I've always had a tough beard that requires a more aggressive shave. As many have done here, I decided to take the R41 plunge. The R41 is a great razor, but IME, to get a really good shave with it (i.e., little burn and little blood but yet still close) requires the patience and adroitness of a surgeon. That's great on the weekends, but putting that much effort into a shave in the morning when I'm still waking up and on a time table is problematic. Even with solid technique, I find that I still need the styptic pencil handy with the R41.
I wondered if there was anything that could get similar closeness with less hassle and blood. I decided to try out a slantbar. I ordered a Merkur from Connaught. The wait killed me, but I knew that I would save a few dollars having something shipped from England. It arrived yesterday and I tried it out this morning.
Wow! Even with one shave, it left me really impressed. I loaded up an Astra. I did my WTG pass. For me, WTG is really just to get as much hair as possible before doing something more aggressive. I need at least one ATG pass for a good shave. After my WTG pass, I thought, "Okay." Then I went ATG. My face went from
to 
to 
. It was the smoothest shave I've ever had in my life. I was astounded at how fast I could shave with the slant and yet still get an exceedingly close shave. It was like driving a sportscar with the best suspension money can buy. Not once was there any pull or drag, which often happens on my chin. While I could always get my sideburns and above my lip BBS, my chin can be pretty problematic. The slant slayed the mighty whiskers.
Hopefully this isn't a "new razor honeymoon phase," but I'm really excited about this razor. I didn't realize that something could be so aggressive yet smooth at the same time.
I wondered if there was anything that could get similar closeness with less hassle and blood. I decided to try out a slantbar. I ordered a Merkur from Connaught. The wait killed me, but I knew that I would save a few dollars having something shipped from England. It arrived yesterday and I tried it out this morning.
Wow! Even with one shave, it left me really impressed. I loaded up an Astra. I did my WTG pass. For me, WTG is really just to get as much hair as possible before doing something more aggressive. I need at least one ATG pass for a good shave. After my WTG pass, I thought, "Okay." Then I went ATG. My face went from
to to . It was the smoothest shave I've ever had in my life. I was astounded at how fast I could shave with the slant and yet still get an exceedingly close shave. It was like driving a sportscar with the best suspension money can buy. Not once was there any pull or drag, which often happens on my chin. While I could always get my sideburns and above my lip BBS, my chin can be pretty problematic. The slant slayed the mighty whiskers. Hopefully this isn't a "new razor honeymoon phase," but I'm really excited about this razor. I didn't realize that something could be so aggressive yet smooth at the same time.
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