Get addicted to a real shave. Not cowardly. No. Like an Ivanhoe. Or ready for a next level shave? Besides your 'standard' Safety Razor something radical? Then slant downwards!
What is a Slant Safety Razor?
The Slant Safety Razor is derived from the regular Safety Razor. The version with a straight fixed Razor Head with also Double Edge Blades inside. However, the Slant has a slanted, twisted head that is also fixed on the frame and is also not adjustable.
The non-adjustable Razor Head does not move with the shaving movements you make. However, due to the angle of this type of blade, you can cut through the beard hair in a very comfortable way instead of chopping it. With the Safety Razor equipped with a straight shaving surface, you shave more over the beard hairs, causing the hairs to be pushed slightly more inward.
In this way, the shaving result is slightly less smooth than with the Slant equipped with an oblique cutting surface. With the Slant, the Face feels less rough after the shave. Smoother, indeed.
The slanted head of the Slant cuts more easily, less aggressively, over the beard hairs because this system experiences less resistance. That's why this blade, with its slanted Razor Head, is also slightly more suitable for thick full beard hairs and when you have a sensitive skin.
Due to the twisted head, this Safety Razor cuts with slightly more space between the blade and the skin. This way, the blade does not press too much against the stubble, causing these beard hairs to also press less against the skin. They are directly and smoothly cut at an angle. Naturally, this also results in fewer irritations. With this way of Shaving, they are negligible, providing a smoother, more comfortable shave.
How does a Slant Safety Razor work?
This type of razor cuts, like a regular Safety Razor, the beard hairs/stubble not straight off but approaches the hairs and skin in a different way. Due to the slanted Razor Head, this blade touches the hairs at an angle, thus exerting less pressure on the hair follicles and allowing the stubble to be shaved more smoothly and not 'chopped'.
Everything goes a bit more efficiently with this way of 'gliding over the skin'. The blade glides diagonally over the skin and thus captures more skin (and hairs) in one stroke.
Due to these properties, the Slant blade is also popular among men with thick beard hairs. Coarse stubble. The 'cut' is just a bit more comfortable. You also feel that, partly due to the weight of the blade, you need to apply less pressure when gliding the Slant safety razor from top to bottom over the stubble. You see immediate results.
Due to the slanted position of the blade, you feel that you efficiently cut away the hairs without needing to apply any force. With this way of Shaving, the chance of damaging the hair follicles is also much smaller. Just let the Slant do the work.
Properties of a Slant Safety Razor:
- Because a Slant Safety Razor has a double-edged blade, instead of disposables with multiple blades stacked on top of each other, the chances of damaging your skin are smaller. During a shave, only one blade goes over the skin instead of three or more. In the latter case, the chances of irritation, shaving bumps, or red rash (razor burn) are greater. Your skin simply endures more with multiple blades during one stroke.
- Due to the angled placement of the razor, you need to apply less pressure than with a regular Safety Razor with a straight-placed head. As a result, the hair follicles simply have less to endure, making a shave a relaxed exercise without nasty irritations.
- Because the blade in the Slant Safety Razor, due to the angled position, cuts through the hairs more easily and thus glides extremely effectively, this also affects the lifespan of the double edge blades. They generally last longer than the blades in the regular safety razor with straight Razor Head. Let alone the disposables…
- A Slant Safety Razor is also excellent for wet shaving the neck due to its shape.
How to shave with a Slant razor
Shaving with a Slant Safety Razor feels really different than when you are standing in the Bathroom with the 'commercial' blades (disposables). Besides the fact that it is much cheaper and more sustainable in the end. With the Slant, you can shave very precisely.
Also, for example, to be able to touch up the contours of your carefully cultivated Beard. It is not surprising that barbers recommend getting started with a Slant Safety Razor for this reason.
When you decide to switch to a Slant Safety Razor, we have a few tips here that you should definitely consider and take into your considerations before you take this type of blade in hand:
- It is useful to experiment with various blades. There are many types of double edge blades with different sharpness and qualities on the market; think of Brands like Derby, Gillette and Feather. The performance can vary per blade. Start with one type of blade with not too large a Sharpness (2-3). Shave not only over the skin but also refine your technique with it. When you feel you have mastered this quite well, you can start alternating with 3 to 4 other types of blades. Varying in Sharpness. Then you will naturally find out which double edge blade suits you best.
- When you start working with a Slant, it is also necessary to experiment with the angle at which you place the angled blade on the skin. This also relates to the different types of blades. With one, you may need to handle the Slant Safety Razor frame just a bit straighter or more angled than with another. In principle, you place the blade at an angle of 30 degrees on the skin. You can feel the resistance yourself if the blade glides over the skin in the most efficient way and cuts through the beard hairs. An aggressive type of double edge blade will also affect the angle at which you handle the Slant.
- With a good Slant Safety Razor, you hardly need to apply any pressure to the skin. This is in contrast to the light commercial razors with disposable cartridges. With the Slant, you have a serious instrument in Hands. Due to the weight of this razor, it glides effortlessly over the beard hairs and skin. It makes contact with the skin without requiring you to apply force. Think of it as a sharp saw that you also 'let do the work' when you 'saw' an oak plank in half. You move the Safety Razor very gently over the skin. Be cautious at first because you are dealing with a sharp blade and shaving at an angle over the skin for the first time. It is truly a different sensation than with disposable systems. But you'll feel that soon enough.
Of course, it's also important that when you start with a professional razor like the Slant, you should actually 'invest' in real and high-quality Shaving Soaps. A Preshave and a aftershave on the shelf help with an extremely successful and comfortable shave. And once you've switched to a Slant? You'll never want anything else.
If you still have questions regarding this new way of 'bushwacking', we would, of course, love to hear from you! Naturally, you can also consult with your barber. Then it simply CANNOT go wrong.
Sláinte! They would shout in Scotland. And that means: health! This also applies to your skin when you give it some real shaving system TLC.
Good luck with your Slant Safety Razor!
Your friends, The Alpha Men