Regrading Slants

I considered that one. It was especially tempting with the promotions they were running at the time for new customers. That handle is really fat.


I got my feet wet with slants. I think it's time to step up to something really nice though.

ATT slant heads S1 and S2 (SB vs OC) are both wonderful shavers, the latter holding an edge to the former so to speak, aggressiveness speaking. Merkur 37/39 would be somewhere in between. I'd say they are all equally effective. The S1 is the more comfortable, while S2 would be the go-to for multiple days of growth.

I don't have them in front of me, but from what I can remember, I'm guessing that the degree of slant is higher on the Merkur. I may be wrong.

The Holy Black SR-71  looks nice its sold out now http://theholyblack.com/collections/groo...fety-razor

It goes in and out of stock frequently so if you get on the mailing list you'll get a notification and be able to get one. Stephan at THB does a good job at bringing them in regularly and they don't vanish instantly.

ATT slant heads S1 and S2 (SB vs OC) are both wonderful shavers, the latter holding an edge to the former so to speak, aggressiveness speaking. Merkur 37/39 would be somewhere in between. I'd say they are all equally effective. The S1 is the more comfortable, while S2 would be the go-to for multiple days of growth.

I don't have them in front of me, but from what I can remember, I'm guessing that the degree of slant is higher on the Merkur. I may be wrong.

I'd be careful and do lots of research (i.e., talking to guys who own them) before buying a ATT slant or any ATT razor for that matter. I bought the ATT Atlas R2 open comb last winter as it was described as medium aggressive. If thats medium I'd hate to try the H2! I then bought the M2 baseplate and I find it also too aggressive for me. Bit of a bummer but I'll probably end up selling the razor. My point is not to criticize ATT, however, but rather to let people know that if you're looking for an aggressive razor the ATT is the way to go. Slant wise I'm currently using the ikon 102 as my daily driver with the X3 as a backup. They're both such smooth and efficient razors for me that I can't see getting any other slants. Yet I would have picked up a RR Wunderbar if I'd been able to get one on initial release but now, after hearing mixed reviews and experiencing the ikon X3 at a fraction of the price, I think I'll be giving the Wunderbar a pass. Assuming I was ever able to actually get one.

I'd be careful and do lots of research (i.e., talking to guys who own them) before buying a ATT slant or any ATT razor for that matter.  I bought the ATT Atlas R2 open comb last winter as it was described as medium aggressive.  If thats medium I'd hate to try the H2!  I then bought the M2 baseplate and I find it also too aggressive for me.  Bit of a bummer but I'll probably end up selling the razor.  My point is not to criticize ATT, however, but rather to let people know that if you're looking for an aggressive razor the ATT is the way to go.  Slant wise I'm currently using the ikon 102 as my daily driver with the X3 as a backup.  They're both such smooth and efficient razors for me that I can't see getting any other slants.  Yet  I would have picked up a RR Wunderbar if I'd been able to get one on initial release but now, after hearing mixed reviews and experiencing the ikon X3 at a fraction of the price, I think I'll be giving the Wunderbar a pass.  Assuming I was ever able to actually get one.

YMMV! I doubt you'd find the safety bar version S1 very aggressive, though. For reference, which other open combs do you like, since you tried and didnt' fancy the OCs from ATT? But yes, they're costly. I won mine in a raffle

I'd be careful and do lots of research (i.e., talking to guys who own them) before buying a ATT slant or any ATT razor for that matter.  I bought the ATT Atlas R2 open comb last winter as it was described as medium aggressive.  If thats medium I'd hate to try the H2!  I then bought the M2 baseplate and I find it also too aggressive for me.  Bit of a bummer but I'll probably end up selling the razor.  My point is not to criticize ATT, however, but rather to let people know that if you're looking for an aggressive razor the ATT is the way to go.  Slant wise I'm currently using the ikon 102 as my daily driver with the X3 as a backup.  They're both such smooth and efficient razors for me that I can't see getting any other slants.  Yet  I would have picked up a RR Wunderbar if I'd been able to get one on initial release but now, after hearing mixed reviews and experiencing the ikon X3 at a fraction of the price, I think I'll be giving the Wunderbar a pass.  Assuming I was ever able to actually get one.

YMMV! I doubt you'd find the safety bar version S1 very aggressive, though. For reference, which other open combs do you like, since you tried and didnt' fancy the OCs from ATT? But yes, they're costly. I won mine in a raffle

Interesting, good to know its not a general ATT feature then. I have a couple of ikon OCs, the B1 OSS and the SC Shortcomb. The B1 has a combo OC and SB. I also have a Wolfman WR1 with the SB and OC. I generally like the open comb style and clearly some are more aggressive than others and for me the ATT falls on the more aggressive end of the scale, as you say YMMV.

I've not tried any vintage OC razors yet and I'm curious how I would find them. If the opportunity arises I'll probably pick one up and give it a run.
Mark

I'm very leery of slants since trying the ikon 102 (which most people describe as very comfortable) and finding it to be a major source of razor burn.

I'm going to wait for the Maggard slant to come out for my first go with one. It looks very similar to the X3.

Isn't the German 37 a clone of the Merkur 37c? Makes sense given the name and they look identical. Hmmm, maybe I just answered my own question...

I came to the same conclusion. A copy of a vintage razor that is still in production. Seems pointless and counter intuitive but if Joe can sell the copies for cheaper than the same level of quality, go for it. I adore my true 37C. I cant imagine a copy shaving better than the original.

I'm going to wait for the Maggard slant to come out for my first go with one. It looks very similar to the X3.

Isn't the German 37 a clone of the Merkur 37c? Makes sense given the name and they look identical. Hmmm, maybe I just answered my own question...

I came to the same conclusion. A copy of a vintage razor that is still in production. Seems pointless and counter intuitive but if Joe can sell the copies for cheaper than the same level of quality, go for it. I adore my true 37C. I cant imagine a copy shaving better than the original.

How would you describe the 37C on the aggressive/efficient/comfort scale (if there is one) and if you have a 102, how would they compare? I'm a bit leery of Merkurs since I started wet shaving - I had looked at the reviews on a vendor site and decided that a particular merkur(don't recall which) was the razor to start out with and as it turned out I was wrong. Lots of burn and weepers and so forth and I stepped back and stuck to the carts for another year until my then 19 year old son picked up the razor and started using it and essentially shamed me into giving the DE razor another shot. The second time I did more independent research and came up with the EJ DE89 as the logical choice for my first DE razor and that turned out to be the right choice. A very smooth and forgiving razor for novices and veterans alike. I have added several razors to my stable since then but I do still occasionally use the DE89. The point is, I haven't touched a Merkur razor since that early experience.
Mark

I'm very leery of slants since trying the ikon 102 (which most people describe as very comfortable) and finding it to be a major source of razor burn.

YMMV for sure. Do you still have the 102? Have you tried other blades or soaps to see if it was the razor or one of the other variables? I completely get that what works for one might not for another, but I find the 102 so smooth yet efficient that I'm always curious when I hear someone say how awful it is for them whether there might be some other factor involved, a bad blade or even a lemon razor - I'm sure that happens periodically but really, who among us after trying a new razor and finding it awful for us thinks, "maybe its a lemon and I should order a second one to be sure" Not going to happen.

I have several vintage gillette techs and they all are smooth and gentle shavers except for one. It is one that has had a coating applied and it consistently bites - i mean bleeders. I figure either it was dropped at some point and something is slightly out of alignment or the coating has enough thickness that its altered the blade geometry and made it a bad shaver. So what do I do? I could sell it with a caveat or pif it with a caveat. I feel honour bound to inform whoever I might give it to that, for me, it bites. If it had been my first Tech I might have decided that Techs weren't for me but fortunately I have others and they all work fine. Maybe this one will be for display purposes only