Totally wonderful shave today, and thanks to Phil Wilson. He mentioned in a comment that he had found the Personna Med Prep blade to work quite well in the slant. I don’t have those, but I do have a box of Personna Lab Blue blades, so I put a new one in the razor.
First, of course, I did a good job of prep: washing beard at sink (after my shower) with the jlocke98 formula, using Dr. Bronner’s Rose Pure Castile liquid soap and emu oil. Then I rubbed my Honeybee Soaps Fresh Lemon shave stick against the grain all over my partially rinsed beard. I wet my Simpson Persian Jar, shook it a few times, then started working up the lather. I added water once (a driblet of hot water to the center of the brush) and worked that in to get a perfect lather.
With the Personna Lab Blue, the iKon Slant was back to its initial feel: smooth shaving, totally comfortable, and no nicks—to the degree that I had the feeling that I couldn’t nick myself even if I tried (although, to be honest, I did not put that feeling to the test). BBS in three passes of full enjoyment.
Since the iKon Slant had felt this good initially—thus my first very positive reviews—I was curious whether just changing the blade had made the (marked) difference in the comfort of the shave. So I looked back at my post of my first iKon Slant shave, and I discovered that the blade I had used was a Personna Lab Blue. I have been wandering in the wilderness of other brands, seeking my way home, and thanks to Phil I found it.
So if you’re having problems with a razor, do not neglect blade exploration. Personna Lab Blues may not work for you, but they certainly work well for me.
Filed under: Shaving
