Merkur slant bar first shave experience...

Gogser

Gogser

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140
Hi fellas,

I tried my brand new 37c yesterday.

After reading many reviews and deciding that I was probably competent enough to risk shaving with it, I popped in a Personna medical prep blade, lathered up some Proraso and gave it a whirl.

Hmmm... two passes, WTG and XTG, later, I decided that a little clean up might just give an even better result and risked an ATG pass.

The result? A face that looked and felt as though I had worked it over with a cheese grater. Incredibly close shave, just frightening to look at and fairly tender too. So, no shave today, but do I try the slant bar again tomorrow as I have some tough stubble to remove, or should I use a milder razor?

Cheers,

Gordon
 
I'd say so, save the slant for when you have a fully recovered face.

Accepted wisdom says that every new razor takes a short while to get used to and technique subtly differs between razors so the idea is to give yourself the time to get used to things, but of course that's no good on damaged skin, so do let it recover as much as possible.

I suspect pressure may have been a little heavy, the 37C is heavy enough to not need any pressure. Depends on your normal razor I suppose, what were you using before?
 
Hi, thanks for a quick reply.

I have in rotation a Merkur 38c and an EJ89L for most days, but occasionally gravitate towards a Merkur 15c open comb.

I tried really hard not to press down as the razor is fairly substantial so I think the angle of the razor head to my skin may have had more to do with it?

Will report again when my face is recovered :s
 
Ouch!

As Canuck says too much pressure would be my diagnosis as well.

If you have enough time tomorrow try the slant again and remember no pressure, or go with a mild razor and try the slant again when you have plenty of time.

What blade did you have in it?
 
Yes, definitely give your face a rest before trying the Slant again, no point in aggravating it.

Sorry to hear you had such a bad first experience with the Slant. Were all the other factors the same as your usual routine (blade, prep, passes etc)?

It's interesting, as only yesterday I commented in SOTD that the Slant has never felt overtly aggressive or given me any problems, unlike some other razors - e.g. I can experience burn after using my 30s Gillette New if I'm not really careful, and the Ever Ready 1912 can bite me unexpectedly (but admittedly I need to use it more to get my technique sorted).

I hope you can persevere and get better results Gordon, as I consider the Slant to be a wonderfully efficient DE when you get used to it.
 
Update, shave No.2...

Same prep as last time, hot shower, conditioner on face (I know!), Proraso cream and the instrument of the devil. Post shave, Boots tea tree and witch hazel lotion followed by Bluebeards Revenge balm.

Result? I do believe that's what we were after - smooth, irritation free, and very close shave. No problem with burn or discomfort of any kind. Very happy bunny now :icon_razz:

Thanks for your input guys.

Gordon
 
Found that my slant worked best with the Astra green. Often the blade really does make a difference. When using a new razor there's nothing that says you can't change blades mid stream. Have a couple of different ones ready.
 
I didn't really get on with mine and sold it a while back on here. It was second hand from here, too. Loved the looks but the 38R does a better job for me. I didn't try hundreds of different blades with it but went through about 10 and just felt draggy and uncomfortable.
Might come back to it one day but got so many others in my collection to be getting on with...
 
Shave 3 with the slant also went well - maybe I'm getting the hang of it, but I am certainly treating it with respect. :icon_lol:
 
I'm pleased you're getting the hang of it, I'm not sure anyone's first shave with a new type ever goes perfectly... always room for a better second try.

You'll probably treat it with respect for about a week or two then there'll be a slightly quicker shave with a little less concentration and BAM! Big nick. It's bound to happen. :-D
 
Once you get the hang of the 37c, it's just a very nice shave. The slant is my go to razor, followed closely by my GEM OC Micromatic. I would say those two razors account for 90-95% of my shaves.

The funny thing is, that when I decide to give another razor a week of action, it almost always ends in uncomfortable shaves, even though all other razors I have are supposed to be less aggressive than the slant and the OCMM.

/Max
 
Well, week two now and getting brave with this thing... using a feather blade and shaving every day with it now. No problems with irritation or nicks and cuts, just smooooth! :icon_razz:
 
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