After being recently turned on to the great shaves provided by a NEW, I'm seriously gaining a respectful appreciation for vintage open comb razors. Other than the very nice shaves they've provided I think there's more to their appeal than that. Maybe it's something about their "style". Most of them have a decorative touch to them (knurling, ball-ends, engraving, scroll-work) perhaps harkening back to a simpler, more "civilized" time. A time when "things" were appreciated esthetically as well for their purpose. I like that decorative look rather than the more utilitarian look of razors from later years. I now have 5 OC razors. My Old Type, New Standard and my New each shave really nice (well, maybe not the OT, my "jury" is still out in that one). I've got two other unbranded OC's that I need to try yet. What do you think? What is it about these vintage OC razors?
I agree. Of the razors I have, my wife finds my Gillette New SC the most appealing. It's a timeless classic razor, I've never had a bad shave with the New.
I have four open combs that I have been using in OCtober. Three are vintage Gillettes and one is the Merkur 15c. The Old Type is the most aggressive, my LC and SC NEWs are my best shavers, and the Merkur is the mildest. It looks very much like the Old Type head, but it is very mild in comparison. In the picture Old Type with ball end handle (top left), English NEW with Utopia handle (top right), NEW SC with bar handle (bottom left), and Merkur 15c (bottom right).
Dunno what it is, but modern razors just don't appeal to me. I've got 3 OC SE's (GEM OCMM, Star 1912 and Valet Autostrop model 1B) and one OC DE (Gillette OS). That suffices. For now. Maybe if I encounter a New OC for a good price... Or a clog proof. But a Merkur OC? Nah. Not for me.
Didn't mean to exclude SE razors. I guess it's any vintage OC. Some of those SE razors are really the most extravagant in their design and appearance. That's exactly what I'm talking about. If they shave well the appearance is a bonus.
Herm, I agree with you all the way. The only new razor I have is a Murker 34c, and it was my first. All of my others are vintage Gillette. I appreciate the style, aesthetics, and especially the history behind each of my razors. I'm reading a book "One Summer, America 1927" and I find myself thinking about shaving back then when Charles Lindbergh flew across the Atlantic, and the first talking picture "The Jazz Singer" was filmed. Heck King Gillette, ever the marketeer, gave Lindbergh a special razor to mark the event. Yes, you are correct, a more simpler, elegant time.
OK, I'm adding some "homework" to this post. Does anybody have any idea what this razor is? No markings, looks very much old type "style" The entire razor is (I believe) nickel plated with a very slight bit of brass showing in the knurling. Maybe an Old Type foreign copy?
