Hold a straightedge to it. It's not curved. The question about the effective contribution of the expanding gap to the oblique shaving angle remains.
The Slant - a gimmick?
- Thread starter Brian-M
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See my added explanation and edit.
It's not clear if this is a thought experiment or the result of actual measurement. When I hold a single edge blade perpendicular to a DE blade mounted in my Merkur Slant, right at the DE's edge, no light is visible between the two blades at any point along their length. So even if the geometry implies some curvature it it not measurable.
by the way, I use the Gillette Slide even with my Trac II.
To clarify, though, I don't do it the way Mantic shows on his video (i.e., holding the blade straight and moving the razor in an oblique line); rather, I hold the razor at an oblique angle but move the handle in a straight line N-S. I think this way is easier and a lot less likely to end up accidentally slicing the face.
A small amount of twist makes a Trac II plow through whiskers with complete ease. It took about 3-4 days of practice before it felt comfortable to shave this way, but now it is second nature.
To clarify, though, I don't do it the way Mantic shows on his video (i.e., holding the blade straight and moving the razor in an oblique line); rather, I hold the razor at an oblique angle but move the handle in a straight line N-S. I think this way is easier and a lot less likely to end up accidentally slicing the face.
A small amount of twist makes a Trac II plow through whiskers with complete ease. It took about 3-4 days of practice before it felt comfortable to shave this way, but now it is second nature.
Heck, I'll Gillette Slide with my single edge razors every now and then too, just what it takes to get it done I suppose.
Not a gimmick.
It slices like a knife (or I should say, the way you should use a knife). Think about fileting a fish or cutting corn kernels off the cob. If you hold the knife at an angle and push down so the blade slices through nicely compared to holding the knife perpendicular and just pushing. By holding the knife at an angle, the blade does the work.
I use my Slant and a Feather blade most every day. I don't think the Slant is more aggressive, just more efficient. If I apply too much pressure or move the wrong way, I do get a nick or razor burn. Otherwise, I get a good close shave.
Every couple of months I work a different razor in to the rotation for the life of the blade. Ironically, tomorrow the Gillette Slim and a Persona blade are back in the lineup for a few shaves (after about a year break).
One final note: A year or so ago, I switched to Walmart blades for a while then the price tripled so I went back to Feathers. I must have been pressing a little harder with the Walmart blades or something because the first few shaves when I switched back to the Feathers were a little rough but then I got the touch back.
It slices like a knife (or I should say, the way you should use a knife). Think about fileting a fish or cutting corn kernels off the cob. If you hold the knife at an angle and push down so the blade slices through nicely compared to holding the knife perpendicular and just pushing. By holding the knife at an angle, the blade does the work.
I use my Slant and a Feather blade most every day. I don't think the Slant is more aggressive, just more efficient. If I apply too much pressure or move the wrong way, I do get a nick or razor burn. Otherwise, I get a good close shave.
Every couple of months I work a different razor in to the rotation for the life of the blade. Ironically, tomorrow the Gillette Slim and a Persona blade are back in the lineup for a few shaves (after about a year break).
One final note: A year or so ago, I switched to Walmart blades for a while then the price tripled so I went back to Feathers. I must have been pressing a little harder with the Walmart blades or something because the first few shaves when I switched back to the Feathers were a little rough but then I got the touch back.
