Reading up on SE razors (injectors, specifically), I kept seeing folks mention the advantage of the stiffer SE blades, which, like a good straight razor, create less chatter and stand up better to whiskers. In fact, some folks liken a good SE set-up to something approaching an SR shave, only much easier.
It struck me that part of a slant's effectiveness is that it torques the DE blade, making it stiffer, and somewhat overcoming the thinness of a DE blade. That, combined with the shearing angle of a slant, makes for a smooth, chatter-free shave (at least for me).
Since the slant is so good at this, why is it my Wolfman razor feels just as smooth and efficient as my ATT S2? Looking closer at the Wolfman design, it's clear that the blade is held very firmly on either side by a wide contact point of the cap, and it's pretty close to the edge. The Wolfman head clamps down on the blade in such a way that it must be more rigid than usual. I think this is a key virtue of that razor.
Looking at my other DE razors I noticed that the ones I like best, like the Wolfman or my NEW SC, are designed to tighten onto the blade close to the cutting edge. Others, like the Progress and the R41, leave a lot more "flop" room between where the cap clamps and the edge. Notably, for me, the R41, compared to the Wolfman or NEW, is a chattering, "scraping" experience (I do get close shaves from it, but it's not particularly smooth or pleasant).
With DE razors we tend to focus a lot on blade gap and exposure when it comes to aggressiveness and efficiency, but I'm wondering if we should pay as much attention to how much rigidity the razor gives the blade. At least for me with my coarse whiskers, it seems to make quite a difference.
It struck me that part of a slant's effectiveness is that it torques the DE blade, making it stiffer, and somewhat overcoming the thinness of a DE blade. That, combined with the shearing angle of a slant, makes for a smooth, chatter-free shave (at least for me).
Since the slant is so good at this, why is it my Wolfman razor feels just as smooth and efficient as my ATT S2? Looking closer at the Wolfman design, it's clear that the blade is held very firmly on either side by a wide contact point of the cap, and it's pretty close to the edge. The Wolfman head clamps down on the blade in such a way that it must be more rigid than usual. I think this is a key virtue of that razor.
Looking at my other DE razors I noticed that the ones I like best, like the Wolfman or my NEW SC, are designed to tighten onto the blade close to the cutting edge. Others, like the Progress and the R41, leave a lot more "flop" room between where the cap clamps and the edge. Notably, for me, the R41, compared to the Wolfman or NEW, is a chattering, "scraping" experience (I do get close shaves from it, but it's not particularly smooth or pleasant).
With DE razors we tend to focus a lot on blade gap and exposure when it comes to aggressiveness and efficiency, but I'm wondering if we should pay as much attention to how much rigidity the razor gives the blade. At least for me with my coarse whiskers, it seems to make quite a difference.