Open combs

@Roy The answer to both your questions is, it depends on the razor in question.

Both open comb and straight or closed bar razors will vary from the very mild to the very aggressive. The most aggressive DE razor I have is an iKon Tech which is a closed or straight bar razor, it shaves very close. Two of my favourite DE razors are the Fatip Piccolo and the iKon 101, the Fatip is open comb and it shaves very smoothly, it is said to be aggressive but I just find it very efficient. The iKon 101 is both open and closed, each side of the head differs, and to be honest it feels almost the same each side.

I recently tried the Timeless razor and I found the open comb and closed/straight bar heads to be very similar but very efficient, the first DE razor I have managed a decent two pass shave from. I normally shave with three passes with DE razors.

The only Open comb DE razor I have tried that I did not like was the Maggard OC V2, it shaves nice and close and feels smooth when shaving but it always causes post shave irritation for me. Notable open comb razors I have or have tried and liked are:

Fatip Piccolo
iKon 101 and 103
Gillette NEW Long Comb
*EDIT* Gillette Old Type (forgot about that one, a sure sign of too many razors!)
PAA Double Open Comb
Timeless 0.95 OC

My personal recommendation would be to try a Fatip, they only cost around £20 and if it does not suit you I would imagine it would be easy to sell on BST.
 
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A can of worms indeed.
Buy a cheap vintage Gillette Old or New type to try out the waters.
Some say open combs are inherently aggressive, others (me for one) like the Gillettes I just mentioned and one of the mildest (but efficient) razors I own is a Merkur 41c.
 
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Boru62 said:
How could you?
The first small step for DEs :D
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I know! It was reading your post with the mention of the Old type when I realised. A damn fine razor it is too, mine is a 1920 vintage one, picked up from eBay for not very much, the photos were a bit blurry but the price was right. After removing the tarnish it came up great, no bent teeth and little wear. Funny to think this razor is nearly 100 years old, but it shaves perfectly.
 
Bizzyberry said:
I know! It was reading your post with the mention of the Old type when I realised. A damn fine razor it is too, mine is a 1920 vintage one, picked up from eBay for not very much, the photos were a bit blurry but the price was right. After removing the tarnish it came up great, no bent teeth and little wear. Funny to think this razor is nearly 100 years old, but it shaves perfectly.
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I have two, a 1918 single ring and a 1920s thick cap and love them both.
The SR is my joint favourite DE, gives a close shave with zero irritation. 99 years and still going strong, wish I could say the same :D
 
Let's sort this out.

Open comb does not mean more aggressive.

I have a Gillette New OC that I would recommend to newbies.

I have a 37c closed that I would suggest as a second razor.

Every razor on its merits.

Here is a guide to covering the ground to shaving awareness :

1. A closed comb starter, 34c,tech, 89 etc
2. A slant.
3. An adjustable (slim, fat boy, progress, variant, et al)
4. An open comb (fatip, new, et al)
5. A single edge (1912)
6. An injector
7. A straight if you are brave (I am not)

After you have dragged these across your face, you are up to speed. You don't know it all. I don't, and never will. But you're 90% of the way there and aware of your shortcomings. If you shop carefully on the second hand market, you have out laid about £100 excluding the straight.
 
Supermangs said:
Let's sort this out.

Open comb does not mean more aggressive.

I have a Gillette New OC that I would recommend to newbies.

I have a 37c closed that I would suggest as a second razor.

Every razor on its merits.

Here is a guide to covering the ground to shaving awareness :

1. A closed comb starter, 34c,tech, 89 etc
2. A slant.
3. An adjustable (slim, fat boy, progress, variant, et al)
4. An open comb (fatip, new, et al)
5. A single edge (1912)
6. An injector
7. A straight if you are brave (I am not)

After you have dragged these across your face, you are up to speed. You don't know it all. I don't, and never will. But you're 90% of the way there and aware of your shortcomings. If you shop carefully on the second hand market, you have out laid about £100 excluding the straight.
Click to expand...

To this add the following :

- £20 on a mix of Russian blades;
- £15 on a synthetic brush, second hand if you can;
- £15 on soaps/creams, including 4 x palmolive sticks at 50p each + some second hand artisans.

At this point you have enough to shave like a legend for 2 years for £150. And you will learn enough to never need to come to this forum for information.

What will actually happen will involve 500 posts on this site and several hundred pounds worth of additional expenditure but that's just a reflection on your own weaknesses which we all share, otherwise we'd be elsewhere in our spare time.
 
A few years ago, my first razor was an EJ 89 like everyone else. I quickly switched to a Goodfella OC - mild razor. The OC definitely helps with technique - obvious if the teeth or blade are making contact. The Goodfella was my daily shaver for nearly a year.

From what i understand, OC's are very effective on 2-3 days of growth (not sure if more aggressive or the OC design). I do have and enjoy a Charcoal Goods copper level 1 OC in my 4 razor rotation. I seem to need one less pass in on my neck with OC's and heavier razors.

If looking for a 2nd razor, a mild OC might be good choice.
 
I prefer OC's on more than 3 days growth, they just plough through heavier beards but are also smooth and comfortable on the 2nd/3rd passes too. I have just the one now the Blackbird and it is a fine razor I always feel in control and in safe hands with it. I did have the ATT S2 and ATT R2 and with the R2 I had to take a little care but it too was manageable. I think everyone should have a good OC for the times when you have left your shave a little longer than usual.
 
I shave daily and prefer OCs. By and large, I get closer shaves (important) plus I think they look über cool (less important).

The Fatip Piccolo is my favourite razor of all time, smooth, efficient, and nickel-plated brass for not very much £. As for vintage, I prefer Old over New by a whisker (see what I did there); and the Gem MMOC is my first stop for an SE OC.
 
As said above, it depends... but I prefer OCs... although in fact it took me years to try one. My only razor was an EJ (well, three iterations of it)... for four years. One day I got a NEW ... and that was it.

Now, several dozens of vintage razors later, my favourite ones are SRs and NEW DeLuxes. With a Feather in. Wonderful daily shaves!
 
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