Thread: New Ikon slant? Any users?

I'm curious about the new one as well. I've got the original, picked it up reasonable on the bay, and I like it. I wrote a glowing review on it when I first got it, but since then I've become less enthusiastic. It is a good razor, and is as good as shave as the Merkur, maybe slightly better ....... maybe only as good. Depends on the day.

What I like about the original is the weight, well made, and I believe the head angle is slightly different. The stainless handle, knurling and all, is great. What I don't like ..... the ends of the blade cannot be accessed once the top cap is on. So the blade exposure from one side to the other is difficult to adjust. I use the flat of my thumbnail against the edge to accomplish that. IME it will not tighten with equal blade exposure unless you give it that attention. The Merkur's top cap allows access to the blade ends, making adjustment easy.

I do not like the black finish on this new one. A deal breaker for me, but I am curious as to how it differs from the first iteration. Finally, is it worth the $ ? I collect slants, so for me it was a matter of waiting for the right price on a used copy. Is it worth 3 or 4 Merkurs ? Dunno, how much it is worth is in the eye of the beholder/end user.

I had the same experience JimmyHAD did with the Ikon - too fiddly to align the blade. Sold it off. Still use the Merkur Sledgehammer slant once in a while, and a Hoffritz in lieu of the 37C.

That was the kind of inside info I was looking for. Probably just stick with what I got. Not an all the time DE shaver anymore. Its my in a hurry choice. Maybe like jimmy if I can find one cheap enough may give it a whirl.

I have always wanted to try a slant but don't want to spend that much when I use a DE very seldom

I have one of the Merkur Sledgehammers, everything I read said it was the closest thing to a straight.

I found the vintage Gillette adjustable to be far better in terms of tuning it to your face than the slant. Also, since I'm not a big DE user, since getting some of these Gillette Platinum blades, it was a total game changer, used the blades again the other day, and it brought the shave to a whole new level...smooth, very close, and almost no irritation on the neck or anywhere else.

May sound obvious to more experienced DE users, but I've come to realize, I think, that the blade you use has far more impact on the shave than the "handle".....just my opinion.

Originally Posted by Phrank

I have one of the Merkur Sledgehammers, everything I read said it was the closest thing to a straight.

I found the vintage Gillette adjustable to be far better in terms of tuning it to your face than the slant. Also, since I'm not a big DE user, since getting some of these Gillette Platinum blades, it was a total game changer, used the blades again the other day, and it brought the shave to a whole new level...smooth, very close, and almost no irritation on the neck or anywhere else.

May sound obvious to more experienced DE users, but I've come to realize, I think, that the blade you use has far more impact on the shave than the "handle".....just my opinion.

I agree with all you say. My Gillette Slim adjustables do a nice job and being able to tune it ( dial it) to the face with different blades is awesome

I thank the OP for asking the question and Jimmy/Gary for their answers. That confirmed what I have read on the difference between the Mekur slant and the Ikon slant as far as the actual shave went. I ordered the Merkur slant to see how it compares to the Muhle R41 and the Gillette Fat Boy set @ 9. I should know in a couple of days when it gets here. Went with the Muker 37C not the 39C "Sledgehammer" because I like shorter handles.

It takes a very aggressive head design in a fixed head DE in combination with a very sharp blade to come close to a straight shave for closeness and longevity. So far in fixed head DEs only the Muhle R41 and vintage Gillette OCs with a blade like a feather have come close for me. I found the same with a Gillette Fat Boy @ 9 but when set to @ 6 it was a relatively mild shave.

Bob

I have never liked the adjustable razors. Perhaps I'm prejudiced from my experience with them as a kid when I first started shaving. Since 'more is better' my tendency was to shave with them at the wider exposure and that resulted in irritation if not a nick. So I shied away from DEs when I discovered the Schick SE injector models. When I came back to DEs 30 years later I found the Gillette Red Tip superspeed, 40s/50s Aristocrat and 3 piece 'Big Fellow' were about perfect for my needs. If I shaved with a fatboy it was at about a 5 to 7 for the equivalent exposure. Then I discovered the slant. The Merkur looked fearsome, but it was actually an easy razor to shave with once I got over my trepidation.

As to blades, the Feather are my favorites now, though the Gillette Swedes were the best when I could get them. Thanks to Phrank's giving me a tip on where to find them, I have 500 on the way to me from across the pond. The funny thing about blades is that one mans meat is another mans poison. Years ago, on a DE dedicated forum, I've seen polls asking for peoples favorites, and least liked blades. I'd see guys who didn't like Feathers and Swedes and scratch my head.

I hated Dorkos, Derbys, and a few others the names of which I've happily forgotten. I did learn to like the Derbys after awhile, if I felt like a mild shave. Haven't tried them lately, though I have a large supply of them. Nowadays if I want a mild DE shave I go with the Merkur slant or the Ikon, and if I want to really get close the Muhle R-41, with a Feather of course. Looking forward to the upcoming Gillette order.