If slants are so good why are there so few of them?

[Ron R]

I really enjoy my slants, I have a Razorock 37 German slant and a Wunderbar.
The Razorock 37 slant was the first razor that gave me a true BBS so its in my good books, the Wunderbar which is new to my collection is a little more challenging when shaving but it will also give a BBS, a very well made razor.
In theory the 37c & 39c slant razor should be the best razor to own because it torques the blade , has a hybrid safety guard for lathering the blade area, also scalloped partial cap for less drag on face and utilizes the Gillette slide all in one.(these are all excellent characteristics of a excellent razor IMO) You still need the most important skill and that is good technique to master any razor be it pot metal cheapy to a stainless high end.

 

[gvw755]

This is like asking "If Michael Jordan was so great, why is there only one of him?" Just kidding.

Seriously, the slants were very common in Europe with almost every major and minor razor manufacturer having at least one slant in their lineup. Some manufacturers produced ONLY slants. In the US, the market was controlled by Gillette who declared that the slant solution was the "Gillette Slide". Still, the US managed to come up with some kick butt models like the Krect, Pacific, and Ziglar.

The reason thee are not much slants in the DE resurgence today is mostly manufacturing complexity. The two major slant design is the torsionshobel, which essentially twist the base plate and top cap, and the schragschnitt, which essentially tilts the entire head (and often times pent one side of the top cap higher than the other). Both types require significantly more machining and experimentation if you are starting out with a clean sheet of paper. This is probably why many of the current day slants are clones or improvements of vintage designs.

Add to the fact (as stated above) that the DE market is a small market and slants are a small share of this small market, it takes a while for the current DE manufacturers to think about coming out with a slant. However, it is starting to happen (again) with Fatip and Blackland coming out with rumors of prototypes and Parker thinking of one (which I hope is an adjustable one based on the success of the Variant).

 

[James Collins]

I think many shavers avoid them because they don't want to sink the money and be disappointed. I got my merkur 37 simply because it was half off on Amazon and it looked cool. By far it was one of the best impulse buys I've made as it is a great shaver for me.

 

[Canadian Mountain Man]

Apparently I'm not the only one who's had this thought...

I love my ikon x3 slant and it gives me an excellent, well controlled precise shave. I've been looking for others and the only two that have caught my eye are Merkur 37C (will be ordered this weekend, just need to decide if I still want to patronize Fendrihan given there recent changes (I'd rather support small business but they've annoyed me again) or give my money to amazon) and the Windrose closed comb slant (will be ordered once he has a particular handle back in stock).

The slant was quite popular in Germany between the wars

Maybe it was a Versailles thing

Rumor has it they take more skill than the typical beginner has, so they get acquired later in the shaving game, if at all. Technique sensitive razors don't give good shaves to beginning wet shavers as a rule, and tend to put people off them permanently.

And probably they don't give most people a vastly different shave that a straight bar or comb, so there isn't much point in having just another (weird) razor.

Once I dialed in the right angle I found my x3 to be both forgiving and efficient. If I've missed/skipped a day or two makes quick work of the extra beard with no irritation. Conversely I don't particularly like the Fatip Grande OC; it seems to be overly rough & aggressive and rips up my face.

 

[emwolf]

my personal ranking of the slants I've used:
1. Merkur 37c
2. Razorock German 37
3. PAA Bakelite Open Comb (I don't usually care for light weight razors, but this is something)
4. Ikon x3
5. Maggard Slant
6. PAA Alpha Ecliptic (this works better with a heavier handle, but still you have to shave differently than any other type of razor--ever).

 

[ackvil]

I like them and use them in my rotation. My favorite is the ATT S1.

 

[gvw755]

My regular rotation. Got some that have been sidelined and some that are too vintage to shave in a rotation. Keeps me busy, and all are great shavers. Now who asked why there were so few of them?

@efsk, don't even try to show your collection. I think there is a pic limit on this board. ;-)

 

[SharptoothC]

I own and enjoy a RazoRock German 37 slant. I get great shaves from it. I also get great shaves from a variety of DE and SE razors. I would not go so far as to say the slant is a superior design. It just works equally well for me.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

 

[Highspeedlane]

This thread has got me wanting to break out my 37C for tomorrow morning. Though if I use a German Wilky blade, Tabac lather, my Fendrihan best badger and Speick AS I can have a 100% Deutschland shave, I'm tempted to use a Kai instead so I can see how it feels in the 37C as compared to my Rockwell 6s/R4.

 

[santamariasteve]

I love slant razors! The theory behind them makes sense, and they do deliver a slightly closer shave. They do not require any special skill to use. That concern is a myth IMO.

I only have two of 'em: The contemporary Merkur 37C, and the Krect Shave from the 1930's. I wish I had more. But how do I justify that to my wife? Actually, how do I justify that to myself!

 

[G-Dogg]

I have the Merkur 37C, and that’s my only slant experience. It is a very smooth shaver, but not a particularly efficient one. I can achieve better results with a “normal” razor and the Gillette Slide, which I perform as a matter of course. So it’s not sufficiently special or different for me to consider investing in another one (although I’ll be keeping a close eye on the proposed Fatip slant and may end up eating my words).

All my other razors (DE, SE, Injector) have unique qualities that make me hanker to use them, but the slant is just a bit, meh.

 

[ZigZiglar]

...This is like asking "If Michael Jordan was so great, why is there only one of him?" Just kidding...

OH C'MON! You really believe there's only one Michael Jordan?? WAKE UP, SHEEPLE!

 

[snowman]

Lots of slants available, both new and vintage. My ATT S1 is one of my favorite devices for removing facial hair.

If you have coarse stubble try employing the Gillette Slide technique next time you de shave. This will show you part of what a slant has to offer. Of course it doesn’t demonstrate one of the benefits of most slants, which is tension on the blade. But it does show the guillotine effect.

 

[kluber]

+1 for att S1. Its efficient and smooth. Very nice razor.

 

[tonich]

Define "so good"!

They're not so good, in fact they are harsh for your skin, IMO!

 

[efsk]

@gvw755 they won't fit on one picture. I now have 290 slants, and the number is growing. As far as I'm concerned, "few" is a subjective term, but there's definitely more of them then most may know.

 

[Highspeedlane]

Fired up my 37C for the first time in well over a year (pictured at top). The pic is older, as I used a Kai this morning, not the Nacet's pictured.

I used Aveeno shave gel (love that stuff) and took my time, working ultra light at first until I could dial in the correct amount of controlled pressure and angle.

Overall the shave was really, really good. I used a Kai so I could make a comparison of how that blade feels when loaded in my Rockwell 6s. There were no errors, nicks or irritation. Completed the shave with a homegrown WH and Osage Rub concoction followed by Old Spice Classic AS. Two passes plus touch up and it feels GREAT, and is very close.

However, I could definitely tell the Rockwell outclasses the Merkur as far as smoothness goes. I rely heavily on my Rockwell to get me through those early morning workday shaves when I might not be "fully awake" during the shave.

I won't know until about 12 hours from now how these two razors compare closeness-wise, but am looking forward to see if there's any major noticeable difference.

 

[blashe]

because they are harder to make, but the zinc cast are not hard to produce therefor you see tons of them but people don't go crazy buying them.

 

[Badgerstate36]

I've tried several slants, including the Ikon 102, Fine Superlite (darn aggressive feeling), Stirling Soaps briefly made (not bad actually), Fine Aluminium (nice shaver, but not $125 worth of nice for me), and an Ikon X3, which I currently have. The Fine Aluminum and X3 were the best for me out of those I tried, but quite frankly the X3 gets rarely used. I don't find a slant really provides a closer or better shave because it's a slant, and it really depends on the design of the individual razor. Every slant I tried still took 3 passes to get to my idea of BBS, usually with additional touch-ups. Slant doesn't seem to make a difference, it's more how the razor design shaves your face.

If you go from say a mild Tech or Weishi to a slant, you're going to get a better shave, as odds are the slant will have a more engineered design and be a more polished and efficient shaver. If you're going from something in the caliber of a Timeless, Paradigm, Charcoal Goods, or even a Rockwell (hey, looks utilitarian, but great shaver), which shaves extremely well, you're probably going to be in for a let down and the shave isn't going to be any better. - No I don't have, nor have a shaved with a Paradigm or Charcoal Goods, but mentioning the higher echelon of shaving gear.

There is no way that any slant I've tried would get any closer, or probably as close, as what I have from this morning using my Rockwell on plate 6, guaranteed, I'm that smoothly and closely shaven. - Open your mouth and rub you gums, that's how my face was left following the morning shave. How do you get any closer than that?

I can tell you that Ive used various slants and I actually find that my Weishi gives me better shaves because I can go ATG with it. Ive never used a slant that I could shave ATG without getting lots of weepers.

 

[ercy]

I have just one slant,RR German 37. I think i would not get another slant. Because i have found it very agressive.
Most of slants must be agressive for daily shaving, imho.
In my opinion adjustables are much more useful than slants. If you shave 2 or 3 times a week , a slant could be a good option.