Merkur HD Slant vs Merkur Progress

jaradus · Post by **jaradus** » Sat May 12, 2007 7:27 pm

Recently, I've been finding that I'm not all that happy with my shaves. I have somewhat sensitive skin, and a very stiff beard. In order to achieve a BBS shave, I have to do at least four passes at various angles, something that my skin rarely thanks me for.

Therefore, my main question is, of the two, would you recommend a Merkur Progress or HD slant?

I've used both the Merkur Futur and HD (my preference lying with the HD), overall finding the Futur to be too cumbersome to shave with.

Part of my concern surrounding the HD slant is that it appears to be noted for its "aggressive" shave. I've never been able to tell if this is referring to how well it cuts one's beard, or how irritating it is to the skin. If anyone would be willing to clarify that point, I would appreciate it.

DEF · Post by **DEF** » Sat May 12, 2007 7:38 pm

Holmes,

I enthusiastically endorse the Slant. As my signature line proclaims, this one has become my DE of choice. I have the HD, 1904, Progress and Slant (the last one being a recent buy), and the Slant noticeably outperforms the others on my coarse whiskers. I'm not sure about the source of the aggressiveness, but it appears to be that the torqued head allows for increasing blade exposure as you move along the edge. You do have to keep a light touch, particularly when working on the upper lip and curves around the mouth, but other than that I've found no particular difficulties or challenges in using it (including irritation). (I've been using it with a UK Wilkinson blade.) Wish I had discovered this one much earlier.

Regards,
Doug

Leisureguy · Post by **Leisureguy** » Sat May 12, 2007 8:09 pm

The Slant seems to be the obvious choice. It really seems designed for the combination of tough beard and sensitive skin. Use a sharp blade, good prep, and pay attention to pressure (light) and blade angle (correct). It will amaze you. You can get it in gold, too.

The Progress is a good razor, don't take me wrong, but the action is the same as the HD: chopping the stubble instead of slicing it.

When you use the Slant, work it just as if it were the HD. No special manipulation. The blade's slant takes care of that.

jaradus · Post by **jaradus** » Sat May 12, 2007 8:17 pm

Thank you all very much! I'd prefer to acquire a razor other than silver, especially with my eyes firmly placed on the Feather Japanese-style straight--no thanks to Richard.

I guess I'm off to Vintage Blades to pick up a gold slant.

notthesharpest · Post by **notthesharpest** » Sat May 12, 2007 9:08 pm

You do have to use the slant with care, but its reputation is exaggerated. I think you'll be happy with its performance. Considering your situation, I think it's the better choice. (I have both.)

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Sat May 12, 2007 9:30 pm

Holmes, There's really no hope on this one, as there has never been much in the way of consensus regarding the Slant. Some are real keen on them, as you can see above, others are not. I've been shaving for over forty years with DE razors and have owned two Merkur Slants. I doubt that I'll ever pick one up again. To me, it's strictly a one pass razor, which is what I believe that they were originally designed to be. Any more then that and I have inevitable skin problems with them, which only worsen if I persist. The first one I owned eventually led me to a visit to the dermatologist. But the real kicker is; that I never got any better shave with them anyway. As good, but not better. You'll just have to try one yourself, if you want to know how they are for you, but as far as I'm concerned, there is a reason why they never became that popular and why Gillette never chose to offer one.
Regards,
Gordon

Leisureguy · Post by **Leisureguy** » Sun May 13, 2007 7:52 am

It is indeed a YMMV thing. I do three passes with the Slant and never have any skin irritation---different water, different skin, etc. But give the Slant a try and see what your experience is.

DEF · Post by **DEF** » Sun May 13, 2007 7:57 am

It's probably safe to say the Slant will give you "something" more appreciably different from the status quo than will the Progress -- if you're willing to take the gamble that you'll like the "something."

Another note: By using oblique strokes with the Slant, I've been getting good results on my neck along the windpipe; this has been one of the chief benefits of the Slant for me.

Doug

cooncatbob · Post by **cooncatbob** » Sun May 13, 2007 8:41 am

The Progress is my favorite razor. I like it much better then either the slant or the hd. The problem for me with the slant is I like to rotate my razors and for me by the time I would get back to the slant I'd have lost touch with it. It seems to be a razor that demands practice to master and a slightly different technique then other razors.

Pauldog · Post by **Pauldog** » Sun May 13, 2007 8:55 pm

You don't have to own an actual Slant to get the slant effect. Just tilt an ordinary DE razor a bit while still pulling it straight down. That will give a half-decent simulation without actually having to lay out any money.

JimT · Post by **JimT** » Sun May 13, 2007 9:02 pm

What kind of a shave do you get with the Merkur Heavy Duty Classic Straight Bar Razor? Have you put a Feather blade in it and, if so, how did it work for you?

JimT

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Sun May 13, 2007 9:08 pm

Paul, Well, that's always been how I use a DE anyway, so perhaps that's why the Slant did not provide any different a shave, in terms of effectiveness ( but it certainly did, in terms of skin reaction ). FWIW, the Progress worked best of all the Merkurs that I've used, for me. Probably because it's the closest to the TTO Gillettes in style and type.
Regards,
Gordon

Post by **ichabod** » Mon May 14, 2007 7:38 am

I fell for my Progress on the first shave, and have rarely chosen any other razor since I got it.
My (vintage Hoffritz) slant didn't give me the same instant joy feeling. I keep meaning to try it again but the Progress keeps ending up in my hand.

StGeorge · Post by **StGeorge** » Mon May 14, 2007 7:47 am

IMO, the slant definitely makes the blade feel sharper and I concur with Gordon to a degree. I do get some mild burn with the slant. It definitely gives the closest shave with the right blade but my skin does react to it more, no matter how lightly I handle it. I tend to use it for that special occasion when I want to get the ultimate shave....or see the internal workings of my face.

reggiano · Post by **reggiano** » Mon May 14, 2007 7:53 am

I have very sensitive skin, and was wary of using a Slant, but my vintage Hoffritz (it's made by Merkur) gives me a really close and irritation free shave. I have used it for 2 weeks straight, with UK Wilkinson and Swedish Gillette blades and I am hooked.

ScottS · Post by **ScottS** » Mon May 14, 2007 8:25 am

jaradus wrote:Recently, I've been finding that I'm not all that happy with my shaves. I have somewhat sensitive skin, and a very stiff beard. In order to achieve a BBS shave, I have to do at least four passes at various angles, something that my skin rarely thanks me for.

Attack your problem from all angles, so to speak. While exploring the gear scenarios, do you think you might be able to alter your technique to reduce your number of passes? Skin stretching comes to mind.

jaradus · Post by **jaradus** » Mon May 14, 2007 9:49 am

First off, I'd just like to say thank you to everyone for their comments. As an update, I'm waiting to recieve a Merkur slant-bar from Vintage Razors, shipped yesterday.

ScottS wrote:Attack your problem from all angles, so to speak. While exploring the gear scenarios, do you think you might be able to alter your technique to reduce your number of passes? Skin stretching comes to mind.

I have tried skin stretching and haven't noticed too much of a change. I am relatively young, and my skin is still naturally taut which could be the cause for this. For equipment, I just recieved a few packs of Derby Extras from my brother. I'd tried them a few years ago, but that was when I first started out DE shaving and my technique has improved since then. There may be a change.

For creams I have tried a number of different styles (my version of AD being SCAD), and just recently I found that Wool Fat provided a very nice cushion. Having read some posts, I'm also considering trying eShave's white tea cream.

For now, my hope is that my luck with Derbys may have changed and in some combination of HD/Slant it could reduce the number of passes. I'll post my thoughts after my shave tonight.

ScottS · Post by **ScottS** » Mon May 14, 2007 9:52 am

jaradus wrote:F
I have tried skin stretching and haven't noticed too much of a change.

Trying it and optimizing it my well be two different things. Keep playing around with it. So far as I know, there's usually a way to stand your whiskers up straighter by stretching the skin, and if you can achieve this, the razor should cut closer.

Pauldog · Post by **Pauldog** » Mon May 14, 2007 10:26 am

Being faced with extra stubble today, I just hit on something I don't think anyone has tried yet - using a single edge razor in a "slant" way. I'll have to try that when I shave later today.

notthesharpest · Post by **notthesharpest** » Mon May 14, 2007 10:45 am

Pauldog wrote:Being faced with extra stubble today, I just hit on something I don't think anyone has tried yet - using a single edge razor in a "slant" way. I'll have to try that when I shave later today.

Many straight-razor shavers do this.

SMF

Merkur HD Slant vs Merkur Progress

Merkur HD Slant vs Merkur Progress

Re: Merkur HD Slant vs Merkur Progress

Re: Merkur HD Slant vs Merkur Progress

Re: Merkur HD Slant vs Merkur Progress