I dont have much experience with other DE's. The Merker 39C is the long handled slant. It's my first DE razor but I think I am getting on top of it with the feather blades. I'm looking to experiment more with other DE razors as a lead up to perfecting the straights. I'm looking to buy a couple of new DEs and pick up a couple of old ones that seem to lurk in just about every antique shop. That way I can try a few different razors and types of shaving experiences.