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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?
The first slant I had was the 39C (barber pole slant). I liked it enough that I became worried it would be lonely as the only slant in my collection so I decided to get a 37C. Now I'm worried that they don't have a playmate so I'm searching for a 37G (gold version of the 37C).:hmmm:
I'm looking to make the jump into straights but will definitely be keeping a handful of DEs - R41, Fatips, Progress and the Slants.
So you dig yours then, huh?
1OldGI,
I have the 37C in gold that a member was gracious enough to sell to me. It is without a doubt the best DE I've tried and shaves so close that some days it has me reconsidering straights lol. Definitely a great investment.
The 37c is my favorite safety razor, it shaves ridiculously smooth.
37c + Feather is my fave combo.
I just got my first slant (39C) and am VERY impressed. big difference compared to my 34C. smooth and close shave :)
Well, looks like my birthday present has been positively identified. I knew I could count on you guys to be shameless enablers :) This will be my first brand new razor in at least 10 years (the last one being an...um...Mach III back when I didn't know any better)
Big +1. What a great combo! :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Blix
I've always wanted to try a slant but never have ogre around to it
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.
The slant of the blade creates a "guillotine" or slicing action when in motion, which cuts whiskers more efficiently. If a regular DE can shave BBS in 3-4 passes the slant will do it in 2.Quote:
Originally Posted by jk636
The 38C is a great razor BTW, just not as good as the slant bar.
I have used one for several years and I like it very much. Not so much with a feather though, but a great razor with a short sweet learning curve.
Will N.
I recently had a Merkur Slant sent to me. The HD version, not the Barberpole. As far as DE razors are concerned, this one is my favourite. I only have four DE's so it's not like I have a lot to compare to, but each DE is a different beast and the Slant is my favoured of those beasts.
Mick
Well, after I get a year of 34C mileage behind me I may go down this route too.
The slant doesn't shave quite as close as a R41 or a Fatip, but is way more smooth and gentle while still being really effective.
I collect slant head DEs and have many variations. AFAIC the best of the bunch is the Merkur and that is why it is the 'last one standing.' Can't go wrong with a 37C or a 39C for that matter.
I have both a Slant and a R41. I get the same close shave from either one, it's just more comfortable with the Slant.
I have a Merkur 39c and love it. It really gives me a great shave even a one pass shave is acceptable.
It is really dependent on personal perspective. The 37C and the 39C are very nice razors. The 37C being easier to manouvre.
i did not enjoy it so much, but you may have a different perspective. The only way is to buy one and try it out. If you like heavier and longer handles, then go with the 39C.
Good luck.
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.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ryan82
I wondered if this led to the same type of slicing action?
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.Quote:
Originally Posted by 1OldGI
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.Quote:
Originally Posted by jk636
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.
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 :)Quote:
Originally Posted by tbaac
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?
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 :)Quote:
Originally Posted by tbaac
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?
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.Quote:
Originally Posted by tbaac
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
I'm yet another happy 37c user. I'm the kind to keep my den to a minimum, the one soap that serves me well, the one after shave which leaves my skin best conditioned. I have now two DE razors, and it was a dilemma whether to get the 37c in addition to my Edwin Jagger 89. I debated with myself for weeks : is it worth it? Is it more aggressive enough that I won't feel like I shouldn't have made the move? Can't I just get more used to the Gillette slide that my EJ will prove just as good.
It IS more aggressive, and gets me closer faster. It IS nice the the Gillette slide works itself out, especially in the neck where I have got to be extremely careful with my angle so as not to look like some king of red necked exotic bird throughout the day.
It's a very nice device, really and I am extremely happy I want ahead a bought it. me shaves have improved ever since!