Thread: Merkur 37C Slant

Originally Posted by 1OldGI

Sounds like a football play, huh? So anyway, I've been stalking these for quite some time and trying to talk myself out of buying one because my use of safety razors is occassional at best. Who has one of these and can weigh in to encourage or discourage my purchase?

I'm late getting in on this discussion but it is the best DE razor I've ever used and I hope you made the purchase. Can't say enough good things about it. My passion is for straight razors but when I do reach for a DE it is almost always my Merkur Slant.

Originally Posted by jk636

Just out of curiosity...

I have heard others say that slants give a closer shave than standard DE razors. Why (or how) is that? I have a Barberpole 38C that can get BBS after multiple passes.

I believe the reason behind it is that since it is slanted, it forces the blade into a more aggressive slicing position. This allows it to mimic pretty well the cutting quality of a straight razor.

I personally love the 37c. It is my weapon of choice when I use safety razors.

I had a 34c and thought that was amazing, that is until I got hooked on the 37c. Now I can't go back. I can now feel a noticeable pulling with the 34c, nothing too bad, but enough to make a difference.

Originally Posted by tbaac

I'm new to all this. I was watching an "Advanced Shaving Techniques" video from Mantic59 the other day and he did something he called the "Gillette Slide". (he got the name from a leaflet by Gillette or something). Anyway, it involves taking a standard DE and using it in a diagonal motion. You hold the razor in the usual manner, but as you move it down your face you move it sidewards at the same time. It points downwards but moves slightly diagonally.

I wondered if this led to the same type of slicing action?

Basically, yes. You could take a regular DE, tilt it at an angle and pull downwards to achieve a (somewhat) similar effect. But with the Slant the angle is "built in" and therefore more consistent and with less chance of slicing a patch of skin off your face from horizontal movement

Love my Merkur slant! Almost as much as my straights.

Thanks Ryan. I watched a video with GeoFatBoy using one earlier with some nice closeups of the razor head.

I'm still not completely clear how it angles though. Is it just that the blade edge isn't perpendicular to the line of the handle, but that the blade edge still lies approximately on the surface of the skin along its length?

Originally Posted by tbaac

I'm still not completely clear how it angles though. Is it just that the blade edge isn't perpendicular to the line of the handle, but that the blade edge still lies approximately on the surface of the skin along its length?

Both statements could be considered true, but the first point is more important than the second. A blade that is angled will cut with more efficiency than straight on. Think about any time you use a kitchen knife to slice something; it's easier/efficient to angle the knife blade as you cut. On a more morbid note, think about a blade on a guillotine. At some point along the line somebody figured out that an angled blade lopped off heads with more ease than a blade parrallel to the ground. Hence the name "guillotine stroke" lol

As well, there is more blade exposed on the 37C slant bar than a regular 34C/38C, which also helps to give a closer shave.

Thanks again. I mentioned the blade running along the surface of the skin just to check that we're not talking about angling the blade away from the face at one end.

Funny, I know what guillotine's do but wouldn't have related it to "guillotine stroke" until you explained.

Regarding there being more blade exposed, presumably its still the same size blade with the same amount of edge?

Originally Posted by tbaac

Regarding there being more blade exposed, presumably its still the same size blade with the same amount of edge?

Yup, same size razor blade. But if you measure the distance from the bar to the very edge it is visually more than a standard head DE. And the gap looks bigger too, though I've never bothered to actually measure. Both factors will make a razor more aggressive, but will shave closer.

I had started on a Merkur 34C and found my techniques and learned how to get BBS with Gillette 7 O'Clock Platinums. I thought I would give the slant a try and bought from Ems Place for a reasonable price. I am using that one now to try. I will say it does well, but not significantly better than my 34C. Probably because I am so used to how to get BBS from the 34C. I will continue to use the slant and certainly do not reget purchasing (as I am for the Muhle R41..oww). Just like anything else in the DE world, you will learn what works and doesn't work for you.. the good thing is that there is plenty of options out here to experiment with. Enjoy!!

I'm a happy 39C user. I can't find any downside to it. I also don't see myself using anything else. I'm currently in the hunt for the "perfect" blade to use in it...

Hey Shug, I sent you a PM