I hadn’t used the Merkur Slant-Bar razor in a couple of years. Simply put, with my aging fingers, I now prefer a longer handled razor that provide a little more grip area. The E.J. Chatsworth has been my go-to razor for at least the last two years; it’s Merkur HD head provides the perfect combination of blade exposure, angle, and ergonomics.
Nevertheless, it’s good to occasionally get out of one’s comfort zone, so the Slant-Bar seemed a good way to get out of my present rut (induced from being a virtual shut-in all last week due to a stomach bug). I loaded an Iridium Super blade into the Slant-Bar’s crazy-angled head, dipped my vintage Simpson’s brush into a pot of T&H 1805 shaving cream, and proceeded to get a very close, albeit a little irritating, shave (the alum block told the tale with more than the usual stinging). No blood-letting though, so I’m happy with my control of this beast after so may years off its back.
For those unfamiliar with the slant bar, it’s head is designed so that the blade exposure increases from each end of the head. This results in a very close slicing of the beard hairs. It is however, NOT a beginner’s razor.
Staying with the “out of comfort zone” mode, I even splashed on some R&G Extra-Vieille cologne (very similar to 4711 in scent). I find that using as many unscented products as possible, I can now enjoy stronger scents from time-to-time (I think it’s all about “load”).