I have done a lot of reading in the last few days and it seems to me that most people have either a 2or 3 piece and I don't see a lot of info on the TTOs or butterflys. Why would one choose or not choose a TTO?
There are plenty of TTO's out there, and I think most people have at least one of them. The Microtouch One is a popular and prevalent modern one. Vintage Gillette Super Speeds are very popular. I think 3 pieces get discussed a lot because they seem to have the biggest variety.
You're question is a good one. Objectively speaking, the real difference is in the way the blade is loaded..the tto being equipped with a quicker and perhaps more convenient loading system. Once you have handled de blades for a while, this point can become more mute, save for the people who like to take out their blade and wipe down the razor at the end of each shave. Where there is maybe a more profound differentiation, lies in the subjective range of personal experience and preference. The tto has a characteristic geometry which sports a high head profile. This high profile can reduce manoeuvrability for some, but others may find that the razor type can offer a higher cushioning factor significantly reducing irritation and a marked increase in comfort. Also the handle is fixed on a tto and cannot be easily changed like the 3 piece DE and because the mechanism is more complex, the butterfly shaver can experience a greater number of mechanical problems, especially in the older vintage razors...
I really don't have a preference over three piece or TTO. Both designs have aggressive & mild razors.
I've got maybe 15 TTO's in my regular rotation and maybe 5 three piece. Your face will tell you what works best. Anything you try now while you're starting will also be different six to twelve months from now as your technique develops and improves so don't throw anything away.
13 TTOs and 14 3-piece razors. All in rotation, all give a decent shave. Some are better than others, admittedly, but if they didn't give me a good shave they wouldn't be in the rotation. Yup.
I do prefer the quick loading/unloading that the TTO was (going by the old advertisements) designed to provide, but it's not like handling a blade with a 3 piece is really a high risk event, either. 3 piece loading takes maybe 10 seconds longer. BTW...zip dispensers (the stack of bare blades that slide out with a push of the thumb) are a superior vending system over wrapped blades, imo. Seems to me it'd be cheaper and easier to produce than individually wrapped waxed paper and enveloped blades, but I guess they're not since the latter is what most companies do these days.
many folks have been choosing to use their open comb razors for oc/ October. it's a theme one of the members suggested. there are fewer oc tto's.
When I use a DE which is not often, I used to prefer the Gillette adjustables ( slim is my choice) but I have a gold tech from 1938-1941 that gives me a slightly better shave and it was made in the time period I was born
Either of those types of razor are good depending on how your face and technique mesh with them. I started out using TTO's/Adjustables and got ok shaves from them. Then I tried 2(Merkur 34C) and 3(vintage and EJ89) piece razors and found I got better shaves. So I became a 3 piece shaver. If you do a lot of blade removal between shaves(for drying or stropping) the TTO probably has some advantage, otherwise I see no difference just changing the blades when needed as I do. The main thing is how a particular safety razor works for you with your face and technique ie. does it shave close and more importantly to me comfortable? Many times you will find as I have that you have favorites from both camps. I for instance like and get really good shaves from a Gillette "Fat Handle Tech" 3 piece razors and a Gillette 47-50 Artistocrat TTO's
I like em both. Advantages of a TTO - Quicker to load, Some models are adjustable. Disadvantages of a TTO - Older ones may have issues such as Guard bars out of whack, loose knobs, too light and mild (SuperSpeeds, at least what I have used).
Where have you been doing your reading? TTO are very popular razors, it all comes down to personal preference, my Gillette Slim and Black Beauty are both outstanding razors. I also enjoy a 3 piece razor, and an occasional 2 piece razor. Most people have 5 of each Pros and Cons: only you'll be able to answer that, every razor will shave different on your face.
The three-piece concept is beautiful because of its simplicity. The TTO concept is beautiful because of its ingenuity. People often drop the razor or parts of it when they replace the blade. In that respect, the three-piece razor is definitely more vulnerable.
I have both 3-piece and TTO razors. For OCtober, I have been using my four OC razors: three vintage and one modern. Next month, I will be going back to some TTOs. I piffed my MicroTouch One. It just does not stand up to the Gillettes it seeks to emulate. Super Speeds are easy to acquire at a good price, and they will last for decades more.
I use a three piece Standard Razor at our regular home and a flair tip Super Speed TTO at our farm house, prefer the three piece. I don't have a big issue with the difference in head geometry, just a minor adaptation in blade angle, but I do prefer the more positive blade clamping of the three piece. To me the TTO's have always felt like the blade vibrates just a bit and I do get a little irritation from them that isn't there with the three piece.
I enjoy both multi-piece and TTO razors. Some of the early marketing hype for the TTOs is kind of funny when you think about it. One was the ease and safety of loading the razor when using the blade dispensers that allowed you to push the blade with your thumb and then hook it on the center piece of the razor. Fine and dandy until you have to remove the blade - now what? So truly there isn't a way to get around not touching a blade at some point unless you let it fall in the trash can. Which isn't nice to whoever empties the trash or the environment. I see neither deal breaking flaws nor wonderful attributes that puts one style above or below another. Both types can give great shaves and last a very long time when properly cared for. If you are new to DE shaving all that really matters is that you get your technique down with whichever you choose. Changing razor types while learning is only going to extend the learning process. Once you master the concept, adapting to another style razor should be no problem.
I've come to love TTOs. They're what I grew up with and I'm currently enamored of the vintage Gillette all metal adjustables. I see why the 3 piece is admired for its simplicity but I still think blade loading it is clumsy and I like being able to change the razor's aggressiveness a la Slim mid shave. I do tend to bring a 3 piece as a travel razor but would be happy if the only I razor could ever use were a Slim or Fatboy. Looking at these vintage masterpieces, I can only shake my head at the realization that no company would be able to profitably resurrect a similar or improved design given the tooling costs. Pity. An all stainless TTO adjustable produced by Feather would be a thing of beauty forever.
I really am not bothered if a razor is a tto or a three paice. The most important thing to me is how it feels on my face.
I like them both, and use them both. I started with a TTO (superspeed), and confess that I see with rose colored glasses concerning them. They just seem way more sophisticated and more finely engineered to me. There is a grace to the 3 piece design, especially something as simple as a Tech. But I must confess that the big, fat goose egg looking nibs on the head of the old types are quite ugly to me. The short, flat ones on the newer razors look much more graceful. YMMV. But that would not keep me from owning any of them.
