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Is it worth Getting a Slant ?

Griffo

Griffo

I'm looking for a third razor :biggrin1:

I have an EJ DE86 and a Muhle R41 at the moment but as I spend time between two places I'm planning of keeping kit at both places to save on transporting them.

Now I enjoy both razors, one agressive and one nice and mild. I love the fit and finish but I want an extra razor that is sort of in the middle of the two so that one can be in the weekend place so I have to mild/aggressive option while I'm away with work in the my second place.

I sort of like the look of trying a Merkur and I've looked at the slant which looks like a different option from what I have now but is it worth going for something like that or a different option ? Quite like the idea of trying something new and it would only be used at the weekends. I don't want an adjustable razor though, I prefer fixed heads.

I really don't want the milder EJ for the weekends even though it's a great razor, sometimes I quite fancy a quickie during the week and it's perfect for that so I want something that I can use at the weekend, when I have the time and no need to rush but don't want another R41.

Any advice welcome.
 
joshua1970

joshua1970

YES!


the 39C Sledgehammer has become my got o DE when I'm not using a Straight, it clears more whiskers with less passes, but I don't find it to be overly agressive. it is my favorite DE razor at this point! HIGHLY recommended!

FYI Joe at the Italian barborshop also has the merkur bakelight slants available....
 
Agravic

Agravic

joshua1970 said:
YES!


the 39C Sledgehammer has become my got o DE when I'm not using a Straight, it clears more whiskers with less passes, but I don't find it to be overly agressive. it is my favorite DE razor at this point! HIGHLY recommended!

FYI Joe at the Italian barborshop also has the merkur bakelight slants available....
Click to expand...

+1 on the YES!

1. OC
2. Slant
3. CC

This is the current ranking of razor types in my den. The slant is a great complement to your R41 - almost as aggressive, just as efficient, and more user friendly in my opinion. I have the 39C and the 37C - both are solid.
 
raisindot

raisindot

I got my 39C Slant before I got my R41, and while I still use the Slant as the "occasional" razor in my rotation, I find I use it less and less. The R41 is far more aggressive and shaves much closer and smoother, and if I want a 'regular' shave I use one of my trusty adjustables. If I were doing it over again, I'd just get the R41 and 'regular' razors and bypass the Slant.
 
AjaxLepinski

AjaxLepinski

With only two razors in your collection, no one can accuse you of having RAD! If you're looking for an interesting and different DE razor, you can't go wrong with a Slant or a 1930 Gillette New Open Comb. I found that Slants get the same job done in two passes while most other DE's take three.
 
mistercitizen

mistercitizen

I've been thinking about a slant as well. Something just occurred to me though as I was reading the OP's #1.... the solution to RAD may be to buy a house for each razor you have :blink:. But then it wouldn't make any sense to buy a travel razor....

Ben
 
C

charles_r

Go for it!!! It's really middle of the road between your EJ and your R41. And much smoother that it's reputation would lead you to believe. It could easily become your daily driver
 
j_fro

j_fro

I think it is worth it to try it out. You won't lose too much $$$ if you dislike it, the BST wait to sell time is near nil on slants. I like my 34c, so I got a 37c, and an 11c on the way to try out the differing heads.
 
joshua1970

joshua1970

j_fro said:
I think it is worth it to try it out. You won't lose too much $$$ if you dislike it, the BST wait to sell time is near nil on slants. I like my 34c, so I got a 37c, and an 11c on the way to try out the differing heads.
Click to expand...

good point!!! B/S/T can help recoup most of your out of pocket expenses if you don't like it (but I suspect you will) :)
 
rajagra

rajagra

I'm still not sure if slants are a marketing gimmick or not. I can hear the cries of NO! already, but consider this:

  • The slope of the blade is very mild. This creates some guillotine effect, but IMO not enough, and nowhere near what you would do if you were doing it manually with the Gillette Slide method.
  • The edge of the blade stays straight. I know people say otherwise, but I've looked carefully at mine hundreds of times, taken macro photos, etc., etc. The edge is straight.
  • However, the twist of the blade means that the blade angle varies from end to end, i.e. is milder at one end and more aggressive at the other. Is this a good thing? Maybe it ensures that at least one part is at the optimum angle. But doesn't that also mean that most of the edge is not at the optimum angle?

My Merkur 37 does shave well, but I'm not convinced it is the slant feature that makes it work so well.
If nothing else they are funky looking razors :thumbup:, and nowhere near as aggressive as some people fear.
 
C

crfcom

rajagra said:
I'm still not sure if slants are a marketing gimmick or not. I can hear the cries of NO! already, but consider this:

  • The slope of the blade is very mild. This creates some guillotine effect, but IMO not enough, and nowhere near what you would do if you were doing it manually with the Gillette Slide method.
  • The edge of the blade stays straight. I know people say otherwise, but I've looked carefully at mine hundreds of times, taken macro photos, etc., etc. The edge is straight.
  • However, the twist of the blade means that the blade angle varies from end to end, i.e. is milder at one end and more aggressive at the other. Is this a good thing? Maybe it ensures that at least one part is at the optimum angle. But doesn't that also mean that most of the edge is not at the optimum angle?

My Merkur 37 does shave well, but I'm not convinced it is the slant feature that makes it work so well.
If nothing else they are funky looking razors :thumbup:, and nowhere near as aggressive as some people fear.
Click to expand...

Interesting questions. I hope you get some answers to them.
A discussion of the design principles behind the slant would be a great subject for a dedicated thread.
 
RaiserLiebe

RaiserLiebe

rajagra said:
  • However, the twist of the blade means that the blade angle varies from end to end, i.e. is milder at one end and more aggressive at the other. Is this a good thing? Maybe it ensures that at least one part is at the optimum angle. But doesn't that also mean that most of the edge is not at the optimum angle?
Click to expand...
Try reading http://shavenook.com/thread-the-slant-concept. It is an admirable job of explaining the slant in simple terms. The author states that the aggressive blade exposure at one end is balanced by a shallow angle; and vice versa at the other. Producing overall a reasonably mild but efficient shave.

I am not a disciple or anything. I do use a 39c and find it very close and comfortable. While it can bite, so can most every DE I have tried.
 
banditman

banditman

Might as well get a Slant and try it. When I got mine, it was to be more of a general interest piece as I didn't think I'd use it much. Well, it's been my daily razor for well over a year now.
 
dieselfuel79

dieselfuel79

In my opinion, you're not DE shaving if you're not using a slant. The 37c or 39c are an excellent investment. I like my 39c just a bit more, since it's heftier. But both will mow down whiskers like there's nothing to them.
 
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