I like yesterday’s lather from Dr. Selby’s 3X Concentrated Shaving Cream so much that I had to repeat the experience immediately—plus I got a nice comment from a Uruguayan read (Dr. Selby’s being a product of Uruguay). Since it lathers so readily, I used the Wee Scot. One thing to note about this soap is that, like some other soaps (Dead Sea, for example), it requires that the brush be no more than damp. Shake the brush well before loading. You can add a drop or two of water if you need it, but you probably will not.
I do highly recommend the soap, and although it is no longer listed by my usual vendors, you can order it from this page on the Dr. Selby USA site. I note that it is on back order, and that may be why it’s no longer listed: too difficult to keep in stock. Still, I like it a lot. It is the consistency of a regular shaving soap, so you load it like a soap.
I’ve had the Fine SuperLite slant, closely modeled on the vintage Merkur white bakelite slant but made with ABS, a plastic with high impact resistance. For me the Fine SuperLite was not quite so comfortable as the white bakelite slant and a bit more prone to nick.
Fine has now reworked the slant in aluminum. He believes that it makes sense for a slant to be light in weight, and I totally agree: my heavier slants (the DLC coated stainless iKon slant on the SE handle, for example) require that I support most of the weight in my hand. If their full weight is on my face, nicks ensue.
I will add that in person the aluminum color is really attractive, brighter than the usual nickel plating. The handle design is the same as the SuperLite’s (but in aluminum rather than plastic).
Fine comments:
I remind you that you’ll be using a prototype where the cap is too tight on the baseplate, and assure you that the issue was fixed for mass production. [In this prototype the cap alignment studs fit the baseplate holes so closely that the cap tends to stick in place. – LG]
Other than that, I can only say that the more I use this razor personally, the more I think it may be a masterpiece. As with other slants, it benefits from an especially light touch and from use with a blade of only mild sharpness, but when done properly it delivers the most comfortable and efficient shave I’ve experienced (and it even seems to get better as the blade is used multiple times).
The design is actually not exactly the same. Where the Superlite was a straight copy, the idea behind this project was to actually improve the design of the original bakelite. I wanted to do what the original designers might have done if they had access to CAD tools and CNC machining.
It then turned out that the natural flex of the original bakelite cap provided a lot of compression on the blade that was very difficult to replicate in metal. In fact, it was so difficult the project was totally canceled at one point because we just couldn’t get it right. . . It took a labour of love from an engineer who was just wasn’t willing to give up to finally get it right.
I choose aluminum specifically because of its light weight, not due to cost considerations. I think it’s the ideal material for a slant.
I used a Derby Extra blade, which has worked well for me in other slants, and the shave was excellent. (If you get a slant, do note these pointers.) The lightness of the razor was pleasant and a reminder to use light pressure, and the stubble was wiped away easily, leaving a nick-free and very smooth face.
I’m told the production version, with the sticking issue fixed, will be available within a fortnight, presumably on this page. Watch for it.
A good splash of Floris No. 89 finished the job, and so the day begins.
Filed under: Shaving
