al razors work best without pressure, regardless of slant or not. The trick with these lightweight thingies is to keep the razor in place without applying pressure, in other words: keep it from skipping. Do that, and the Merkur 45, or any plastic slant I've tried, will give great shaves. Such great shaves, that I consider the Merkur 45 and the PAA Alpha Ecliptic mandatory equipment for everybody who takes his shaving serious.Bakelite is an interesting choice for a razor, but it is very light. It seems to me a slant is best used without applying pressure, yet you have to use pressure with a razor as light as this one. Maybe with practice...