Thread: Modified an Ikon 1st Generation Slant. Lemonade out of a Lemon !

So Ikon had come out with a stainless steel slant @ $150.00. I have been a collector of old slant (twisted head) safety razors for years, and I was intrigued by the new offering but being primarily a straight razor shaver, I didn't want to pay the price of admission.

A year or two went by and I was on ebay, saw a first gen Ikon slant for $100 BIN, free shipping. So I couldn't resist and went for it. It looked cool. Heavy, well made and finished. The only thing wrong with it was it didn't shave worth a damn. (If your 1st gen Ikon slant shaves great ...... more power to you. Just telling it like it was for me)

I tried a half dozen times but no soap. (no pun intended). I noted that they had come out with a second gen Ikon slant and wondered if they had learned from their mistake and changed the geometry. Anyway ........ so I was stuck.



I was going to put it on ebay, I had seen 1st gen Ikon slants sell for $150 for the head alone. At the same time I had a hunch that I could modify the top cap and make a good shaver out of it. I knew that if I tried and failed it wouldn't be worth more than the handle alone monetarily.

The more I studied it the more I wanted to take the chance. I have shaved with many slant head razors from the very early to the later models. I'm of the opinion that Merkur perfected the slant design. Some might not agree, but for me you can't beat them.

The Ikon had a long head and the alignment pins weren't machined to be snug to the blade the way the Tradere 1st gen is. So because you couldn't align the blade by the ends, the way you could on a Merkur, you had to use your thumbnail against the very edge of the blade. A real hassle AFAIC.

Worst of all, the blade exposure was minimal. I've never had the Gillette blue tip Super Speed, the 'mild' one, but if it was a Fatboy adjustable the blade exposure was probably equal to 2 or 3. So I took the top cap to the belt sander and did one side. I improved the exposure, and shortened the head so I could use my thumb and forefinger to align the blade as I tightened the head.

Shave tested and I found that the arc of the top cap prevented me from getting the angle I needed to get an optimum pass. I studied the Merkur and concluded that I would be best off if I could approximate the same design. Back to the belt sander. If You've read this far (you've got patience) I'll cut to the chase.

Cosmetically I could have been more careful, but I got a great shave with this razor in its new configuration. I'd have put this thread in the workshop, but it is a safety razor after all so I think it is better in the safety razor shaving forum.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

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A year or two went by and I was on ebay, saw a first gen Ikon slant for $100 BIN, free shipping. So I couldn't resist and went for it. It looked cool. Heavy, well made and finished. The only thing wrong with it was it didn't shave worth a damn. (If your 1st gen Ikon slant shaves great ...... more power to you. Just telling it like it was for me)

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I am glad to hear you were able to modify it, to make it work for you.

might want to slap a Patent on it Jimmy,,,,

Originally Posted by Hirlau

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I am glad to hear you were able to modify it, to make it work for you.

might want to slap a Patent on it Jimmy,,,,

I just have to hope Merkur doesn't sue me for patent infringement !

If anything they might pay YOU not to mention their name while showing a picture of your work again,,,,

Originally Posted by Hirlau

If anything they might pay YOU not to mention their name while showing a picture of your work again,,,,

Yeah well ......... it is just possible that without my giving them a kick in the butt they would have never made the long handled slant ....... I had to make the first one !

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthr...r-in-the-world

BTW, the Ikon I modified looks better in the hand than in the photos, and shaves as good as any slant I've ever used.

Thanks for posting Jimmy. I've never been into safeties, but I found it interesting to get an insight into the mechanics of them. That said, the message I'm getting from your post is, "Don't buy an Ikon, buy a Merkur". If I ever get around to buying one what would you suggest, bearing in mind that while money isn't really an issue (I'm not a millionaire, but I stick to my father's advice that no-one ever regretted buying quality), I'm not looking for the safety equivalent of a grim reaper. I'd be more concerned with function than fashion.

Originally Posted by puketui41

Thanks for posting Jimmy. I've never been into safeties, but I found it interesting to get an insight into the mechanics of them. That said, the message I'm getting from your post is, "Don't buy an Ikon, buy a Merkur". If I ever get around to buying one what would you suggest, bearing in mind that while money isn't really an issue (I'm not a millionaire, but I stick to my father's advice that no-one ever regretted buying quality), I'm not looking for the safety equivalent of a grim reaper. I'd be more concerned with function than fashion.

Well, just IMHO, you can't beat a Merkur 37C slant, or the longer handled 39C slant. If a slant is what you want. So I wouldn't hesitate to recommend either of them. OTOH, safety razors are very individual items. One man's meat is another man's poison when it comes to safety razors, and to safety razor blades. Many threads comparing them attest to that.

Great save Jimmy. Great idea to copy the Merkur 37 top cap too. That Merkur slant is one of the best shaving DEs that I use. I think it is the top cap that lets you fall naturally into the right angle for use.

Bob

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I just have to hope Merkur doesn't sue me for patent infringement !

Great job. Greg (iKon) makes his slants feel mild but the shaves are very good IMHO. As far as being sued don't worry even if Merkur had a patent on their slant it would have expired by now. In Germany patents are good for only 20 years.