I have used it a week with various blades. Like the 38C with the HD head it is weighty and for those like myself with large hands the added length is a definite plus.

 

[Mer]

That is excellent!

Great job.

Eric

 

[MarSellus Wallace]

Congratulations! A truly beautiful razor...

 

[Jim]

Nice job Jimmy!

 

[BarryR]

I had been thinking something like that might work. Doesn't that mean the a 38C + Slant = 38C Slant + HD. In other words, when I get my Slant, if I swap handles with the 38C doesn't the straight razor become an HD? (I'm asking because I've never owned an HD and figure I should have the HD experience as it is the basic shaving tool.

BTW: how much for the parts?

 

[JimmyHAD]

I had been thinking something like that might work. Doesn't that mean the a 38C + Slant = 38C Slant + HD. In other words, when I get my Slant, if I swap handles with the 38C doesn't the straight razor become an HD? (I'm asking because I've never owned an HD and figure I should have the HD experience as it is the basic shaving tool.

BTW: how much for the parts?

I have only used the HD in the 38C configuration and it is a very nice shaver IMHO.

Since the Merkurs are two piece razors with the guard fixed to the handle you cannot switch the top caps as the Slant is a twisted head and guard while the HD is not.

The total cost was $56.00 USD with expedited shipping. Worth it for a Slant-Fan

 

[scoopster]

Nicely done!

I can see Merkur getting a lot of correspondence for similar requests. They should "just do it" and put this into production.

 

[ouch]

Genius. Pure genius.

 

[NigelBurge]

Very Nice!

Can you post a brief summary of how you assembled the parts please?

Is the head just a press fit into the top plate and if so, how much force is needed?

 

[JimmyHAD]

Very Nice!

Can you post a brief summary of how you assembled the parts please?

Is the head just a press fit into the top plate and if so, how much force is needed?

The knurled collet next to the spring steel ring inserts down through the guard. It is probably done with an arbor press at Merkur but I used a riveting hammer to start it and a bench vise to finish pressing it home. I put a couple of steel blocks under the guard to keep from bending it . These conformed to the bottom of the guard between the slant bars. I put them under the guard just up to the hole to back up the guard.

Then it is a simple matter of opening the bench vise jaws and slipping the guard with the collet installed over the end and tightening the vise to press the guard flush with the handle.

Notice the milled section in the handle insert. The ring fits in there and you compress it and start the insert & ring into the end of the handle. Once it is started a solid tap with a nylon hammer head and you are home.

 

[NigelBurge]

Many thanks Jimmy - much appreciated

 

[duna]

Impressive and clean work. The first slanted 38C ever. To me, this razor isn't a slant-bar anymore-it's a slant-fan.
Great move for Merkur-Dovo, also. They deserve their name.

 

[fritz]

Many thanks Jimmy - much appreciated

+1, Heck +2! Thanks, Jimmy. It certainly beats buying both a Slant and a 38C and butchering one, like we once talked about.

I've just sent an email to Anne and hope to have serial # 2 of the «schräg Vorschlaghammer» ("Slant Sledgehammer").

I had emailed her last Thursday with the pictures of the plating problem on my Vision, and she quickly replied to ship it to them for a replacement, so it was in the mail Friday to them.

So I've asked her for a parts kit, which hopefully they can just include in the same return package as the new Vision, saving some shipping.

I'm sure that eventually even she will get tired of this if she starts getting a lot of requests, so perhaps the local B & B expert on "Group buys" (whoever that might be) could start a survey on interest, and they could do a limited special run of these. After your final reviews, of course. Which I have high confidence will be positive...I must have, I've ordered my parts kit just based on your pictures! Awesome razor!

 

[letterk]

Fantastic! I don't want one myself, but it brightens my day to know that a company would comply with such a request. Good show Merkur/Dovo!

 

[momo360]

congratz indeed! its great to see above-and-beyond customer service these days.

 

[htownmmm]

Genius. Pure genius.

That is excellent!

Great job.

Eric

Nicely done!

I can see Merkur getting a lot of correspondence for similar requests. They should "just do it" and put this into production.

Nothing left for me to say- oh, wait RESISTANCE IS FUTILE! (even for Merkur.)


Marty

 

[Day]

Your hybrid looks great! I think I understand part of the assembly procedure, but I'm fuzzy about how the handle and the guard/collet assembly fit together. After you press the collet into the guard, it's flush with the top of the guard but protrudes from the bottom of the guard, right? Is the bottom of the collet a press fit into the top of the handle as well? Do you end up with the guard and the handle as one piece, like a regular Slant or HD?

Thanks,

 

[BroJohn]

Good job on the custom modification.

I'm still holding out for Merkur to introduce a barber-pole gold slant. Resistance is *not* futile.

-- John Gehman