Now that we're almost done with SLANTember I'd like to discuss how to properly set a blade in a slant razor. Many of us haul out a slant razor and use it during September. Others of us, like me, use slants nearly every shave and have slant collections of various sizes. Although slant razors are not magic nor are they impossible to understand, there's a couple of things to check before steel hits lather.
The TL;DR is: Line the edge up with the baseplate bar or comb, not the cap.
A little slower now, with pictures:
The Fatip Open Comb Slant is a good example. Lots of them out there. "Conventional Wisdom" says that Fatip razors can be more or less "interactive" requiring some adjustment as they are assembled.
![IMG_0658[1].JPG](https://xfdata.badgerandblade.com/attachments/1261/1261054-c4bcbfe8ca64d1929ab04aca6895b561.jpg "IMG_0658[1].JPG")
The first step is to put the cap on a washcloth, stud up. Now drop the blade over the stud and pins.
![IMG_0659[1].JPG](https://xfdata.badgerandblade.com/attachments/1261/1261055-1b2ef7cb080c00eeb19cb732da8f54b0.jpg "IMG_0659[1].JPG")
Then place the baseplate, and screw on the handle. At this point I usually screw it on loosely so I have some "wiggle room" but I also often just tighten it up. Then turn the razor cap-up and check the blade.
![IMG_0660[1].JPG](https://xfdata.badgerandblade.com/attachments/1261/1261056-b46a023485169968a11058375dd0b97b.jpg "IMG_0660[1].JPG")
It's a little hard to tell, but the edge is lined up with the comb. My FOCS has relatively tight tolerances, so the blade is pretty much set-it-and-forget-it. My loosest razor is the Fasan Double Slant. The tightest razor I've ever run into is the Above the Tie S2. There's one and exactly one way to put the blade in, and absolutely zero adjustment possible or needed. Just for shaves and grins, here's what that looks like:
![IMG_0662[1].JPG](https://xfdata.badgerandblade.com/attachments/1261/1261060-224838aae35a9e36c61bcc48a4edafaf.jpg "IMG_0662[1].JPG")
The edge is perfectly lined up with the comb, but the left corners of the blade are practically covered by the cap. Different slants will look different; the FOCS I have has a pretty even blade reveal, the ATT's reveal is different.
The final check is to confirm that the blade is centred on the baseplate, which puts the edges equally close to the bar or comb and thus one side of the razor is not more aggressive than the other. (This assumes you are not holding a differential razor, where the two sides are supposed to be different.)
Set up properly for success a slant razor will give you a very good and predictable shave.
O.H.
The TL;DR is: Line the edge up with the baseplate bar or comb, not the cap.
A little slower now, with pictures:
The Fatip Open Comb Slant is a good example. Lots of them out there. "Conventional Wisdom" says that Fatip razors can be more or less "interactive" requiring some adjustment as they are assembled.
The first step is to put the cap on a washcloth, stud up. Now drop the blade over the stud and pins.
Then place the baseplate, and screw on the handle. At this point I usually screw it on loosely so I have some "wiggle room" but I also often just tighten it up. Then turn the razor cap-up and check the blade.
It's a little hard to tell, but the edge is lined up with the comb. My FOCS has relatively tight tolerances, so the blade is pretty much set-it-and-forget-it. My loosest razor is the Fasan Double Slant. The tightest razor I've ever run into is the Above the Tie S2. There's one and exactly one way to put the blade in, and absolutely zero adjustment possible or needed. Just for shaves and grins, here's what that looks like:
The edge is perfectly lined up with the comb, but the left corners of the blade are practically covered by the cap. Different slants will look different; the FOCS I have has a pretty even blade reveal, the ATT's reveal is different.
The final check is to confirm that the blade is centred on the baseplate, which puts the edges equally close to the bar or comb and thus one side of the razor is not more aggressive than the other. (This assumes you are not holding a differential razor, where the two sides are supposed to be different.)
Set up properly for success a slant razor will give you a very good and predictable shave.
O.H.
Nor me, Richard.
