Thread: Above The Tie Slant Review (sort of)

In my first year of returning to traditional wet shaving I discovered the Merkrur 37C slant and became a confirmed slant-fan. I began to collect them, finding them on the bay, the classifieds. Variously branded slants made by Merkur, plus other Solingen made marques and a slue of 'no name' slants from the pre-WWII era. Then the straight razor virus infected me and the slants went on the back burner. So when the wet shave renaissance we are experiencing moved on to small shops putting out high end stainless steel DEs I was not that receptive.


I did think to myself, if they would only put out a slant I'd bite. The Ikon was the first I'm aware of, and I didn't grab one immediately, these things ain't cheap after all. I finally saw one on ebay at a great BIN price and pounced. I didn't like the shave at all due mostly to insufficient (for me) blade gap, and the profile of the top cap was too thick to get under my nose between the pencil mustache, and the nostrils. Now as noted above I've got a heckuva lot of slant DEs. I've tried dozens of different brands and the Merkur always came out on top ........ for me.


So my friend Obie, a definite connoisseur of wet shaving goods, had highly praised Above The TIe. I had gone to their site and at the time I don't recall them having a slant. Eventually I went back and saw the 'slant two pack'. A bar guard and an open comb available sans handles if you just wanted the heads. I resisted for a considerable time, but curiosity finally got the better of me and I pulled the trigger.


I first opened the package and looked at the itty bitty alignment pins I almost sent the heads right back. I took the open comb and loaded it up with a Gillette Platinum. Found it difficult to load because I started with the blade on the curved top cap without the usual tall thick alignment pins. Anyway, the shave was okay but the tiny pins were a deal breaker.


So I packaged it up and put it to the side and was going to mail it back next morning. Slept on it, figuratively speaking, and after my morning coffee I decided to give the bar guard head a try. This time I loaded a Feather laying it on the base plate and maneuvering the top cap in place. Needless to say that worked far better, and I got a great shave to boot.


So my first impression was that if I was only going to order one of them it would have been the open comb, sexier than the bar guard. I'm very happy to have both, and to my surprise I like the bar guard better as far as the shave, though both are great. These are subtle performers. IME the Merkur 37 and it's brother the 'Sledgehammer', are nicely aggressive. The ABT slants don't feel aggressive (to me) but they just shave super comfortably and clean. So some more arrows have joined the shaving quiver and a hat tip is due to Obie for keeping us up to date on the finer things of the wet shaving world.

(the ABT slants, with Jurgen Hemple titanium handles, shown with a Merkur 37C for comparison)

Nice review. Stan makes a great product. I own the 2014 S1 and S2 models. Enjoy it.

Originally Posted by hrfdez

Nice review. Stan makes a great product. I own the 2014 S1 and S2 models. Enjoy it.

Thanks. I did note that mine are stamped 2016. Seeing that I wondered if there is any difference between the years ? I mean in geometry and like that.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Thanks. I did note that mine are stamped 2016. Seeing that I wondered if there is any difference between the years ? I mean in geometry and like that.

I don't think there's much difference. I know Stan played around with the caps and you'll see two versions floating around. I own both caps, one shows the blade straighter and the other one goes from more blade exposure to less. Funny thing they shave the same, but people were making a big deal about it.

I'll try to take some pictures to illustrate it a bit better.

Originally Posted by hrfdez

I don't think there's much difference. I know Stan played around with the caps and you'll see two versions floating around. I own both caps, one shows the blade straighter and the other one goes from more blade exposure to less. Funny thing they shave the same, but people were making a big deal about it.

I'll try to take some pictures to illustrate it a bit better.

Do you recall whether the older caps are the asymmetrical exposure, or the newer ? I just checked and my two seem to have more exposure from one side to the other, but they are parallel to the top cap.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Do you recall whether the older caps are the asymmetrical exposure, or the newer ? I just checked and my two seem to have more exposure from one side to the other, but they are parallel to the top cap.

I believe is the older. I got the newer cap around August of 2015. It is almost a weird optical illusion, lol....

Thanks for the review Jimmy. For me slants are an excellent type of DE. The Merkur 37c is one of my favourite DEs along with the plastic fantastic Fine Superlite Slant.

Bob

Originally Posted by BobH

Thanks for the review Jimmy. For me slants are an excellent type of DE. The Merkur 37c is one of my favourite DEs along with the plastic fantastic Fine Superlite Slant.

Bob

Ditto on the 37C Bob. I read about the Fine slant and I'm thinking about it. I have a sort of guilt in wanting to try every new razor that comes down the pike. My depression era parents would be horrified. You bought what you needed and made do with that until it wore out, and even after it wore out.

You guys have been around for quite some time so I'm sure you have seen the Hoffritz Slant.

I have one and break it out here and there. It is a great slant for its age.

Originally Posted by hrfdez

You guys have been around for quite some time so I'm sure you have seen the Hoffritz Slant.

I have one and break it out here and there. It is a great slant for its age.

Hoffritz, Pomco, Coles Lunawerk, Braggi, were all made by Merkur (rebranded) and are identical to the 37C except the older ones don't have the grooves in the top cap, and the Braggi and the Pomco have the old Gillette clone handle of the early Merkur slants ....... 'cause they are early ones too.