Prep was quite pleasant, using the Fine Classic and JabonMan’s Eufros Rosa Bourbon, a very nice soap with a great rose fragrance. I gave the brush an extra shake because I noticed in using Eufros yesterday that it is the opposite of a thirsty soap: very little water indeed is required. The lather was just right, and prep was a pleasure.
Okay, the face-off between the original (the vintage Merkur white bakelite slant, made decades ago, in back) and the Fine ABS plastic slant, modeled on the Merkur, in front. Mr. Fine says that the head geometry is identical, but you’ll note that he excised some extraneous material under the baseplate, presumably added to give the bakelite slant more strength and/or a more rectangular profile to minimize the slanty appearance. (The latter seems to have been the purpose of the extraneous material in the Eros slant’s cap and head.)
Now that I have figured out the optimal angle on the Fine slant, it’s in practice indistinguishable in razor feel and razor performance from the white bakelite slant. The design goal was to replicate in the Fine slant the wonderful feel and performance of its bakelite model, and in that he succeeded. By using a stronger plastic, he’s even improved upon the original.
Three passes, no problems, perfect result: pretty much what you want in a shave.
A good splash of Saint Charles Shave’s Dark Rose aftershave, and the day is well begun.
Filed under: Shaving
