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Slants
- Thread starter gvw755
- Start date
gvw755
0
Hah! I knew my three loyal fans are reading this expecting to see if the Valencia or Lo Storto won the shave off, but that is coming later.
This is just a preview of coming attractions for the weekend. Remember when we used to go to the movies before the days of social distancing where 100 people all sat next to each other each with their 2 lb tub of popcorn and gallon size of Diet Pepsi of which you paid half a car payment for.....
Well, a request came in from @Dave in KY mentioning the Neo Luxe slant and so I thought it would be good to do a" Diagonal Slants for Dummies" presented by the biggest dummy on this forum: ME!
Most folks know the slants that torque the blade. The base plate looks like Hulk Hogan took the opposite sides of the head and twisted it. These are your Merkur 37, RR Wunderbar, and the entrants in the OC shave off this week. The lesser known slants are the diagonals where the entire head is tilted to one side. the most famous of these are the Mulcuto razors and it modern day clone, the Ikon 102. These have screw posts that are angled and so when assembled, the head is at a 10 degree angle. For most diagonal razors, one side of the cap (the side tilted upward) is slightly thicker than the other side. The purpose of this design is to have the razor head cut at a specific angle, and when placed on your face, the angle of the head is set to optimal. This is the black and white razor on the right.
Some diagonals have a larger or fancier hump on one side of the head, mostly to encourage a slightly more aggressive angle, and these are referred to as humpbacks.
The PAA Alpha Ecliptic (red one in the middle) is a good example of this. Notice that these usually have the hump on the downward side of the base.
Then there are the extreme diagonals, where the head is tilted to an extreme angle (duh)
The Neo razor series are the best examples of these. Guess which on that is.
So this weekend I will be shaving with two of my three extreme diagonals:
The white one on the left is a Bonsa, which I already shaved with and which is the least extreme of the extremes. the head is tilted around 20 degrees. The Neo Luxe is the most extreme with the head tilted closer to 40 degrees, and the Speed is somewhere in between. Notice that these do not need a hump on the caps only because the extreme angle takes care of that.
The main thing to remember with all diagonals is to keep the handle straight (perpendicular to the face). Do not try to orient the head , otherwise you will be shaving with a regular razor.
So please come back to see who wins the main even tonight, and remember to tune in tomorrow for the Extreme Challenge!
This is just a preview of coming attractions for the weekend. Remember when we used to go to the movies before the days of social distancing where 100 people all sat next to each other each with their 2 lb tub of popcorn and gallon size of Diet Pepsi of which you paid half a car payment for.....
Well, a request came in from @Dave in KY mentioning the Neo Luxe slant and so I thought it would be good to do a" Diagonal Slants for Dummies" presented by the biggest dummy on this forum: ME!
Most folks know the slants that torque the blade. The base plate looks like Hulk Hogan took the opposite sides of the head and twisted it. These are your Merkur 37, RR Wunderbar, and the entrants in the OC shave off this week. The lesser known slants are the diagonals where the entire head is tilted to one side. the most famous of these are the Mulcuto razors and it modern day clone, the Ikon 102. These have screw posts that are angled and so when assembled, the head is at a 10 degree angle. For most diagonal razors, one side of the cap (the side tilted upward) is slightly thicker than the other side. The purpose of this design is to have the razor head cut at a specific angle, and when placed on your face, the angle of the head is set to optimal. This is the black and white razor on the right.
Some diagonals have a larger or fancier hump on one side of the head, mostly to encourage a slightly more aggressive angle, and these are referred to as humpbacks.
The PAA Alpha Ecliptic (red one in the middle) is a good example of this. Notice that these usually have the hump on the downward side of the base.
Then there are the extreme diagonals, where the head is tilted to an extreme angle (duh)
The Neo razor series are the best examples of these. Guess which on that is.
So this weekend I will be shaving with two of my three extreme diagonals:
The white one on the left is a Bonsa, which I already shaved with and which is the least extreme of the extremes. the head is tilted around 20 degrees. The Neo Luxe is the most extreme with the head tilted closer to 40 degrees, and the Speed is somewhere in between. Notice that these do not need a hump on the caps only because the extreme angle takes care of that.
The main thing to remember with all diagonals is to keep the handle straight (perpendicular to the face). Do not try to orient the head , otherwise you will be shaving with a regular razor.
So please come back to see who wins the main even tonight, and remember to tune in tomorrow for the Extreme Challenge!
gvw755
0
So the moment you all been waiting for in the shave off between the Fatip Lo Storto Originale and the Valencia.
Where the Lo Storto exuded modern day bling, the Valencia displayed elegance from a time long ago where art and function blended better. Similar to the Fasan double slant, the Valencia's base plate was extremely and elegantly curved. Add to that the long and curved comb, and you see where this cannot be duplicated using modern manufacturing technique.
During the shave, the angle was immediately easy to find and was comfortable from the start. Even when I changed angles in different areas, the shave never got rough. WTG and ATG passes went effortlessly and comfortably. There was slightly more touch up after the two passes, but not significantly more. In this shave off, I have to declare the Valencia as the winner, mainly because of it's old world elegance and because it was a comfortable shave no matter what angle I used.
Where the Lo Storto exuded modern day bling, the Valencia displayed elegance from a time long ago where art and function blended better. Similar to the Fasan double slant, the Valencia's base plate was extremely and elegantly curved. Add to that the long and curved comb, and you see where this cannot be duplicated using modern manufacturing technique.
During the shave, the angle was immediately easy to find and was comfortable from the start. Even when I changed angles in different areas, the shave never got rough. WTG and ATG passes went effortlessly and comfortably. There was slightly more touch up after the two passes, but not significantly more. In this shave off, I have to declare the Valencia as the winner, mainly because of it's old world elegance and because it was a comfortable shave no matter what angle I used.
Dave in KY
Shave Newbie
Nicely done Les
Techichi
0
I had a feeling this would be the case. Well guys...good luck finding one!
I may have to just get Fatip until a Valencia comes along. There is one on Etsy at the moment but the teeth are bent.
gvw755
0
The Lo Storto Originale is a very good razor. Like I mentioned, it shaves more efficiently than the Valencia, but it is more finicky with the shave angle (going from credit card scraper to brainless smooth with the slightest of adjustment). As long as you remember that it is a Fatip and use the Fatip angle, it is a great shaver.
gvw755
0
Okay, today starts my shaves with the extreme diagonal razors. Actually last weekend I started my shave with the Bonsa, which was the least extreme of the extreme diagonals. @GearNoir, if you think these razors look scary, look at the box that my Bonsa came in:
Now that pic of Mr. Bonsa, scared me more than the razor!
The thing to remember with all diagonal razors and especially with the extreme diagonals is that you need to always be aware of the handle being perpendicular to your face. For many of the humpback diagonals, the shave angle is defined by resting the hump on your face. The Bonsa had no hint to the proper shave angle, but the cap was well domed to allow you to gently find the proper shave angle. What you would do with diagonals is to shave half your face with one side and the other half with the other side so the diagonal angle is the same.
Following these simple rules, the Bonsa gave me a very comfortable and efficient two pass plus touch up BBS. the hard part with shaving with the Bonsa and with the other two extreme diagonals that I own is finding them. As @Dave in KY pointed out, the Neo razors can be found (though not very common), however finding one that does not cost two gas fill ups for your car is hard to find.
Now that pic of Mr. Bonsa, scared me more than the razor!
The thing to remember with all diagonal razors and especially with the extreme diagonals is that you need to always be aware of the handle being perpendicular to your face. For many of the humpback diagonals, the shave angle is defined by resting the hump on your face. The Bonsa had no hint to the proper shave angle, but the cap was well domed to allow you to gently find the proper shave angle. What you would do with diagonals is to shave half your face with one side and the other half with the other side so the diagonal angle is the same.
Following these simple rules, the Bonsa gave me a very comfortable and efficient two pass plus touch up BBS. the hard part with shaving with the Bonsa and with the other two extreme diagonals that I own is finding them. As @Dave in KY pointed out, the Neo razors can be found (though not very common), however finding one that does not cost two gas fill ups for your car is hard to find.
gvw755
0
So tonight's shave was with the most extreme of my extreme diagonals, the Neo Lux. There were three variety of razors in the Neo family (actually more, but they are so rare that most have not even seen them). There was the Neo-Ras, Neo-Gam, and the Neo-Lux. The first two had a regular black bakelite handle and not really distinguishable from the other except for the button on the bottom which had the name. The Neo-Lux was the one that had a two section handle and varied in the color of each piece, usually with white being the upper piece. There was a version of the Neo-Ras that had a two section handle and so I guess that was done to confuse the shaver more since shaving with an extreme diagonal was not confusing enough.
Like the Bonsa, the Neo had a very domed cap which allowed you to gently find the correct shave angle. The base plate had no lather holes and so lather passed from one side of the razor to the other very similar to the Uk Wardonia and Knockout razors. I have no idea of the logic of this design, however it works exceptionally well for the Knockout and the Neo-Lux.
The angle of the head on the Neo-Lux is so extreme that the screw post could not be made at that diagonal of an angle and so there was a slide on clip design. Once a blade is mounted and the head secured on the clip, it stayed in place. In shaving with the extreme diagonals (and most other diagonals), I would start off holding the handle at an angle and the head straight to cut my sideburns straight. I would also use that time to find the correct shave angle and then straighten the handle and start shaving. As with the Bonsa, I would shave half my face with one side of the razor, keeping the same angle for each side of my face. Tongiht's shave was a very comfortable two pass BBS. Definitely a good shaving experience.
Like the Bonsa, the Neo had a very domed cap which allowed you to gently find the correct shave angle. The base plate had no lather holes and so lather passed from one side of the razor to the other very similar to the Uk Wardonia and Knockout razors. I have no idea of the logic of this design, however it works exceptionally well for the Knockout and the Neo-Lux.
The angle of the head on the Neo-Lux is so extreme that the screw post could not be made at that diagonal of an angle and so there was a slide on clip design. Once a blade is mounted and the head secured on the clip, it stayed in place. In shaving with the extreme diagonals (and most other diagonals), I would start off holding the handle at an angle and the head straight to cut my sideburns straight. I would also use that time to find the correct shave angle and then straighten the handle and start shaving. As with the Bonsa, I would shave half my face with one side of the razor, keeping the same angle for each side of my face. Tongiht's shave was a very comfortable two pass BBS. Definitely a good shaving experience.
Dave in KY
Shave Newbie
REALLY enjoying the tour Les 
gvw755
0
So for the final night of my extreme diagonals, the Speed came to bat. They really selected an appropriate name for this razor because it looks more like it belonged in Formula 1 and not in my bathroom.
Unlike the Bonsa and Neo-Lux, the Speed had a beveled cap to help find the proper shave angle. Unfortunately, using the beveled cap to find the proper angle resulted in a very aggressive shave. One thing I always have to remember with this razor is to take very short and deliberate strokes. I managed to get a two pass plus minimal touch up BBS like in the other two extreme diagonals, but it was not as comfortable as a shave. Then again, I doubt if a Formula 1 Ferrari would be as comfortable to drive as my Subaru Impreza.
Tomorrow I return to my mixed bag of whatever slant is next on deck. I will report back when I find some other unusual or noteworthy slants.
Unlike the Bonsa and Neo-Lux, the Speed had a beveled cap to help find the proper shave angle. Unfortunately, using the beveled cap to find the proper angle resulted in a very aggressive shave. One thing I always have to remember with this razor is to take very short and deliberate strokes. I managed to get a two pass plus minimal touch up BBS like in the other two extreme diagonals, but it was not as comfortable as a shave. Then again, I doubt if a Formula 1 Ferrari would be as comfortable to drive as my Subaru Impreza.
Tomorrow I return to my mixed bag of whatever slant is next on deck. I will report back when I find some other unusual or noteworthy slants.
gvw755
0
Well, this did not take long to come up with another series of unusual slants. This time, a very short series - the Frowning Slant. One thing about this group is that there is much disagreement as to whether they are slants. For one thing, the manufacturers never called them slants, and for another thing, they do not fall into what we commonly know as slants.
So what are frowning slants? In the old days, these were razors marketed for females. The cutting edge of the blade was curved downward on each side making a frown. Most took a special designed shorter blade that no longer exist, however the Pomco, the ones that sold the high end rebranded Merkur 37 introduced an interesting design - the Lady Pomco. The head was straight on one side (like your regular DE razor) and was curved downward on the other side. This razor DID take a regular DE blade and had a long bulbous handle similar to the Viking Blades Godfather.
I considered this design to be a slant because it did torque the blade to increase rigidity, however it was torqued along the cutting edge and not along the diagonal ends of the blade edges. Nobody gave this much thought until about two years ago when Seygus released their Zeppelin razor. This was designed to torque the blade along the cutting edge also, but not as extreme as the Lady Pomco. The Zeppelin also had a smooth bar on one side and a scalloped bar on the other side to go along with a .5mm blade gap on the smooth side, and a .7mm blade gap on the scalloped side. Being cheap, I purchased the head only option. Seygus never called the Zeppelin a slant, which caused a lot of discussion at the time of it's release as to whether it was or was not. I decided to call it a slant and so that is why I am posting this entry.
First up is the Lady Pomco. As mentioned before, this razor had a regular side and a frowning side and so for all you wimps that are afraide to shave with a side that women shave with, you can still have a normal shave with the other side. I actually found this an excellent combination. I used the straight side for my sideburns and for the upper lip area under my nose. The curved side was used for all other areas. The chin and jawline worked great as they were naturally curved, and my cheek and under jaw areas had a lot of loose skin and fat. WTG was effortless and had no problems. ATG went just as easily. After two passes, I found that I had little to touch up and I used the straight side for that because it was more precise. I ended up with a two pass plus minimal touch up BBS. As for that bulbous handle, it was lighter and a smaller diameter than the VB Godfather and so it felt comfortable in my hand.
This definitely is a vintage razor to consider. We all hear stories of wet shaving men introducing their wives to wet shaving and then having the wife take their favorite razor as their own. I wonder if this happened in reverse when the Lady Pomco came out.
So what are frowning slants? In the old days, these were razors marketed for females. The cutting edge of the blade was curved downward on each side making a frown. Most took a special designed shorter blade that no longer exist, however the Pomco, the ones that sold the high end rebranded Merkur 37 introduced an interesting design - the Lady Pomco. The head was straight on one side (like your regular DE razor) and was curved downward on the other side. This razor DID take a regular DE blade and had a long bulbous handle similar to the Viking Blades Godfather.
I considered this design to be a slant because it did torque the blade to increase rigidity, however it was torqued along the cutting edge and not along the diagonal ends of the blade edges. Nobody gave this much thought until about two years ago when Seygus released their Zeppelin razor. This was designed to torque the blade along the cutting edge also, but not as extreme as the Lady Pomco. The Zeppelin also had a smooth bar on one side and a scalloped bar on the other side to go along with a .5mm blade gap on the smooth side, and a .7mm blade gap on the scalloped side. Being cheap, I purchased the head only option. Seygus never called the Zeppelin a slant, which caused a lot of discussion at the time of it's release as to whether it was or was not. I decided to call it a slant and so that is why I am posting this entry.
First up is the Lady Pomco. As mentioned before, this razor had a regular side and a frowning side and so for all you wimps that are afraide to shave with a side that women shave with, you can still have a normal shave with the other side. I actually found this an excellent combination. I used the straight side for my sideburns and for the upper lip area under my nose. The curved side was used for all other areas. The chin and jawline worked great as they were naturally curved, and my cheek and under jaw areas had a lot of loose skin and fat. WTG was effortless and had no problems. ATG went just as easily. After two passes, I found that I had little to touch up and I used the straight side for that because it was more precise. I ended up with a two pass plus minimal touch up BBS. As for that bulbous handle, it was lighter and a smaller diameter than the VB Godfather and so it felt comfortable in my hand.
This definitely is a vintage razor to consider. We all hear stories of wet shaving men introducing their wives to wet shaving and then having the wife take their favorite razor as their own. I wonder if this happened in reverse when the Lady Pomco came out.
Dave in KY
Shave Newbie
Arm Pit razors
GearNoir
“The Disney Princess’s Apprentice”
That was my first thought...cause I’ve only seen the Lady one.Arm Pit razors
gvw755
0
Tonight's shave was with the Seygus Zeppelin, the last razor (for now) in my frowning slant series.
Because this had a differential head (with two different blade exposures and two different safety bars), I started off like I usually do with the more aggressive side (.7mm scalloped bar) going WTG. Because the frown was very slight, my shave was totally unencumbered by the normal approximations you need to do with a twisted or a diagonal slant in determining where exactly is the cutting edge. I had forgotten how smooth a shaver the Zeygus was in that I hardly felt any blade while going WTG using the aggressive side. However, when I went ATG using the milder side (.5mm smooth bar), the shave was not as efficient and I ended up with needing almost a full pass for XTG touch up. I switched back to the .7mm side , and all went well. I think this could have been my usual two pass BBS if I had stayed with the .7mm side throughout the shave.
Because this had a differential head (with two different blade exposures and two different safety bars), I started off like I usually do with the more aggressive side (.7mm scalloped bar) going WTG. Because the frown was very slight, my shave was totally unencumbered by the normal approximations you need to do with a twisted or a diagonal slant in determining where exactly is the cutting edge. I had forgotten how smooth a shaver the Zeygus was in that I hardly felt any blade while going WTG using the aggressive side. However, when I went ATG using the milder side (.5mm smooth bar), the shave was not as efficient and I ended up with needing almost a full pass for XTG touch up. I switched back to the .7mm side , and all went well. I think this could have been my usual two pass BBS if I had stayed with the .7mm side throughout the shave.