This is the summary article on my experience with my new Merkur 37C slant DE razor. Though the fifth article of this series on the 37C, this was actually my seventh day using this implement. The following are links to the previous articles in this series:
This morning I did some out-of-the-box thinking, and realized that it has been my second pass, XTG, that has been giving me some problems due to my thin skin and direction of hair growth combined with my rather angular and uneven face-and-neck terrain. So the plan I followed today was 1st pass WTG using the slant, 2nd pass XTG with the mild-shaving Merkur 33c, and 3rd pass mostly ATG with the slant once again.
Results were very good: extremely close shave, BBS for the most part, with no nicks, no cuts. By the way, the prep for today's shave was unremarkable, down right pedestrian: cold-water face wash, additional cold-water splash, apply home-blended shave oil prior to each lathering, lather with unmodified Williams shave soap and a boar brush.
So in all, the Merkur 37C slant can be used pretty much like other razors except that because of the efficiency of the slanted edge, the lightest pressure can and should be used. Also, of course, as noted above, if your skin offers opportunity for the razor's edge to catch at all, be circumspect; choose your shaving direction appropriately to best take advantage of the slant's strengths, and avoid those shaving tactics where it's likely to nip at you. In my case, this meant using the slant to shave in up-down and down-up directions, leaving the more-or-less side-to-side swipes to a less-efficient (that is, less-likely-to-bite) razor.
At this time it looks as though the 37C will be my daily shaving implement partnered with a milder blade.
That's the story. Happy shaving!
Abbreviations: DE = double edge; WTG = with the grain; XTG = cross grain; ATG = against the grain; BBS = baby-bottom smooth
This morning I did some out-of-the-box thinking, and realized that it has been my second pass, XTG, that has been giving me some problems due to my thin skin and direction of hair growth combined with my rather angular and uneven face-and-neck terrain. So the plan I followed today was 1st pass WTG using the slant, 2nd pass XTG with the mild-shaving Merkur 33c, and 3rd pass mostly ATG with the slant once again.
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| Business-end view of the 37C. Don't let first impressions mislead; it's not so intimidating once you get better acquainted. |
Results were very good: extremely close shave, BBS for the most part, with no nicks, no cuts. By the way, the prep for today's shave was unremarkable, down right pedestrian: cold-water face wash, additional cold-water splash, apply home-blended shave oil prior to each lathering, lather with unmodified Williams shave soap and a boar brush.
So in all, the Merkur 37C slant can be used pretty much like other razors except that because of the efficiency of the slanted edge, the lightest pressure can and should be used. Also, of course, as noted above, if your skin offers opportunity for the razor's edge to catch at all, be circumspect; choose your shaving direction appropriately to best take advantage of the slant's strengths, and avoid those shaving tactics where it's likely to nip at you. In my case, this meant using the slant to shave in up-down and down-up directions, leaving the more-or-less side-to-side swipes to a less-efficient (that is, less-likely-to-bite) razor.
At this time it looks as though the 37C will be my daily shaving implement partnered with a milder blade.
That's the story. Happy shaving!
Abbreviations: DE = double edge; WTG = with the grain; XTG = cross grain; ATG = against the grain; BBS = baby-bottom smooth
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