The Merkur Slant Bar Heavy Duty Razor has a mixed reputation. Some claim that it provides the closest shave possible, while others say it is pure evil. Many experienced wet shavers consider the Slant to be a double edge razor that can achieve results similar to a straight razor. The slicing action of the Slant Bar is significantly more aggressive than a standard safety razor — and this article explores the pros and cons.

While most wet shavers are familiar with the popular British brands, such as Geo. F. Trumper and D.R. Harris, there is a lesser known brand on the playing field. H.Bronnley & Co. Ltd was founded in 1884 by James Bronnley, an English soap maker with a quest to create the perfect soap. Today Bronnley offers a range of traditional soaps and toiletries, including its signature line of men's shaving products. James Bronnley Shaving Cream bears a Royal Warrant, so I figured if it was good enough for Her Majesty, The Queen, it was good enough for me.

Those who enjoy wet shaving are used to seeing historic products. Kent brushes were established in 1777, La Toja began in 1837, and Trumper and Coate's began in 1875. There is one brand, however, that predates them all: Around 1221, the Dominican monks at Santa Maria Novella began creating elixirs from rose water and vinegar. If you travel to Florence today, you can visit the Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, which is part museum, part boutique. The historic wooden doors open to dimly lit hallways and display cases, where you can find traditional products ranging from potpourri and candles, to herbal teas and ceramics, to bath and body products. Among them is Santa Maria Novella Crema da Barba, one of the oldest and finest shaving creams in the world.

La Toja Shave Stick is named after the tiny La Toja island just west of Spain that is renowned throughout Europe for its therapeutic and healing thermal spring. La Toja has been making soap from the spa's mineral salts since early in the 20th Century and it is available in literally every supermarket and convenience store in Spain. The La Toja brand makes bath soaps and gels, shaving soap and cream, and aftershave splash and balm, which all range from $2 to $7. The original name for this famous soap is "Sales de La Toja," but I personally refer to this brand as the Spanish Proraso due to its affordability and availability.

Charles Roberts, the creator of Method Shaving and the Hydrolast brand, spent countless hours writing lengthy and in-depth documentation, which many critics argue makes the process too complicated, too time consuming, and too expensive. Most of these critics, however, have never tried the system and have encouraged a lot of skepticism and inaccurate assumptions. Set aside the lingo, documentation, and eccentric personalities, and you'll see that the basics of Method Shaving are straight forward and highly effective. This article addresses these assumptions and disproves common myths about Method Shaving.