The Tilted Picnic, Year Three

[Old Hippie]

Usually about this time of year I start thinking seriously about The Tilted Picnic. Third time down the track this year! I'll put up a couple of introductory posts for those who are new to this little enterprise. This first one is mainly context, though I will introduce this year's lineup in brief. The next post will cover the lineup in some detail, and then we're off to the races.

So: what the heck is a "tilted picnic?"

Lord Buckley was a hipster cat who made some truly hilarious spoken-word recordings back in the '60s. I won't spend a lot of time quoting Lord Buckley raps -- you can go look for them if you're interested. But I am stealing the title from him. What I do here is review some slant razors -- hence the "tilted" part. I love slants, no lie. (I guess our brother Farmer Tan would say, "I love slants, doggone!") Some of them are great, some acceptable, some make me wonder why. But I pick out a few every year and shave with them. Some of you will know that I shave with slants pretty much all the time, anyway. I've been saving a few aside for the Tilted Picnic.

I have also been skunked, bucked off, tossed, bounced, and otherwise failed to succeed with a razor occasionally. While I don't expect that this year, it's happened twice with slants. If I can't get along with it, I'll say so. Please understand that's totally my opinion, though. If I get bucked off by your favourite razor, it's not a reflection on you. While I always try to be honest about what I find, it's just what I observe. I'll be gentlemanly!

This year I have some that I'm really, really looking forward to using. The four in hand are the following:

1. Rex Konsul adjustable slant. I mean, adjustable says it all. I'm aware of precisely one adjustable slant, the Walbusch B5. I'm also aware that Homelike has an adjustable slant in process, which looks like it may be an OC version with some serious helicality to it. If that happens I'll have one, but it won't be for this year. Early reviews say the Konsul is a whisker assassin. That'll be my first series.

2. Thanks to my brother @Tanuki I have one of the approximately four versions of the Merkur "Super Slant." Mine is a two-piece SB version, and we'll travel that road together for the second series.

3. Third up I'll revisit the Above the Tie X1. It's another unusual slant in that it is a single-edge (AC) slant, so a tilted instead of helical razor. I had recently gotten it last year; this year it's included as a check-in to see how it's doing.

4. I debated over stopping on three. I still may, but the fourth possible is a modification of the FOCS that turns it into an adjustable razor. I'm still waiting on the right tools to finish the work on it, so it's at the end of the list to buy some time.

Finally, one of my goals this year was to pick out some slants that stand on their own rather than being "homage," "influenced by," "inspired by" or any similar marketing ploy. I'm recognizing a couple of interesting moderns, a very rare vintage, and a classic razor in the Italian style.

Should be an interesting time! My next post in the thread will be a bit more quantitative, and include pictures.

O.H.

 

[Old Hippie]

Let's have a look at the team for this year:

Up first, the Rex Supply "Konsul" Adjustable Slant:

The Konsul tips the scales at 105 grams without blade. The length of the handle (rounded to nearest 5th mm) is 80 mm.

The Konsul is an all-stainless adjustable slant. Although I said earlier that I'm not blowing a lot of ink on "homage" razors, it is true that most razors stand on the shoulders (caps?) of those who went before. In the Konsul's case it gives a strong nod to the genetics of the Gibbs adjustable razor. Since there is at least one YootOob video showing a mix-n-match disassembly of a Rex Ambassador and a Rex Konsul, one might say the Konsul is "heavily inspired" by the Ambassador. You can see this can really turn into a very deep rabbit hole in a real hurry. You may feel free to smile at the thought that while I can't justify $249 for an Ambassador I jumped on the $349 Konsul with not too many qualms. Qualm before the storm? Who knows...

Whatever; the mechanics offer a very neat way to make a helical slant (or even a tilted slant) adjustable. The blade is held between the cap and base, while the separate bar carrier can move up and down to change the razor's gap. The blade is reported to be held in negative-to-neutral exposure, said to give less blade-feel and possibly supporting the comfort level of those who are new to slants. Whether someone new to slants is going to start with this razor is an open question, but I will say on the face of it that it looks like a better choice for a first slant than, say, a Wunderbar (which is an excellent choice for a third slant).

The ergonomics look good. The razor feels well balanced in my hand, with a reassuring solidity courtesy of the 316L stainless. I was at first not too excited about the "pineapple" knurling on the handle. I have a strong aesthetic preference for lots of really gnarly diamond knurl, but actually holding the Konsul has made me an instant fan of pineapple knurling as well. My sweet spots for razors are around 100 g and a handle length of 85 mm. The Konsul is not outside those parameters to a significant degree. Twiddling the razor around it already feels like there won't be much of an adjustment.

More about the adjustableness in a moment.

Once I've spent a couple of weeks gushing over the Konsul, I will turn my attention to the next round of shaves -- this time with the much-fabled Merkur "Super Slant."

This particular "Super Slant" clocks in at 80 g and has a 75 mm handle. It is the upper razor in the picture; shown alongside a Model 37 for comparison.

The "Super Slant" is a mystery wrapped up in a conundrum painted in the colours of fable and contained within a truly excellent razor. Trolling around the web and spending a lot of time talking to the real experts -- people like @efsk and @Clouds -- and also prodding Merkur/Dovo for whatever they know has unearthed a few factoids that are scattered about here and there.

As I've said earlier the "Super Slant" isn't its real name. Merkur uses model numbers, not word names. We are all at least visually familiar with the 34, 37, 38, 39, 41, 42 etc. The "missing" numbers represent discontinued models. One example is the Merkur 36, which was a slant with the same head as the 37, but in a 3-piece form instead of 2-piece. I am often amused that RazoRock's "German 37" really should be the "German 36" -- but if it was most newbies wouldn't know what the heck it was supposed to mean.

Also note that Merkur uses different model numbers for variations on the same basic razor. The 42 is a safety-bar razor; the 41 is the same razor with an open comb. Looking back through old Merkur catalogs shows that they tended to concentrate on four variations on the theme: open comb or safety bar, and what they called "short screw" versus "long screw." In modern parlance we refer to the short screw razors as "three piece" and the long screw razors as "two piece." Each one would have its own model number: hence the 37 is a two-piece slant; the 36 is a three-piece slant. There are examples of all four variations of the Super Slant, but aside from one possible identification as an "18" I've not seen a complete numbering scheme for them.

Merkur/Dovo is very little help. This is not because they don't want to help; it is because when the family that started Merkur sold it off in 1996 they took everything but the dust on the shelves, practically. Any old records that survived the war, old production models...all that stuff disappeared and the current company has only the institutional memory of a few increasingly older employees to rely on. Any dating we can do is necessarily broadly inaccurate. I have seen an old catalog from 1956, which does NOT show the "Super Slant." I suspect the "Super Slant" was not made prior to 1945. We have other catalogs from rebranders like Hoffritz and Abercrombie & Fitch showing the "Super Slant" prior to 1956. There is some speculation that some of the razors and other items retained by the family started showing up on the market in about 2009, as that's about when we started seeing more "Super Slants" appearing.

Much of what I have been told about this razor relies on some very patient work and fortunate occasions to chat with aging Merkur employees taken by our European friends. From this work a very interesting picture emerges. Similarities in the design and execution of three well-known razors -- the "Super Slant," the Fasan Double Slant and the Walbusch B5 adjustable tilted slant -- show evidence of a strong Merkur involvement in all three. Some parts are interchangeable between the "Super Slant" and the Fasan, and various indications on the Walbusch lead to the belief that Merkur actually designed and produced it. (Which wouldn't be much of a stretch, as Walter Busch Soehne was not specifically a razor company. They still exist as a textile company.)

That this should be so is not a real surprise. Merkur made a lot of razors that were rebranded. Hoffritz and Coles department stores were prominent, as was Abercrombie & Fitch. In Italy, the "Bartali" razor is clearly a "Super Slant." The Bartali is named in honour of a famous Italian bicycle racer of the late '40s -- which helps to establish a window for the production from "late '40s" to "early '50s."

Our third round will be a long-term use check-in with the Above the Tie X1.

The X1 (here with a West Coast Shaving 84S handle) is the heftiest shaver in this year's gymkhana. All up we're looking at 130 g, with an 85 mm handle. I may switch to an ATT Kronos handle, which is just as long and will shift the mass distribution a bit but shouldn't be too different.

"Everything old is new again" would be a good adage to remember here, too. The single edge slant idea is a good example. Among the SE slants is the OBLYC, a French adjustable-slanting razor. The razor can be set to any angle, similar to a Peroni and others. The OBLYC is not, however, a dedicated slant but rather a razor that can be optionally configured that way if the user wishes.

The X1 follows ATT's nomenclature convention that "1" razors are safety bar and "2" razors are open comb. I do hope to see an X2 on the market eventually, but that will only happen if the X1 is an acclaimed success. It is an AC-format razor. Since it is single edge with a really narrow blade there is no need to be helical. The X1 is a tilted slant. The design incorporates a narrower gap and less blade exposure than many other AC razors. This makes it both mild due to the design and highly efficient due to the blade properties. It doesn't appear to be hugely slanted, though as with the ATT S1 and S2 slants all the magic is under the cap. I have often recommended the X1 to shavers looking to break into the AC format. It's not an "autopilot" razor but it gives an excellent shave and is a wonderful introduction to wide-edge shaving. I will probably stay with the X1 for three weeks, as the AC blades tend to be a bit longer-lived than DE blades.

Finally, my speculative fourth razor in the series is a modified Fatip Open Comb Slant. No pictures yet, because it's not "modified" yet. I have noticed a very convenient way to give a little more security when "twist adjusting" the FOCS. I will provide full details when I see if this works. The idea is that while almost any razor can be twist adjusted, there's a bit of a limit to how much a razor can be opened up due to the spring effect of the blade. Unscrewing the handle takes tension off the blade, and depending on the razor design that may only be 1/8 turn (as on my FOCS) before the handle becomes too loose.

The idea for locking the handle comes from @Clouds who has a much more elegant presentation of it. Claudio kindly allows me to present my own fumbling researches, which will happen a bit later once some "supply chain issues" get resolved. I'll be back with that.

Well. With all that blather and hooha out of the way I can concentrate on shaving for a while! Looking forward to it.

O.H.

 

[silverlifter]

I'm really enjoying these posts, and looking forward to the full picnic!

With the Konsul, it would be good if you were able to shed some light on the adjustable range, and what it means in terms of shaves. Most of the current reviews don't seem to cover the most interesting part of the razor, the fact that it is adjustable... (or, maybe I just missed those posts).

 

[Old Hippie]

With the Konsul, it would be good if you were able to shed some light on the adjustable range, and what it means in terms of shaves. Most of the current reviews don't seem to cover the most interesting part of the razor, the fact that it is adjustable... (or, maybe I just missed those posts).

Yeah, tempting to just put'er on "3" and rip away.

I'll run it through the gears. After all, that's the reason for having an adjustable is to adjust it!

O.H.

 

[Old Hippie]

The Tilted Picnic Slant Circus, Year Three. Round One, Shave One: Rex Supply "Konsul" Adjustable Slant

SOTD: Monday February 28, 2022
Razor: Rex Supply Co. "Konsul" Adjustable Slant
Blade: Astra SP (1)
Brush: Omega 10005 Boar
Soap: Old Hippie's Cedar Savage Groovy Shave Soap

We're off to the races! I always get a little weird starting this up again. I tend to think, "Oh, man. I've gotta shave with nothing but slants for the next {counts on fingers} nine weeks." Then, of course, I think to myself, "...and this is different how?" Heh. Well, I won't be too tempted to take many side trips. There's also the possibility that I could add or subtract a razor depending on how things develop. But for now, here we are.

A first word about these reviews. This is me, encountering this razor for the very first time. I have some experience with slants to provide a baseline and comparison, but what you're getting is my own process of getting familiar. Some of the context that you should keep in mind, along with the usual YMMV admonition: This is a new razor to me; this is my first experience with a true adjustable; I did not get this razor donated to me for reviews; I do really want to like it; and finally I am a head shaver. I will be honest but also gentlemanly about my observations. In the end I'm just one more grain of sand on the beach, so if you're trying to make up your mind whether to drop a bag of coin on this razor, read all the reviews and look for trends. To save me laying that rap on you every single time, assume that it applies to any razor I pick up.

All good? Got your sippy cup and cookies? Seatbelts fastened? OK, then. Douse the smokes and let's get this baby off the ground.

The Konsul is basically a two-piece razor with some additional bits. Loading it is merely a matter of unscrewing the captive bottom nut until the cap and screw stud comes loose. There have already been some reviews noting that putting a blade in can be a bit fiddly. The razor covers the blade tabs, and instead of posts uses tabs on the underside of the cap to align the blade. As it sits, simply turning the cap upside down and dropping the blade over the stud still leaves the task of lining it up with the tabs. I will agree with earlier reviewers that if the tabs were just a bit longer it would be easier to line up the blade, but I didn't find it difficult.

I got things close, then lowered the razor body over the stud and gently wiggled things into place, looking under the cap from the side to see that the tabs properly engaged the blade. Ultimately, no more difficult than loading most other razors. I'm sure it'll be second nature in short order.

I gave some thought earlier to how I wanted to start off. The cautious side of me thought setting the razor on the midrange (3 out of 6) would be a good start. The hell-for-leather side of me thought cranking it up to 6 would tell me pretty quick whether that was a bad idea. Caution won out.

I have been experimenting the last few weeks with "twist adjusting" a normally fixed razor. This has been enlightening. I find that having a more aggressive razor for the WTG pass is good, but dialling it down for the ATG pass gives me much less worry about ripping a hole in my head. I do not need another hole in my head. Translating this technique to an actual adjusting razor, I started on 3 and did the WTG pass, then dialled all the way back to 1 for the ATG. While that was a bit mild it was also very comfortable. It took a "tweed" surface and turned it into "velour."

My technique at the moment is to shave the top and sides first, then to lather up the back and do that WTG, then lather up the back again and do an ATG pass. Then while that's settling in I'll take off my glasses and do my temples, behind my ears, and clean up the sides. Rinse with warm water, slide the specs back on and lather up the back again for a second ATG pass with a bit more aggression.

After that, I have some spots that never get good the first time so I went back on 4 and pared them back. My "sail plan" so far looks like this:

Top and sides (WTG): 3
Back WTG: 3
Back ATG: 1
Temples and ears (ATG): 3
Back cleanup (ATG): 3
Additional spots (ATG): 4

Yeah, I'm a little like a 16-year-old in his first manual-shift car.

Another contextual factor that has to be accounted for is why a first shave with a new razor often seems like the Best. Thing. Ever. I conclude this is due primarily to the blade. I notice, since I started paying attention, that a nice fresh blade on its first use can deliver a stellar shave (if you've got the right blade). That can lead one to conflate a great shave with the razor, rather than the blade. One reason I stick with Astra SP blades is that I truly love the way they shave. I don't have to wonder what kind of shave I'm going to have nor how long the blade will last. Lovely shaves with a gentle rolloff in performance across six shaves, and then into the bin before they get tedious.

The Konsul is a great razor. For a first outing I was quite pleased. Since I have a feel for how the blade tends to wear in, I will be interested to see how it goes after Shave Three.

I'll make some adjustments to the sail plan as we go. Probably for me a 2 will be adequate for that first ATG. I found 1 quite mild, but just for grins I went over an area a couple of times on 1 and it netted a nice smoothness. Having taken a pass on 4, I think I'll try a 6 for the first WTG next day. One of the cautious factors I had was a couple of bumps from getting a bit close last time with another razor. It's had two days to heal but there were still bumps to feel. One of them succumbed to the neatest excision I've ever personally experienced; yet another point in the Konsul's favour.

A good rinse with cold water, some Sensitive Men balm, and off to face the day with serene confidence.

O.H.

 

[Old Hippie]

The Tilted Picnic Slant Circus, Year Three. Round One, Shave Two: Rex Supply "Konsul" Adjustable Slant

SOTD: Wednesday March 2, 2022
Razor: Konsul
Blade: Astra SP (2)
Brush: Omega 10005 Boar
Soap: OH Cedar Savage

As I walked into the Lather Pit this morning, I had the Hondell's "Little Honda" running in my head...

"First gear, it's all right/Second gear, lean right/Third gear, hang on tight..."

So let's hit a couple of different gears on this thing today and see what eventuates.

Top and sides: 3
Back WTG: 6
Back ATG: 2
Temples and ears: 4
Back ATG: 4

Surprisingly opening it up to 6 for the WTG on hard hair in the back was a good move. Dialling back to 2 for the first ATG would have left a very nice surface if I'd put a little more time in at that point. It was closer than 1, at any rate. Compared to some rather aggressive nonadjustable razors I use, the pass was much more congenial with a bit less care to keep a less-aggressive cutting angle. Temples and ears were smooth at 4. The final cleanup pass up the back on 4 was very nice with the exception of hitting a couple of bumps left over from an earlier razor. They're healing; won't be a problem after another shave or two.

Since there are no detents on the settings, going between them is easy. I was thinking maybe a 3.5 or so for the top. We'll see as time goes.

I noted that the blade is pretty well held, and that's so even on 6. When twist-adjusting another razor things can get floppy as the tension backs off. While that's a topic for another day it's nice to have confirmation that the Konsul seems to be pretty well thought out. I will likely not go ATG on 6; seems like a bridge too far for my context. Setting 4 was enough to feel some blade but still have a fairly safe-feeling shave.

The angle is, for me, just a touch steeper than some razors. After the first day I had it figured. The "window" where the blade is shaving is also a touch narrower than some razors, but not by much. That means I do a bit more "terrain following" while shaving. Again, knowing that I have to do it keeps it in my mind.

Gradually I'm learning how to dance with this thing. All that double-clutching the paradigm shift got me to a DFS+.

O.H.

 

[Old Hippie]

The Tilted Picnic Slant Circus, Year Three. Round One, Shave Three: Rex Supply "Konsul" Adjustable Slant

SOTD: Friday March 4, 2022 (Army Day!)
Razor: Rex Konsul
Blade: Astra SP (3)
Brush: Omega 10005 Boar
Soap: OH Cedar Savage

Three shaves down, and the Konsul is beginning to feel familiar. That being so, I will stop posting a detailed narrative of my adjustment fetish and instead simply mention that I fiddle with it while shaving. Things being as they are, everyone's experience of the razor will be different. What works for me may be broadly applicable in concept, and I will leave sorting out the precise details to each individual.

What I have found on my own skin is that a relatively aggressive razor will take off lots of hair WTG quite smoothly. With the Konsul set to an aggressive setting there is some blade feel but it still feels like that's a safe blade feel. I've also noticed that same relatively aggressive razor, even after doing two WTG passes to get all the easy stuff, has to be carefully negotiated in order to shave ATG without digging in. The adjustability of the Konsul allows me to "milden" the razor sufficiently for a nice ATG pass, albeit one that tends to leave a bit of stubble. Cleaning up with a mid-range setting whisks all that away and leaves a smooth surface with minimal irritation.

I'm still setting muscle memory to the Konsul. It seems to require a slightly steeper blade angle (handle closer to the skin) and the "window" seems to be a touch narrower than some other razors. Not a problem; simply need to work with it.

The way I think of it, the Konsul is one of those razors that can deliver a stellar shave with a fresh blade. I find not all razors can do that. Some like the Wunderbar require intense mindfulness on the first two shaves, and deliver the best shave on about #3 when the blade has been worn down a touch on both sides. I flip blades and spin DE razors, which is one reason I'm not all in for differential heads. Sometimes I spin SE razors, which makes me smile at myself.

I am looking forward to seeing how the blade does for the next three shaves. Astra SPs are pretty predictable that way. I expect "decent" if not "stellar" shaves next week. Stay tuned!

Oh, one other matter to address. As I suspected, loading the blade has become second nature quickly. I hold the cap upside down, slide the blade onto the stud and line it up over the cap tabs, then carefully slide the razor body down on top, checking to be sure the tabs and slots engage. It needs a bit more care than some razors, but again not a problem.

O.H.

 

[silverlifter]

How does the top setting of the Konsul (6?) compare to the Wunderbar in terms of efficiency?

 

[Old Hippie]

How does the top setting of the Konsul (6?) compare to the Wunderbar in terms of efficiency?

Good question! Thank you.

Also a nuanced answer! I found that on 6 it felt as efficient as the Wunderbar WTG. I have not tried it ATG. And here's the nuance: Using the Wunderbar with a fresh blade ATG is a "mildly fraught" experience for me. It's got a tendency to dig in by following my hard hair right down into the skin. I've learned techniques that minimize that, so I get on with the Wunderbar pretty well.

With the Konsul I can dial the gap down and have a less aggressive razor for the ATG, while still keeping that rip-off-big-chunks-of-hair capacity for my WTG pass. I am finding that the shave with the Konsul is more enjoyable than with the Wunderbar (though they're close) -- the reason being I can tighten things up and not have to be intensely mindful of my angles trying to get one good ATG line. After the first stroke or line with the Wunderbar I have knocked down enough that I can use a small overlap on the strokes, which only presents a little bit of hair to the blade on each stroke rather than the whole blade. With the Konsul, dial it back for the tough parts and shave on.

It's kind of apples and oranges. The Wunderbar is very efficient at the cost of having to find ways to make the razor "less efficient" in order to avoid getting cut at some points in the shave. The Konsul is very efficient and easily accommodates those times when reducing the stubble a little more slowly is the best option.

I'll be interested to see how things go next week!

O.H.

 

[pgriffin]

The Merkur Super Slant looks VERY interesting. I'm just getting into slants, what a neat idea they are just from a design perspective. How do I get my hands on a super slant (or a clone that is close enough?)

 

[Old Hippie]

The Merkur Super Slant looks VERY interesting. I'm just getting into slants, what a neat idea they are just from a design perspective. How do I get my hands on a super slant (or a clone that is close enough?)

Ahhh...well, you figure THAT out, let me know YOUR secret! I only have one of four variations (considering just the Merkur branded ones), and I'd like to have one of the OC versions as well.

From all available information -- and increasingly wild speculation -- the "Super Slant" was made from about 1946 until about 1955. It was made in fairly small numbers apparently. The best advice is to simply keep your eyes open, and be ready to jump on one when you see it.

The available evidence seems to lend credence to the idea that Merkur also took over making the Fasan Double Slant. (You can see how little we know for sure! We have to try to figure out apparent similarities.) Some of the Merkur parts interchange with Fasan parts, which is why that may be the case.

Now, the clone version -- of the Fasan Double Slant -- is the Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements "Monster" series. I have heard (another phrase indicating my lack of information) that the PAA "Filament" razor is a bit more aggressive than the "Monsters" and therefore MAY be either A) even closer to the Fasan Double Slant, or B) reminiscent of the old "PBOCS" or Phoenix Bakelite Open Comb Slant.

My observation of the PBOCS was that it was not an entirely faithful copy of the Fasan, and I understand the Filament is somewhere between the PBOCS and the Monster. I find that a Monster slant with a shimmed blade and a stainless handle shaves at least as well as a Fasan Double Slant. I say "at least as well" because my Fasan has had a long hard life. Still shaves fine but a little loosey-goosey and requires some attention to line things up correctly.

O.H.

 

[pgriffin]

A most excellent post (and thread!) Thanks for pointing me to the PAA Monster and Filament razors. I would have snapped one up in a jiffy if it were metal. IDK if I'm ready for a plastic glow in the dark razor just yet though 0.0
Maybe I'll warm up to the Filament eventually, since it is clear plastic. Anyone else have it?

 

[silverlifter]

Maybe I'll warm up to the Filament eventually, since it is clear plastic. Anyone else have it?

I have one. It's not a bad razor, for the price. Using a steel handle makes it a much better shaver, for me. I wouldn't consider it especially aggressive; it is efficient enough, but without much blade feel.

 

[Old Hippie]

The Tilted Picnic Slant Circus, Year Three. Round One, Shave Four: Rex Supply "Konsul" Adjustable Slant

SOTD: Monday March 7, 2022
Razor: Rex Konsul
Blade: Astra SP (4)
Brush: Omega 10005 Boar
Soap: OH Cedar Savage

Somebody posted in a related thread that Rex designed the Konsul around the PermaSharp blade. That's as may be, and I've never used a PermaSharp as far as I know. With some occasional side trips I've been using the Astra SP for quite a while now. Where I'm heading with this is: I feel like I have a good sense of how the Astra SP changes during its shave life.

That lets me mentally subtract what I know the blade will do from the overall context of what's happening on the skin, thus being able to see what's due to the razor and what to the blade. It's inexact but I'm getting a feel for it in a general way. Some razors I've used seem to need more care on the first shave, or on the first two shaves, because the blades are fairly sharp right out of the wrapper. I both "flip" and "spin" so in each shave I use both sides of a DE razor, and I flip the blade over between shaves. Frankly I do all that because I like to fiddle with things, but secondarily I can rationalize my obsession by saying that it gives me the best shave possible on any given day and also ensures the blade wears down evenly.

Other razors, perhaps with neutral or negative exposure, can take a fresh blade and deliver a really smooth shave without needing more than a casual awareness that I'm using a new blade. In terms of examples that may resonate with many here, I'll give you three off the top of my head, if you'll pardon the pun.

1. Parker SemiSlant: A fairly mild razor, feels pretty safe to drive even with a fresh blade. Needs a bit more work to get a good shave once the blade has three or four shaves on it.

2. iKon X3: Again fairly mild. It's got a differential head, designed to be more aggressive on one side than the other. I include it here because of my habit of spinning the razor to use both sides. With many differential razors I have to get a complete pass done on the coarse side before spinning the razor around to the fine side. It didn't seem to matter too much with the X3 but I found that I had to account for it.

3. RazoRock Wunderbar: This is not a mild razor. It's also not as aggressive as some others but THAT list is darn short. I have occasionally used a fresh blade in another razor (ATT S2) for a couple of shaves before dropping it into the Wunderbar. The way my brain "works" I get annoyed at using a razor only twice before dirtying up another razor, so I usually just depend on my ability to pay attention and shave gently with a sharp blade in a heavy razor with lots of edge feel. Moving blades between razors seems not to work out well. Every razor wears the blade differently, so I find it causes as many problems as it solves for me. In contrast to the Parker and the iKon, the Wunderbar tends to keep my on my toes for the first three shaves, then feels a bit more restrained on the next three.

OK. Long way around the barn, here, but there's a point I want to make. Using the same blade, with milder razors I have nice early shaves and work a bit on the later ones; with aggressive razors I have to work a bit to get past the early shaves and then the later shaves feel good. Without diving into the technical details that's been a pretty constant observation. Now enter the Konsul.

I will admit that I've been a bit leery of adjustables because "you just find the right number and stay on it." It seemed to me that just buying a non-adjustable that worked well was a more financially-responsible decision. It is SO easy to have opinions when you don't have any experience of something! I have a strong feeling that an adjustable slant is not too different in concept or execution from a plain DE adjustable. Requires a bit more complexity in a helical slant, but in terms of what it does to the razor I imagine it's similar. (Yeah, I don't know.)

Some of the Keys to the Game with the Konsul seem to be for me: A) slick lather, not stiff, not runny; B) mid-range blade; C) slightly steeper angle and D) use the adjustments. Gradually I'm finding some new routine. I'm also having one hell of a lot of fun.

O.H.

 

[Tirvine]

Let's have a look at the team for this year:

Up first, the Rex Supply "Konsul" Adjustable Slant:

View attachment 1416761

The Konsul tips the scales at 105 grams without blade. The length of the handle (rounded to nearest 5th mm) is 80 mm.

The Konsul is an all-stainless adjustable slant. Although I said earlier that I'm not blowing a lot of ink on "homage" razors, it is true that most razors stand on the shoulders (caps?) of those who went before. In the Konsul's case it gives a strong nod to the genetics of the Gibbs adjustable razor. Since there is at least one YootOob video showing a mix-n-match disassembly of a Rex Ambassador and a Rex Konsul, one might say the Konsul is "heavily inspired" by the Ambassador. You can see this can really turn into a very deep rabbit hole in a real hurry. You may feel free to smile at the thought that while I can't justify $249 for an Ambassador I jumped on the $349 Konsul with not too many qualms. Qualm before the storm? Who knows...

Whatever; the mechanics offer a very neat way to make a helical slant (or even a tilted slant) adjustable. The blade is held between the cap and base, while the separate bar carrier can move up and down to change the razor's gap. The blade is reported to be held in negative-to-neutral exposure, said to give less blade-feel and possibly supporting the comfort level of those who are new to slants. Whether someone new to slants is going to start with this razor is an open question, but I will say on the face of it that it looks like a better choice for a first slant than, say, a Wunderbar (which is an excellent choice for a third slant).

The ergonomics look good. The razor feels well balanced in my hand, with a reassuring solidity courtesy of the 316L stainless. I was at first not too excited about the "pineapple" knurling on the handle. I have a strong aesthetic preference for lots of really gnarly diamond knurl, but actually holding the Konsul has made me an instant fan of pineapple knurling as well. My sweet spots for razors are around 100 g and a handle length of 85 mm. The Konsul is not outside those parameters to a significant degree. Twiddling the razor around it already feels like there won't be much of an adjustment.

More about the adjustableness in a moment.

Once I've spent a couple of weeks gushing over the Konsul, I will turn my attention to the next round of shaves -- this time with the much-fabled Merkur "Super Slant."

View attachment 1416771

This particular "Super Slant" clocks in at 80 g and has a 75 mm handle. It is the upper razor in the picture; shown alongside a Model 37 for comparison.

The "Super Slant" is a mystery wrapped up in a conundrum painted in the colours of fable and contained within a truly excellent razor. Trolling around the web and spending a lot of time talking to the real experts -- people like @efsk and @Clouds -- and also prodding Merkur/Dovo for whatever they know has unearthed a few factoids that are scattered about here and there.

As I've said earlier the "Super Slant" isn't its real name. Merkur uses model numbers, not word names. We are all at least visually familiar with the 34, 37, 38, 39, 41, 42 etc. The "missing" numbers represent discontinued models. One example is the Merkur 36, which was a slant with the same head as the 37, but in a 3-piece form instead of 2-piece. I am often amused that RazoRock's "German 37" really should be the "German 36" -- but if it was most newbies wouldn't know what the heck it was supposed to mean.

Also note that Merkur uses different model numbers for variations on the same basic razor. The 42 is a safety-bar razor; the 41 is the same razor with an open comb. Looking back through old Merkur catalogs shows that they tended to concentrate on four variations on the theme: open comb or safety bar, and what they called "short screw" versus "long screw." In modern parlance we refer to the short screw razors as "three piece" and the long screw razors as "two piece." Each one would have its own model number: hence the 37 is a two-piece slant; the 36 is a three-piece slant. There are examples of all four variations of the Super Slant, but aside from one possible identification as an "18" I've not seen a complete numbering scheme for them.

Merkur/Dovo is very little help. This is not because they don't want to help; it is because when the family that started Merkur sold it off in 1996 they took everything but the dust on the shelves, practically. Any old records that survived the war, old production models...all that stuff disappeared and the current company has only the institutional memory of a few increasingly older employees to rely on. Any dating we can do is necessarily broadly inaccurate. I have seen an old catalog from 1956, which does NOT show the "Super Slant." I suspect the "Super Slant" was not made prior to 1945. We have other catalogs from rebranders like Hoffritz and Abercrombie & Fitch showing the "Super Slant" prior to 1956. There is some speculation that some of the razors and other items retained by the family started showing up on the market in about 2009, as that's about when we started seeing more "Super Slants" appearing.

Much of what I have been told about this razor relies on some very patient work and fortunate occasions to chat with aging Merkur employees taken by our European friends. From this work a very interesting picture emerges. Similarities in the design and execution of three well-known razors -- the "Super Slant," the Fasan Double Slant and the Walbusch B5 adjustable tilted slant -- show evidence of a strong Merkur involvement in all three. Some parts are interchangeable between the "Super Slant" and the Fasan, and various indications on the Walbusch lead to the belief that Merkur actually designed and produced it. (Which wouldn't be much of a stretch, as Walter Busch Soehne was not specifically a razor company. They still exist as a textile company.)

That this should be so is not a real surprise. Merkur made a lot of razors that were rebranded. Hoffritz and Coles department stores were prominent, as was Abercrombie & Fitch. In Italy, the "Bartali" razor is clearly a "Super Slant." The Bartali is named in honour of a famous Italian bicycle racer of the late '40s -- which helps to establish a window for the production from "late '40s" to "early '50s."

Our third round will be a long-term use check-in with the Above the Tie X1.

View attachment 1416799

The X1 (here with a West Coast Shaving 84S handle) is the heftiest shaver in this year's gymkhana. All up we're looking at 130 g, with an 85 mm handle. I may switch to an ATT Kronos handle, which is just as long and will shift the mass distribution a bit but shouldn't be too different.

"Everything old is new again" would be a good adage to remember here, too. The single edge slant idea is a good example. Among the SE slants is the OBLYC, a French adjustable-slanting razor. The razor can be set to any angle, similar to a Peroni and others. The OBLYC is not, however, a dedicated slant but rather a razor that can be optionally configured that way if the user wishes.

The X1 follows ATT's nomenclature convention that "1" razors are safety bar and "2" razors are open comb. I do hope to see an X2 on the market eventually, but that will only happen if the X1 is an acclaimed success. It is an AC-format razor. Since it is single edge with a really narrow blade there is no need to be helical. The X1 is a tilted slant. The design incorporates a narrower gap and less blade exposure than many other AC razors. This makes it both mild due to the design and highly efficient due to the blade properties. It doesn't appear to be hugely slanted, though as with the ATT S1 and S2 slants all the magic is under the cap. I have often recommended the X1 to shavers looking to break into the AC format. It's not an "autopilot" razor but it gives an excellent shave and is a wonderful introduction to wide-edge shaving. I will probably stay with the X1 for three weeks, as the AC blades tend to be a bit longer-lived than DE blades.

Finally, my speculative fourth razor in the series is a modified Fatip Open Comb Slant. No pictures yet, because it's not "modified" yet. I have noticed a very convenient way to give a little more security when "twist adjusting" the FOCS. I will provide full details when I see if this works. The idea is that while almost any razor can be twist adjusted, there's a bit of a limit to how much a razor can be opened up due to the spring effect of the blade. Unscrewing the handle takes tension off the blade, and depending on the razor design that may only be 1/8 turn (as on my FOCS) before the handle becomes too loose.

The idea for locking the handle comes from @Clouds who has a much more elegant presentation of it. Claudio kindly allows me to present my own fumbling researches, which will happen a bit later once some "supply chain issues" get resolved. I'll be back with that.

Well. With all that blather and hooha out of the way I can concentrate on shaving for a while! Looking forward to it.

O.H.

The ATT X1 is fascinating, but I hope you also get a few rounds in the ring with an S1 and let us know how it punched compared to the others. Also, enjoy that Kronos. It is one of my favorites, but the more I use the Atlas, the more I'd like, although it seems slants might benefit from longer handles and their propensity to deliver shallow angles.

 

[silverlifter]

I will admit that I've been a bit leery of adjustables because "you just find the right number and stay on it."

This is what am I most interested in regarding an adjustable slant (and specifically, what Razorock come up with in this space).

I don't change the setting of my Slim whilst shaving, but I do regularly switch it between shaves; and I would expect to do the same with an adjustable slant. Monday morning, for example, I have my heaviest growth as I don't shave on a Sunday. So the Slim goes to the top (yesterday was 9). The following shave, I dropped it to 7. The day after using the Wunderbar, I might even go down to a 5 if there is not much regrowth.

I get that a lot of people "set and forget" their adjustables, but for me that completely defeats the purpose. I want to be able to control that variable depending upon stubble growth, how my face is feeling, or which blade I am loading.

Sorry to derail the picnic, but this aspect of razors is of keen interest to me; more so now that adjustable slants are in the game!

 

[Old Hippie]

The ATT X1 is fascinating, but I hope you also get a few rounds in the ring with an S1 and let us know how it punched compared to the others.

I didn't do the S1, but the S2 showed up in at least one of the earlier versions of the Tilted Picnic.

For its innovative design the ATT S-series is a very nice slant. Possibly a bit less "slanty" than some, but nonetheless a slant. Blade insertion is easy, and the blade is held in exactly the right position every time. In fact, adjusting it is impossible. The OC S2 combines that design with a nice mild shave. It's my grail razor and the standard against which I judge every other razor I've tried. So much so, in fact, that it's also my bailout razor for those times when the shave is going pear-shaped.

O.H.

 

[Old Hippie]

This is what am I most interested in regarding an adjustable slant (and specifically, what Razorock come up with in this space).

I wouldn't look for an adjustable slant from RazoRock. While they have a new line of slants on the way, they'll be "adjustable" in the same way some other "adjustable" razors are: you will be able to select from a range of baseplates. From what I've seen they will likely offer six different baseplates for it; three SB and three OC. They should be getting close to putting them up, after some delays.

The other adjustable slant that's in testing is the Homelike. From the limited amount of information out there it looks like a scalloped-bar razor with some serious helicality. I hear even less from Homelike than from RazoRock, so take that with a large grain of your favourite salt substitute. Once those are up, getting one through the fraught political and economic supply chain will be an interesting challenge.

O.H.

 

[Old Hippie]

The Tilted Picnic Slant Circus, Year Three. Round One, Shave Five: Rex Supply "Konsul" Adjustable Slant

SOTD: Wednesday March 9, 2022
Razor: Rex Konsul
Blade: Astra SP (5)
Brush: Omega 10005 Boar
Soap: OH Cedar Savage

I feel like I had this thing pretty well figured out by the third shave. I've settled on a general process and it seems to be generating good results, so I'm not changing it up.

My thing to note today is that on Shave Five the blade still feels quite capable. With some razors this is not the case. Sometimes I head into the sixth shave with a bit of trepidation; occasionally not without good reason. But with the Konsul it feels like the blade has had a gentle life so far, considering. Very little tendency to generate irritation at larger gap settings, which bodes well for the next (and final) shave.

O.H.

 

[Old Hippie]

The Tilted Picnic Slant Circus, Year Three. Round One, Shave Six: Rex Supply "Konsul" Adjustable Slant

SOTD: Friday March 11, 2022
Razor: Rex Konsul
Blade: Astra SP (6)
Brush: Omega 10005 Boar
Soap: OH Cedar Savage

This isn't really a wrap-up, more like a provisional report so far. Although I'm moving on to the next razor next week this isn't "goodbye" but rather "until we meet again." I'll keep using it -- probably once I'm done the Tilted Picnic I'll go on a major run with it -- and I fully expect that I'll include it again in next year's Tilted Picnic as a long-term review. Rather like what I'll do with the ATT X1 in a couple of weeks.

I have had some general thoughts about the Konsul as I've reflected on how things have gone. One persistent concern is whether the razor is easy to load or not. There is a growing sense that it's just a slightly different technique, and once one has that imprinted in muscle memory it's simple. I tend to agree, since I've imprinted it in my muscle memory. The concern is that the blade, when laid into the upturned cap, does not immediately fit onto the tabs in the cap. The answer for now is to press the blade down just a bit, and then hold it by the tabs with thumb and index finger while sliding the body of the razor down over the stud and lining it all up.

It occurred to me this could be addressed by making the tabs a bit taller, and then either making the tab slots in the baseplate deeper or making them through holes. Depending on how the razor is manufactured that could be easy or hard, and since we have a workable solution it may not be economically viable. Would I pay another $50 for a Konsul with longer cap tabs? Tough call, but I get a certain amount of satisfaction from having learned how to load the razor. Edit: They're through holes already. On closer examination I can see that if the tabs were taller they would hit the adjustable bar when the razor was set to milder gap. A good excuse for a full-on Emily Litella: "Neevvvvverrrmind."

Another question from the shaversphere is: "Is it worth a hundred bucks more than the Ambassador?" I can't answer that with reference to the Ambassador, since I do not own one. I can offer some insight into what we call "value." In my opinion the razor is worth what I paid for it because it is well-made and gives me excellent shaves. While I don't conflate price with quality of shave, there is a certain amount of correspondence between price and value here. Slant razors, for all their lovably quirky traits, are "process-intensive" which is to say it takes more stock, more stock removal, more processes, and must meet a higher standard of fit than some other razors. "Doing more stuff" costs more money. Plus it's 316L stainless which requires more expensive tooling. Well. Enough philosophy for right now.

It is such an interesting razor! I've stayed away from adjustables because I see a lot of guys who find their number and stick to it with rare exceptions. I've also been sensitive about being thought to be a shifter jockey who finds a different setting for each individual hair. But when an adjustable slant came along suddenly none of that mattered. Like many of us I've learned ways to accommodate a non-adjustable razor to the varying conditions in which I shave. Ride the cap here, ride the bar/comb there, take a large overlap this direction, use the whole blade going that way. An adjustable razor can be used like that, of course. But the beauty of an adjustable is being able to combine strong technique with the ability to change the razor's feel. That leads to even better shaves, I'm finding. Even six shaves on the blade and I don't have much in the way of cleanups or leftovers. I have other razors that can do that, but it's nice to find another one.

In the end it's a holder for a 14-cent blade. What's amazing is that it's such a great holder! I can appreciate the sheer mechanical genius of it, the excellent materials and fit, the ease of use. We've all certainly had 14-cent blade holders that gave us more than our money's worth in aggravation, irritation, and extravasation.

Is this a beginner razor? Y'know...I could see that. Too many times beginners get some cheap piece that has poor design, poor fit and actually requires better technique than a better-built razor. However, the hard-edged realist in me says it's not really a beginner razor. Even just in the subcategory of slants, I strongly encourage anyone just dipping a whisker for the first time to start with something like the Parker SemiSlant, Merkur 37 or 39, or RazoRock German 37.

The other thing I really like about the Konsul is: it's not a Merkur 37 clone. Nothing against the 37 or its spiritual cousins, but it's nice to have some choice in the market instead of only getting to choose which company made your Merkur lookalike. I get it that the razor-thin margins in the biz, pardon the pun, mean that any design that departs from the tried-and-true is a large gamble. You could lose your shirt pretty easily trying to turn your great idea into the next big thing. I'm glad Rex Supply Co. took that gamble.

O.H.