What is a slant?

[jpress76]

Gents-

I've been a DE shaver for almost 5 years and have dabbled in straights. Nevertheless, my DE education is incomplete. What is a slant? I've seen tons of pictures, I know (some) of the makes and model numbers, but how/why does it work? As I understand it, closed combs have a saftey bar, open combs have teeth but no bar so more of the blade is exposed, but where does the slant fit in. I posted a thread looking for suggestions for a new razor, and lots of folks said to try a slant, but I don't have a clue. Checked the shave wiki, not much there.

Thanks for the help!

Josh

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/323170-Help-me-get-to-my-next-razor

 

[kmain]

http://www.shaving101.com/index.php/shaving-faqs/119-what-is-a-slant-razor.html

The slant razor, such as the Merkur 37C, is different from regular safety razors because of the unique design of the cutting head. Rather than the safety bar running perpendicular to the handle of the razor, the bar of the 37C bends the blade at an angle. The purpose of this design is to create a slicing action with the blade when you shave with it. This allows the edge the of the blade to cut closer and more aggressively than a standard double edge razor, making the slant razor a very popular choice among experienced wet shavers and men with very thick and coarse beards. Because the slant is known to be aggressive, it is generally considered an advanced tool for those who are already accustomed to wet shaving and should be avoided by new shavers, who have yet to become completely familiar with the use of traditional safety razors. With the correct technique and pressure the slant, paired with a quality blade such as a Feather, is capable of producing extremely close and comfortable shaves with fewer required passes. Learn more in my article, Merkur Slant Bar Heavy Duty Razor.

 

[mattiow]

Buy one, they don't bite but wil give you a different shave to anything else. I now won't use anything else as I get bbs every time from my sledgehammer 39c.

 

[Mick]

They are great razors that are mild and efficient. A combination that is hard to beat.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/301979-8-Pass-Shave-Using-2-Merkur-Slants

 

[Copierguy]

Looking at the way a slant holds the blade in 2D, it kind of has a Gillette slide or slicing effect built in.

Because of this slicing action, many users say that a slant razor improves a blades performance turning a Derby into an Astra or an Astra into a Feather.

 

[wagstaff]

There's a sizable minority of folks who don't get on with them at all, too. It's one of those "must try to know" things, and it seems they're very easy to unload on B/S/T if you don't like it. (So like many others, I recommend you try one to see; but unlike many others, I myself found a slant a terrible shaver).