Slant or Straight

[antsjack]

Dear all

I am considering leaving DE shaving and trying straight razors. So far I have never achieved consistent good shaves with a DE. I have very thick, course, wiry beard hair. I am considering trying a merkur slant and a SR. Does any one have experience with both or use both that can advice me how good a slant is compared to a SR?

Does using a SR provide more consistent and comfortable shaves than a DE?

 

[Go West Young Man]

A slant is just a variation on the DE, some like it and some don't. All it does is cut the hairs with a different motion, it's not a magical shaving solution. Proper prep and technique are still the most important part of your routine.

 

[Fnord5]

+1 on prep.

A slant is slightly magical though
For a DE anyway.

A straight can be a slant, and an adjustable opened up to 2x the max.

If you have the hankerin' to try a straight, just do it.

 

[chainfire]

I've used both and have a thick fast growing beard, so my take is this:

- I get a consistantly good shave (smooth and irritation free) from a Slant w/ a Feather blade. I feel the Futur is about the only other Merkur razor that is as nice (the adjustability seems to allow for more blade selection than I get from Slants).

- Straights are completely different - the Slant clears the whiskers almost immediately and the straights clear them up a little at a time, but have better end result. I've just started a little while ago, but I'll say as I'm getting used to them they are capable of a much nicer shave than I get with DE's - even Slants, but (for me) they take a lot more time to do so. I may get faster with practice, but I doubt I'll match my DE time.

So, if you have time to learn and shave, the straights are the way to go. If you want to stick with what you've already picked up with DE shaving and are looking for a nice razor, the Slant is a good option.

 

[professorchaos]

The straight razor forum isn't the best place for an unbiased answer! My vote is for straight.

 

[leighton]

The straight razor forum isn't the best place for an unbiased answer! My vote is for straight.

Exactly.

 

[Leche]

The straight razor forum isn't the best place for an unbiased answer! My vote is for straight.

Well said Henry! Straight, Straight, Straight!

 

[Muirtach]

The straight razor forum isn't the best place for an unbiased answer! My vote is for straight.

+4!

Add to it that straights are just plain prettier.

 

[SiBurning]

The main thing for me about straights is how comfortable and gentle the shave is compared to a DE.

Seems to me the main thing about the merkur slant is in the angle of the blade. If you're used to the other merkurs, the blade in a slant is set a little different--closer to how a gillette works, but maybe with a wider gap. The slant part doesn't really do much for me. I rarely move the blade in a straight line anyway, so they all slant for me.

Or should I say they all seem a little crooked to me?

 

[cooltide]

straights take about 3-6 months of a learning curve
i moved from a slant to a straight
more time needed for a straight but well worth it
go up on to the high board & dive in
whats to lose,

 

[JeffE]

There's no magic to the Slant. It's got one end that is really wide open compared to the other end, so as you shave and move across your face in stripes, you first end up cutting with the narrow gap and then the wider gap. All of which you can do yourself without the Slant if you have an adjustable like a Progress or a Vision.

The straight, however, IS MAGIC -- simply because you have no idea how close you can end up shaving when you have total and complete control of the blade angle against the skin. It's like driving an automatic transmission your whole life and then switching to manual. All kinds of decisions and judgments about how best to handle things that were being made for you -- without your even knowing about them -- are now in your hands, and your conscious decisions about how to use the razor are ALWAYS going to be better than the average, default non-decisions that are built into a DE razor. Go for a straight, bro.

 

[Shaman]

I've been using a straight for just over a week now and am starting to get pretty good shaves from it. Something I found helpful was to give the tricky areas (chin, under nose, etc...) one pass with a DE/SE then I'll able to lather up and do the whole shave with a straight. Not having the sudden increased drag the problem spots give I haven't instinctively pushed harder and have been able to figure out the right angle of attack. It works for me YMMV. To get back on topic, there is plenty of room in one's shaving arsenal for both safety razors and straights.

 

[OldSchoolYoungin]

Slant is a really nice DE; one of the best.

But...well...it's not a straight

 

[Luc]

My vote would go for the straight but if you are curious about the slant, try it!

 

[Basset]

Try the slant first, since it's easy enough to get started. With a straight, you need a bit more investment both in terms of time and money to get through a week.

You can always re-sell the slant here and recoup most of your investment. That's what I did. I didn't think the slant lived up to all the raving you read about it, but your experience may differ.

I ended up trying SE razors, liked the stiffer, louder blades, which then led me to Schick injectors, which led me to Feather disposable straight, which led me to straights. On the few times I still shave with a DE, I think, "Gee, there's so little technique involved here . . . why did I ever spend so much time reading about DEs on the boards?"