The Making of a Slant fan

GregPQ · Post by **GregPQ** » Sat Jul 25, 2009 3:47 pm

I received my Merkur Slant about 3 weeks ago, from QED where Charles offered excellent pricing.

My first shave was with a Swede and I was surprised at how smooth the WTG shave went. No cuts or irritation, but I have been using a DE for several years. I began to think that the Slant/Swede combination gave such a great WTG shave that I'd never need to go ATG again.

After 7 days--all WTG--I tossed the Swede in favor of a Derby. Definitely inferior to the Swede: not as smooth, nor as close-cutting.

After 3 days--all WTG again--I swapped out the Derby for a Feather. This was my first shave with a Feather--with 2 days' growth--and I took it very slow and easy. It felt not as smooth as the Swede, but better than the Derby. And the 2d pass--WTG--was quite smooth. The result: almost BBS after 2 WTG passes.

I have now enjoyed 6 shaves with the Slant/Feather combination, finally switching to soap (Trumpers Sandalwood) for the last couple.I will easily get a full week out of this blade. I now get very satisfactory results with 2 passes, first North-South and then East-West. Close, with no irritation and no cuts.

I'm very happy with my new razor, and glad I got it in gold!

Leisureguy · Post by **Leisureguy** » Sat Jul 25, 2009 4:44 pm

It's a great razor, IMO. Very nice that you're having such good success with it.

fatcity · Post by **fatcity** » Sat Jul 25, 2009 5:26 pm

Agreed. Since acquiring a slant, my other razors have seen very little action.

Quick and efficient, I can get a decent one pass shave with my slant. I have yet to combine it with a Feather. Feathers were a bit rough on my skin when I tried them, but that was with multiple passes with an HD. Will have to give them another go.

marsos52 · Post by **marsos52** » Sat Jul 25, 2009 5:47 pm

hi gregpq

having the slant in gold will make squire very happy!

Squire · Post by **Squire** » Sat Jul 25, 2009 5:55 pm

If they ever make a gold one with a long handle marc.

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Sat Jul 25, 2009 6:02 pm

Squire, Then, and only then, will you buy the "solution to a non-existant problem"...? ( chuckle )
Regards,
Gordon

Squire · Post by **Squire** » Sat Jul 25, 2009 9:21 pm

I'll take a hit for the team, but only on my terms.

alcx77 · Post by **alcx77** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 9:52 am

Would love this slant head on a longer handle.

marsos52 · Post by **marsos52** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 10:53 am

the barberpole is offered in SLANT VERSION and that has a longer handle

Seamaster · Post by **Seamaster** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 11:58 am

Slant + sharp blade = best combo when I've gone too long between shaves. And always the best combo for a quick one-pass shave.

alcx77 · Post by **alcx77** » Tue Aug 04, 2009 9:29 am

A question for our historians out there... did Gillette ever manufacture any sort of slant?

infotech · Post by **infotech** » Tue Aug 04, 2009 12:31 pm

The Slant has been a difference maker for me, too. I never thought one razor could make such a difference. I started with Gillette Swedes, but have since started a rotation with Swedes, Astra Superior Platinum, and Iridium Super blades. They all provide very similar shaves in the Slant.

I could count the times I've used on other razors on one hand since I got the Slant about 6 months ago.

Steve · Post by **Steve** » Wed Aug 05, 2009 4:33 am

Has anyone compared the Vision to the Slant? Which is more aggessive the Slant of the Vision wide open?

Steve

marsos52 · Post by **marsos52** » Wed Aug 05, 2009 6:36 am

steve i have hoped so many times to read a post where someone has both models and shared there findings and differences and etc etc

i have never used a vision but from ehat i have peiced together the futur is more aggressive than a vision

and i know some have made their way to the 6 setting but nobody ever admits to it

with 10 yrs of shaving with my futurs .. i have got to 4 setting and i have no intention of shaving a 4 again and i will not shave at 5 and 6

2.5 to 3 is my best settings and if and when i want daring 3.5 thats it

Steve · Post by **Steve** » Wed Aug 05, 2009 9:33 am

Hmm...I never heard that the Futur was more aggessive than the Vision. I though they were about the same, which is why I asked if the the Slant was more aggressive than the Vision. I use the Vision wide open but have never tried a Futur or Slant.

Steve

gone down south · Post by **gone down south** » Wed Aug 05, 2009 7:01 pm

100% entirely IMO here, but I think that a slant isn't necessarily more or less aggressive than other razors, it straight up cuts the hair differently. I think it's very similar to the HD in terms of aggressiveness, but it cuts my whiskers differently. To me, it seems like a better shave for the same aggressiveness.

Squire · Post by **Squire** » Wed Aug 05, 2009 7:04 pm

Steve, if you shave with a Vision wide open I recon you can shave with any DE razor.

BullGoose · Post by **BullGoose** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 7:41 am

Maybe I did not give the slant enough of a chance. I used a 37C about a dozen times before deciding to sell it. I guess this is a case of YMMV because I get a better shave from an HD than I did from the 37C.

Pauldog · Post by **Pauldog** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 12:23 pm

alcx77 wrote:A question for our historians out there... did Gillette ever manufacture any sort of slant?

I've never seen one mentioned. For instance, there are none in Phil Krumholz's fairly exhaustive Guide.

Squire · Post by **Squire** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 4:01 pm

marc that's correct but it's not offered in gold.