Any slant fans in the house?

Grarea

Grarea

Forum Plod
As above, does anyone have any advice on slants please?

Here is my theory.
It may all be a complete load of twaddle so please feel free to correct me.
(please bear with me or ignore and just tell me what slant you reckon is best)

I have found that I have a preference for 'efficient' razors.
I want to start on with my straight, but i keep starting and have realised that I need to wait until I have a bit more time to think about stropping etc.

So, originally, I went with DEs and found I was by far happiest with feathers. Then to an R41.
Then i went down the SE route and then injectors.

I think that when I am using aggressive DEs, I think I like the sharpness, but not the flexibility of the blades (I think).

So, I also think that is where the SEs and injectors were a bit better. A more rigid blade.
Anyway, THEN I tried the twin injector blades.
Oh My Word.
Now, these are the only thing I have used that actually just slices through.
No ifs or buts. I just find them brilliant. I love them. It just ignores any tricky multidirectional areas and just gets on with it.
I almost wish I hadn't found them though. You know what it is like once you have tried a better thing.
I would be happy with these for ever more for sure.

However, they really are only at their best for one shave I find. I am guessing that they are a thinner blade and so dull a bit quicker. But the way they are set keeps them rigid.
Boy, they really are not very cheap. So I can't afford to swap them out every shave.
Which is what I want to do. It is pure luxury. No catching and struggling. Just knife through butter.

So, it got me thinking. I like the rigidity and the sharpness but not the price.
DEs are sharp and cheap.

So, thinking that a slant will bend the DE and keep it rigid, I tried a 37c and thought it was pretty good. But it seems to me that it could do with being a bit more 'something or other'.
A bit more aggressive perhaps? I am not sure. Maybe you get the flex back when you go a bit more aggressive?

So, I wondered if there are any thoughts on other types of slant razors or whether what I am thinking is just a load of nonsense. Please do advise.
 
pjgh

pjgh

Forum GOD!
I do think you're onto something ... and it's the rigidity that (GEM) single edge adherents do wax lyrical about.

With DE blades, I have encountered two other types of razor which hold the blade very tight, very still and give just the minimum edge exposure - the Golf 71 (which is more like a single edge when shaving) and the Star DE (also Treet, Personna & PAL) which are so smooth you'd swear you forgot to put the blade in. Holding the blade tight and still is, like you, I believe the key to getting a really "good" shave from a DE. I put "good" in quotes since that can mean all sorts of things to all sorts of people, but the combination of shaved, close enough, not too close, without chatter, free of nicks and free of post-shave irritation or even awareness of having shaved, that's "good".

Slants do just that ...

I shave with just a single pass, daily. It's not absolutely smooth, but I don't want that - I want clean, presentable and comfortable. I shave with a slant stroke; down and slightly across. I believe this is just what a slant does, but with simply drawing straight down the face in line with the handle.

I'm a single edge shaver ...

But bought a razor recently which the seller kindly popped in a selection of DE blades. To honour that kind act, I decided to shave with them and so picked out some of the DE razors that I've collected for various reasons: Star, Treet, Personna & PAL, Philips Philite, Gillette Techs, #77, even bought a Fatboy!

Just tonight, I was looking at the Merkur #37 and thinking, "Hmmm ..." :D
 
sɐǝɹpu∀

sɐǝɹpu∀

riverrun
Grarea said:
Anyway, THEN I tried the twin injector blades.
Oh My Word.
Now, these are the only thing I have used that actually just slices through.
No ifs or buts. I just find them brilliant. I love them. It just ignores any tricky multidirectional areas and just gets on with it.
I almost wish I hadn't found them though. You know what it is like once you have tried a better thing.
I would be happy with these for ever more for sure.

However, they really are only at their best for one shave I find. I am guessing that they are a thinner blade and so dull a bit quicker.
Click to expand...
Twin injector blades are just two injector blades, one on top of the other. They are exactly twice as thick as regular injector blades.

Slant razors - get a vintage German bakelite slant with plenty of twist in the blade. Trumpf? Fasan? They are the real thing.
 
Godfather

Godfather

Forum GOD!
Me, I'm a slant fan. Started with Merkur then the ATT S1 which I love. I always get a great shave..
 
Nishy

Nishy

Forum GOD!
Staff member
Yep I can relate a lot to this. I like the ATT SE2 but with a milder SE blade. The Asylum is good with a Feather Pro, but I find this blade very short lived. The only slant I now own is the ATT S2. Decent shaver, definitely does just mow the stubble down but not to a major level of difference, when compared to other DE razors. DE blades being the cheapest and given that I throw the blade after each use, put me on the path to find those DE razors which provide a stiff blade feel, similar to a straight. So obviously they can't replicate a straight, but so far, a few stainless razors have triumphed for me. In order to still provide a good level of aggression, I prefer the OC option with greater blade presence. So far the Wolfman OC (0.74mm) has been the closest. I would certainly consider the ATT SE2 over a slant though.
 
R

R181

Grumpy old man
Personally, I have found that my Merkur 37 and Fine Superlite slant (plastic fantastic) shave about on par with my Fat Boy @ 9, WR1- OC increased blade gape and Gem SE. Almost forget to mention the Merkur 45 Bakelite too. I'd use any of them interchangeably. For me there is not a whole lot between them in the end result.

Bob
 
Lord Fatboy

Lord Fatboy

Forgo Mud !
sɐǝɹpu∀ said:
Twin injector blades are just two injector blades, one on top of the other. They are exactly twice as thick as regular injector blades.

Slant razors - get a vintage German bakelite slant with plenty of twist in the blade. Trumpf? Fasan? They are the real thing.
Click to expand...
Have you tried PAA's bakelite slant - supposedly a copy of the Fasan?
 
sɐǝɹpu∀

sɐǝɹpu∀

riverrun
Lord Fatboy said:
Have you tried PAA's bakelite slant - supposedly a copy of the Fasan?
Click to expand...
Not yet. And I have no intention to get one. I did an inventory of my razors a few days ago and I do not need any more! :eek:
If I stumble upon a vintage one for a few quid I might get one, but I'm mostly an SE shaver these days anyway.. and I'm planning to improve on the two straight razor shaves I had last year :D:D
 
Lord Fatboy

Lord Fatboy

Forgo Mud !
sɐǝɹpu∀ said:
Not yet. And I have no intention to get one. I did an inventory of my razors a few days ago and I do not need any more! :eek:
If I stumble upon a vintage one for a few quid I might get one, but I'm mostly an SE shaver these days anyway.. and I'm planning to improve on the two straight razor shaves I had last year :D:D
Click to expand...
I've only had two straight razor shaves this year... Oh, wait...
 
S

Steve Bowles

Guest
My three favourite razors: Merkur 39c, Ikon X3, PAL Injecto-Matic. 2 slants and a SE injector. 'Nuff said.
 
Snuff

Snuff

Forum GOD!
I know a guy on the dutch shaving forum that has 150+ slants, I'll see if he is willing to peep in. (his username on other forums is efsk)
 
Wayne

Wayne

Forum Sod
I own three slants but if I am being totally honest with myself and throwing out my love of stainless steel my Ikon 102 shaves me better than any razor I own. It mows down stubble and leaves a fantastic face feel behind. I'm not into blades too much. I find any of my Russian blades do the job for me. But man that 102 is just awesome for me. Honestly, if I wasn't on a shaving forum and just owned the 102 I'd be set for life shave wise.
 
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